Rise of the Cybermen Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel |
BBC The Age of Steel |
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| Story No. | 180 | 
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| Production Code | Series Two Episode Six | |
| Dates | May 20 2006 |
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With David Tennant, Billie Piper,
Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri Written by Tom McRae Directed by Graeme Harper Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner. |
| Synopsis: London has been turned into a massive cyber-conversion zone. |
Machine Mayhem! by Joe Ford 23/5/06
What fantastic direction. Hoo boy could I talk about the direction all day. Harper's vision is breathtaking, creating a feel of mechanical hell, highlighting the glistening silver of the Cybermen en mass in the gleaming moonlight. There are thousands of the buggers and they stomp across the screen gathering up the citizens for conversion. I cannot remember when the Cybermen have ever seemed quite as powerful or as totally emotionless; not a hint of ("Excellent!") campness here, just more of the horror and dynamism of the first episode. Had the metal monsters been treated as powerfully throughout their entire timeline I could perhaps understand why they are held in such high regard. Let's put it this way, the Cybermen from this parallel world kick the shit out of the ones from ours and I'm not just talking about their design (which isn't significantly different) but how the writer and director explore their potential.
And yet strangely it is when the Cybermen are doing nothing at all when they are at their scariest. Two scenes spring to mind instantly. The scenes where the Doctor and Mrs Moore exploring the tunnels (brilliantly echoing The Invasion and Tomb of the Cybermen) are marvellously scary. An endless row of motionless Cybermen which the Doctor and Moore have to creep past, with me behind a pillow waiting for one of them to suddenly snatch out and grab them. Secondly, the shot of the Cybermen gazing through the metal fence at Mickey after having murdered his counterpoint. He is horrified at watching himself being murdered but the Cybermen just freeze and stare through emotionlessly. Absolutely haunting.
However the piece de resistance comes when the Doctor and Moore explore the Cyber emotion chip, which is turned off, and a converted Cyberman wakes up, not remembering anything about being turned into this beast. Humanising the Daleks felt wrong because they are the epitome of evil but exploring the horror of being converted into Cybermen is (frankly) essential and (astonishingly) ignored to this point. Whilst it was disturbing to hear this woman talking about her upcoming wedding with her voice modulated and no expressions on her metal face, nothing could hold a candle to the brief scene where a Cyberman stares in a mirror and screams with absolute terror at its image. I cannot explain how happy I was to see some real psychological horror injected into this story; my only regret was that it couldn't be taken even further (and boy could it!). The Doctor standing behind this person realising how he has been a perverted saying "I'm sorry" just makes the poor creature even more pitiful. The conversion process is far more graphic here as well, especially the visually dramatic moment when the mask descends on its victim, the lights shining through the eye holes.
I am not sure if it was because this was directed by Graeme Harper but it felt the most Doctor Who-ish story to date. There was the requisite emotional element but for once this feels like the least important aspect of the story. Sorry guys, your performances are spot-on and the writing is a credit to you but all I wanted to see was Cybermen on the march, people being ripped to pieces and the explosive action as you take them down. It is a credit to Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel that it feels like the old series at its very best (yes I am talking Caves of Androzani): slightly melodramatic, totally absorbing, full of great moments, utterly dynamic and (best of all) a millions times better than anything the competition can think up.
I loved Lumic and his over-the-top dialogue, just the sort of gruff, theatrical villain the series has needed since the start... one with a great motive and a fabulous death scene. What more could you ask for... and Roger Lloyd Pack's much-criticized performance is absolutely spot-on, slightly jarring but purposely so and with a sinister smile and evil twinkle in his eye. His turn as the Cybercontroller is smashing, visually stunning and, with Pack's stilted delivery packed with emotion, very disturbing too. Scenes of characters being chased through the streets by monsters always rate highly in my book, evoking the sort of excited games I would play as a child wishing a fleet of monster would menace me and my friends in my street (and reminiscent of the second Dalek film). Watching the Doctor and his friends do a three-pronged attack on the Cyberman base (hey it's The Daleks!) is really exhilarating television, the sort which this show does so well, old and new.
