Review #27

The God of The Dark part 2

Continuation of Part one. This second part was much better. It really felt like it got into full swing here. The Doctor & Rose were split up again which feels like a common trend this series. The doctor was with Ida down on the planets surface and dealing with the pit and the horrors inside. I really liked 10's speech about religion and beliefs it made me question what my beliefs were which was interesting. The whole idea of Satan being a creature before time existed is scary because it means he's always been here. Rose was with the rest of the team on the base. She and the rest of the team had to deal with the possessed ood. It was really creepy watching the ood crawl through the vents. Mr jefferson actually ended up dying which was sad. He sacrificed himself to save the others. Overall this was a good story. I give this episode a 9/10 and the whole story a 8/10

A much more action packed episode than the previous, the Ood are sent into a rage by the mind of satan or whatever that thing is, and they drive the humans out of the base on their rocket, taking the possessed Toby with them. The Doctor and Ida talk about faith for a bit, and he finds the trapped body of the beast.

To be honest, I don't really find the discussions about faith in this episode to be all that interesting or insightful, but the action in this episode and the tension (especially with Toby) is great.

Rose gets a chance to show off in this episode, sending Toby into space, and the humans are able to escape. It's suggested that the humans that survived now have a better appreciation for the Ood

2025 REWATCH (Review posted on both episodes)

• I always look forward to this story, I just love it so much. The set up, the ideas, the design, the music, the characters, the everything!
• The Ood and conception are brilliant; they serve (literally) a purpose and look iconic to the show. While the Beast is amazing and perfectly voice-acted, the CGI for the physical body still looks amazing today. If they could bring the beast back, do it, please!
• Bringing a paranormal/demonology trope into the show is an instant win in my books. I'm always likely to be interested if that's where the story is going to explore
• They pack so much into this story, You explore a lot, have time for some deeper questions, get a bit existential, and have enough time for some action. It's amazingly put together
• I feel the side cast is equally as great. We get so much time with them, but with 2 random soldiers, we never learn their names of. I felt myself drawn to Ida; I always do. I like her character

8️⃣⏹️ → VERY GOOD!

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

THIRD IMPRESSIONS: “THE SATAN PIT”

The Satan Pit isn’t all non-stop action and tension like most second parts in Nu Who two-parters. It keeps building anticipation for the reveal of the big bad in the last third, almost to the point of excess. But what keeps it together is the many great scenes with the Doctor and Tennant’s strong performance.

There’s action as well, on Rose’s end, as she and the crew defend the base from the evil Ood. Rose seems to be the only one who can keep her calm somewhat, which makes her stand out. Zach also proves to be an unusually capable captain.

It’s pretty interesting how this episode suggests that every iteration of the Beast, in every religion and culture, originates from the original seen here. The scene with the Doctor slowly descending into the pit and contemplating the nature of the Beast, the universe, and his travels is a top-tier Ten moment.

Another great moment is the scene where Ten and the Beast finally go face-to-face and Tennant holds a long Doctor monologue. The CGI might not be the most effective, but the sheer size and design of the creature and its presence and voice make it so effective.

All the stuff with the Doctor seemingly dropping to his death and Rose refusing to leave the planet turns a bit too melodramatic for my taste, and the resolution is perhaps a bit too rushed, but other than that, the story largely sticks to the landing.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• Captain Zachary represents “the Torchwood Archive,” whatever that's supposed to mean.

Nothing really holds back or lets down all the promise and build-up of The Impossible Planet in The Satan Pit. We're presented with a very big and terrifying mystery in the first part and by and large, I feel The Satan Pit does a good job at introducing us proper to this extremely powerful and threatening presence. Sure, the effects get a bit dodgy with the devil but I had a great time nonetheless. Our characters are memorable enough that it feels like there were stakes in them surviving and escaping the increasingly desperate situation. Rose and the Doctor's reunion is a nice moment because it feels earned, with both characters really at their best here and pushing themselves against these impossible odds. In my opinion, these episodes hold up well and are a solid part of Doctor Who's revived history.