Sarah -
It's interesting timing that we watched this story in the month that marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first African slaves in North America. When we first met the Ood in "The Impossible Planet", they were presented as a race of empathetic servants, not the actual chattel slaves they are. I guess it's all in the marketing. It's been a while since I've watched "Planet of the Ood", so my sense of horror was almost as fresh as the first time.
Harry -
We spent so much time waiting for the DoctorDonna era. "It will be loads of fun!" we told ourselves. Whew! No fun to be had here on the Ood Sphere. Even Donna starts having second thoughts.
Sarah -
What a situation for Donna to find herself in on her first-ever alien planet. After raiding the TARDIS wardrobe for a warm winter coat, she and the Doctor discover an Ood, Delta Fifty, that has been shot. Donna keeps him talking while the Doctor examines him, but Delta Fifty doesn't last long.
Harry -
We watched Delta Fifty use its translator ball to murder a corporate honcho before fleeing into the snow. The Ood was just one of thousands that are raised, processed and shipped out around three galaxies for use as docile servants. From the opening death scenes, there is a dark strain to this story. This is one of the more uncomfortable ones to watch, but that's the point. "Planet of the Ood" reminded me of the Pertwee-era stories of Malcolm Hulke with their strong moral tone. It's something that has been largely missing in the new era of Who so far.
Sarah -
I hadn’t thought of it, but you’re spot on about its Hulke-ish feeling. Mac, of course, would have been even more excoriating.
Harry -
The story jumps between the corporate enterprise that humans have established on this planet (with a marketing session that is getting underway), and the DoctorDonna's infiltration and investigation.
The guest cast is mostly forgettable except for Tim McInnerny. Beloved as goofy Percy on the Blackadder series, here he plays the vile CEO of the enterprise.
Sarah -
I commented to Mr. Smith on the casting of McInnerny and that, really, Percy should never have been left in charge of anything.
Harry -
Percy is a beloved character from our younger days, so seeing McInnerny play a villain was a jarring surprise, especially as he pulled it off brilliantly.
Sarah -
He really worked the rat-bastard vibes, didn’t he?
Harry -
The fact that he inherited this family business seems to give him licence to be extra vile. Arriving after a string of recent deaths onsite, he is there in person to get to the bottom of things. In between gulps of hair tonic, he reacts in disgust to the news that a group of Ood have become infected with a red-eye disease that makes them volatile. He rages at his employees and orders that a rabid Ood be shot dead.
Donna is all of us, reacting with growing horror as she and the Doctor investigate the facility, finding Ood cowering in cages and locked in shipping containers. The Ood keep telling them that "the circle must be broken" but the meaning of the message eludes them.
Sarah -
The circle must be broken so they can sing, but Donna is the only one who is listening.
Harry -
Breaking the circle is the ongoing theme of the Ood plight, and it takes some further investigating for the DoctorDonna to figure it out. I don't think I've watched this story since the original broadcast because the suffering of the Ood was very heavy. Slavery and the Holocaust bound together with grisly scenes of captivity and violence. Watching it again this time, it has lost none of its impact. Donna's distress over it all is completely relatable.
Sarah -
I’m sure I haven’t watched it since first broadcast. I didn’t remember much these many years later, so the story definitely hit me. What I did remember was Donna’s general awesomeness and her defense of the Ood.
Harry -
Being Donna, however, she turns that distress into rage against the corporate monstrosity that brought this all about.
Sarah -
Donna don’t play. Everyone else may be willing to stand by, but Donna is having none of it. This is why Donna is still my favorite companion of the current era.
Harry -
The final showdown features some more gross-out moments. The Oods have been kept passive and subservient because their hive brain is imprisoned inside Warehouse 15. With all hell breaking loose and the Ood rampaging, McInnerny's villain orders it to be destroyed with explosives. The DoctorDonna save the day, and McInnerny meets his fate: the hair tonic that he's been chugging has been prepared by the Ood, and now comes their terrible revenge: he converts into the very thing he has exploited and abused.
Sarah -
That is definitely playing the long game!
Harry -
The Ood being wonderful, they take him in as one of their own now.
Sarah -
Because it’s the right thing to do.
Harry -
And they are free to sing!
Sarah -
Huzzah!
Harry -
I found the singing voices didn't quite line up with the Ood's speaking voices, but then they are aliens. The story ends with some tasty foreshadowing, as the Doctor is told that his song will soon end. He makes a face and swings back inside the TARDIS.
Sarah -
And so begins the drama of the Tenth Doctor. So much kvetching about his coming regeneration. I’ll do my best not to dwell on it too much. Probably.
Harry -
This story was pretty much as I remembered. It's not an enjoyable watch. RTD and writer Keith Temple took us to a dark corner of the universe.
So after three adventures with lots of traumatic scenes and near-death experiences, Donna has been put through the wringer and then some. I always think of her season as a fun one, but hopefully the fun starts soon.
Sarah -
It’s a solid story with an excellent performance by Catherine Tate. Ready for some Sontarans?
Harry -
Best Line:
DOCTOR: "These are really good handcuffs."
DONNA: "Well, at least we've got quality."
Favourite Moment: Donna rages at the system.
Lasting Image: the caged Ood.
6/10
Sarah -
Best Line: "If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble. Not from me, from her."
Favorite Moment: Donna’s empathy towards the Ood.
Lasting Image: The Caged Ood.
6/10
Our marathon continues with Story #192: The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky...
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