As a Doctor Who fan, no matter whether how experienced you are in the tapestry of accumulated history, there’s something comforting about recognizing the formulaic nature of a story, and yet being surprised at the inventive measures taken within that formula.
We’ve written occasionally before about that most beloved of Doctor Who tropes, the Base Under Siege, and most assuredly the subject of Modern Recap-itulation this time around, The Impossible Planet, fits. Despite a moment very early on where the Doctor and Rose are at their most knowing and smug, after that it’s all-in on the plot and the fix they’ve waltzed into. And for a two-part story, The Impossible Planet does a superlative job laying out the players and the problem. We here at the Tour can’t think of a story with more parallel peril attached to the cliffhanger than here.
With this story, we’ve begun experimenting with a new technique for HD-capping ‘older’ nu-Who SD stories from series 2, 3, and 4. Tour Honchos think the results are terrific and hope you do too.
Speaking of terrific, The Impossible Planet is a neat beginning to a two-part story. Any guesses where Modern Recap-itulation goes next time?