Doctor Who: Every Modern Companion's DEFINITIVE Episode
8. Turn Left (Donna Noble)
Turn Left is a character study of Donna Noble, stripping the Doctor and his influence away entirely. The show has laboured the point of Donna being made better by the Doctor, but this story shows us that everything the Doctor brought out in her was there all along, with or without his guidance.
This is a version of Donna that remains exactly as we first met her in The Runaway Bride, trapped in an unexciting life and stifled by a demeaning mother. But there are also echoes of the Donna she grows into – her inherent humanity and heroism shine through, filtered through her slightly abrasive exterior.
Even without the Doctor, the Donna we know and love is still in there, she's just too guarded and worn down to let it come to the surface.
At the same time, the episode also allows us to see what Donna might have been like before the Doctor, spending an extended period of time with her as she just tries to live her life as the world collapses. Her lack of purpose and drive becomes more prominent, her relationship with Sylvia is colder and even more strained, and she harbours a general resentment for the world and everyone in it.
Wilf, by contrast, is still an absolute gem and a saint, and his bond with Donna in this parallel world is the only thing that anchors her.
We can see that the traits we often associate with Donna (her humour, and quickness to anger) aren't just kooky traits, but tools she uses for self-preservation. The humour is still there, but it's more biting and harsh – you can feel her sense of desperation and helplessness through her every action.
It's a subtle change, but it's a perfect showcase of exactly why Catherine Tate blew us away in 2008. For someone who honed their craft in comedy, she might be one of the best dramatic actors to ever take on the role of a companion, and there is no better showcase for her talent than this episode.
Much like Human Nature is a story about the Doctor 'without' the Doctor, Turn Left isn't really about an alternate timeline Donna – its actual purpose is to reveal that the 'ordinary' Donna is anything but ordinary.