Doctor Who (TV Series) The Satan Pit (2006) User Reviews

This plays on our fundamental fears and wins.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 15 August 2015]

The opener was a definite high point, so expectations were very high for The Satan Pit.

The Satan Pit plays on the fundamental fears we all have as people, when the Doctor discusses the urge to jump with Ida it's actually a really scary moment, definitely more geared up to an older age group, the kids would get their fix with Fear her.

The production values again are superb, everything looks quality, I bet those sets cost big bucks to put together.

They build up a real feeling of claustrophobia, all the characters feel in danger with no sense of escape. Rose plays a very strong role in taking on the killer Ood. Danny Webb's demise is again well played out, and there is true impact on everyone. The Doctor's jump down into nothingness is simple but very effective, and the final confrontation is superb.

The monster itself is tremendously well realised, again playing on basic fundamental fears. Tennant plays the scenes out fantastically well, he's taken the show up another notch.

10/10

Overall I think it's a fantastic episode, the real stuff of nightmares.

The Devil is in the Detail...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 4 December 2021]

The Ood become possessed by the beast that's buried deep within the core, while the Doctor and Ida struggle at the bottom of the hole they recently had to bore. Then it speaks to all those cornered, of the things no one else knows and the tension and the panic and the torment starts to grow. Mephistopheles, Beelzebub, Satan, Lucifer or the Devil? The only way of finding out is to drop another level. So the Doctor makes a leap of faith and descends within the pit, while the others (less Ida and the fallen), evading crazy Ood, prime rockets of the escape ship - but will the beast just sneak away, leave the Doctor and crew in perpetuity? Unable to tell their Hades story, as it basks in all that power and glory!

Outstanding Sci-Fi

[tony-howe · 10/10 · 4 December 2007]

This two-parter was excellent - the best since the series returned. Sure bits of the story were pinched from previous films, but what TV shows don't do that these days. What we got here was a cracking good sci-fi story. A great big (really scary) monster imprisoned at the base of a deep pit, some superb aliens in The Ood - the best "new" aliens the revived series has come up with, a set of basically sympathetic and believable human characters (complete with a couple of unnamed "expendable" security people in true Star Trek fashion), some large-scale philosophical themes (love, loyalty, faith, etc.), and some top-drawer special effects.

I loved every minute of this.

There's no backing down in this incredible follow-up

[those_who_dig · 10/10 · 7 February 2017]

As I was hoping, the writer(s) of this episode chose not to back down from the groundbreaking revelations introduced in "The Impossible Planet", and The Doctor comes face to face with something far more menacing than almost any of his previous foes. But neiter he nor the titular antagonist are the star of this episode.

Rose is awarded several of her strongest, most driven moments yet. Cut off from The Doctor, she assumes a leading role in the handling of the Ood threat. When she isn't following along as the companion, Billie Piper is capable of giving some very good performances. You'll find such a performance in "The Satan Pit", which I really think is a Rose episode.

The host of supporting characters, with the exception of the still-eerie Toby, are more entertaining in this episode than in "The Impossible Planet", and the point at which they realised they had to cooperate is rather well-written.

Overall, this stands as one of my favourite episodes to date, rivalled only by the first season's Dalek episodes.

Devilishly Scary

[The_Sandheaver · 10/10 · 7 December 2007]

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the scariest and most intriguing episodes of Doctor Who. This is a thrilling psychological ride and you will probably find your own beliefs being thrown into question. Riddled with spine-chilling moments, this is an episode no "Who" fan can afford to miss.

Starting from when the pit was opened after the events in "The Impossible Planet", the Doctor and Ida are trapped and are running out of air. With no other alternatives, they decide to find what lies at the bottom of the pit, an event which surpasses even The Doctor's expectations. Whilst there, the Doctor is forced to make what he considers to be the ultimate sacrifice...

Meanwhile, Rose and the other members of the Planet try to find a way to fend off the Ood, whose minds have been poisoned by the Beast. Also, is Toby Zed truly cured of his possession by the Beast?

the Doctor vs Satan. Yes please!

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 26 January 2015]

Though not entirely obfuscated in the first part of this two-parter - The Impossible Planet - the enemy here is none other than Satan/Lucifer/Prince of Darkness. What makes it clever here is that the writers don't really make it a connection to Christianity; matter of fact in this case, it's an entity who is "before time" - which, naturally, puzzles the Doctor immensely. The plot here continues from the first part where the Doctor and Rose, sans their Tardis which has fallen somewhere miles below on this planet which is being mined and is above a black hole, are stuck in a situation with a bunch of beleaguered, Aliens-esqe space crew and the "Ood", alien creatures who get controlled by Satan and attack everyone on board.

