User Reviews

Ahh the Ood have returned. Those brilliant squiggly faced slaves from "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit. I've always admired the ingenuity of the Ood and of how they are a wholly sympathetic group of Doctor Who monsters and despite that it never gets in the way of them being extremely intimidating. This definitive trait is ever present in this episode. However the one thing we find here which wasn't present in our previous encounter with them is that this time we are cheering them on as they begin their revolution.

First off I will definitely agree with those who have lovingly compared this episode to classic Who, because it feels like a traditional Who-Story, namely that of The Doctor arriving to find a docile species enslaved and he sparks the revolution to liberate said species. It's the age-old Doctor Who story but the twist that New Who delivers is a sort of personal edge to it. It definitely never holds back punches in showing the ugly side of human enterprise and the deliberate blinders they put on to the pain they cause.

Every episode that passes makes me love Donna more and more because she has more heart than I had ever thought she was capable of having after her debut story "The Runaway Bride." It's crushing to see the unprocessed Ood in the cage cradling their secondary brains. The Doctor's description of the procedure is sickening and Donna's reaction echoed my own. It solidifies Donna's stance in her role as a companion, how she sees the horrible things that transpire in the Universe and her reaction to it is far more real and by the end, after all is said and done she learns that the traditional concepts of right and wrong are warped and that many times the enemies aren't who you think they are.

Temple's script also offered up some nuances which actually stray from the obvious. Firstly, In situations like this you usually expect The Doctor to have a local who helps them out, and you think that the character of Solana was going to fit the bill. Boy, was I wrong. Shortly after she betrays The Doctor and Donna i found myself wishing for her demise. Luckily, she did pay the price for choosing the wrong side. As for Tom McInnery's character of Mr. Halpern. He's nothing new in the Who-niverse. We've always seen slimy callous little profiteers, but he's definitely an ideal example of one. His complete and utter contempt for the Ood is abominable and what happens to him in the end lends a lot to the term "Let, the punishment fit the crime," because I don't think I would have been satisfied if he was dispatched in the way of all his subordinates. He needed to face justice and what better way to do it than for the persecutor to become the persecuted. The conclusion of this story was extremely gratifying because I always love it when The Doctor's endeavors provoke real change on a grandiose scale (same reason why "Gridlock" was one of my favorites.) and the newly liberated express their gratitude. I also loved the cryptic foreshadowing in the line "Even your song must end, Doctor." Director Greame Harper has truly been an asset to the Who-niverse of late ever since his return to the series in 2006. He has an incredible knack for pacing and atmosphere and he has a gift for bringing out some spectacular performances from his actors, I truly can't pick out a negative element of the technical side. Then again I don't think I've ever had the need to attack Doctor Who on the technical side. Even in the old days.

All in all for me this series has knocked another one out of the park with this episode. Now as for next week here we are again Ms. Raynor lets see if you redeem yourself for "Daleks in Manhattan."

I'll lay my cards immediately on the table and let you all know that I absolutely adored the latest episode in the new series of "Doctor Who", "Planet of the Ood"! It's as big a surprise for me as it is you, dear reader!! In spite of Tate, regardless of Davies and notwithstanding a rather naff gag dependant on, admittedly minimal, knowledge of "The Simpsons", I would love it if the programme were like this more of the time. I confess I'd been looking forward to this episode, more than any other, because the Ood story from two years ago is my favourite of the tenth Doctor's era, to date. Ironically, considering my preference for the classic series, but not being particularly partial to the Sontarans, I haven't been looking forward to next week's two-parter nearly as much! One of the things I like about these Ood tales is the turning on its head of the master-servant/slave relationship. Usually, it's the humans who are subjugated in "Doctor Who", not the aliens. At the start of the story, a mystery is quickly inaugurated for the Doctor and his companion to investigate when the pair chance upon what-is-soon-to-be-revealed-as a red-eyed Ood dying in the snow whose last words plead, "The circle must be broken". The whole setup of this adventure is very similar to that of "Revelation of the Daleks", with the fast-fading Ood being comparable to the forgiving mutant near the start of the earlier escapade. Both stories feature a trudge through snow, from where the TARDIS has materialised, across an alien landscape. Both include the aforementioned preliminary confrontation before reaching the hub of the action. And, both deal with the nature of conducting business while, perhaps revealingly, both are directed by Graeme Harper! It doesn't take the time travellers quite as long to reach their destination in "Planet of the Ood", however, as it did the Doctor and Peri twenty-three years ago!!

