Now this is how you open a two-parter.

We begin with a great premise and a great setting. The idea of an 'Impossible Planet' that is somehow able to remain suspended above a Black Hole is immediately intriguing, and the threat from the Black Hole is very quickly established to be dangerous, so we're already beginning with some tension. Add to this the untranslatable language (adding to the intrigue) and the loss of the TARDIS (adding to the tension) and we're off to a great start.

Then we have a collection of creepy scenes with strange happenings, all seemingly revolving around an awakening Beast. We also have a likeable supporting cast of well drawn characters, and of course the Ood. What a great design the Ood have. They're strikingly alien, but somehow, despite having a face with limited movement, they're also remarkably expressive. They're genuinely scary when they need to look scary, but when they aren't they seem incredibly sweet. There's a reason they became on of Nu-Who's most iconic aliens. So we have a compelling middle here too.

This all builds to one of the best cliffhangers of the modern era. The Doctor and Ida are down the hole staring at the seal. Toby has infected the Ood who are beginning their rampage on the sanctuary base, killing nameless security dude #1 in their wake. As our heroes are being attacked up top, the seal to the pit opens before The Doctor and Gabriel Woolf's amazing voice tells us that the pit is open and he is free. Now we've got a thrilling end to the episode.

There's not really a lot to dislike here. I've some nitpicks here and there. Honestly the weakest part of the episode for me is The Doctor and Rose. They don't actually have a lot to do in the story here (fortunately that really changes next week). They mostly just give exposition and react to stuff.

Unfortunately they're still so self-satisfied with each other in this episode. I don't really like the scene of them talking about having to settle down now they've lost the TARDIS. Firstly the Doctor already had a similar scene in 'The Girl in the Fireplace'. Secondly the awkward way they skirt around the idea of getting a house together. They hit that this is supposed to imply some sort of romance too hard, without justifying why it would. I mean they already live together and aren't romantically involved. I don't see why it would be awkward for 2 friends who already live together platonically, to discuss moving into a house without it being treated like it's this sexy, romantic notion. Well I do see why. The creative team this season were determined to push the idea of a Doctor/Rose romance, presumably in preparation of the series finale. We'll get there.

An easy to overlook classic from the revived series. Impossible Planet is a bucket load of fun and spooky suspense. It introduces us to the Ood, who were done great here and haven't really needed to change much at all from their introduction to be a memorable part of the franchise. It has some great moments right from the moment the Doctor and Rose first arrive on the Sanctuary Base. We are immediately told and shown how something is wrong here and this sense of dread just builds and builds from then on out. The crew manning the base are all pretty well done, many standing out just enough they come across as people and not cannon fodder for the monster, though some definitely feel acted better than others.

The possession of Toby is done quite well and the story ends nicely on his menacing actions while the Ood start going nuts. It is really good set-up that in my opinion is well paid off in the Satan Pit. A clear highlight of Series 2 and I think certainly the best aged among these episodes, though it is a pretty close contest with The Girl in the Fireplace. I personally think while the Series has its flaws it also has some real gems that make it worth watching and it remains pretty strong in Who history thanks to episodes like this.

8️⃣🔼 → VERY GOOD!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

THIRD IMPRESSIONS: “THE IMPOSSIBLE PLANET”

They begin the episode right off the bat with that smug moment in front of the TARDIS. Blergh!

Fortunately, though, the focus quickly switches to some effectively creepy and fascinatingly sci-fi stuff—impossibly old wiring on the wall and whispery voices speaking to the weak-minded; a space station on a barren rock orbiting a black hole; and the introduction of one of the more successful aliens in Nu Who: the spaghetti-faced telepathic Sensorite cousins known as the Ood.

The worn-out space station and its crew are one of the more successful and memorable ones seen in the revival (together with Bowie Base One in The Waters of Mars). The fact that we spend a good amount of time with most of them helps to flesh out the crew members.

Themes of slavery are explored through the Ood, a race living to serve. It's not a very deep-cut commentary, though, and is returned to in Planet of the Ood in Series 4.

The episode largely plays with traditional Doctor Who stuff: a base crew partaking in a revolutionary project that goes horribly wrong; the Doctor losing access to the TARDIS; evil powers from before time and space uncovered and possessing people. But it does all of that while effectively building a tense atmosphere and consistently planting hints as to who or what the big bad is.

Silas Carson is the OG voice for the Ood, and he’s already perfect at it from the onset.

The one and only Gabriel Woolf, arguably one of the best actors to ever have played a Doctor Who villain, returns here to voice the Beast (joining the exclusive club of actors who have worked on both the classic and new versions of the show). That cold and menacing voice of his is just as effective as it was back in 1976, when he played Sutekh in Pyramids of Mars.

David Tennant and Billie Piper are fine when focused on the main plot points and interacting with the guest cast, but when left alone talking about mortgages and the like, they fall to that annoying smugness again, and I cringe all the way through those scenes.

They use very simple methods to make the possessed Toby creepy, but it definitely works. That writing all over his body and the red eyes, followed by his destructive actions, tell us all we need to know about the nature of the threat.

The latter half of the episode brilliantly builds up to one of the more memorable cliffhanger reveals in Nu Who: the Ood suddenly turning into killers; the creepy voice of Gabriel Woolf announcing the arrival of the Beast; and finally, the trapp door to the Satan Pit opening…

Disclaimer: My Review for this and 'The Satan Pit' are the same, simply because my Opinion on both Episodes are very much the same.

Oh, finally the first “Masterpiece” for the Tennant Era, honestly it’s been a while since I watched it, but I can’t think much of the issues I have (besides the lovey-dovey of 10Rose, but the Story is so good, I don’t really care much about their banter). Having Woolf return to voice the Beast was just a clever Choice, his Voice fits the role so well and while the Beast with its effects aged a bit poor, I still find it quite impressive and especially ambitious. The Soundtrack is great and well the Story does so much right!
Suspense? Yes there is!
Great Designs? The Oods are probably one if not nuwho’s best alien design we got, so good!
And a great side cast? Definitely, which can be quite rare for NuWho
Dare I say, this also has one of the very great Cliffhanger of NuWho!

New Who Review #22

The Impossible Planet

This story is good. Its not extra 10/10 good but it is good. The story is about a group of humans who are on a planet orbiting a black hole. They soon discover something is down on the lower section of the planet something dark. It possesses the ood and takes over Toby. This creature is called Satan (you probably know him) and its coming. This is also the origin for the SB6 Spacesuit. We will see this spacesuit in future adventures. Acting from both David and Billie was really good this time round. Part one gets a 8/10