Indeed for the first half this is kind of a giant Aliens homage, or at least that's how I read it. Not that it's a bad thing though, on the contrary it's lots of fun and mostly terror seeing the characters have to maneuver through the ship to get out of the path of the Ood through ventilation shafts (the one guys shooting at the oncoming Ood made me think of it more than anything). Meanwhile the Doctor is at the core of the planet and decides, such as the Doctor will do, to go even further into the 'Pit', where... something may be.

The ultimate showdown doesn't have quite so much action as the Doctor figuring things out in his Doctor-y way (and as David Tenant does with abounding wonder with his "I GOT IT!" moments) as there are other things involved that I shouldn't go into too much (if you haven't seen it by now that is and are reading this). But as cheesy as the CGI for the beast is, it's the human beings that make up what works so well here. Rose is especially compelling, especially among the space crew who are all just trying to stay alive and not let any more people die. There's so much heart here that it's almost a shock this wasn't the season finale; a planet, after all, is sinking into a black hole with forms of Satan riding about, trying to reclaim (lost) power.

But such is the way of this show. Jolly lot!

leap of faith

[movieman_kev · 8/10 · 24 January 2007]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this two parter, The Impossible Planet, and was slightly worried that the second part wouldn't hold up quite so well as has been true in the past of the two parters of the past 2 Who series. But thankfully my fears were unfounded as I found myself enjoying this episode as much as the previous one. Anyway we start off with the surviving crew members on the run from the Ood, whom have become the Devil's pawn. There is also a bit of philosophizing on the Doctor's part in the episode that I quite enjoyed. Needless to say it was a good solid Doctor Who story. Might be a tad too intense for the younger viewers though.

My Grade: B+

Quatermass in space

[JohnSeal · 8/10 · 20 February 2008]

The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit together comprise the two best episodes of the 'new' Doctor Who's second season. Having said that, it should be obvious that much of the story basically transposes the plot of Quatermass and the Pit (1967) to an outer space setting, with the history of the universe intertwined with that of the Beast 666. These episodes cement the emotional ties between Rose and the Doctor, whilst also highlighting Rose's increasing self-confidence, establishing her as a not-quite-equal-yet-but-getting-there partner with our beloved Time Lord. Also of note is Matt Jones elegant screenplay, which decreases the occasional over-reliance on one-liners for the Doctor, and the performances of the entire cast, most notably the excellent Shaun Parkes as acting Captain Zachary Cross Flane.

Doctor Who meets Doom3

[reephamike-1 · 10/10 · 10 June 2006]

This was an excellent 2-part episode, although I had never been seen the older ones, I never thought the doctor would go up against anything that is paranormal, extra terrestial of course but not paranormal.

This episode brings the things that we most fear and how would we humans, in a futuristic time, would fight and defeat real live evil when most odds say that would be impossible.

Being that it's a family film I am surprised that they brought some stuff in like fear and faith, especially if its also going to entertain American audiences. But who care about what Yanks say, we rock! Doctor Who has shown potential ever since from episode one from the new series in 2005, first being so harmless to scary, from fun to serious, from light to darkness. I hope many old fans will one day soon say "The old Doctor Who has returned".

10 out of 10

Ood and Cthulhu?

[mbuckley-2 · 9/10 · 15 June 2006]

Anyone find it interesting that the Ood look strangely similar to the 'Great Cthulhu' of H P Lovecraft vintage? hmmm?

Great pair of episodes (not referring to Billie Piper as most seem to do!) in The impossible Planet and The Satan Pit.

Also the link to 'Legion' I think also used in Who before and also referring to Satan in various novels post Exorcist era...

Great suspense episodes utilising fear and faith elements. The new team for these 'who's are working great magic for TV.

This certainly creates new fears and 'hide behind the sofa' feelings not seen for many, many years in this continuation of a superb BBC series (pity it is confirmed by the BBC that Billie Piper is quitting - perhaps not permanently - after end of series 2) :O(((

The Pit and the Pen-arth.

[southdavid · 8/10 · 27 October 2020]

This season two double-part episode concludes in grand fashion, with one of the largest visual effects in the show's history and some bleak choices, that no doubt resonated with the cast (as this was the last episode shot with Billie Piper as a series regular).

