New Earth is a really good start to the series. Between the creepy cat/nun/nurses and the return of Cassandra this might be my favorite RTD-written plot. Cassandra while solid in The End of the Word really cements her self (similarly to Blon the Slitheen) as an excellent villain in her return. Not only is the way she inhabits the Doctor and Rose just campy fun I love the mess she makes of everything in her desire to obtain a new body. The touch of depth they gave her in the end was also appreciated even if it felt a tad rushed.
The cat/nun/nurses and their hoards of diseased human clones was a really fun take on a zombie story. The way the cats are certain that their actions are for the benefit of everyone made them great antagonists. And the diseased humans are a solid zombie type threat. I especially liked that we got to see, if briefly, into their minds through Cassandra.
Ten gets some really great moments here with his comical negotiating with Cassandra for Rose's body to the standoff the the cat/nurse/nun things about their horrific medical practices. A solid "I've saved the day" speech is given and it's just fun to watch Tennant chew up the scenery with it.
This episode was also a great reintroduction to the Face of Boe given that his presence in series 1 never goes above a cameo. A great setup for that arc that unfolds across this season.
The only quibble I could have with this episode was the Ten/Rose dynamic. This is the beginning of what is going to become a very intense romantic arc between the two and I'm not necessarily against it (I mean I liked that about Nine and Rose). But that dynamic here is in your face in a way that I remember becoming tedious. The full on makeout sessions here (yes, I know Rose was possessed at the time but I think its an indication of the mode of the Doctor and Rose's relationship throughout the series) compared to the tender hand holding of series 1 says it all.
Review by TshepisoBlockedParent2023-10-10T07:06:22Z
Okay, now that's a good first episode for Ten.
New Earth is a really good start to the series. Between the creepy cat/nun/nurses and the return of Cassandra this might be my favorite RTD-written plot. Cassandra while solid in The End of the Word really cements her self (similarly to Blon the Slitheen) as an excellent villain in her return. Not only is the way she inhabits the Doctor and Rose just campy fun I love the mess she makes of everything in her desire to obtain a new body. The touch of depth they gave her in the end was also appreciated even if it felt a tad rushed.
The cat/nun/nurses and their hoards of diseased human clones was a really fun take on a zombie story. The way the cats are certain that their actions are for the benefit of everyone made them great antagonists. And the diseased humans are a solid zombie type threat. I especially liked that we got to see, if briefly, into their minds through Cassandra.
Ten gets some really great moments here with his comical negotiating with Cassandra for Rose's body to the standoff the the cat/nurse/nun things about their horrific medical practices. A solid "I've saved the day" speech is given and it's just fun to watch Tennant chew up the scenery with it.
This episode was also a great reintroduction to the Face of Boe given that his presence in series 1 never goes above a cameo. A great setup for that arc that unfolds across this season.
The only quibble I could have with this episode was the Ten/Rose dynamic. This is the beginning of what is going to become a very intense romantic arc between the two and I'm not necessarily against it (I mean I liked that about Nine and Rose). But that dynamic here is in your face in a way that I remember becoming tedious. The full on makeout sessions here (yes, I know Rose was possessed at the time but I think its an indication of the mode of the Doctor and Rose's relationship throughout the series) compared to the tender hand holding of series 1 says it all.