As "Planet of the Ood" hurtles towards its climax, the Doctor and Donna make an alarming discovery. Huddled together in a cell, singing the song of captivity, are a group of natural born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery, unspoilt. They carry their secondary hind-brain in their cupped hands. Donna finds the music overwhelmingly unbearable, emotionally speaking, and asks for it to be taken away. I used to have the same problem whilst spinning discs for customers, when working in a record shop back in the Eighties! Joking aside, the use of music here is exemplary, for once, and connected to a warning in the final moments of this sequel, when, speaking to the Doctor, an Ood forewarns, "I think your song must end soon. Every song must end." Earlier, the Doctor offers stunning marketing manager Solana Mercurio, played by the beautifully named Ayesha Dharker, the hand of friendship which she briefly considers then rejects. She proceeds by betraying both him and Donna at the first available opportunity, not being able to step outside her own small, seemingly secure, world of the workplace. This is a minor moment of momentous tragedy, more real than any of the nonsense concerning the separation of Rose from her mentor at the end of Series Two! And, the themes of this Ood episode have resonance, not just emotional content. We are privy to a great big (business) empire built on slavery, witness to battery-hen farming for Ood-kind. There is a slowness and precision in both manner and movement of the Ood which makes them a very dignified race of beings, and that is key to their success. As Tennant said in the following "Doctor Who Confidential" documentary, "Oods and Ends", "they are benevolent and non-invasive". By way of contrast, this time round there are also rabid Ood, perhaps comparable in concept to rogue Cybermen as seen in "The Invasion" and "Attack of the Cybermen".

I guessed, before "Planet of the Ood" commenced, that the Doctor wouldn't be able to resist mentioning the "real" snow, on this occasion, as opposed to the raining ash etc of previous instances! I also predicted the fate of Tim McInnerny's Klineman Halpen, when he first commented upon his hair loss ten minutes into the episode, even though the manner in which it happened was still a pleasant surprise! Transformed into the very creature he's been abusing, it's not quite as agreeable for the character as the viewer but justly deserved, nevertheless, for both murder and as amoral "owner of the franchise for selling Ood, domestically, across the known and unknown galaxy"!! A nice commentary on the nasty and seedy nature of business, generally, I thought. I hope Sir Alan was watching, though I'm not sure he would heed any message even if attuned to literary subtext! The enemy within Halpen's company was successfully disguised throughout by the discreet performance of Adrian Rawlins, as much put upon Dr Ryder, having been a friend of the Ood, working for their release, for the past ten years! The almost-chanted and oft-repeated phrase, "Doctor, Donna, friends", will no doubt pass into the folklore of the programme though I'm more likely to remember the Time Lord's criticism, "Who do you think made your clothes?" As producer Susie Liggat indicated, "Planet of the Ood" is a really important story about liberating repressed people, a metaphor that can be applied the world over both on a personal level and globally. Writer Keith Temple fashioned what-turned-out-to-be a very old school episode of "Doctor Who", and good on him!!

After the brilliance of the last episode in Pompeii this one to me anyway- not a number one fanatic of the series- are the kind of episodes that bore me and takes me away from loving all of Doctor Who. Because I love the going back in history episodes like last week's. However, it still has David Tenant the best Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna the best companion and it does also have the high emotion of the plight of the Ood. Quite sad but has a somewhat happy ending for a change too.