With the Odd now firmly under control of The Beast (Gabriel Woolf) the crew must fight for their lives to try and either regain control or escape the mining platform. The Doctor (David Tennant) and Ida Scott (Claire Rushbrook) are now trapped in the mine, with no way to return to the surface, so with no other option available to them, decide to head further into the pit and see what lurks beneath.

The most striking visual, probably of the whole run so far, is the Doctor coming face to . . . well, torso, with the giant CGI horned beast that is imprisoned at the bottom of the pit. It's not entirely successful, perhaps lacking a little weight to truly convince - but it's certainly a sight to behold. The rest of the episode is solid pay offs to the aspects that were set up last week. There's a real theme of sacrifice, as Jefferson sacrifices himself for his comrades and The Doctor and Rose are both willing to sacrifice themselves (and each other) to keep the Beast contained.

Even though a couple of the moments did ring true logic wise (why does the beast laugh when he understands that The Doctor will have to sacrifice Rose to contain him, either he's just a body driven by rage, or he's not) this was a really good second part of the story. It was good to see Rose take control, and use her training to get the crew back working, and this episode has the most explicit suggestion so far that her time on team Tardis might soon be coming to an end.

1st part was better, but this one is good too.

[garodardavis-08913 · 7/10 · 21 August 2017]

I had high hopes that the cliffhanger at the end of first episode would reveal something terrible. Instead, it left us with nothing. Just an opened pit that goes deep below. We were all half expecting something to just crawl out of the hole and start something going, but nothing happened. Later, we find out that was just a key to getting inside a prison where the Beast is being held. While the Doctor tries to return, the beast cuts off power and starts talking to the crew and the Doctor. They had 1 incredible dialogue where The Beast left Doctor with no words and managed to put fear in their bones by howling at them from the screen. The rest of the episode is devoted to characters trying to escape oods and knock them out in order to escape and that's what they do, but not everything turned out as planned. The Beast was still had a control over Toby's mind and Doctor jumped inside the pit, only to find the Beast in chains with 2 vases standing in front of him (I don't know why they went with the vases when I think they could've done a lot more with the pit). Apparently, the Beast's body is just kind of there, but its mind is away in Toby, so we didn't get to see another fight between the Doctor and the Beast, instead, Toby is simply shot out of the space ship; the Doctor broke the vases (which turned out to be the power source they were looking for) and conveniently, before all hell goes loose, Doctor somehow finds his Tardis in the pit and saves the day.

Now, I gotta admit, I expected a lot out of this episode and I don't understand why most people think this 2nd part is better than the 1st. I mean, the Beast cgi is awesome, the dialogue between Doctor and the Beast is awesome, there was some tension, but it sort of faded away the moment oods were knocked down. Other than these 3 factors, I don't see why this episode is considered better. I personally would give it a solid 6/10, because it was entertaining (with some plot holes), but due to awesome Beast cgi and the most clever dialogues ever made in DW, I'm giving it a 7/10.

Satan Pit

[matt_dt_jones · 4/10 · 15 August 2009]

Loved Part One, The Impossible Planet, but whoops, what a disappointment part two 'The Satan Pit' is. The cliffhanger of something apparently rising out of the pit was - nothing coming out of the pit. Then ages spent crawling round air vents to pad out the story, the Beast a roaring thing empty of intelligence, so no Doctor/villain confrontation I'd been anticipating. The TARDIS is somehow inside the pit despite the pit not being open till long after the TARDIS fell through the planet crust. And finally another ready made solution which existed for no logical reason - I mean, why not plunge the Beast into the Hole as soon as the pit opened? Why not plunge him in all those years ago instead of imprisoning him anyway. Why not - I could go on but I've lost interest...

Devilishly Great

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 2 December 2018]

The Satan Pit is the second part of a two part story. It is absolutely brilliant as is the first part The Impossible Planet.

The story is among my favourite all time classics. It is a creepy, unnerving episode with some great scares but also great characterisation, great script, great acting and great production values. The Ood are introduced as an excellent alien race who are used, basically, as slaves. They are fantastic. The human characters are excellent and all of the dialogue is of high standard. The story is thrilling and intelligent. Tennant and Piper are on top form as the 10th Doctor and Rose with some fabulous exchanges between the two adding real depth.

