After the ball was over..

And so, with heavy heart, and a little sigh, we gather, to think of Donna Noble... last time we saw Donna, she was a bit overwhelmed by the Doctor in his bleak angry phase.. in the meantime, it seems she did a bit of thinking.. and Actually, being a Temp in Chiswick..well it was a bit boring in retrospect....

This time round she also has a Mother who thinks she should get a job and settle down with a nice boy, and a Grandfather who spends a lot of time 'up the hill' looking at stars and tending to his veg... Wilf in fact, is probably one of the best 'adds depth to a companion' characters that exists, reverential and wise, and encourages Donna to follow her dreams...

And so she does... In fact she was reading on the Internet, and hunting down the Doctor... And so, she finds him, after a series of near misses whilst the vunerable and gullible of the world take a new wonder drug, where the fat literally just walks away. Don't get me wrong... the idea of a mouthy ginger being the new companion filled me with dread, but this Donna has had some time to think, she's considerably quieter and yes, she's ready now and she WANTS to see it all... to experience more, and The Doctor, well he just wants a mate...

And so, not before bumping into a dewy eyed, pouty girl in a crowd of gatherers who have been ogling a spaceship, she joins him, in the Tardis...and they complement each other so well, this is very much what both characters needed, The Doctor someone to make him think, slow him down take into consideration the impact of his actions on the Human race - for which he has an evident soft spot, whilst he expounds the importance of maintaining a balance, a continuous timeline - not interfering or playing God... (remember he's seen what can happen when a God Complex develops) and it works so well because theres no expectation on either side, no hidden agendas... its a mutual feedback, they make each other more.

And off they yomp, through space and time, saving the world, liberating species from their oppressors, all the whilst on some almost 'hippy' personal growth travelling expedition, both becoming more aware of their power on a different level to that which they would ordinarily consider themselves, till ultimately they are equals... sparring partners, friends on the best, if weirdest Holiday ever, living in the moment neither wishing to know the future (no spoilers)...

Where other companions have been prone to making the occasional faux pas... Donna is prone to being whipped out of reality, into idyllic dream worlds where she has a family and husband - but only if she looks at them, and indeed into another version of the world, where she turned right at a junction... at which point it becomes rather apparent, that not ONLY was she dissatisfied with being a temp.. she was also the most important woman in the whole universe, even if there was something on her back...

Which is where Rose Tyler steps in... remember Rose? persistent little bugger... never quite lost the God Complex either... and so she sends Donna, back into her own timeline (which risks all known reality caving in on itself) to get run over, in order that Donna who of course knows none of this at the junction turns left instead...all to make sure the Doctor doesn't die... admirable yes, but you worry for his pets...

So, yes back they go in the Tardis, the Doctor and Donna... and then... as it tends to.. Reality Cracked open, earth disappeared and there they are, trapped outside of time... its not looking good.. there have been portenders of doom all the whilst which they have ignored, of course they do eventually get back to earth - not least because ex-companions of the doctor can't NOT intervene..and when theres Daleks dashing around, oh and BLOODY Martha considering blowing up the entire planet... and the Doctors grinning because he's heard the word Rose, and you just KNOW its going to be a big ole, knees up - the whole gang together.. saving the world..

Then it goes a bit tits up.. you end up with two Doctors, and Donna blessed with a whole lot of Time lord intelligence... which is brilliant, you'd already seen her sort of calmly accept she was a key figure and moment in space and time...add a bit o'timelord and she was cocky with it... and you reflect on all she's done, where she's been and how its all led to this moment of brilliance..

and then, when everyone's gone home, Rose has been LEFT in the other Universe, with a token, won't live forever timelord (psycho - clone yourself BRILLIANT plan, wish I'd thought of that myself actually)the parties over..

And by far and away the cruelest fate awaits Donna.

All those things, all that change for the better in herself, everywhere she'd been, saving the world, travelling through time and space..

She'll never know she even did it.

Everyone else at least walks away with their memories...

to never know what you have been..or what you are.., just another thing she's missed and doesn't believe happened.

and just n case thats not bad enough... Wilf Mott makes you cry at then end of it all as well.