4.4: The Empty Planet

[SiHart]

Clyde and Rani face an empty world this evening... what did you think of the new episode?

Si xx

[Dino]

I thought it was a good bit of mystery. Sounded like an invisible spaceship.
SJA anticipating the coalition cuts early?
More intrigued by what happens next than "The Veil Of Secrets".
The first Sarah Jane-lite story?

[Jonno]

Mark of the Berserker was Sarah-lite 2 series ago and I'm fairly sure the Eve story last year didn't feature her much - both were written by Joe Lidster and Clyde and Rani both individually came to the fore in those stories.

Here, they were excellent together and I found it a very absorbing story with the big mystery which leaves me eagerly anticipating the next part just to see what it is all about. The only link I can see at the moment for Clyde and Rani being unaffected is the fact they were both reading Great Expectations, unless that's a red herring! But then how is Gavin involved?

The robots look cool - the red one reminds me of the one in the Disney film The Black Hole - Maximilian?

Very impressive filming to get that deserted look.

[SiHart]

This was yet another great episode. Clyde and Rani proved strong enough to hold down a whole episode and I'm liking the whole will they- won't they dynamic that's building between the two of them.

nice homage to Survivors with the "Don't let me be the only one" line from Rani!

The empty world was done really well and seemed suitably chilling and wrong.

And the robots looked really cool!

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

I loved those robots! I think they might be my favourite new-style Doctor Who monster they've ever done! Wooo!

And there was some stuff in that episode that didn't have robots, but was quite good too. Aren't Anjli Mohindra and Daniel Anthony brilliant? I'm seriously impressed that they can carry a whole episode by themselves - I know they've done it before, but it's great to see.

[Si Hunt]

It was okay. The empty planet was done well, and I enjoyed the emotional touches with the parents. There's a good sense of mystery. The only things stopping me enjoying it completely are dull adult concerns - the feeling that it's being done quite cheaply, and that the growing feelings between Clyde and Rani - are quite contrived.

The robots look good - although you could tell with the only 2 cast members at peril in the cliffhanger there was absolutely no way they could do a Next Time trailer, so they did anyway and filled it with lots more the same so as not to give anything else away.

Good fun, good mystery, maybe not quite enough meat on the bone for me but we'll see how Part 2 pans out.

Si.

[Jonno]

I see I'm first up then! Well, that was a let-down for me - but primarily because I really struggled to hear the dialogue over the intrusive music (something I hadn't had a problem with previously this series). I couldn't work out much of what the robots were saying, and to be honest I've no idea where all the other humans went for those 90 minutes, or what was going to happen when the countdown reached zero? I did like the "sun and air" thing - very clever - but I now need to watch it again just to understand it. Shame.

[Si Hunt]

I liked this episode more than Part 1, particuarly the last scene which I found very touching. Disturbingly, when Sarah Jane showed up at the end I realised I'd forgotten all about her! The two young co-stars held the episode well.

Si.

[Llordllama]

I thought this was a cracking two parter - once again overcoming my dislike of Robert's Who writing. Clyde and Rani were just spot on, and I agree the pair of them really carried the episode between them. If anything the only weak point was the Prince who was a bit too drama school to be "street" for me. First part kept me guessing (I was coming down on the Langoliers explanation or that the world was fine but Clyde/Rani had moved!) and as the wife said "There's go to be a very good reason why it's just those two left!".

For once, the taint of the Judoon came through well. Cracking season all in all so far!

[SiHart]

Good, consistent stuff all round this season. This was no exception. It was another fine story, very enjoyable and very well carried by Clyde and Rani.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

I wonder if the Luke replacement in each episode is deliberate? It seems that everywhere they go since he left there's a curly haired young boy.

Si.

[Llordllama]

Yeah Si, I was wondering that - will we see in season 5 "The Legion of Luke-e-Likes" featuring Jo Grant's Nephew, the curly Space King and Luke on a video monitor....

[Andrew Curnow]

I did the double-bill this morning on the iPlayer - inevitably, it was going to be tricky for whichever story had to follow the big Doctor/Jo story last week, but this one was so different, that I really enjoyed it.

Less spectacle, more mystery, and as everyone has said the two regulars carried it well - nice to see them sniping at each other at times, that for me made them that bit more real. A neat little central twist, and some very impressive robots, a really enjoyable little story.

[Perry Vale]

This was easily my favourite of the season so far, and probably the best story since S2, for me. Gareth Roberts continues to impress me post-RTD, he's becoming a very safe pair of hands. I can hardly believe this is the person who co-wrote the awful Planet Of The Dead!

As others said, Clyde & Rani held the story up perfectly on their own, and I really didn't miss SJ at all. The robots were very cool, and the connection of the Judoon I found very clever, and satisfying.

Where's the poll?

[Jamie McCrimmon]

I think this was my favourite of the series, it was really gripping all the way through and there didn't seem to be any slack dialogue despite it being mostly just Rani and Clyde. Those robots were brilliant, at first I thought they were new look Sontarans. 10/10.