The creepy possessed human is really thrilling and when the 'beast' in the pit turns up later in the story it is spine tinglingly sensational. A really top Doctor Who monster in a top class, layered story which is all produced and performed to exceptional standards.

This is a totally top notch Doctor Who episode that can stand alongside the greatest episodes of NuWho and the classic series.

My rating for both episodes: 10/10.

The Endless Dark Pit

[wetmars · 10/10 · 7 August 2020]

I liked this episode better than The Impossible Planet, this really had very great characters, Rose made a clever move to throw that possessed human out to the black hole, just a genius move. Love this episode so much.

An excellent film.

[theladyofthelake-1 · 10/10 · 12 June 2006]

I love the Satan Pit!!! David Tennant is such a great actor and so is Billie Piper!!! Who else loves Will Thorp to pieces??? He is so cute, isn't he? I hated the bits where he got possessed by the devil and where he got told to "go to hell", as Rose so bluntly put it. Mind you, he was quite funny when he said, "Rose, do us a favour, will you? Shut up!". Mr Jefferson was so brave, wasn't he? Dying to save the others. I felt really sorry for Toby (Will Thorp) when he came out of the possession for the 2nd time because he was so scared. I was like "Oh my god if I was Rose I'd be so scared for him". And when she hugged him I was like "grrrrrr, he's mine! hands off!" but I thought that was really sweet. And the doctor....well, I thought he was gonna say to Ida "tell Rose I love her" but he didn't. Oh well.

Splendid

[jrarichards · 10/10 · 20 March 2016]

Given that the pairing of episodes constituted by "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" follows fairly hot on the heels of the exquisite "The Girl in the Fireplace", and the more-than-adequate Cybermen episodes; as well as just before the enigmatically brilliant "Love and Monsters", it is fair to say that the resuscitated "Dr Who" well into its second season was really straining at the leash by now, and proving how diverse and thought-provoking and novel it might be. In that regard it is particularly interesting how "The Satan Pit" contrasts in mood even with its immediate predecessor set-up episode "The Impossible Planet", notwithstanding the pairing. While the episode remains a little bit coy about what it is actually depicting, it asks a Star Trek-like plethora of questions about humanity, loyalty, love, cooperation, trust, evil, temptation, loneliness, warmth, decisiveness, human flaws, leadership, teamwork, faith, belief, life, death, mercy, self-sacrifice and the way that being human mostly means managing the odd good deed no matter how available and tangible the rewards of evil may sometimes look. Not bad for three-quarters of an hour, and obviously necessitating exquisite achievement in terms of plot-devising, characterisation and dialogue. To my mind the result equals - and potentially exceeds - the greatest ST achievements in this field, and I do not say that lightly. Almost effortlessly, an episode that fuses the extremely dramatic and scary (I really don't buy the claims that the devil-creature leaves the viewer unmoved, and I greatly appreciate the shiver-inducing ancient-civilisation imprisoners bit) with a relatively prosaic story about a group of people escaping from danger, is raised to a far higher plane in which the moral dilemmas and questions alluded to above come thick and fast, one after the other - bang, bang, bang. It's a tour de force enhanced by some extremely personable characters (especially full marks for Shaun Parkes acting to perfection as Capt. Zachary Cross Flane, as well as Claire Rushbrook in the role of Ida Scott) and also by a mix of Celtic-type "ancient" music, plus a sweepingly magnificent orchestral theme that ebbs and flows seamlessly as we reach and then pass through each new moment of decision, tragedy, love, loyalty, gain or loss.

As in several of the very best of the DW episodes ("Love and Monsters", "Blink" and so on), this episode is also great because the Doctor and Rose as companion step back a little and let the supporting cast do their thing as well...

I loved it.

Uncomfortable yet brilliant television.

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 21 March 2021]

This episode brings to the fore many interesting questions and I certainly was entralled by the episode, amazing last minute rescue by the doctor as usual and a brilliant continuation of a superb story arc.

Devilishly ood conclusion

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 17 February 2019]

Sorry about the headline but I couldn't resist. Also, it is quite accurate. This conclusion of the two parter provides many unexpected twists. Most of which are effective in keeping the viewers' interest. But it does have its sadly predictable parts as well but even these still tend to prove entertaining.

Has the same strengths and the same weaknesses as the first part more or less but the ood are successfully more frightening at least. The devil alien is a bit of a let down as he never really directly faces off with the Doctor but the conclusion of the episode is still satisfying in a Doctor Who kind of way.

