34.3 Planet of the Ood

[Dominic Smith]

Official discussion thread for the series thirty four episode "Planet of the Ood".

The poll will be opened once the episode has been aired

[Eryx]

I enjoyed this one a lot. It had strong writing, and a good twist towards the end - which I won't spoil. The only thing that stops me rating it a 5/5 was that aspects of the Ood and the story were too similar to Impossible Planet/Satan Pit.

4/5

[Mark Senior]

And the instantaneous transformation scene near the end was a let down. Now you're human, bend over, now you're Ood

[dbrummett2]

The Ood's song of captivity made Donna sad, but the Doctor hears that kind of thing all the time and doesn't show his reaction. Liked the ending when the song of captivity became a song of freedom. Now the Ood are free!

[matthewsee]

Tim McInnerny is very good as Mr Halpern. Also special mention for Ayesha Dharker as Solana.
I love the Ood song.
Funny when Solana mistaken the Doctor and Donna as husband and wife especially with Donna's reaction.
Very shocking to see what ultimately becomes of Mr Halpern.

Very good Doctor Who debut from writer Keith Temple.

[matthewsee]

In an interview in DWM 395 writer Keith Temple revealed that almost one character from the previous Ood story The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit almost came back for Planet of the Ood. In The Satan Pit, Ira briefly talked about her mother but not her father. In his first outline for Planet of the Ood, Temple had created a backstory in which Ira’s father had abandoned her and the episode would have seen Ira suddenly bumping in him. Temple says he could not make this idea work and ultimately it was abandoned.

[chase]

despite a strange ending and a Doc/Donna that needn't have been there sort of feel...I enjoyed this story. Visually a treat, action and the first real rebellion by the Doc in the new series (possibly the last, too as DW is now comfortable), this one delievered. Love the Donna jokes. Love teh "oh no wer'e not married" stuff throughout this excellent season. 9/10

[matthewsee]

From Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia:
”Bartle, Mr: Marketing Manager of Ood Operations, who thought his boss Halpen was an idiot. He was murdered by Ood Delta Fifty and when Halpen discovered what Bartle thought of him he had all Bartle’s family benefits negated.” (Planet of the Ood)

In Planet of the Ood itself, I did not notice Halpen saying he had Bartle’s family benefits negated due to what Bartle thought of him.
It seems that this was new information inserted by Russell for the Encyclopedia.

[matthewsee]

When the Doctor and Donna were looking at the Ood in a container the topic of slaves came up in conversation.
Curiously enough in the previous episode The Fires of Pompeii, the Doctor and Donna both introduced themselves as Spartacus and Spartacus himself was a slave.
Donna mentioned Houdini in reference to her and the Doctor trying to get themselves out of handcuffs.
In another curio, Tim McInnerny (Klineman Halpen) later became a series regular in the short-lived Houdini & Doyle (2016).
Definitely coincidentally I began seeing Houdini & Doyle featuring McInnerny at the same time as also seeing McInnerny in a rerun of Planet of the Ood.