This story is a fascinating mix of neo-nazis, a time traveller from the 17th century and the Cybermen. The different points in time and space are fascinating brought together in Part One before the Cybermen enter. That being said, the plot doesn't do much with any of its elements in Part Two, just juggling the players around before the climax. It's a particular shame since this is a story where history and the present are mixed. By the third episode, only the Doctor and Ace's part in the plot is relevant, and all other plotlines are plain filler. Everything converges in a dragged-out and pretty anticlimactic finale. Following the Cartmel Master Plan, this story reveals more of the Time Lords' past.
David Banks is as great as always as the Cyber-Leader and Fiona Walker personifies the 17th-century personality of the fearless Lady Peinforte. It is sad then that she turns into a comic relief character in Part Three. The same goes for her companion, played by Gerard Murphy. Anton Drifting is a very believable neo-nazi leader, not able to see his own faults.
The Doctor is just as fierce and manipulative with the Cybermen as with the Daleks. I love his cooperation with Ace in this story as well.
I love it how Ace deliberately disobeys the Doctor's orders, fully knowing that in doing so she she might actually be of use to him. It's also great to see her scared for once, but still choosing to stay with the Doctor. She's just as good dealing with Cybermen as she is with the Daleks.
The Cybermen are fine here, although not very different from other recent appearances. They aren't used very well either, not like they were in Earthshock (1982).
The production is fine. The CGI works well and the material shot on location is well used.
This story suffers from a slightly slower pace, akin to the slightly dragged out and sluggish plot development.
This is not as exciting, mysterious or dark as Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) but it turns quite intense and slightly creepy by the final episode.
The last Cybermen story of the classic series is a fine one, but nothing that improved the classic monsters in any particular way.
This is a light little adventure that I might revisit some time in the future.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
The Doctor has a digital stopwatch with a reminder function, an early type of a smartwatch that looks rather old-school.
This episode teases the Doctors past and that he is someone else than he claims to be. Sadly, we will never know what the writers intended this secret to be since the show was cancelled before the reveal could be written.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-15T06:32:09Z
This story is a fascinating mix of neo-nazis, a time traveller from the 17th century and the Cybermen. The different points in time and space are fascinating brought together in Part One before the Cybermen enter. That being said, the plot doesn't do much with any of its elements in Part Two, just juggling the players around before the climax. It's a particular shame since this is a story where history and the present are mixed. By the third episode, only the Doctor and Ace's part in the plot is relevant, and all other plotlines are plain filler. Everything converges in a dragged-out and pretty anticlimactic finale.
Following the Cartmel Master Plan, this story reveals more of the Time Lords' past.
David Banks is as great as always as the Cyber-Leader and Fiona Walker personifies the 17th-century personality of the fearless Lady Peinforte. It is sad then that she turns into a comic relief character in Part Three. The same goes for her companion, played by Gerard Murphy. Anton Drifting is a very believable neo-nazi leader, not able to see his own faults.
The Doctor is just as fierce and manipulative with the Cybermen as with the Daleks. I love his cooperation with Ace in this story as well.
I love it how Ace deliberately disobeys the Doctor's orders, fully knowing that in doing so she she might actually be of use to him. It's also great to see her scared for once, but still choosing to stay with the Doctor. She's just as good dealing with Cybermen as she is with the Daleks.
The Cybermen are fine here, although not very different from other recent appearances. They aren't used very well either, not like they were in Earthshock (1982).
The production is fine. The CGI works well and the material shot on location is well used.
This story suffers from a slightly slower pace, akin to the slightly dragged out and sluggish plot development.
This is not as exciting, mysterious or dark as Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) but it turns quite intense and slightly creepy by the final episode.
The last Cybermen story of the classic series is a fine one, but nothing that improved the classic monsters in any particular way.
This is a light little adventure that I might revisit some time in the future.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
The Doctor has a digital stopwatch with a reminder function, an early type of a smartwatch that looks rather old-school.
This episode teases the Doctors past and that he is someone else than he claims to be. Sadly, we will never know what the writers intended this secret to be since the show was cancelled before the reveal could be written.
Score: 75/120