"The Satan Pit"

Doctor Who (2005) - Series Two

Airdate: June 10, 2006
David Tennant, Billie Piper
Written by Matt Jones
Produced by Phil Collinson
Directed by James Strong

I've said in the past that I really enjoy when the episodes that comprise a two-part story are distinct from one another, but that is by no means the only (or even the most common) way of doing things. This is an example of the much more common approach. We're dealing with one especially long story split into two parts with a cliffhanger in the middle. One of the benefits of this sort of approach is that it allows the writer to put the expository set-up in the first part, leaving the second-part free to concentrate on action and pay-off, and that's just what Matt Jones did with these scripts.

The problem with action is that it's rarely very exciting all by itself. The action of this episode consists of the Ood, under the control of some mysterious malevolent intelligence, trying to kill the few people still alive on the Sanctuary base. There are many Ood, their telepathy allows them to coordinate their movements, and they're implacable and relentless. But what makes it work is primarily the fact that we've developed an emotional investment in these characters. Best of all, this episode can concentrate on the desperate chase through the ventilation tunnels, because the previous episode did all the work of establishing who these characters are and why we should want them to survive. Naturally, not everyone does survive, and those deaths have an impact because the characters were established so well in the previous episode.

But the episode isn't all action. While pandemonium is breaking out in the base, the Doctor is left to confront whatever is at the bottom of the Pit. What he finds is a pretty impressive CGI monster, imprisoned in chains and completely mindless. This is the Beast, or at least its physical form. It turns out that this impossible planet was set-up by someone to imprison the Beast, such that if the creature should ever escape, the planet will fall into the black hole, taking the creature with it. The Beast's mind has manipulated its way onto the escaping rocket with Rose and the other survivors, which means the Doctor can't destroy the Beast without sacrificing Rose. Of course, he finds a way around that, and that's where the plot arguably takes a rather too convenient turn. But that's nothing to worry about.

Something to worry about is the Beast's pronouncement that Rose will "die in battle" very soon. There have been a few small hints of foreshadowing so far this series, suggesting that the Doctor and Rose are hurtling toward a tragic end of some kind. This is really just a way of putting us on notice that there's a finale coming up in a few episodes, and it's going to be big.