Tennant gets his most traditional role to date, being offered a great scene where he confronts the Controller and explain why the Cybermen are so totally and utterly flawed in conception. Being the consummate actor he is perfectly willing to take a back seat to his co-stars who are far more important this time around. He's just there to be the Doctor, to fight the bad guys and save the day (it's nice to see this for a change with some sort of terrible emotional experience for the guy) whereas Mickey and Rose are on hand to deal with all the juicy domestic stuff.
Piper is such a star I could watch her in any show. Fortunately she is currently acting in my favourite show which is doubly good and doing a damn fine job of it too. Who would have ever thought we would be seeing "Because we want to!" Piper strolling along with a bunch of Cybermen? Certainly not me and it is to her credit that she now fits into this series so totally that it is no longer an issue accepting a celebrity in this science fiction show. I enjoyed the scenes between Rose and Pete because they were so restrained, far superior to the horrid manipulation of Father's Day. Rose's loyalty to her parents (even in this world) feels right (and her stubbornness when accepting the job of rescuing Jackie is a great moment) and her reaction to the Jackie Cyberman mirrors our own (total horror). It was her final moment with her father on the Embankment which impressed me the most though, Rose desperate to take him back with her (to the point of calling him Dad) but he doesn't want to know the life he has missed out on. Great stuff and all the more emotional for what isn't said (so much work is done with the actors' faces).
I think Noel Clarke has come such a long way as Mickey, coming to
understand the show and the style of acting it entails. He started off in
Rose as something of an OTT buffoon and a bit
embarrassing to watch, but won our hearts in World
War Three where he saves Jackie and blows up Downing Street. He ups
his game for Boom Town with a remarkably
emotional performance before providing some stability for the show over
its change of leading man, his presence proving quite relaxing during that
turbulent time. His comic potential is explored in
As I said his scene with his Grandmother in Rise of the Cybermen develops his character
beautifully and now he gets the chance to save the world. Watching himself
die clearly affects him greatly and it is fantastic to see him finally
stand up to the Doctor, telling him he wants to help out and refuses to be
the spare part (Tennant plays this scene beautifully too, looking at
Mickey as if he has just noticed him for the first time). I'm not sure I'm
as convinced about the ending, which pushes a little too hard to make
Mickey the hero and make everyone go, "ahhh, I really liked him" because
frankly we all liked him anyway. The chemistry between Rose and Mickey has
never been better and Rose's typically selfish comment ("What if I need
you?") is rebutted beautifully ("But Rose... you don't") but the last
scene with the two guys driving off to liberate Paris feels a bit too
manipulative. A shame, but most of the work in redeeming Mickey's
fortunes is spot on. Clarke is exceptional and the episode belongs to him.
Just watch his face, as his other half is killed and then tell me this kid
can't act.
It is the first episode ever where I felt Murray Gold's music drowned
out the drama. At some points it was agonisingly loud (Simon made me turn
the telly down about three times!) but saying that, he provided some great
stings, just shock Cybermen moments to get you jumping out of your seats.
It's almost as if Murray is as excited by what's going on as we are and
cannot control his music as a result!
Did I want more action? Yes, because what we get is sooooo good. Did I
want more exploration of Cybermen? Yes, because they started it off
brilliantly but other matters swallowed up the screen time. Did I love
this two parter with a passion bordering on insanity? Oh yes.
The Age of Steel is a mighty fine conclusion to some dramatic
set up. It really doesn't disappoint at all and tells us quite a bit about
the Cybermen that we didn't already know. It's not quite my favourite two
parter (those gas masks are still fabulous) but it is spine-tingling
television of the highest order and solid proof of why this show got so
much recognition at the BAFTAs.
A Review by Donna Bratley
10/5/07
I wanted more action. Tom Macrae certainly delivered. He had to get the
talking in last week, because there's no time to draw breath in The Age
of Steel.
How disappointing was the getout? I wanted the Doctor to fast-talk his
way past the looming Cybermen; get his companions out by guile, not a
whizzy piece of technology. What was all that nonsense at the end of the
last episode? Why mention surrender when you've got that up your sleeve?
