The Ood Unveiled: The Astonishing Fate of Doctor Who's Alien Allies

This article contains spoilers for episodes "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" from Season 2, "Planet of the Ood" from Season 4, and the Christmas special "The End of Time" of Doctor Who.

Among the various alien species present in Doctor Who, the Ood are particularly enigmatic and potentially significant. While they may not receive as much on-screen attention as other familiar Doctor Who aliens, they play a vital part in several significant storylines of the show.

Who Are The Ood In Doctor Who?

The initial presentation of the Ood to viewers portrays them as a vulnerable and docile species, resembling cattle, whose sole purpose is to serve their human masters. As the series progresses, however, they gradually attain higher degrees of autonomy and independence. Ultimately, through their interactions with the Doctor, they experience a surprising destiny that may astonish certain audiences.

The Ood, featured in multiple episodes of the modern series of Doctor Who, are a friendly and sentient alien race of humanoids. With a distinctive appearance reminiscent of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu and mind flayers from Dungeons and Dragons, the Ood possess remarkable telepathic abilities. Operating as a hive mind, they communicate and accomplish impressive feats of psychic power.

Besides the tentacles that protrude from their faces where one might expect a mouth, the Ood possess another distinctive physical characteristic: a plastic orb affixed to their heads by a wire of unknown origin. This orb serves as both a mode of communication and, in certain instances, a deadly weapon that can swiftly terminate a person upon contact with the cranium. While the purpose of this seemingly cybernetic attachment remains a mystery for a couple of seasons, it is eventually unveiled that these spheres have actually replaced a portion of each Ood's brain, resulting in the lobotomization of their entire species. This revelation compels the compassionate Doctor to take extensive measures on their behalf, leading to one of the most impactful storylines of the series.

When Do The Ood First Appear In Doctor Who?

The Ood made their debut in the second series of the revival, specifically in the episodes "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit." These two episodes are linked, forming a two-part storyline. Unlike the original Doctor Who series, the Ood did not appear. However, they played a crucial role in the twenty-first century seasons. In "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit," the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) stumble upon a small team of human researchers stationed on a planet that revolves around a black hole. They are accompanied by the Ood, a group of faithful servants referred to as a "slave race." The human owners claim that the Ood are content with their existence as slaves and have no desire for freedom.

Initially, the Ood appear submissive and harmless. They obediently follow the commands of their human masters and remain stationary when not given any tasks. However, an eerie presence emerges in this sinister and unimaginable realm, utilizing the Ood as its preferred weapon. Their typically white eyes transform into a glowing red hue, indicating that something seemingly demonic has seized control of their telepathic connection and incites them to assail the other inhabitants of the base, including the Doctor and Rose.

Eventually, the Doctor stumbles upon a Satan-like being residing at the depths of an immense chasm. He must hastily escape the planet as it plunges into the clutches of a black hole, accompanied by Rose and Ida (Claire Rushbrook), the sole surviving researcher. The Ood are abandoned on the station, doomed to perish alongside the entity that manipulates them.

What Happens To The Ood in Doctor Who?

Fortunately, the Ood encountered by the Doctor on the impossible planet are not the last ones he encounters during his travels. In "Planet of the Ood," an episode from Season 4, the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble find themselves at Ood Operations, the headquarters of a massive company responsible for the enslavement and sale of numerous Ood. Once again, the Ood are suffering from telepathic interference that turns their eyes red and makes them become violent. The Doctor and Donna discover that the CEO of Ood Operations, Mr. Halpen, has imprisoned and constantly tortured the Ood brain, which serves as their hive mind connection. Additionally, they learn that Ood Operations removes the hindbrains of the Ood they sell, which are normally held in their hands, and replaces them with translation spheres.

At the end of the episode, Sigma, Mr. Halpen's chief servant, reveals that he has gradually been transforming Mr. Halpen into an Ood using a hair growth medicine. The Doctor sets the Ood brain free, allowing the Ood to join together in their psychic song. This song spreads throughout the known galaxy, prompting all humans to release their enslaved Ood and send them back to the Ood-Sphere, the planet where the Doctor and Donna discovered and liberated the Ood brain.

In the Doctor Who Christmas special, "The End of Time," the Ood's narrative reaches its conclusion. While individual Ood do appear in other episodes and spin-offs, their presence is not the focus of this article. In this episode, Ood Sigma contacts the Tenth Doctor to inform him of the Master's return. After being freed a hundred years earlier, the Ood have grown immensely powerful, capable of manipulating and traversing time. They warn the Doctor of the Master's presence and aid in his transition into the Eleventh Doctor.

The Ood's transformation from mindless drones to beings with the ability to see and manipulate time is an unexpected development in the show. Originally introduced as a minor plot device in an episode featuring larger cephalopods, they now play a significant role in the war over time. Very few entities in the Doctor Who universe possess the power to see or travel through time, making the Ood one of the most formidable beings the Doctor has encountered. Their story is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring narratives within the Doctor Who universe.

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