"The Planet of the Ood"
"Every song must end."
- Ood Sigma
The Doctor and Donna randomly visit the planet where the subservient race, Ood (last seen in the season two episodes, "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit"), are processed and sold. Things have not been going so well lately at Ood Operations. Business is down and a select few of their "product" are experiencing "red eye," which, besides its namesake, has caused those affected Ood to turn on and kill their owners.
After landing, they encounter an Ood (responsible for the initial killing) that exhibits the "red eye" symptoms and soon dies. The Doctor ponders whether it's the actual Devil controlling the Ood again (see previously two mentioned episodes). They follow a spaceship to the Ood Operations center on the planet and join an investor tour group. The Doctor is able to deduce that it's the year, 4126 or as he puts it, "The Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire," to an awestruck Donna. Though 'bountiful,' Donna cannot seem to come to grips with the fact that humans of this era use Ood as a labor force. They break away from the tour group to do some exploring of the complex and happen upon some cruelty brought upon an Ood by the security. Donna correctly surmises that the Ood are really slaves. Mr. Halpen, the CEO of Ood Operations, is aware that the 'Nobles' were not part of the original tour group and sends his security force to hunt them down.
D&D (using this for the Doctor and Donna from this point on) break into a warehouse with wall-to-wall shipping containers filled with Ood. After question them about their plight and the last words of the first Ood they encountered (the circle muse be complete), alarm klaxons sound and D&D run. Donna, being Donna, immediately gets caught. The Doctor is chased around by a remote controlled crane/claw and eventually is captured as well. As they a e reunited, the 'red eye' Ood, in the container Donna was initially held in, break out and start attacking the troops. D&D and Solana flee from the melee.
Being a good little corporate toadie, Solana rats out D&D to the guards; however D&D are able to escape. They come across a group of unprocessed Ood, huddled together in a cage. The Doctor allows Donna to hear the sad song that he has heard since arriving on the planet -the lament that the Ood are singing to themselves. Donna is overcome with emotion from the song. A shock to all: the Ood are born with a secondary brain outside their bodies, which the very nice corporation conveniently removes and replaces with a translator orb; thusly lobotomizing the poor Ood. Halpen and his security force end up capturing D&D.
D&D are interrogated as Halpen believes them to be activists. During their debate about the nature of the Ood (with a good point brought up by Donna), Halpen issues the order to gas all the Ood (kill the livestock as he states). Many processed Ood turn "red eye" and start attacking the humans in the complex. Halpen decides to 'sterilize' the entire complex, leaving behind D&D to be killed by the Ood. As the rabid Ood approach D&D, their "Doctor, Donna, friends" and "the circle must be broken" shouts are heard by the controlling, unprocessed Ood. D&D are set free!
Halpen and Dr. Ryder head to Warehouse 15, where the third and secret part of the Ood equation is being kept. Halpen decides to blow up the inhabitant of the warehouse, which would kill all the Ood as well. D&D with the help of Ood Sigma find Warehouse 15 and discover the secret within: a large, hive brain which links all the Ood. Pylons surround the brain, preventing it from telepathically linking with the Ood (the circle must be broken). Halpen, gun in hand, speculates about what new business opportunities await him. As it turns out, Dr. Ryder is actually part of the "Friends of the Ood" organization who has been slowly lowering the dampening field to allow the brain to communicate with the Ood. To repay him for his service, Halpen knocks him over the edge, into the Ood brain. As Halpen is about to shoot D&D, his Ood servant reveals that the hair tonic he has been giving to Halpen was not hair tonic; rather a biological agent designed to change Halpen into an Ood. Halpen changes, Donna is shocked, The Doctor is bemused. He disables the bombs, deactivates the circle and allows the Ood brain to sing freely to all the Ood. The fighting outside stops as the Ood raise their hands to the sky in one common, joyous song. Later, the Ood thank D&D telling them that they will be remembered forever by the Ood.
Commentary
An interesting episode to be sure that falls flat in a few places. I did like it overall so let's start first with the good elements shall we?