In all honesty this would make a good movie without the Doctor even, as the supporting characters are very strongly written and we care about each of them (even poor Toby who couldn't get out from under the creatures mental grip). 8.5/10

The Devil and the Doctor....

[stevenjlowe82 · 10/10 · 6 November 2023]

This was a thrilling conclusion to an excellent part one episode and the ending did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed the character work on the Doctor in this episode. So far for me Tenant has brought buckets of charm and a real sense of humour to the character but I really haven't seen too much of the darker more tortured side of the Doctor that Christopher Eccleston done so well. The Doctors back and forth with the devil was excellent and gave us more insight into the Doctor.

I also enjoyed seeing Rose really step up and take charge and still fearlessly putting her life on the line for others. Also how they flipped the Ood was very interesting and I'm very excited to see more of them in the future.

Overall a terrific conclusion to one of my favourite 2 part episodes in the run thus far.

The Devil himself...

[rohanumpleby-34057 · 9/10 · 10 April 2023]

A great atmospheric episode that plays on fear really well. The Devil and the Doctor scene was really well played out, and Seeing Satin Suffering and his pain and anger is also well thought through. The Demon/Devil that controls the Ood added to the mix, makes this a dark, crisp and impactful space adventure that delivers on almost every level.

The costume/Makeup team also have got to be credited. The make up and effects on Satin for his time is amazing. He has so much design and layers of colourful red and firey orange and fire itself that makes him a real threat. The only negative I have is I think Satin should of got more to do, as he basically is just in a cave with Chains around him. But that takes nothing away from the props team and this episode in general.

The Rocket scene with the Devil and the Crew is really tense and atmospheric. The danger that they are in, it's really clever because it allows the Doctor to think of a clever way of solving the issue/problem. The Music is perfect as it always is, Murray Golds music is always Iconic and brilliant. All round a fantastic episode.

Verdict,

9/10 One of my favourites, dark and atmospheric episode that keeps up the tension well.

Too much faith in my science fiction

[codyw-854-929985 · 3/10 · 25 November 2013]

Easily my least favorite of all Doctor Who episodes. As far as Doctor Who goes, this episode has much of what makes this series great. It has humor, suspense, and space faring. However, the blatant religious tones in this episode don't mix well with the science fiction of Doctor Who. The reboot series never touches on religion and carries a very self-empowerment tone to it up to now, and throughout the rest of the series it carries the same message while avoiding religion.

It is also unlike Doctor Who to put just one culture or belief above others. I can't justify this episode, much less how it became a two-parter.

Good enough

[warlordartos · 9/10 · 10 March 2021]

Not quite as good as you'd expect from all the hype of the first part but still an exquisite show. Travelling through the service shaft, well that is like in my review of the last episode very "Alien". Definitely good and worth the watch

A Hellish Descent into Darkness

[hwiltshire-06889 · 9/10 · 4 April 2024]

The thrilling conclusion to the two-part story that began with The Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit is an unforgettable journey into the heart of cosmic horror. This episode takes viewers on a wild ride, expertly juggling intense action, psychological terror, and weighty philosophical questions.

The desolate, gravity-defying setting of the pit itself amplifies the sense of isolation and danger. The stakes are immediately raised as characters start to succumb to the influence of the Beast, a genuinely terrifying creature of ancient malevolence. David Tennant delivers one of his finest performances as the Doctor, his usual buoyancy masking a growing desperation. Billie Piper's Rose is fiercely protective and determined, offering a counterpoint to the Doctor's intellectual struggle.

The script is a triumph. The dialogue crackles with wit and intensity, particularly in the tense confrontations between the Doctor and the Beast. The episode grapples with themes of faith, possession, and the power of ancient evil, leaving a lasting impact beyond the final battle.

Where the episode shines is in its atmosphere. The sense of claustrophobia and the creeping dread of the Beast's influence are expertly crafted. The final face-off, while perhaps relying on a slightly convenient resolution, is visually stunning and emotionally charged.

The Satan Pit isn't flawless. Some of the supporting characters get sidelined, and the pacing sags momentarily in places. Yet, these are minor hiccups in an episode that successfully blends high adventure with genuine chills and thought-provoking questions.

This episode earns a resounding 9 out of 10. It's classic Doctor Who infused with a deliciously dark edge. The Satan Pit will leave you pondering its mysteries long after the final scene fades.