Doctor Who (TV Series)

Before the Flood (2015)

Peter Capaldi: The Doctor

Photos 

Quotes 

• [first lines] 

  The Doctor : So there's this man, he has a time machine. Up and down history he goes, zip, zip, zip, zip, zip, getting into scrapes. Another thing he has is a a passion for the works of Ludwig van Beethoven. And one day he thinks, 'What's the point of having a time machine if you don't get to meet your heroes?' So off he goes to 18th century Germany, but he can't find Beethoven anywhere. No one's heard of him. Not even his family have any idea who the time traveller is talking about. Beethoven literally... doesn't exist. This didn't happen by the way. I've met Beethoven. Nice chap, very intense

  [holds up a bust of Beethoven and strikes a similar expression] 

  The Doctor : Loved an arm wrestle. No, this is called the 'bootstrap paradox'. Google it. The time traveller panics. He can't bear the thought of a world without the music of Beethoven. Luckily he brought all of his Beethoven sheet music for Ludwig to sign. So he copies out all the concertos and the symphonies, and he gets them published. He becomes Beethoven. And history continues with barely a feather ruffled. But my question is this - who put those notes and phrases together? Who really composed Beethoven's 5th?

  [plays the first notes of Beethoven's 5th on his electric guitar] 

• The Doctor : [to the Ghost Doctor]  Doctor, such an honour. I've always been a huge admirer. This is really a delight. Finally someone worth talking to.

• O'Donnell : I used to be military intelligence. I was demoted for dangling a colleague out the window.

  The Doctor : In anger?

  O'Donnell : Is there another way to dangle someone out the window?

  [the Doctor smiles in reply] 

• The Doctor : You can't cheat time, I just tried. You can't just go back and cut off tragedy at the root because you find yourself talking to someone you just saw dead on a slab. Because then you really do see ghosts.

• The Doctor : Where's Bennett? We need to get going.

  O'Donnell : Oh, he's still throwing up. 'One small step for man, one giant bleargh!'

  The Doctor : Time travel does that sometimes.

  O'Donnell : Somehow I doubt that Rose or Martha or Amy lost their breakfast on the first trip.

• O'Donnell : What year are we in?

  The Doctor : [checking the wind direction]  1980.

  O'Donnell : So, pre-Harold Saxton, pre-the Minister of War, pre-the moon exploding and a big bat coming out.

  The Doctor : The Minister of War?

  O'Donnell : Yeah...

  The Doctor : [cutting her off]  No. Never mind, I expect I'll find out soon enough.

• [last lines] 

  The Doctor : When did I first have those ideas, Clara?

  Clara : Well, it must have been... Wow.

  The Doctor : Exactly. Who composed Beethoven's 5th?

• The Doctor : [Pops out of a sarcophagus]  Don't kiss me. Morning breath.

• The Doctor : Yes, I've had dealings with your lot before; I can't say I'm a fan.

  Prentis : No, we do tend to antagonize!

  [he starts to laugh and O'Donnell turns over her shoulder when she hears a metallic thud] 

• The Doctor : Oh well, I've had a good innings. This regeneration is a bit of a clerical error, anyway.

• The Doctor : I'm going to go back to the base and I'm going to save Clara, because that's what I do. And I don't see anyone here who's going to stop me!

  [at that instant the cloister bell rings and the Tardis unexpectedly starts a landing cycle] 

• The Doctor : [as a hologram]  This is security protocol 712. The Echelon circuit has been activated. Please stow any hand luggage and prepare for departure.