Rise of the Cybermen

There was a lot of expectation regarding this major tent-peg episode in the second series. just as there was a build up to the rturn of the Daleks in Episode 6 of the first series, Episode 5 carried a similar weight of hype. Except this time the bar has been set by such a stellar reinvention of the Daleks. we now know that iconic villains can be made totally thrilling for a new decade and so we approached the Cybermen in the hope that we would be similarly impressed.

Do you get the idea that I wasn't?

For all the build up, I found this episode a huge let-down - particularly after the heady heights of Steven Moffat's "Girl in the Fireplace" the previous week. That episode still ranks as the best hour of television this year.

I was actually surprised after the quality of the scripts that preceded it at how derivative it all was. So here we finally see an (alternative) genesis of the Cybermen. And guess what - they are invented by a crippled scientist in a wheelchair. A scientist with huge power in government. A scientist that wants to upgrade his entire race into meetal bodies to prevent death and extinction. A scientist who then kills those in power when they challenge his experiments.

Is it a coincidence that Genesis of the Daleks was released on dvd the same month as this episode?

And let's not forget the TARDIS sub-plot. The TARDIS has managed to get itself stuck in a 'galactic lay-by' where it has lost all power. The Doctor resigns himself to the fact that the TARDIS is dead and is prepared to sit out eternity. That is until he discovers a smidgin of power in a long forgotten circuit that he can boost just enough to escape back into the real universe.

All the above of course comes from Vengeance on Varos, but you could be excused for thinking I was describing last weeks episode. You'd think he'd have learnt by now.

Interestingly enough, although the parrallel earth concept is as cliched as any other in sci-fi, it has only been done once before in Doctor Who. Ironically, that was Inferno which comes out on DVD next month! I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here... If Vengeance on Varos hadn't already been released, I'm sure it would have been rushed onto the schedules.

The other thing that bugged me about this episode was the sheer level of plot convenient coincidence. So Rose's Dad is alive in this universe. That's fine and dandy. But did he have to have close ties to the villain and be central to the first attack of the Cybermen? In this universe, Mickey and Rose never met. Well, there isn't a (human) Rose for a start. So it is a complete coincidence that out of every young bloke in London, it is Ricky that leads the freedom fighters in an attack on the very same mansion that houses Rose's Dad and is simulltaneously attacked by Cybermen. This level of coincidence is very sloppy writing - the type of writing the series has avoided up til now.

Finally, the last thing that bugged me was the portrayal of the Cybermen. Well, I should say their portrayal was fine - they look and behave fantastic. But Doctor Who has always been guilty of announcing the head monster in the title of an episode and then spending the whole episode hiding them in shadow or in blurred shots or obfuscating them in some way so they can do a big reveal at the end of the episode. I mean, come on. We know that blurry shape is a Cyberman. It's in the sodding title. The BBC have inundated us with pics for weeks. But no. We have to see lotrs of mysterious boots tramping past. Shadowy figures moving about. Little hints of metal here and there. Just show us the damn thing rather than pretend we don't know and should feign some kind of surprise when they appear on the Tyler's lawn. I just think this is such an insult to an audience that tunes in to see the return of the Cybermen. Give us the bloody Cybermen then. Not just five minutes at the end.

Richard Martin on the extras dvd for Genesis of the Daleks describes the criticism he received after episode one of The Dalek Invasion of Earth. The BBC had hyped the return of the Daleks for weeks only for a single Dalek to appear out of the water at the cliffhanger - thereby disappointing an entire audience. It's a shame Martin's advice could not have been given a little sooner so the people responsible for this episode coiuld have realised the mistake they were making.

Having said all the above, the next episode looks like it may be the making of the story with this episode merely serving as an overlong preamble. I have a suspicion that the crux of this story is still to be revealed. I don't think it is Rose and her Dad. I don't think it is the genesis of the Cybermen as - being set in an alternative universe - that has no meaning and actually adds nothing to the metal meanies once our crew return to our world.

I think this is going to be Mickey's story. I think episode two will focus on a major turning point in his development and it is this point that we will remember these two episodes for. So much has already been hinted at in the Confidential episode on Saturday and there have been hints for weeks that Mickey is the one to watch this season. I think we find out why next week and my gut tells me it is going to be big.

I already have a theory as to what that might be but... nah. If it happens I'll just tell everyone I saw it coming. If it doesn't, then I can deny everything...