S34E7: Nightmare in Silver

[Captain Seafort]

Starts in half an hour.

[Graham Kennedy]

Decent episode. They had the kids, but managed to use them without introducing a huge "super kiddy crap factor" element. I didn't even mind that the girl twigged to something nobody else did near the end, because it came across as something relatively simple that a kid might spot just because the adults were too busy dealing with what was going on.

Likewise, the soldiers came across as being ordinary people who were doing their best... it would be very, very easy to caricature them as being overly gung-ho, especially with them wanting to use their big Plan B weapon, but I thought the episode did a great job of making them good people who were just in over their heads and doing their best - and note that their Plan B not only would have worked, but ultimately did.

I liked the twist with Porridge, too. DIdn't see that one coming at all, though I'm told that others *cough*Ian*cough* saw it a mile off, so maybe that was just me.

Most importantly the music wasn't overwhelming, and the pacing actually seemed to be a little less than breakneck for a change. All in all, not a fantastic episode but probably the best one of this season.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I didn't see the twist, either. Heck I thought of a different-and wrong-twist!

[Captain Seafort]

I liked the twist with Porridge, too. DIdn't see that one coming at all, though I'm told that others *cough*Ian*cough* saw it a mile off, so maybe that was just me.

I could tell that there was something coming a mile off, but the details were a surprise.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

So... is this the Cybermen's 'Dalek'?

[Captain Seafort]

In what way?

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Makes them more badass, basically.

[Captain Seafort]

Makes them more badass, basically.

Not really - the only major improvement we saw was the high-speed charge by and single unit, which the conspicuously failed to use during the battle. None of the other new stuff was more than an incremental improvement over previously demonstrated abilities. "Dalek", on the other hand, demonstrated individual shields, impressive resilience and regenerative abilities, tremendous computational power, and significantly improved firepower.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I guess, but for me, the Cybermen here finally didn't seem like either a joke or anything demeaning. Especially the whole 'nuke a galaxy to stop them' bit of backstory.

[Captain Seafort]

I guess, but for me, the Cybermen here finally didn't seem like either a joke or anything demeaning.

I don't recall an occasion they've ever seemed like a joke. Apart from Silver Nemesis of course.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Opening of Good Man Goes to War comes to mind... or any time they're beaten by gold.

[Captain Seafort]

Opening of Good Man Goes to War comes to mind...

Getting a pasting courtesy of the Last Centurion doesn't count.

any time they're beaten by gold.

The earlier examples aren't so bad - it took considerable effort to disable the Cyberleader that way in Earthshock (and any residual wimpyness is cancelled out by their moment of glory that outshines even "shut up Wesley").

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Yes, Good Man Goes to War does count. Then again to be fair even taking into account 'Dalek' I've never found the Daleks scary either.

[kostmayer]

The Daleks were much scarier in old Who. They've been overused that much they're no longer threatening. Like the Borg.

[Captain Seafort]

The Daleks were much scarier in old Who. They've been overused that much they're no longer threatening. Like the Borg.

I don't think its a case of overuse so much as how they've been used - there's only so many times you can completely wipe out the same universe-destroying threat before people start getting jaded.