I don't feel that I bestow enough praise onto David Tennant. No matter what is going on, he is able to runs with it. From the comedic opening of this episode, to the horror of the mutilation of the Ood, back to the the glee is being able to allow the brain and the Ood to sing to each other once again - he really shines as the Doctor. Great, campy, bad episodes, he is still the Doctor.
I particularly enjoyed this little exchange with Donna:
Doctor: "The last time I met the Ood I never thought or asked.
Donna: "That's not like you."
Doctor: "I was busy. So busy that I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."
I always felt like the Doctor should had been able to find a way to save the Ood in the previous episodes as well as explain why they are just servants. I believe it was a very good idea to re-address this race of beings and why they are the way they are. Oh, if Donna only knew why the Doctor was "busy" in those episodes, she'd probably demand to be taken home! Of course, when we are first shown Warehouse 15, who did not think that it was Satan that was imprisoned there? Red lighting too boot (not to mention the 'red eye' of the Ood). Halpen telling Ood Sigma "Say hello to daddy" continued the ruse! If I was thinking correctly, I would had realized that mere humans could not control a force like that.
I'm still unsure of the overall fan reaction to Catherine Tate (with this being her fourth episode overall). I feel that she does compliment the Doctor and has sort of been like the common person's companion. I don't mean that as an insult to her or anyone. To clarify I mean that she isn't like the starry-eyed, love-lorn companions we have had (although she was a little obsessed with the Doctor, hence how she found him in the first episode of this season). She is like our representative on the TARDIS (OK maybe not "ours" since we are fans). She likes to be critical of the Doctor, is awestruck and horrified by the things she is witness too and likes to point out the absurdity around her. She is very too the point and I think the Doctor needs that right now (especially with all this possible Rose business). For example: the way she emotes some of her lines like, "History is one thing but ALIEN PLANET!" I fully believe her character feels that way. Later, after the truth of the sitch is known, she tells the Doctor: "I spent all that time looking for you Doctor because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home." Events out in the universe aren't always what we'd like them to be. Donna is beginning to realize this and hopefully the audience is as not every companion can (or should be) in love with the Doctor (although it would be interesting to see if Miss Donna does fall for him later on). Basically, I think of her like Krusty the Clown: she tells it like it is.
Bees disappearing? I believe (and please correct me if I am wrong) this is the second time Donna has brought up "bees disappearing." Could this be (heh) a hint at what's to come or just a bit of randomness from the producers?
The CGI crew continue to impress and disappoint me! Loved all the exterior, panoramic shots of the planetscape: the long shots of the TARDIS, the shot of D&D walking across that rock bridge and the retro looking spaceship that Donna likes. Sadly, the big reveal of the brain wasn't as good as it could had been. Perspectives were slightly off in one or two shots and the pulsating tubes were hella bad. Also, I didn't particularly like the crane attack, but that could be because of a biasness towards a character (see nitpicking section).
Odd that the brain ate (?) Dr. Ryder since he was helping the Ood. I can't name specific characters or episodes, but I am sure this is a pattern in this revival series. Someone with good intentions is in some way harmed by that which they are trying to work for or save. Guess I need to watch the entire revival series again! Will do so after the end of this season! Heh!
Music and the problems of storytelling: this isn't a complaint but I think it needs to be said. I had no issues with the music in this episode and did like the Ood songs as performed. However, when character state that X song is very sad or that better yet, state that a song expresses the sadness of an entire race of beings... well... I want the song to be as described and it never is. Obviously, its not real life so why am I complaining? I'd just wish they'd (not just Doctor Who) would not use this as a plot point as no matter what piece of music they use, it never has the emotional impact on me as it does the characters themselves. Examples: the anime,
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross or the musical and movie,
Rent, feature one song that is supposed to blow us away. Yes, they are good... great songs... but nothing as earth shattering as it was supposed to be. Like finding out what the secret of the
Da Vinci Code is and thinking to yourself, "And?"
