2.1 - New Earth

This episode takes the Doctor and Rose to a planet colonized and named New Earth by humans after they left the original Earth. It is a follow up to the 9th Doctor story The End of the World and features a couple of characters from that earlier story The Face of Boe and Lady Cassandra.

Lady Cassandra has devised a way to place her personality into a host body having been stuck in a bodyless form for many years. She ends up using Rose as a host and later switches between Rose and the Doctor.

Meanwhile nurses at the hospital they are in are cat people and are hiding something. This turns out to be a sinister method of finding cures for all disease.

That underlying story of the grotesque methods of the hospital is the serious edge to the story and provides some decent drama and a nice heroic conclusion. The rest of the story is mostly comedic. This comedy works really well thanks to the comic acting skills of David Tennant, the amusing voice performance of Zoe Wanamaker as Lady Cassandra and a good job by Billie Piper too. This is not a hugely popular episode but I think that the humour really works and find it fun. It is certainly not the best of episodes and is a bit cheesy at times but it is enjoyable and has no major problems. I also think the underlying plot is a decent one. The Face of Boe is a nice addition and adds a little suggestion towards a great story arc when he states they will meet again.

8/10

Absolutely a cheesefest.
I like Cassandra and that’s about the best of it.

I do however always thing the visuals ( now thoroughly aged) were exciting in this one. Also always keen for episodes with various aliens. New who has and still does lack planets which makes this episode a curiousity but the story and some acting ended up being massively cringey

Such a bad story, it's the first time we see the doctor in action and. Jesus christ it's awful. This episode went way too fast, it was cringey a lot of the time, my first impressions of the new docor are, he's unlikable. I don't care too much for him as well as rose. Cassandra is a terrible enemy, it's seriously a MAJOR avoid for the series. I really don't like this one and it's obvious when watching it. Why not watxh some good stories like, School reunion, Midnight or Blink?

A vastly underrated story and the Tenth Doctor's first journey in the TARDIS is a fun adventure. Tennant comes on with a thoroughly engaging and energetic performance. The story also establishes a good contrast between the Tenth Doctor and his predecessor. Rose's first trip with the Ninth Doctor had him taking her to see the final end and destruction of Earth. The Tenth Doctor takes Rose beyond that to show her how humanity carries on.

There's some beautiful shots and nice effects that bring this alien landscape to life as well as some pretty scary moments as well. Russell T. Davies also continued the laid the groundwork for the overall arc of this Doctor with some great foreshadowing such as the face of Boe and his insistence that there was no higher source from which the Sisterhood could appeal his condemnation.

The story is not without its faults. The body swapping thing that plays a big part can be silly, but it does allow Tennant and Piper to have some fun. There are some weak points in the resolution. Still, New Earth has a nice emotional core including a journey for Kassandra, the "new new" Doctor showing himself a swashbuckling and very clever hero. Overall, a very solid start for Series 2.