My enjoyment of this weekВ’s episode was spoilt somewhat by the editorial staff of The SunВ’s TV Mag on Saturday who printed the following plot giveaway: В“This episode could be MickeyВ’s last. When his double dies, heВ’s faced with a huge decisionВ” (ooh, what could that be?). Idiots.

Despite this spoiler I still managed to enjoy Age of Steel, probably more than its immediate predecessor, largely because of the stunning visuals. This one had probably the best effects weВ’ve seen so far since the series was brought back, the CGI work not letting it down as it did in New Earth, for instance.

That said, has anyone else noticed that the stairwells the Doctor, Rose and Pete climbed to escape from the burning building at the end bore a startling resemblance to ones seen in both New Earth and Rose? Perhaps stairwells are going to be to the new series what quarries were to the original show.

Anyway, getting back to the effects, I particularly liked the zeppelin-rescue that Mickey and that bloke from Blue Peter instigated at the end. I hate to think what was going through the minds of the production team when they read about the explosive finale in the script but they pulled off a blinder, creating a spectacle that would not look out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster.

Talking of the script, I noticed some reviewers making disparaging comments last week about writer Tom MacRaeВ’s relative youth but, in my opinion, commissioning a writer barely old enough to remember the Sylvester Mcoy era is no bad thing as it allows the series to be freshened up. So well done to Mr MacRae for being commissioned in the first place and for managing to offer a convincing new back story for the Cybermen.

That said, I did have a couple of problems with the script, not least that LumicВ’s motivations for creating the Cybermen seemed awfully similar to DavrosВ’s reasons for building the Daleks. Also, the resolution of last weekВ’s cliffhanger В– the Doctor using a spare piece of the TARDIS to wipe out the Cybermen in front of him В– was quite possibly the worst cop out in the entire history of the show.

There was also no element of black humour to match last weekВ’s moments where everyone downloaded their daily joke simultaneously and В‘got itВ’ at the same time (well it made me chuckle), and The Lion Sleeps Tonight was played to drown out the cries of people being В‘upgradedВ’. Instead, we had the realisation that Ricky was only В‘most wantedВ’ for parking offences, which was somewhat laboured to say the least.

But there was much more about the script to like than dislike, especially the Cybermen recovering their emotions and MickeyВ’s development from zero to hero (as DH Confidential put it). IВ’m a big fan of Noel Clarke in this show and donВ’t understand why some fans criticise him.

After all, the original idea of the companion was that he or she should be someone the viewer can identify with. The character of Mickey has developed so well because, as he is often excluded by the Doctor and Rose, he fulfils this role by default В– although I have to say it didnВ’t make much sense that he should aspire to be more like his mildly thuggish counterpart.

The parts where the Cybermen recovered their emotions, and were humanised once more, were brilliantly done. For me, Shaun Dingwall was the outstanding guest performer of last year and, while he has less to do this time, PeteВ’s horror at the discovery of a Cyberised Jackie, and his realisation that in another world he is a father, show what a great actor he is.

Unfortunately, some of the other guest actors were less impressive, due to simple mis-casting. Andrew Hayden Smith did his job well enough, and IВ’m sure the ladies loved him, but he looked and sounded more like a Big Brother contestant or a member of a boyband than a resistance fighter. I can understand that the Preachers were supposed to be a motley crew but Helen Griffin, as Mrs Moore, looked as out of place as Beryl Reid did in Earthshock, a Cybermen story from back in the day.

The biggest disappointment for me was Roger Lloyd-Pack, in a potentially great role as Lumic. He totally hammed it up to almost pantomime levels and, while IВ’m sure he is a great actor in serious roles, it didnВ’t help that, to me, he will always be dopey Trigger in Only Fools and Horses. Sadly, the transition from road sweeper to evil megalomaniac was not one I feel he handled well and his OTT performance undermined the sinister nature of the character.

It makes you wonder if the showВ’s makers are going to adopt the 80В’s teamВ’s approach of using well known but inappropriate people in guest slots (Reid, Bonnie Langford and the less funny one of the Likely Lads spring to mind).

As for the regulars, David Tennant is so well established in the role already that I really believe he can replace Tom Baker as Official Greatest Doctor. At the start of the season I found some of his mannerisms slightly annoying, such as his tendency to go high pitched for no apparent reason, but IВ’ve got used to it now. Indeed, his ability to switch from light-hearted to deadly serious so smoothly is what sets him apart from his predecessors.

Billie Piper, though, is another matter. There is something about her portrayal of Rose that I really donВ’t take to, dating back to Season One. Maybe itВ’s the way the production team continually indulge her so that everything is about Rose, and how events effect Rose В– witness, for instance, MickeyВ’s farewell scene and the cameras focussing on PiperВ’s, now familiar, blubbing face despite it being Noel ClarkeВ’s big moment. IВ’m sorry, Billie is a good actress but not good enough, in my opinion, to warrant such constant camera hogging.

MickeyВ’s decision to stay and help the Preachers in their worldwide resistance against the Cybermen made dramatic sense but made for a bittersweet ending. Unlike a lot of fans, IВ’ve always thought the Mickey character was extremely likable and of great benefit to the show.

