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.

Base under siege! In space! With spaghetti mouthed aliens!

Fans gravitate to stories like these. Weighty, grown up adventures which make us feel very serious and legitimate in obsessing over our favourite children's family TV show. After the comic campery of The Idiot's Lantern we are thrown into the depths of hell where our hero meets the literal Devil incarnate.

Not just our hero either - a whole cast of convincing, engaging characters who (with the exception of Danny) give a sense of realism to their environment. The feeling the convey is similar to that of Terry Nation's Survivors - these are a surviving cast of crew on a doomed mission, being picked off one by one by a malevolent, unknown force. The fact that Danny is so unconvincing I think speaks volumes about the quality of the acting going on around him.

The Doctor and Rose's chemistry finally hits home here. They feel like a perfect couple, destined to be together. Their natural believability took a bit of a hit for me when Eccleston changed to Tennent, but now its as glorious as ever.

The Ood are an excellent invention - brilliant writing paired with a perfect visual. The servant race who are not naturally menacing but susceptible to being taken over. This is without a doubt the most successful original creature introduced to Doctor Who in the 21st Century.