The Impossible Planet

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.