Since he joined the TARDIS crew he has provided both comic relief and, as I mentioned before, he was a character for the audience to identify with.

I just hope that, with MickeyВ’s departure, we are not going to see more of those cheesy moments between the Doctor and Rose where they look into each otherВ’s eyes in that oh so meaningful way (theyВ’re fond of each other, we get it!).

Anyway, I digress. To sum up Age of Steel, I would say that it was the best looking episode of the new series so far and that it offered a fitting departure for one of the new seasonВ’s better regular characters. Who knows, maybe thereВ’s another spin-off on the horizon called Mickey Smith And Geordie Bloke Fight Cybermen In a Parallel World. In a van.

I hate it because all the mocking derision that IВ’ve spent the intervening week honing has to be junked and I am left with shamefaced admiration, guilty of second guessing BBC Wales and showing why they produce it and I, er, donВ’t.

For instance- the clankily butch cybermen of В‘RiseВ’. Oh, how we laughed. Just robots, surely? An absolute disgrace and an insult to 40 years of cyber-lore. Stomp stomp stomp they went- big clanky boots sounding like they were walking on biscuit tins. Empty biscuit tins, at that. What was laughable last week became a masterstroke of sound design and direction, this. The sheer tsunami of industrial noise that signalled the cybermen marching became their signature beat. Like a mechanised Fourth Reich- the dreams of wartime Germany writ large. Terrifying.

For instance- John Lumic, the В“Davros-lite mad scientistВ” behind these ramped-up monsters. But he wasnВ’t, was he? He wasnВ’t just another crippled genius with a grudge, he was a person. And in his death, his В‘upgradingВ’, we saw the real horror of what he had unleashedВ… but understood that he never once saw it too. He protested, yes, but after conversion- and with his personality still seemingly intact- he showed no bitter remorse at his fate. Quite the reverse. The cybermen gave their creator a nudge in the right direction after all, like good children should. Thinking it over - why shouldnВ’t he have maintained his personality? He built the cybermen to conform to his ideals. Part of his brain had already been upgradedВ… just by biology and philosophy, not cybernetics. Quite right that he should remain as the spokesman. Yes, the cybermen had become a brand- and every brand needs a brand manager.

For instance- the alternates of Jackie, Pete and Mickey. Hasn’t this story been done? Ah, but no. Pete rejected Rose, stumbling away to get on with his life, leaving her open mouthed with disappointment. A cursory dismissal- not what we were expecting. Jackie got upgraded (at last, spectacularly, putting to bed those sniggering queries about ‘cyberwomen’) and Mickey… well, that’s another story. If this year has a running theme, then there it is- loss and disappointment. How many times, over the past six episodes have we been shown characters in mourning- whether it be for a loved one or for the past? How many times have things gone awry, on a small, unexpected and personal level- providing little sharp shocks- like the exile at the end of ‘Tooth and Claw’? Like Rose being confronted with her own future, personified in Sarah Jane? Like Mickey realising he’s “the tin dog”? All of them serving to undermine the Doctor and Rose’s relationship. Last year they swanned around throughout time without a care in the world, having “the trip of a lifetime”… at least until the daleks came back. This year, the fun is over and life in the vortex isn’t just throwing monsters at them. Monsters and threats to the universe we can deal with in Doctor Who, but all this is new- and much, much more serious. This is going somewhere, mark my words. Someone is going to act upon the continual battering of disappointment they are receiving, and do something very silly indeed.

So maybe, this will be remembered as the one where Mickey left. It depends upon your take on this new Doctor Who, as to how you react to that. IВ’m very, very sorry to see Noel Clarke go- in fact, I was left at the end wishing we could follow MickeyВ’s adventures- cleaning the world of cybermen, rather than travel with this ever-so-slightly grating and annoyingly overconfident new Doctor. ThatВ’s no criticism of David Tennant- IВ’m positive the performance is expertly judged and is like this for a reason- and IВ’m sure that, by series end, weВ’ll all be agog at how marvellously it all becomes apparent. Maybe the show wonВ’t win quite so many awards next year from the Great Unwashed- but in our geeky fan hearts, weВ’ll love it even more than we did last time. Maybe, at the end of В‘The Age of SteelВ’ I wanted us to go with Mickey because his future looked positive and exciting and fun. Whereas I have a distinct feeling that life with the Doctor is about to get a lot darker and a lot more troubling.

В‘The Age of SteelВ’, as a second half, outshone its predecessor and whipped it soundly in the process. Everything that *seemed* dubious was given justification and became an important point in the bigger stories going on. Everything that *was* dubious last week- the pacing, some of the dialogue- was improved upon. Slick, action packed, and for only the second time this series- truly scary. The tunnel of В‘deactivatedВ’ cybermen, the many times they lurched unexpectedly into view, cyberJackie, the cyber-mincing-machine, all have the potential to be iconic bits of Who-horror. And to make it even better- it had its fair share of silliness as well: the comedy cyberdancing, exploding cyberhead, the controllerВ’s В“Nooooo!!В” and subsequent rope ladder escapade, all felt just ever so slightly wrong. And in the case of the extrasВ’ wibbly wobbly В“painВ” acting, made me spit out my coffee.

