DW 02-09: The Satan Pit (part 2)

A Guide to Classic Who references (and other references) in New Who episodes.

Doctor Who series 2, episode 9 (part 2 of Story 18).  Rose & the Doctor visit a base on a planet in a black hole with the TARDIS.

Viewing Order

• 01-01  "Rose" (Suggested viewing - introduction of characters.)
• Children in Need - "Born Again" or Christmas Special 2005 - "The Christmas Invasion" (Suggested viewing - reintroduction of character.)
• 02-08 "The Impossible Planet" (Required viewing - First part of 2 parter.)

References

[1ST] -  The first appearance of things in Doctor Who series.
[NEW] - Things that first appeared previously in the new series.

[OLD] - Things that first appeared in the classic series (or the film.)  Episode List.

Previously...

The following things appeared in both episodes and so are listed again here, skip past to get to new information.

• [NEW]  Sanctuary Base 6 - A modular base which the Doctor recognised as a Sanctuary base, indicating they were on a planet.  The planet is Krop Tor, which impossibly orbits the black hole K37 gem 5.  All these things first appeared in "The Impossible Planet," although they were all first referred to in the Tardisode for that episode.
• [NEW]  The Ood - A slave race which appeared in  "The Impossible Planet," and the Tardisode for that episode and the Tardisode for this episode.  They are usually quiet and docile but are at this point possessed.  Or is it that they are usually possessed and sometimes quiet and docile.
• [NEW]  The Pit - First appeared in "The Impossible Planet" and mentioned the Tardisode for that episode.
• [NEW]  The Beast -  First appeared, briefly, in "The Impossible Planet" and mentioned the Tardisode for that episode.

This episode...

• [1ST]  The Torchwood Archive - First mention of the Torchwood Archive, however, as previous posts will show, the Torchwood organisation has been mentioned a number of times.

• [1ST]  More religions than there are planets in the sky - The Archiphets, Quoldonity,  Pash Pash, New Judaism, San Klah, Church of the Tin Vagabond are all new religions.  Christianity, obviously is real, and New Judaism presumably a future form of Judaism.  All, it seems, have the concept of the Devil.

• [OLD]  Inspiration for the Devil - In the Third Doctor story "The Dæmons," the Doctor suggests that genetic experimentation by the horned inhabitants of the Dæmos may have been the inspiration for myths involving demons, devils and Satan.  The Fourth Doctor suspected that  Sutekh in "Pyramids of Mars" had gone by many names including Satan.

• [1ST]  The Disciples of the Light - First reference to this group.

• [NEW] Brainstorm -  The term brainstorm was used in "The Age of Steel" as what happened to the Cybermen when their emotions were removed.  Prior to the new series, in the Third Doctor story "The Claws of Axos" the Doctor says: "The whole thing's electro-convulsing. The power's creating an electrical storm in its brain and we're going right through the centre of the trauma!"  In the novelisation the a chapter is called "Brainstorm."

• [OLD]  Horned Beasts - Apart from the Azal, from The Dæmos (mentioned above) the classic series also had The Destroyer, who appeared in the Seventh Doctor story "Battlefield" (but came from an alternate universe.)

• [OLD]  Draconia - The Third Doctor visited Draconia during the beginnings of hostilities between the Earth Empire and the Draconians in "Frontier in Space."

• [1ST]  Vel Consadine - First mention of this planet.

• [1ST]  Neo-Classic Congregational - First mention of this denomination.

• [OLD]  Invented Black Holes - "The Hand of Omega" was said to have the ability to ability to manipulate the life cycle of stars, causing them to go supernova and to turn into black holes.  (The Seventh Doctor - "Remembrance of the Daleks.")  It was Omega and Rassilon's work with such things that gave the Time Lords the power to travel through time.

• [OLD]  TARDIS Tractor Beam - The Fourth Doctor used the TARDIS's gravity beam to draw a neutron star safely off course in "Creature from the Pit."  The Seventh Doctor used an anti-gravity spiral to control the descent of a space-bus as it crash into the Earth in "Delta and the Bannermen."  

• [1ST]   43K2.1 - First appearance of this date.  The "k" suggests 431st century (43002 AD) but later episodes suggest otherwise.

The 10 Rules to Doctor Who.

(Read the rules here.)

10.  The TARDIS is for arriving at the location of the story at the beginning of the episode and leaving at the end.  This is because Time Travel is the excuse for the story, not that the story is about.  Unless the episode is written by Steve Moffat, then it's definitely about Time Travel.

The TARDIS reappears, and acts as a tow-truck, but not for time travel.  [1]

9.  No one can cross their own Time Stream, except when they do.

No one tries. [1]

8.  There's no situation that can't be briefly defused by a non sequitur.

A little, not as much as usual.  [1]

7.  The Doctor is both the most serious and most frivolous person in the room - any room - at the same time.  And he does that without becoming insane.  Mostly.

A little, not as much as usual.  [1]

6.  The last episode of every series must contain the Master or at least one Dalek.  Every time.  However briefly.

Not a series final.  [NA]

5.  The main companion will be a young contemporary British female.  Although, to be

fair, almost everyone in the Universe is British and most things happen in contemporary London.

Rose is a young female contemporary companion.  (Future space setting.)  [1] 

4.  The more emotionless a species, cyborg or robot the more likely they are to be destroyed by emotions.  This is true of the Daleks.  It is particularly true of the Cybermen.

The Beast is described as "so angry. It was fury and rage and death" so not emotionless.  [0]

3.  Even if the episode title contains the words "Dalek(s)" or "Cyberman/men" the presence of the Daleks and or Cybermen will at the beginning be treated as a mystery and their revelation a surprise.

The episode title is pretty much spoilt by part 1, but becomes very literal towards the end.  [1]

2.  The nature of the threat will be revealed to the audience before the Doctor.  The truth behind the threat will be unknowable by the audience until it is explained by the Doctor.

As a part two, there's a lot of explaining by the Doctor.  He has a whole big speechy bit with in front of the Great Beast.  Rose does a whole thing of guessing what's going on, too. [.5]

1.  The most dangerous creature in any situation is the last of its kind.  This sometimes also applies to aliens other than The Doctor.

The Great Beast really does seem like the last of his kind.  Also seems a little dangerous.  [1]

Score:  7.5/9.

~ DUG.