Did I just imagine it or was that Rose's theme played over the "song must end" exchange at the end of the episode? The dialogue and music semi-reminded me of the BBC's promos/previews for Rose's final two episodes not to mention that Billy Piper is a popular singer/performer in the UK. One wonders if I'm correct or just reading too much into it (probably the latter).
Finally, the ending of the episode is how I picture many off screen adventures of the Doctor to be like: Doctor and companion do great good, are thanked, then fly off to save the day somewhere or some...time... else. I believe this is why many of the Doctor's companions stay with him (then again, I'm probably just crazy).
Nitpicking
Kess: "I always wanted to do this! Grrrrrrrrr!" Seriously, what the heck was up with this character? 'Subtle' either is not in the actor's, writer's or producer's vocabulary methinks. Did we need such an over -the-top and evil character? Granted they only have 44 or so minutes per episode, but they have done so much better (great, now I have the
Legally Blonde the Musical Act I finale song in my head now heh) in the past. Even his death was a let down (not that it was supposed to make one cheer). Look at it like this: this character's screen time could had been eliminated (as well as the lame & crazy crane scene) and in his place, a random soldier or two shown abusing the Ood. This would still drive the point home as well as free up time for other (and more important) characters. Even the character of Halpen got to display a secondary side to himself (when he set free his own personal Ood). Big thumbs down from me here! Booo hisss!
The Ood Operations PR person, Solana, states that they caught that (the initial Ood murder) on "tape." They still use "tape" in the 42nd century? Also, they still use handcuffs in the future?
After D&D are captured (and the horrible crane scenes), the 'red eye' Ood attack the security force, Kess screams, "Shoot to kill!" It's obvious that he means for his troops to kill the Ood yet when D&D and Solana behind them flee the Ood, they are fired upon without any Ood nearby. Any reason why they were dodging bullets other than to spice up the scene with more action?
Not sure I like this 'mind meld' ability of the Doctor's. I cannot remember if this was done in the original series; I do believe this is the second time it's been shown in the revival series (please feel free to correct me or clarify this in the comments section). Although I'm not saying it can't or shouldn't be an ability of the Doctor's; it's just a little too
Star Trek for me. Then again, what do I know? The Doctor, himself, stated that he was 'half-human' (in the
Doctor Who FOX TV movie/pilot). Meh. Moving on...
So, let me get this straight. Halpen's grandfather came up with the emergency plan to blow up the Ood brain via detonation packs set around the circumference of the area? That's what Halpen considers a benefit of having a family owned company? Well, since his grandfather came up with it, I hope those charges still work after all those years. Did Halpen regularly check on them to make sure they were still viable? I know that only authorized personnel were allowed to enter (namely Halpen and Dr. Ryder), but to store those... dangerous... charges in an unlocked cabinet near the brain... this is a good idea? One would also think that Dr. Ryder would had inspected that cabinet in the ten years that he had been working for the company....
I wonder if the real reason behind producing another Ood episode was to save money on costumes as seemingly a good many were produced for the season two episodes. No confirmation on this, just pondering on my part.
Halpen: "Very observant, Ginger." Was this a reference to
Gilligan's Island? Humorous if it was; however, I have to ask whether
Gilligan's Island will still be watched in the year 4126.
Quotes
Donna: "Now that's what I call a spaceship! You got a box. He's got a Ferrari."
Doctor: "Oh no no no no. We are not married."
Donna: "We're so not married."
Doctor: "Never"
Donna: "Never ever."
Solana: "Because at heart, what is an Ood but a reflection of us."
Ood: "I do not understand, miss."
Donna: "Why did you say 'miss?' Do I look single?"
Donna: "Is that why you travel around with a human at your side? It's not so that you can show them the
wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?"
Donna: "Being with you, I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."
Doctor: "It's better that way."
Ood Sigma: "I think your song must end soon."
Doctor: "Meaning?"
Ood Sigma: "Every song must end."
Until next week!
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