But- enough! These are small things. Easily the second best episode of the year so far, probably the best action adventure programme the BBC has ever made, and up there in the top few episodes of this whole marvellous revival.

Mickey, weВ’ll miss you. Lumic, I feel weВ’ll be meeting you- or something very like you- again very soon.

SO, to reprise my own question from my last review, did the second half of the CybermenВ’s return build on the promise of the previous weekВ’s episode? I would say it stayed on the same level, rather then went higher, but that made for another enjoyable romp, and was a pleasing conclusion to a well-rounded two-parter.

This was as close to a В“traditionalВ” Doctor Who as weВ’ve seen since the series returned В– and there were plenty of familiar ideas on display. I have no issue with that, so long as itВ’s done well. And this was a very slick production, which weВ’ve now come to expect.

There was a nice nod for continuity buffs in this episode В– with Rose mentioning the differently-designed Cybermen helmet in Dalek from last season, and The Doctor elaborating that these were В“parallel worldВ” Cybermen В– though budgetary concerns surely dictate that they will be В“this worldВ” Cybermen, too, if and when they return!

The Age Of Steel was a quicker pace than Rise Of The Cybermen as it built to the denouement. The marching Cybermen В– complete with В“crunchingВ” soundtrack В– did make an impressive sight. Filming at night certainly added to their menace. Had they been bounding along on a bright, summerВ’s day, I doubt it would have made the same impact. As with the Daleks in The Parting Of The Ways, there was a real impression of a Cyber army. If you recall the iconic Genesis Of The Daleks, there were very rarely more than three Daleks on the march, er, trundle. They might have taken some years to track you down in those corridors. Here, there appeared to be dozens of fast-moving Cybermen.

As I opined in my previous review, a major downside for me was the Cyber-voices. And I can only repeat what I said then, which was: В“I understood what was said because I strained my ears В– thereВ’s no way the mainstream audience would do that (nor should they have to) and I think theyВ’d have had a problem picking up all the Cyber dialogue. Obviously, Nicholas BriggsВ’ voice had to be radically different to his excellent Dalek interpretation, and that was certainly achieved. My problem isnВ’t actually with BriggsВ’ version of the Cyber voice В– more the electronic trickery applied to it. Sure, it was distinctive В– but no point in being distinctive if youВ’re alienating the viewer by making it difficult to hear whatВ’s being said. The Doctor Who production team make very few mistakes В– but I think this was one.В”

However, what they В– or, to be more specific, showrunner Russell T Davies В– got very right was the evolution and story arc of Mickey Smith. It was no great shock that the parallel Ricky was killed off quite early В– logistically, the dual role must have been difficult В– and it was an effective death scene. Quite a nice touch beforehand that Ricky was Most Wanted for parking tickets! And, of course, В“Mickey the idiotВ” saved the day В– again.

It was pretty standard sci-fi fare to make a three-pronged attack on the Cyber factory, to split all the main characters up, but it worked well, and there were plenty of good moments en route to the final clash, such as The Doctor and Mrs MooreВ’s discovery that a bride-to-beВ’s brain was still functioning inside the Cyberman, although technically that was a CyberWOMAN. As was poor old Jackie, and Pete and RoseВ’s hopelessness at discovering this and then being unable to pick her out was also a powerful scene. It was a good plot device that the alternate Pete Tyler was a double agent, and I doubt weВ’ve seen the last of him. His departure was somewhat abrupt В– and the temptation must be to reunite the parallel world Pete with Jackie in the other world. And we surely havenВ’t seen the last of Mickey В– the В“zero to heroВ” description has been well trotted out, but it is the most-applicable.

Having В– with The DoctorВ’s help В– killed off the Cybermen and rescued The Doctor and Rose, MickeyВ’s decision to stay behind was no great shock. Even without spoilers, the signs were there throughout the two episodes. Well-written, though, and another touching goodbye scene, well handled all round. HeВ’s been a star this season has Noel Clarke and, although it was a good - and appropriate - ending to his story, I want to see more of Mickey.

Rather like Aliens Of London/World War Three, the monsters were dispensed with well before the end of the story. From the В“fanboyВ” perspective, I would have liked to have seen another five minutes of Cybermen and chopped some of the В“soapВ” element from the end. However, I accept that is the way of 21st-century Who, and what is a key factor in the showВ’s mainstream popularity. And it will be interesting to see if Rose and The DoctorВ’s relationship changes again now that theyВ’re on their own.

Taking Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel as a whole, it wasnВ’t the greatest Doctor Who story ever told, nor even the greatest Cybermen story ever told, but it was a very good story, very well told. There was little original on show В– or even a series of old ideas constructed in a particularly-original way. However, thatВ’s being super-critical, and it was a highly-enjoyable romp.

If, as is anticipated, the Cybermen do return in the season finale, Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel may be more significant than first appeared, and itВ’ll certainly be interesting to view it again in one sitting in the context of the season as a whole.

Great stuff, just the sort of hard as nails, no holds barred, action thriller the season has needed. This season (so far) has been confident, stylish, emotional, exciting but it hasn’t been as punchy as I would like, although the brilliant Tooth and Claw made a damn good attempt (but in the end of the day that was more about atmosphere than frights). The Rise of the Cybermen is the sort of Doctor Who you wouldn’t be ashamed to show to anybody, with gallons of gloss but a certain steeliness and forcefulness every show needs to unleash every now and again to make sure you are still awake.