"Your song must end soon" says an Ood.

There we go, that's pretty much the only thing of note in quite a dreary episode of the series, that feels like the Series 4 equivalent of 'Gridlock' - setting things up for later, hopefully better, installments.

Catherine Tate is good again, proving a few wrong I'm sure with her dramatic ability, but other than that I can't say I'd rush to watch this episode again.

Darling as the evil mastermind was great. I remember catching the end of this episode while it was re-run one time, but truly this episode is great when viewed in full (obviously).

The Ood are originally seen as inslaved but goodhearted species. Then they turn evil and you see them as sort of evil but diseased so they cannot help it and the humans are continually evil. But then it turns out the Ood are good and the humans still evil (of course). And the Ood a freed in a wholesome ending.

This is must watch Dr Who!

When this episode first aired on the Sci-Fi Channel here in the States in 2008, I wasn't a big fan of this episode. Mainly it was down to the fact that I felt that it took all the mystery out of the Ood in one go. Looking back on it now, four and a half years later, I can see that I missed a lot as a result of focusing on that.

There's the script for example. On the surface, Planet Of The Ood is your fairly typical Doctor Who runaround. It's got chases, it's got gun-play, and it's got threatening alien monsters. One might even argue it's a play on the old "base under siege" formula that was so well used during the Troughton era. That's on the surface though.

Look a bit farther down and Keith Temple's script is so much more. It uses the Ood , the Ood Operations corporation and its CEO Klineman Halpen (wonderfully played by Tim McInnerny) to explore a series of complex issues. Those issues range from corporate power, animal rights, slavery and genocide to name but a few. The scenes of the Ood in the container and the unprocessed Ood in captivity are but two examples of this. The point though is made by the Doctor's response to Donna saying that she doesn't have slaves: "Who do you think made your clothes?" It's a bit heavy handed at times perhaps, but Temple's script makes its points effectively.

It's helped by the rest of the production as well. Graham Harper's direction shines throughout, especially in the dialogue scenes, showing that Harper is far more than an action director. There's also a standout performance from Catherine Tate, who is given a chance to let her acting abilities shine as Donna comes to term with how the Ood are being treated. Last but not least is Murray Gold's haunting "Songs of Captivity and Freedom" which underscores both the sadness of the Ood's captivity and the joy of their freedom.

Not that this episode is perfect. This episode has one big flaw: the quality of its CGI. From the rocket seen early on in the episode to the claw at the center of one of the action sequences to the object at the center of the finale, this particular episode is blessed with some of the most noticeable CGI produced for the revived series of Who. Perhaps it is noticeable as a result of the high quality of effects elsewhere in the new series, but the CGI occasionally distracts from an otherwise top-notch episode.

Looking past the issue I had with this episode in 2008, I've found a lot to like about this episode. It's an episode that's well written, well directed, nicely acted and features one of the best pieces of music yet produced for the new series. It also does what all great Doctor Who is capable of: entertaining its audience, but also making it think.

After the shaky start this season has had, it's finally starting to take off. Yes as mentioned it was good to see an episode on another planet, it has been a while. Turning the bad guy into the ood was disgusting but good and I'm liking the build up of the ending song

Planet of the Ood has some genuinely beautiful emotive moments, is relatively well written & tells the rather fascinating & cynically bleak story of how yet again, the human race repeats the same mistakes of its past throughout history, resurrecting the barbaric tradition of slavery once more in the future, refusing to learn from the crimes of our ancestors out of selective ignorance in order to make a materialistic financial profit; of course, the cost of this is examined thoroughly - proving it's a high price to pay with immense suffering - whilst also being another example of how the Russell T Davies era continually explored the potential for good & bad in humanity as a species - depicting its endless, tumultuous struggle to be the best it could possibly be whilst subsequently contemplating what it would realistically be capable of if individual people chose to alternatively embody the worst.

