TV-Reviewed

Doctor Who is always pushing the boundaries creatively of what science-fiction television can be, and occasionally this can cause problems. It’s fine to push boundaries, don’t get me wrong.  However, sometimes the writer’s on Doctor Who get a little carried away–or think that by going in a particular direction, they’ve done something that is clever and edgy when the viewer is simply going, “Huh?”–or, worse–”What the heck was that?”

This latest episode, for me, seemed to be a proverbial head-scratcher.  While rooted in the tradition of the show, the opening scene carried with it the fantasy elements typical to any Doctor Who episode, however, one key player was missing straightaway, the Doctor.  The lack of the Doctor’s presence created a void.  Creatively it was a major departure; just as in the previous episode, “Midnight”, where the Doctor’s companion was missing except at the beginning and ending.  Here, though, it’s just Donna until the end.

But, that’s not the only misstep.  It was interesting that–Wait, was it truly interesting?  It’s been done before in science-fiction, and particularly in Doctor Who, where a timeline can get completely messed up by one single missed event that should have happened but didn’t due to the intervention of an antagonist–Donna was sent into the past by a being (an alien) bent on wanting to rid the universe of the Doctor, right?  Yeah.  The “what if” factor was a huge part of “Turn Left”.

Perhaps, the title in itself lends to what this episode is all about.  The phrase “turn left”, while worked into the story’s plot, of course, could also refer to the unusual course the story takes–the unconventional liberals on the left, the more subdued conservatives on the right.  Perhaps, it’s just a coincidence.  Or…

…maybe it’s a logical connection.  All right, I can live with that.  But, honestly, a giant scarab that can wire itself into somebody’s nervous system and control them, (to quote Jayne from Serenity) where does that get fun?  It doesn’t.  And what I’m trying to point out here is that, while perhaps a newer twist to the “what if” factor, it’s not completely original, not to mention it’s sort of ridiculous.

It would have been better for the show’s writers and producers if they had come up with something more believable, and creepy.  Remember those ear-worm things from Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan?  I know I do.  Something like that would have been more appropriate, I think.  Poor Donna… she had to wear a beetle on her back.  How does that work?  A beetle that can hardwire itself into you?  Right…

Rose on Doctor Who

Yet, that’s besides the point.  Donna goes into an alternate reality (or is that alternate universe?) where the simple action of taking a right instead of a left in her car changes everything.  And Rose has to help her.  She has to help Donna remember.  Because if she doesn’t–if she fails–the Doctor will be gone–gone forever–and us humans, well, we’ll see Earth’s population dwindle and, possibly, wink out entirely.  We need the Doctor.

That’s “Turn Left” in a nutshell.  Throughout Donna’s experience there’s the audible sound of a giant creepy bug, and people keep looking at her back for something they can’t quite see.  Sorry, but that didn’t satisfy me, and really, honestly, there was no purpose to this episode, other than the fact that it, like I said above, screams: We need the Doctor.  That’s its only apparent purpose.  Filler.  Dare I venture, rubbish?

Also, Donna’s personality and mentality were influenced by that giant bug, right?  Well, I think she seemed more frustrated than influenced.  That was the way it came off.  She knew something was there, because people kept looking at her back–And it was irritating to say the least.  Not just for Donna, but for me (the viewer) as well.  The biggest question is, why didn’t Rose just come out and tell Donna what the hell was going on?  She knew; she knew what was on Donna’s back: an interdimensional creature that was trying to change the outcome of events.

Of course, the most shameless plot device was the fact that future-Donna had to get past-Donna to turn left instead of right.  And, how did she have to do it?  She had to die–more precise had to get hit by a two-ton lorry.  That was the diversion that was required.  Future-Donna had to die, like that hasn’t been done before.  Future-Donna died, and the stopped traffic flow from onlookers forced the “left” to happen.  Bingo. That’s it.  And everything was fixed, and the Doctor was there to find Donna at the fortune teller who had duped her into wearing the giant bug to begin with.

The Doctor in the last few frames, go figure.  If “Midnight” was a major, unconventional change in the series, “Turn Left” was even more so.  Which in this case failed to impress–or should I say it failed to take the show anywhere?

Rating: 6.5