Saying that I feel there was something a little off kilter about the episode, something about the way it swings so dramatically from the emotional to the violent, trying to cram in as much as possible to keep the viewer off balance. But even that worked to make me feel uncomfortable, almost as if the disturbing scenes here were just a taster for the pain and terror to come. And whilst as a package it felt a bit over stuffed I cannot fault any individual scene, so carefully crafted were they. There were loads of standout moments (more on that later) but pretty much every second of this episode feels as though it has been considered and pitched right by a skilful director.

Let’s welcome back Graeme Harper to Doctor Who after a lengthly stint away, showing even the best of the new directors how it is done. Caves of Androzani and Revelation of the Daleks are too of my favourite Doctor Who stories for obvious reasons, they are both effortlessly assembled stories with every penny of money on screen, chock a block with fabulous performances, exciting acting, genuine emotion and (best of all) clever and inventive directorial touches (such as Morgus talking to the camera and the shots from the security cameras point of view as the Doctor stares straight at it). Gosh this guy understands how Doctor Who works, through and through. He knows how to build up his monster (I was almost salivating with impatience to see a Cyberman), how to pace his episode (hints at the oncoming menace before letting rip in the last five minutes, releasing the tension he has built up), how to get the best of his actors (Tennant hasn’t had a better scene than when he was abandoned by both of his companions) and best of all how to shoot his monsters (have the Cybermen EVER been this scary? Me thinks not!). Graeme clearly understands his material, flicking over to confidential it was great to see him talking to his actors and not just the regulars even taking his time with the day players, to milk every nuance from the script. I am so pleased he will be handling the finale; he has the same drive and flair for the dramatic as Joe Ahearne last year that will make that story one to remember.

I am not a huge fan of the Cybermen, anyone who has ever read any of my reviews before will be well aware of that. It is not the concept that disagrees with me but their execution over the years. I can’t stand a missed opportunity and the Cybermen were a missed opportunity over and over again, re-introduced, redesigned but never looking that impressive and the producers never having the guts to focus on the one truly scary thing about these creatures, the conversion from people into unthinking robots, not the result, the actual body horror of the process. Add to this the fact that the Cybermen stopped being used creatively, they were brought back because they were good for the ratings rather than for strong storytelling purposes (and given their screen time you would think they would be milked to death by now but the true sadness is the exploitation of their horror has barely been explored). Cybermen were being used because the fans liked them, because they were Cybermen. It frustrated me to hear Russell T Davies saying exactly this in Confidential but he has covered his arse by enforcing a story worthy of them, making sure they are integral to the story and their terror is oppressed.

I cannot tell you how much I adored the sequence with the conversion. Totally, totally brilliant and easily one of the best set pieces in the series so far and the most hilarious thing is the violence is only IMPLIED. The juxtaposition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight (I love that song) and the montage of images (the tramps being lead into the factory screaming, the gadgetry unhooking from the ceiling to start its filthy work, the pan along the oily pipes as the saws slice through flesh, the fade to the night time location…). A visionary piece of direction summing up the sheer nastiness of the Cybermen without showing a thing. Amazingly good. And you gotta love that tune.

I liked the setting as well, just familiar enough to be our world but the striking image of the zeppelins in the sky to remind us it isn’t quite our world. Given our slow dependence on electronic monstrosities like mobiles, pocket PCs, iPods, etc it is quite plausible that one man with a dangerous vision could exploit these devices to control and manipulate the human race. The sequence where the street crowd freezes around the Doctor and Rose is unnerving, not just because it would creep you out anyway but the implication that information is being downloaded into their heads and to cap it off the chuckle at the (standard) joke. It suggests the uniformity of the Cybermen is actually not far off already, the people are already controlled and told what to think…all they need is the cosmetic appliances. Are we affected by the media in a similar fashion? Or is our reliance on things like drinking water just one step away from cutting off the supply and forcing the people to adhere to one persona will? Sadly Lumic is a frighteningly real sort of chap, a visionary who enforces his anger at his disabilities on others, forcing them into an image that would suit him and his condition. It is nice to see Roger Lloyd Patrick playing a serious role (I’m sure he does all the time but he is best known for his unique duel comedy performances in Vicar of Dibley and Only Fools and Horses) and he is ideal to bring gravity and chills to the part. I have always thought his performances have been a bit off putting, something about how he deals out his dialogue so his static, almost metallic (chortle chortle) performance in this episode is ideally suited. His gruff laugh after he cracks the joke about crashing the party is hilarious and terrifying. The gleam in his eye as he first spies one of his creations in the flesh is spine chilling (“Flesh of metal!”) and gives him a Davros-like moment whilst he is actually nothing like him at all.

