This two-parter not only bring a back the Cybermen, giving them a new backstory but it also unusually places the story in a parallel universe. The script is inspired by the lauded Big Finish audio drama Spare Parts. The parallel Earth is a fascinating place with scary events unfolding. It's also a very creepy commentary on smart technology and wearable tech and its dangers. The plot builds up the Cyberman menace slowly but effectively, giving us a new backstory as to how they came to be. The parts with Rose trying to mend her alternate world parents' marriage, feel redundant, even if they bring some depth to the story. I love the way the group is split-up in the second part. That story like Classic Who. I also like how Mickey decides to be a hero. The ending is truly surprising and touching.
Noel Clarke makes a great double-turn here. His performances are vastly different, and both are good. Shaun Dingwall returns from Father's Day (2005), playing the parallel world version of Rose's dad Pete. He's just as great here but comes across as vastly more successful in life. Helen Griffin is a pretty bad-ass female freedom fighter, the first one in the revived series and in of the best as of 2020. Roger Lloyd-Pack is one of my favourite actors to appear in the show. Hea just the right amount of mad, along with the likes of Solon from The Brain of Morbius (1976).
The Doctor is great when pitted against the Cybermen, but we also see that he has difficulties keeping tabs on his companions.
It's great to allow Mickey to have some prime time with the Doctor. It's needed to develop their relationship. Mickey gets some proper character development here, and it's about time. And then he leaves the TARDIS, which seems a bit of a shame. It's also great to see Rose coping with the loss of her father and battling her wishes to meet her alternate father. This is also a rare instance of companions strongly affecting the Doctor's actions, an occurrence that has become more common since the revival.
John Lumic is a pretty iconic and creepy villain, and Lloyd-Pack helps make the character scary. The Cybus Cybermen will never beat the Classic Series variants, but they are pretty scary in their first revival appearance.
Directed by Graeme Harper, whose first credited work is Warrior's Gate (1981) and who would go on to direct several action-packed episodes of Doctor Who. He's a great director, particularly when keeping the Cyberman reveal a secret until the cliffhanger. The overall look of the parallel Earth is effectively ominous, while the Cyberman redesign is good.
This is the first of several revival era stories showing an actual Cyber conversion. It's a pretty gruesome process. The parallel world has been made different enough to seem engaging but also very scary. There's an ominous feeling throughout the story and some proper excitement, at least in the soy operation atmosphere io The Age of Steel. What makes the Cybermen of this story, and most revival era stories, more effective than the classic versions, is the fact that we are constantly reminded that it is real people within those steel suits and once their inhibitors are removed, they suffer more than ever before.
This story brought back the Cybermen in a new manner, while also establishing elements vital to the Series 2 finale.
A great two-parter reintroducing the Cybermen and giving Mickey some character development. It's one of the best in Series 2 and deserves multiple rewatches.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
Interestingly, this is the second production within a year in which David Tennant and Roger Lloyd-Pack both star, the first one being Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), where they play father and son.
Poor Mickey. He's finally allowed to travel in the TARDIS, but then he's all forgotten about.
This is the first story set within a parallel world since Inferno (1970).
This also marks the first time the revived series does the mad scientist trope, a dear thing for Doctor Who.
Mickey's parallel Earth counterpart is named Ricky, a nickname given to him by the Doctor in the regular world.
What annoys me with these early revival era Cyberman appearances, is that RTD insisted in giving them a catchphrase ('Delete!') to rival the Daleks. That's pretty stupid. Luckily, that has been forgotten in the latest Cyberman stories.
We get our first glimpse at the new Cyber Controller, who looks pretty cool.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-19T16:45:52Z
This two-parter not only bring a back the Cybermen, giving them a new backstory but it also unusually places the story in a parallel universe. The script is inspired by the lauded Big Finish audio drama Spare Parts.
The parallel Earth is a fascinating place with scary events unfolding. It's also a very creepy commentary on smart technology and wearable tech and its dangers.
The plot builds up the Cyberman menace slowly but effectively, giving us a new backstory as to how they came to be. The parts with Rose trying to mend her alternate world parents' marriage, feel redundant, even if they bring some depth to the story.
I love the way the group is split-up in the second part. That story like Classic Who. I also like how Mickey decides to be a hero.
The ending is truly surprising and touching.
Noel Clarke makes a great double-turn here. His performances are vastly different, and both are good. Shaun Dingwall returns from Father's Day (2005), playing the parallel world version of Rose's dad Pete. He's just as great here but comes across as vastly more successful in life. Helen Griffin is a pretty bad-ass female freedom fighter, the first one in the revived series and in of the best as of 2020.
Roger Lloyd-Pack is one of my favourite actors to appear in the show. Hea just the right amount of mad, along with the likes of Solon from The Brain of Morbius (1976).
The Doctor is great when pitted against the Cybermen, but we also see that he has difficulties keeping tabs on his companions.
It's great to allow Mickey to have some prime time with the Doctor. It's needed to develop their relationship. Mickey gets some proper character development here, and it's about time. And then he leaves the TARDIS, which seems a bit of a shame. It's also great to see Rose coping with the loss of her father and battling her wishes to meet her alternate father. This is also a rare instance of companions strongly affecting the Doctor's actions, an occurrence that has become more common since the revival.
John Lumic is a pretty iconic and creepy villain, and Lloyd-Pack helps make the character scary. The Cybus Cybermen will never beat the Classic Series variants, but they are pretty scary in their first revival appearance.
Directed by Graeme Harper, whose first credited work is Warrior's Gate (1981) and who would go on to direct several action-packed episodes of Doctor Who. He's a great director, particularly when keeping the Cyberman reveal a secret until the cliffhanger. The overall look of the parallel Earth is effectively ominous, while the Cyberman redesign is good.
This is the first of several revival era stories showing an actual Cyber conversion. It's a pretty gruesome process. The parallel world has been made different enough to seem engaging but also very scary. There's an ominous feeling throughout the story and some proper excitement, at least in the soy operation atmosphere io The Age of Steel.
What makes the Cybermen of this story, and most revival era stories, more effective than the classic versions, is the fact that we are constantly reminded that it is real people within those steel suits and once their inhibitors are removed, they suffer more than ever before.
This story brought back the Cybermen in a new manner, while also establishing elements vital to the Series 2 finale.
A great two-parter reintroducing the Cybermen and giving Mickey some character development. It's one of the best in Series 2 and deserves multiple rewatches.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
Interestingly, this is the second production within a year in which David Tennant and Roger Lloyd-Pack both star, the first one being Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), where they play father and son.
Poor Mickey. He's finally allowed to travel in the TARDIS, but then he's all forgotten about.
This is the first story set within a parallel world since Inferno (1970).
This also marks the first time the revived series does the mad scientist trope, a dear thing for Doctor Who.
Mickey's parallel Earth counterpart is named Ricky, a nickname given to him by the Doctor in the regular world.
What annoys me with these early revival era Cyberman appearances, is that RTD insisted in giving them a catchphrase ('Delete!') to rival the Daleks. That's pretty stupid. Luckily, that has been forgotten in the latest Cyberman stories.
We get our first glimpse at the new Cyber Controller, who looks pretty cool.
Score: 98/120