This was a reoccurring theme (humanity vs inhumanity) throughout the first 4 seasons & noticeably assisted the numerous writers in reliably forming stories which hinged on moral dilemmas instead of existential ones, ensuring the stakes remained personal & emotional. No matter how extravagant a set piece became, at their heart, the narratives were grounded solely in high emotional stakes, fuelling the drama & progressing the characters forward.

Hence, this is particularly a great standalone episode - reinforcing the Doctor's beliefs & preconceived notions of "right" or "wrong" whilst equally establishing the new companion's moral code - instantly reassuring the audience that Donna does indeed embody the best - as she (for the second time after "The Fires of Pompeii) leads the way in challenging the Doctor to be the best of himself in order to hastily alleviate the suffering of others.

It's not unique for her to do this - but immediately highlights the fact that they are instantaneously a perfect match - considering she beneficially influences his behaviour within just her first 2 journeys in the TARDIS.

With all the easily recognisable storytelling traits which defined Tennant's era, it's a solid outing in the series but unfortunately the absurdity of the resolution does let this one down.

However, despite the peculiar ending, I do absolutely love how the creators took a popular pre-existing alien from a highly regarded installment from a previous season, brought them back in a new & impactful way in order to add to their mythology by expanding upon their story.

That kind of care & consideration for world building is impeccable, developing the sci-fi universe by enriching it & layering it with depth & complexity.

The Tenth Doctor takes Donna Noble to her very first alien planet: the Ood Sphere. There, the Doctor encounters the Ood once more, and red-eye strikes again. But what is causing it this time? He and Donna soon learn the horrible secrets kept by Ood Operations, and they discover just what mankind is capable of. Elsewhere, what is the secret Warehouse 15 holds within its walls? The Doctor arrives, and everything will change. The revolution begins.

God, I love this episode to death. The Ood singing just gave me The End of Time vibes, had a very wonderful ending, great acting, the human-ood transition is still terrifying 12 years later, love it, anyways about that Ood singing, well done Murray Gold!

What also surprised me about this episode is that the snow scenes were shot in a boiling hot week in August, using fake snow. This was done using tiny pieces of paper, how impressive is that? Also, I think the Ood glowing red eye thing may be a reference to the Robots in The Robots of Death.

10/10

This episode started out good, with the Doctor and Donna finding the dying Ood and seeing it turn red-eyed, but it went all downhill from there. The turning of the bad guy into an Ood was disgusting and the song of the Ood had too much of a human religious element to it. And the Ood at the end saying that their children and their children's children and so forth will remember the Doctor and Donna forever was just overdoing it, I think they should just have left right after the Ood were saved. Also, Donna has expressed a wish to go home twice in the past two episodes, yet she remains. Why?

I do like a few lines in it though, like Donna's line, "Why do you say Miss? Do I look single?" were hilarious. I also like the Ood's line, "I think your song must end soon...Every song must end." Very suspicious.

So one point for the funny lines and the song line, one point for being off Earth (finally!), and one point for just being Doctor Who, making a grand total of 3/10. Bleh

This season has definitely been a bit heavy on the moral dilemma episodes but still presenting them in a strong entertaining way. Glossed over in season two, the moral implications of a slave race such as the Ood are brought to the fore in this episode.

The Ood's return are done in a way that simultaneously makes them both menacing and sympathetic. Katherine Tate again shines as Donna Noble and imbues her character with not only great quippy humor but also fantastic heart and compassion. She has quickly become my favorite companion out of those thus far at the point of season 4.

The episode does have some weaknesses however. Cgi still not that great (makeup effects were good tho) and a lot of people just standing there to be killed by the Ood are rather irritating. And the transformation of the CEO or whatever into an Ood was a bit predictable and at the same time nonsensical and didn't really serve much purpose as the ramifications are completely glossed over in favor of tying up the loose ends neatly at the end of the episode. Otherwise tho, a decent exploration of human definition of slavery and its associated cruelty. 8.5/10