I am so glad the Doctor is learning from his stupid mistakes last year and his insistence that Rose does NOT go and see her dad feels very right. I was cheering! Whilst the Doctor takes something of a backseat after hogging the limelight last week there are still more than enough moments where Tennant knocks everybody else off the screen. His angry, desperate orders for Mickey and Rose to stay with him rather than trying to seek out loved ones who have dies in their reality was powerful stuff, wonderful to see some real severity in his performance after acting like he was on a steady course of drugs last week. Billie Piper gets some lovely moments in this story too, reminding me why she is such an integral part of the Doctor Who experience at the moment. Her reaction to ‘Rose’ in this alternative Earth was priceless but nothing could top her moonlight conversation with ‘Jackie’, beautifully performed by both actresses to get you relaxed in their engaging chemistry before twisting uncomfortably to remind both the viewer and Rose that this is NOT our Jackie (“Don’t you dare to talk to me!”). But the episode thief belongs to Noel Clarke as Mickey who has been something of a spare part since Parting of the Ways and fully deserves the limelight. His shadowy conversation with the Doctor is about as civil as they get to each other and his reaction to his alter ego mirrors our own (and the sight of his tied up to a chair with only his underwear on is just the way to get on my good side). His scene on his Grandmothers doorstep was the best Mickey scene to date, opening up a world of hurt and history for the character and giving Clarke a moment to break our hearts. Call me a pessimist but I forsee a nasty surprise for Mickey fans in the next episode and if this is his swansong I will be devastated.

What else is there to say…Camille Coduri is divine as the super bitch Jackie, Don Warrington makes a fine silky voiced President, Shaun Dingwall makes a decent return in a episode far superior to the emotional mush he was forced to play last year…and it was a joy to see Lilt from Revelation of the Daleks, the undoubtable Colin Spaull as Lumic’s chief common as muck thug. Another mention for Murray Gold’s bombastic score, although there were a few too many stings from previous episodes, his original music in this episode is perfectly suited and excellent at gearing up the tension.

It’s a great cliffhanger for a great episode, a teensy weensy bit disjointed, clearly a first part of a two parter as this is all set up and with a final five minutes to die for, taking us back to the moments of dizzy excitement of Doctor Who at its height…I want to watch it again for all the details I missed. I might be in the minority but I much preferred this to last weeks romantic character piece, a bit of rough and tumble that will surely go down in the history books as a triumphant return for the Cybermen.

And gee weren't they sexy?

В“You will become like us.В”

I hope not - and IВ’m afraid with spiteful journalistic tact, I misuse the quotation to reference to the show, not itВ’s metal menace. Yes, I hope the rest of Series 2 is spared a quality В“upgradeВ” to that of В“Rise Of The CybermenВ”. This for me, was indeed the first clunker of the new series.

Melodramatic attempts at scorn aside, what can objectively be said about В“Rise Of The CybermenВ”?

To start with, itВ’s the new seriesВ’ first two parter and there is no doubt this story requires an extended format. В“Rise Of The CybermenВ” mixes two fairly heavy plot lines - the creation of the Cybermen and the affect of the TARDIS crewВ’s mirror components on the storyВ’s В“alternateВ” Earth. To combine these two story elements does indeed require two episodes, but at this midway juncture, one has to question if the second element - the central mirror counterparts - actually adds anything worthwhile.

ItВ’s been nearly forty years since Star Trek brought the mirror universe concept to mainstream TV science fiction and to embark on such a tale in contemporary television requires some new twists. В“Rise Of The CybermenВ” unfortunately is plagued with the vague dissimilarities that four decades of mirror universes have brought and for an adult viewer, it felt tired.

Central to the entire plot is RoseВ’s mirror parents. From stepping out of the TARDIS, the crew are almost immediately confronted with a poster of RoseВ’s dad. As an unfolding element to the tale, this simply feels like a crass and contrived piece of storytelling and I found my suspension of disbelief immediately shattered. Furthermore, RoseВ’s desire to see her parents reeks of В“FatherВ’s DayВ” and while this maybe in character with Rose, it feels like a retread of the excellent Series 1 episode. Not only that, but her insistence to see them against the DoctorВ’s advice is irritating, as is the DoctorВ’s inability to stand up to her again. After such an intensely Rose orientated first series, this Tyler family focus feels out of place in Series 2. The whole Tyler angle of this episode feels intrusive and uncalled for. Maybe part two will change that, but on the strength of episode one, it just seems a waste of the audienceВ’s time.

It seems a pity that between the superb В“The Girl In The FireplaceВ”, the dynamic shift in the core TARDIS group seems to have been lost. Maybe it will be picked up in one of the new novels, but as the following episode of the series, itВ’s a little disappointing to see the crew back in the same slots as if nothing happened.

After TennantВ’s two very strong episodes, В“Rise Of The CybermenВ” sees him kicked into the background again, and as with В“New EarthВ” and В“Tooth and ClawВ”, this Doctor feels very ineffectual when the spotlight is removed. Give Tennant a Doctor focused episode and he shines, bring other elements forward and the Doctor seems to get a little lost in the story - which is a pity, this episode does little to warm the audience to the second lead, Rose Tyler.

So that leaves us with Mickey Smith, and after a questionable start to Series One, Mickey continues to be a welcome addition to the TARDIS crew in Series Two. As the unappreciated third member of the team, the audience are drawn to Mickey. From the start of this episode, the audienceВ’s sympathy - intentionally or not - falls with Mickey Smith.