Still, it gathers Our Heroes together, where the true similarity
between Mickey and Ricky is revealed. It's as if Macrae regretted making
the duplicate such a thug in part one, and overcompensates by making him a
prat in part two. Noel Clarke makes a good enough job of differentiating
between his two roles, leaving doubt only at one crucial moment, but I
could have done with a few less facial twists.
Of course, the moment we realise which one is dead, it's obvious where
the other's destiny lies; aided by the cliched understanding that grew up
between them, and the "You'll never replace him!" posturing of Andrew
Hayden-Smith's Jake, possibly the only character thus far to emote as
prettily as Rose Tyler. Jake's whole purpose is to gradually come to
appreciate what he's spent two episodes denying. It's a waste of a
character; the Preachers could have done with a second fighter, like Mrs
Moore.
Mickey's development has been a definite plus this season, a
compensation for the clingy, immature side we've been shown to Rose. His
learning to fly the zeppelin on Playstation is a nice touch, and his
"Rose, I'm coming to get you!" compares favourably with the Ninth Doctor's
original declamation. It's good to see he has scruples, preventing the
murder of Lumic's staff; he's bright enough to catch the Doctor's hints
from Cyber Control; and it's ironic that he's the only character mature
enough to acknowledge the truth of his position with the girl he still
loves.
It's a pity the focus on what should have been his grand farewell was
given to the leading lady. We've seen enough of Billie Piper's upset
acting to know it's good. There's no need for the director to play up to
the series' casual concept of the universe revolving around a brattish
shop assistant. It's great work from Billie (again), but it doesn't make
the character likeable. The muted goodbye from the Doctor, laced with an
affectionate "Mickey the Idiot" was far more impressive.
As for the action leading up to the goodbyes: Rose shows her better
side, determinedly taking her place beside Pete; the Doctor finds a worthy
accomplice in Mrs Moore, who was doomed the moment she gave away her
proper name. And Series Two delivers its first shocker of a big vista. I'm
sorry, but the interior of the conversion factory didn't match up to the
terrifying image of mindless humans marching in to a terrible fate.
Overlaid with the portentous music of Murray Gold, the image of whizzing
blades and descending helmet made me laugh, not cringe.
How obvious was the Pete story? Making Rose's alternative daddy a
villain would have been interesting, but was never likely. Shaun Dingwall
obviously relishes "What do I get, Scooby-Doo and his gang?" but his
reactions inside the factory, faced with the remnant of his wife, are
better than the comedy, and the frightened rejection of Rose rings
completely true. And as for seeing what his boss has become...
What on Earth was the design department thinking of with the big silver
pipe-cleaner chair? I know Lumic must've taken some persuading, the
creator of an inhuman race being reluctant at the last to surrender his
own humanity, but was that really an incentive? How did the Doctor keep a
straight face while expounding the wonder of humanity to a creature that
has lost its own?
That exchange, with its sly glances to the camera and throwaway
"genius" line, is superb, delivered with gusto by David Tennant who,
though again slightly sidelined for much of the story, manages to dominate
given half the chance. The Tenth Doctor echoes the Fifth in his emotional
honesty, the Second in his glee at winging his way through a crisis, and
the Fourth in his command of the screen. If that's not a winner, I don't
know what is.
He also gets a leading role in possibly the most shocking scene yet; at
the end of the truly claustrophobic stroll through the cooling tunnels, an
encounter which hit me in the guts as the equivalent scene in Dalek never did; I couldn't feel comfortable
empathising with one of those things, but the Cybernised woman is a tragic
creature. Of course, the Doctor does the right thing - the courageous
thing - just as Mrs Moore is right to remind him, Lumic's creations have
to be stopped at whatever cost. But has the full horror of the Cybermen's
origin ever been more forcibly portrayed?
It begs a question, though, that bugs me no less than the cop-out from
the cliffhanger. How does Cyber-Jackie remember Pete? Her emotional
inhibitor's not damaged. That the Controller retains some knowledge of his
past I can accept, but an ordinary footsoldier of his army?
In the end, it's a strong second part to a good, old-fashioned
Doctor Who story; not matching the brilliance of three preceding
episodes, but worth watching again. If RTD invites Macrae back in future
seasons, I won't be objecting.