Nightmare in Silver

[daibhidc]

Apparently there's been a lot of mixed feelings about this. I don't know why; I thought it was awesome. Admittedly, my total lack of ability to asess Doctor Who in any critical manner means I usually think it's awesome, but I can generally find something that makes me say "Wasn't sure about that", and this week I honestly can't think of anything.

(No, wait, one thing: Angie was a bit "stereotyped whiny teenage girl", expecially when she encountered the soldiers, at which point she actually reminded me of Kelsey from "Invasion of the Bane". And no-one wants to be reminded of Kelsey from "Invasion of the Bane".)

I loved the disused amusememnt park setting, and the introduction of the Cybermen as the Chess Playing Turk was inspired. And the Cybermites were brilliant (if maybe a bit "Borg nanoprobes").

Porridge was a great character, although his secret was pretty obvious from the second we learnt he had one. And Webley was a pretty good character too, even semi-Cyberised.

The Cyberplanner Doctor was cleverly done -- the obvious thing to do would be to make the Cyberdoctor an emotionless drone; instead Matt Smith basically takes his performance up to twelve (it was already at eleven) and basically plays a parody of the Eleventh Doctor (with a slip into the Ninth for no apparent reason at one point).

Clara once again learns that the Doctor is keeping something from her. I laughed out loud when she figured out the Cyberdoctor was in control because he said he loved her.

So Clara and the soldiers are having difficulty fending off three Cybermen, the kids are in cybercomas, there's a planet destroying bomb, and the Doctor isn't himself. Naturally, that's the point where you need to amp up the stakes, so we get a really epic army of Cybermen. And the Doctor's solution to this was brilliant, nicely using the Cyberplanner's own strength (that he could draw on processing power from all the Cybermen) against him. (Yes, if you think about it, it should take a lot less processing power than that to work out that the Doctor is simply lying [or at least not talking about chess], but the Cyberplanner has clearly gone a bit erratic from the Time Lord synapses long before this.)

Nice ending, with Porridge saving the day, even though he needs to sacrifice his normal life, but One Cyberman Surviving.

(I wonder if it's going to turn out Porridge marries the Clara from his time period?)

No point trying to peg "this week's continuity nod"; between the Cybertombs, the Cyberwars (so these are Mondasian Cybermen who just happen to look like Pete's World Cybermen, then?), the images of past Doctors, and "I'll explain later", we're spoilt for choice. (Also, the idea that the Cyberplanner needs a child's brain for the flexibility might be a nod at "Remembrance of the Daleks".)

Comments

[mrs-tribble.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode! I was so enthralled that I even found myself forgetting to blink or breathe in places!

I think at some point, when The Doctor had regained control of his own body for a moment, he told Clara that the Cyberplanner was accessing all of his previous incarnations - that's why he came out with quotes from both Nine and Ten at intervals.

IMO this was Matt at his very best, and what's not to love about the brilliant Warwick Davis? :)

[pedanther]

Nothing. There is nothing not to love about the brilliant Warwick Davis.

(I was very pleased that he got a good role, after some of my other favourite British actors have appeared in newWho in roles that were like "Well, it's nice to see you, but really that could have been anybody".)

[mrs-tribble.livejournal.com]

I love Warwick - he's got such personality and that lovely, cheeky smile and humour. Gaiman did absolutely the right thing in casting him :)

[pedanther]

Have you read his autobiography that came out a few years ago?

(It's called Size Matters Not. Which he totally pinched from somebody else's Star Wars character, but who's going to argue with Warwick Davis?)

[mrs-tribble.livejournal.com]

To be fair, he did play Yoda for the walking/movement scenes, so it is probably him who said that line :)

I haven't heard about his autobiography, but now I have to buy it - thanks for the heads up!

(Also, where the heck is his knighthood? He deserves a knighthood because he is just that awesome)