One doesnВ’t just warm to Mickey through the character dynamics. A great deal of MickeyВ’s strength comes through the actor. Noel ClarkeВ’s performance as Mickey and his the mirror counterpart, Ricky, is superb. He plays both roles distinctly and consistently throughout. Certainly Mickey is a credit to this story, a definite reversal to my initial impression of ClarkeВ’s acting in В“RoseВ”; I stand humbly corrected.

Certainly one of the strongest elements of the episode is the excellent cast. Roger Lloyd-Pack is fantastic as the disabled Cyber creator, Lumic (and what is it with wheel chaired genocidal monster creators in Doctor Who?), Don Warrington is great as the President and Colin SpaullВ’s Mr Crane is very В“Old WhoВ”. While I do dismiss the Tyler family as superfluous to my expectations, itВ’s great to see Shaun Dingwall getting a chance to reprise his excellent portrayal of Pete Tyler and Camille Coduri is as solid as ever in her performance as Jackie.

Continuing the positive note, while a little generically Robo-Cop-y, the Cybermen are well handled. They are tall and imposing as one expects from this metal foe and their movements are suitably choreographed. Their debut opens with a lovely low angle shot of the Cyberman coming through the window. It looks fantastic.

A great deal of this episode rests on whether you like freaky alternate dimensions. If you enjoyed В“InfernoВ”, youВ’ll probably enjoy this. For me, this mirror universe seemed a little main character-centric. When two thirds of the TARDIS crew have mirror families or themselves playing pivotal roles within the parallel universeВ’s political antagonisms, the whole planet just contracts. Suddenly, the adage В“itВ’s a small worldВ” seems a little too apt....

This episode does feel far more akin to the old В“Doctor WhoВ”, and depending again on whether you like the attributes it shares with the classic series, will affect your overall opinion. "Rise Of The CybermenВ” has the evil genius and his trusted, unique henchman; it has the TARDIS crew taking different paths from point A, yet having these routes artificially dovetail to take them both to point B. This along with the unfolding schemes of the defiant megalomanic and the obligatory death of some of the key supporting players, makes for a distinct Doctor Who flavour.

Yet, with Doctor Who breaking new grounds this series, В“Rise Of The CybermanВ” feels a little too generic. If В“The Girl In The FireplaceВ” stretched the shows concept, В“Rise Of The CybermenВ” sits a little too comfortably in Doctor Who formula. Even the teaser itself is marred by the rather predictable and drawn out dispensing of LumicВ’s assistant. We watch as the slow-witted cyber fodder goes through the motions of being dispatched by the hidden FrankensteinВ’s monster. Again, itВ’s a little formulaic despite the beautiful visuals and strong acting performances.

This is not to say the episode is truly awful in itВ’s narrative and plotlines. The actual concept of this mirror universe and itВ’s Cybermen evolution is interesting enough. While the workings of the plot seem a little uninspired, the actual idea is an engaging one. IВ’m certainly curious to see if my suspicious about this alternate Earth are played out next week and how this whole story will resolve.

On a scene by scene analysis, the episode is littered with some enjoyable segments. The Doctor and Mickey conversing about their dilemma in the dead TARDIS was an enjoyable scene and I hope their dynamic is played further next week. I also found the screams from the human В“cyber-upgradingВ” being fused with the pop-tastic В“The Lion Sleeps TonightВ” made a chilling and memorable horror motif.

Yet while I wonВ’t go so far to say the story suffers from plot-holes, there does seem to be some curious omissions of detail. MickeyВ’s counterpart suggests heВ’s LondonВ’s public enemy number one, yet Mickey seems to have no problem talking to the military with no incident. Certainly not an error - one can assume that Ricky isnВ’t quite as important as he thinks, or maybe the military arenВ’t that well informed. Either way, fiction, as always, is malleable; we can make our own way through any story confusion without being spoon-fed by the narrative. Nevertheless, having one scene with Mickey openly chatting to the cityВ’s law-enforcers and then five minutes later, having another scene telling us Mickey has the face of a wanted man, seems a little odd.

Quite why MickeyВ’s counterpart accepted Mickey enough to trust him on their mission is a little unclear as well.

IВ’m also not sure the destitute would be so stupid as to believe that the capitalistic world that ruined them would offer them free food - particularly when the food is secluded deep inside a nondescript truck. These people are poor and while they maybe desperate, IВ’m not entirely convinced such large groups would be this dumb. While it felt like a very old style Doctor Who set-up, it seemed a little transparent for contemporary TV.

So overall, a mixed bag which personally I got very little satisfaction from, making this the first Doctor Who story to disappoint me.

Nevertheless, I would like to end this commentary on a high note. Now the story events have been set in motion in episode one, maybe episode two will open up some unexpected resolutions. I certainly hope Lumic gets an encounter with the Doctor. IВ’m also hoping the next episode will introduce some emotional drama for this is what this new series does best and was distinctly missing from В“Rise Of The CybermenВ”; I didnВ’t feel empathy with any of the characters except Mickey and the Tyler family arc left me utterly cold. IВ’m hoping В“The Age Of SteelВ” will make the building blocks of this story seem a little more relevant - or even poignant. After all, В“EarthshockВ” offered one of the most touching moments in Doctor Who, so maybe the emotionless Cybermen will offer us another story with an equally heart-wrenching ending.

Regardless of how the whole story resolves, this episode is patchy at best; reworking too many familiar themes and offering little inspiration in terms of story or drama. No one likes to have to be negative about their favourite show and while this is certainly far better than many of the drossy Who stories of yore, in comparison to what we know the new series can produce, В“Rise Of The CybermenВ” doesnВ’t come close.

There are many elements here that will appeal to classic Who fans, but those looking for something - or anything - new will be disappointed. I suspect this story will be one Who fans either love.. or hate.

As a episode on itВ’s own, В“Rise Of The Cyberman does quite the opposite: it falls. Maybe as the start of a larger tale, it will become a part of something more special.

Following the first seriesВ’ success with the DoctorВ’s oldest and deadliest foes, the Daleks, it was inevitable that the second series would feature his big В‘number twoВ’ enemy, the Cybermen. I think we all knew they were coming back long before the story broke in the press, but how would they return? What would they look like? What would the story be all about? In В“Rise of the Cybermen,В” Tom MacRae tells not one, not two, but three В‘parallelВ’ stories, each and every one of them bound together wonderfully. With twice the time Rob Shearman had to re-invent the Dalek, the writer is able to slowly crank up the tension on all fronts before ending his first episode on an outstanding cliffhanger! Those who tuned into В“Rise of the CybermenВ” expecting a massive gratuitous Cyberfest may have been disappointed (and IВ’m sure theyВ’ll be appeased next week), but I can honestly say that I was thrilled with it. Barring the obvious transformation of the inhabitants of this parallel Earth into Cybermen, there was not one aspect of this episode that failed to surprise meВ…

To begin with, I had it in my head for some reason that this was going to be an episode built almost exclusively around Rose and her father Pete, who is not only alive in this alternate reality, but is actually a successful businessman; a millionaire no less. Whilst much of the episode does focus on the temptations surrounding Rose, “Rise of the Cybermen” is at heart a Mickey Smith story. In fact, it is the Mickey Smith story. With all the hype about the return of Shaun Dingwall as Pete, I really didn’t see the unravelling of Mickey’s back story coming. Like the Doctor, I’d taken him for granted. He was a young man living on his own in a flat and I’d never thought to ask why. Giving Mickey a tragic past – a past the Doctor never knew about because he never asked and never cared – really helps to round off Mickey’s character and helps us to understand him that bit better. Abandoned by his parents, Mickey’s blind grandmother raised him until she died five (relative) years ago, tripping and falling down the stairs. I love the scene where the Doctor stands in between his two companions, Rose rushing off in one direction to look for her living Dad, Mickey rushing off in the other to go who knows where. Mickey shouts “Go on then, no choice is there, you can only chase after one of us. It’s never gonna be me is it?”, and he’s right. As much as he doesn’t want it to be right, and even as much as we, the audience, don’t want it to be right because he’s grown on us so much recently, the bottom line is the Doctor loves Rose and Mickey is just a gooseberry; a spare part. MacRae should have called this episode “Spare Parts,” that would have raised a few eyebrows amongst fans… and possibly a lawsuit… I digress. Of course, the Doctor runs after Rose and Mickey is left to fend for himself in the “gingerbread house”…

Russell T. Davies and co. swear that MickeyВ’s story arc wasnВ’t planned, and if the whole Mickey / Ricky angle wasnВ’t masterminded last year than it is one of the best cases of serendipity that I have ever come across. It fits like a glove. In our universe, Mickey Smith starts off as, well, a bit of an idiot, frankly. An idiot that lacks any real backbone. In this universe MickeyВ’s counterpart, ironically named Ricky Smith (the name the ninth Doctor would always call Mickey when he pretended to get his name wrong), seems to be his complete opposite. HeВ’s a hero. A freedom fighter. A В“Preacher of Gospel TruthВ… LondonВ’s Most Wanted!В” Two Mickeys? SomethingВ’s gotta give! MacRae is clearly building towards something here, and I can only hope it isnВ’t the demise of my new favourite companionВ…

В“You could pop between realities and be home in time for tea. Then the Time Lords died. Everything became that bit less kind.В”

I also enjoyed the explosive opening to the episode. Half-expecting another В“oh look, weВ’ve landed on a parallel EarthВ” type-of-story, I was thrilled to see that the writer had made this a one-off trip В– something far outside the TARDISВ’s capabilities, at least, outside the TARDISВ’s capabilities now that the Time Lords have gone. To be fair, IВ’ve always enjoyed this type of story; classic serials like В“InfernoВ” and novels like В“Blood HeatВ” never failed to entertain me, but in making this crossover a fluke MacRae could really push the envelope in terms of drama in a way that those classic stories never could. Rose canВ’t just pop in any time she wants to see her Dad. Mickey canВ’t just pop in any time he wants to see his Gran. В“24 hours on a parallel worldВ” is all that they get В– and what a parallel world! Zeppelins in the air, Cybus technology everywhereВ… this episodeВ’s designer have certainly succeeded in making a place as familiar as London seem creepy and alien. Undoubtedly beautiful, but definitely unsettling.

I think IВ’m right in saying that В“Rise of the CybermenВ” is the longest episode of the new series (obviously bar the Christmas special) by a good few minutes В– it actually over ran and I missed the opening seconds of Confidential which I was less than pleased about! В– yet it still had the same frenetic pace as the other episodes. ItВ’s remarkable how much they have crammed into forty-six minutes В– one of MickeyВ’s earliest lines about everything being В“the same, but differentВ” sums up what would have eaten up a couple of episodes in the classic series. Moreover, what is for all intents and purposes the story of the genesis of the Cybermen (okay, not the Cybermen, but Cybermen nonetheless) is told in about five scenes, without, I should add, the viewer feeling like anything has been left out or glossed over.

When the Cybermen first hit the TV screens in В“The Tenth PlanetВ” they played on the viewers fears of new technology. For the benefit of the uninformed, Dr. Kit Pedler and Gerry DavisВ’s silver giants originally hailed from Mondas, EarthВ’s twin planet, and were a non-too subtle metaphor for what many feared could happen to humanity itself. Rather than muck about with decades of very messy Cyber history, the production team quite wisely opted to invent some new Cybermen В– human ones! This allowed them to completely redesign them, rewrite their evolutionВ… basically do what the hell they wanted with them and best of all, the audience knows that locked inside that monstrous metal casing is a human being. It has much more dramatic punch than knowing that it is a Mondasian inside that casing. Along with the new design, the new catchphrase (В“You will be deleted!В”) and the new voices (better than the 1980В’s voices but worse than the originals I reckon) MacRae has also updated the technology that we are to fear. Almost forty years on from their first appearance, the Cybermen of the noughties use earpieces to download information directly into humansВ’ brainsВ… if you think about it, itВ’s only a step or two down the road from bluetooth!

That said, one integral facet has remained the same and that is the sheer horror of cyber conversion. I was particularly interested as to how they would portray this. A few messy shots of Lytton in В“Attack of the CybermenВ” is about as gruesome as it got on TV, but in the books and audios В– particularly in stuff like В“Killing GroundВ” and В“Real TimeВ” В– the gore is really quite shocking. Personally, I feel that the writer and director did everything right here В– a few screams, a brief flash of some menacing machinery and then everything is drowned out by В“The Lion Sleeps Tonight.В” Sublime!

В“Skin of metal and a body that never ages. I ENVY IT!В”

And then we come to Lumic В– the man who is to the new Cybermen what Davros is to the Daleks. Roger Lloyd Pack is unbelievably intense; having only seen him in comic roles (IВ’m an Only Fools and Horses nut!) I was completely taken aback by his characterВ’s massive presence. His chair, his respirator and those wide-open, completely insane eyes conjured up images of Davros, Darth Vader and the calcified incarnation of the Master В– in that order! On paper, heВ’s a fairly run of the mill Doctor Who villain but when you see him on screen heВ’s just soВ… impressive. He has a certain menacing charisma that just holds youВ… a mean feat considering that his character is almost devoid of humour.

В“YouВ’re a fine businessman John, but youВ’re not God.В”

In the President of the Great Britain, Lumic has a superb foil. The geek in me almost leapt out of my seat and my fiancГ©e must have thought I was mad when I kept inexplicably shouting В“Rassilon! ItВ’s Rassilon!В” Suffice it to say that Don Warrington isnВ’t new to playing powerful figureheads in Doctor Who, and in this episode his gutsy President does not disappoint В– it is just a shame that he was killed off after just one episode, the first victim of a Cyberman!

Throughout the episode, everything builds towards Jackie TylerВ’s 40thВ… ahemВ… 39th birthday party, and despite the fact that it is obvious to anyone with half a brain cell what is going happen you could still cut the tension with a knife. RoseВ’s part of the story is handled well, though in fairness all the Pete stuff seems very anti-climatic after В“FatherВ’s DayВ” and what I thought would be the major hook of the story takes a back seat to MickeyВ’s much more interesting misadventures. I even found the alternate Jackie more interesting than her husband В– while she may share certain traits with our universeВ’s loveable Jackie Tyler, this woman is much more aggressive (which really says a lot) and comes off as arrogant and spoilt, whilst Pete is portrayed more or less as he was in В“FatherВ’s DayВ”, only older and perhaps a little more seasoned. What made the party scenes so enjoyable for me were those lovely little Doctor Who touches that just seem to flow throughout the new seriesВ… stuff like the Doctor laughing out loud when he discovers that this universeВ’s Rose Tyler is a Yorkshire Terrier, and RoseВ’s blatant jealousy when the lady-killing tenth Doctor gets friendly with the fellow kitchen staff. В“According to LucyВ…В”

The finale is nothing short of spectacular, and despite all the cinematic splendour of these beautiful, new, art-deco Cybermen iconically bursting through the glass windows it was one line that really swung it for me. Someone asks the Doctor why the Cybermen donВ’t have emotion, and he simply replies В“because it hurts.В” That is what is at the core of the techno fear that surrounds the Cybermen, but no one has ever really put it so succinctly before. We are scared of Cybermen. We are scared of becoming Cybermen. ThatВ’s why they worked in 1966. ThatВ’s why they work in 2006. The rest is just dressing. The Age of Steel has begun.