User Reviews

I really liked the alternate universe. I don't think Doctor Who has ever ventured into this before. However, I didn't care for the "blowing on a crystal" to bring the tardis back to life. I'd have preferred another method. I also don't care for the way the cybermen sound when the talk. I always had trouble understanding the ones in the classic series and these are even more difficult to hear. They should be more clear when they speak.

It is interesting to see Roger Lloyd-Pack and David Tennant in the same movie together again.. (They played Barty Crouch and Barty Crouch Junior in Harry Potter) I have awoken to the fact that Noel Clark can act. I always wondered if it was the character I didn't like or the actor. Now I know it is the character, since I get to see Noel playing Ricky Smith, Mickey's alter-ego.

I remember thinking about 15 minutes into the episode that this was really interesting and suspenseful. So I had wished it didn't have to be cramming into 45 minutes. Well, I got my wish as it was "to be continued" Even though I hate having to wait for the next episode. At least they don't do like Star Trek and have a season cliff-hanger that leaves you waiting a year to find out what happens. I only have to wait a week.

Again we get to see Rose's parents fighting. We saw that in Father's Day. It was obvious in both occasions that Jackie was the main person at fault. Pete seems a lot more like he is always on the defensive, while Jackie is yelling at him. She thought he was incompetent as a door-to-door salesman 20 years before in our universe, and in this universe he is a billionaire and she still thinks he is incompetent. You just can't please some women.

One thing that bothered me was the obvious fact that this universe was more or less like ours. It must have been exactly like ours up until approx. 20 years before, when some things started to go a different course. Yet in this 20 years we have some technology that can't possibly have been developed, like the things in the ears that seem to control people's brains. But I keep waiting to see in the next episode if maybe that is from some alien influence we haven't discovered yet.. After all, Cybermen weren't supposed to be a creation of humans, I don't think.

Over all... very good.

Those of you who remember hiding behind the sofa as a child will absolutely enjoy this story of a parallel Earth, showing the original genesis of the Cybermen. This series continues to amaze me, not for the special effects, not for the acting, but for the imagination required to suspend disbelief and indulge in the story thread. A highlight of this episode is Billy Piper dressed up as a saucy waitress - a bonus for those who admire her for her beauty as well as her considerable acting ability.

What wil happen to the Doctor? Will they be deleted or be upgraded? How will they return to the 'regular' world now that the Tardis is no more? And what will become of Rose's parental units? Watch and enjoy!

This Episode doesn't feel well connected. Unlike Dalek that set-up the Finale for the very first siries, this one didn't do it that well. It relied on Torchwood with a crappy excuse but luckily the finale was good, and despite a shallow plot this episode doesn't fail to Entertain.

Cyberman,

The fact they walk slowly makes them a scary Villain. The Design of them was also pretty cool. The Kidnapping parts were really entertaining and makes them a frightening and intense scene. They scream Delete Delete Delete, which is Iconic. For a debut episode for the Cyberman this one was good for me as it made me interested in the Cyberman and also became my favourite villains of the entire shows history. They also have a master that gives them orders, for me it made them unique and different. They had a lot of screen time and this episode has surprisingly good energy and good pacing. Surprisingly it also has some Shock Value.

Mickey,

Noel Clarkes performance was also good in this, and he his character gets a lot more development in this story then the whole of siries 1. He meets his dead grandma, this is a parallel universe so in this universe she's alive. I found this concept really interesting.

The Ending,

The Doctor and Rose are surrounded by Cyberman who have the humans held hostage in Roses mum and Dad's house. By there master Lumic. Doctor and some other members are stuck which is the shock value for this episode. You didn't know what the doctor was going to do, which creates tension and danger. Enuff Said about this story!. My Verdict,

7/10, Fresh Score:71%

Compared to other episodes in the series, this was absolutely awful, however if this were the first time I'd ever watched Doctor Who I wouldn't have said it was so bad. I thought the whole Pete Tyler thing was awful, we should have left him in the last series, after the fantastic episode with the Reapers. I thought a couple of great touches were the doggy called Rose, and the fact that they had yet ANOTHER woman for Rose to get jealous of, if only briefly (The waitress, Lucy(?), blink and you'll miss her). Seems we're gonna get more and more of these. I thought that the TARDIS breaking thing was absolutely rubbish. I mean, "oooh, look, there's a pretty light and if I blow on it, everything'll be alright". They could have handled that SO much better, like the bit at the end of the last series when they are forced into the Gamestation. The greatest redeeming feature of the episode, obviously, was the Cybermen. Their storyline was awful and should have been handled by Russell T David as opposed to one of these 'Side-writers'. The design team have done an amazing job redesigning them, I think they're absolutely gorgeous. The Mickey/Ricky thing was handled well, but as a story I don't think it's that great. I don't particularly like Mickey, I thought he was necessary in "The Girl in the Fireplace", so that Rose had a distraction from the Doctor, leaving him to romp with Reinette. However, I don't think he should be on the TARDIS for much longer. I don't know what it is about him that I don't like, I just feel the character is really lacking in something. If we need a distraction for Rose, bring back someone Captain-Jack-Like, a character who is more easygoing. Mickey seems to take everything so seriously, and this definitely came off in last nights episode

This episode is a little bit difficult to describe since their is so much going on to set up this two-parter.

First off, there's the crisis of the TARDIS losing all (just about) power cause they somehow crashed into an alternate reality, and then, they're in an ALTERNATE REALITY! One would think this would be enough to throw into an episode but on top of that they add in the Cyber Men. That is a lot for an episode - - even a two parter, to tackle.

And for the most part the episode does a decent job of setting up all these elements. Good character moments for both Mickey and Rose, with some decent mistaken identity humor thrown in for good measure. The episode really does a good job of building all the "good" characters but unfortunately gets a little lazy when it comes to the villains. Very cardboard cutout human masterminds engineering the Cyber Men, who in turn seem a little slow (mentally and physically) to be the threat they are presented as.

This is the area too where the episode, like much of the season, falls prey to the overuse of camp, which undermines the validity of the villains' threat to humanity. But the strong performances by the other actors helps alleviate some of this irritation and elevated this episode to a decently strong setup for this two parter. 8/10

A great cliffhanger episode. being trapped in a parallel earth where the cybermen are born makes it feel a bit like Mondas as it is earth but not quite. Very much like the new "Delete phrase and the electrocution method. The way the TARDIS was fixed however was not done so well, but the rest of the episode does definitely make up for this. Hope the second part keeps the action and story as suspenseful

Re-watching some of the earlier seasons of Doctor Who you really do notice the hits and misses more clearly.

This was definitely more on the side of miss than hit. Perhaps the main reason for that is the terrible acting from Roger Lloyd Pack. It reminds me of one of those YouTube videos counting down the 10 most wooden actors. Now perhaps his acting is supposed to be robotic to a degree because he's turning into a robot himself and becoming less human. However, that still does not convince me that he's actually what he is supposed to be portraying and isn't that the point? He was awful in this episode!

The other thing that is really underwhelming, and has been mentioned by numerous other reviewers, is the way the TARDIS goes from dead to still alive and on a recharge cycle because of some lame glowing crystal. Surely something more inventive could have been thought of than this? There are in a parallel universe for a start. Which means perhaps there might be a parallel TARDIS and Doctor you could mooch parts off? It's just a lack of thought in writing. Someone should have surely flagged this as a terrible idea and reworked it to something more interesting during production.

I think that is the main problem, that is highlighted, with these earlier seasons is the quality of the writers isn't very high unless the episode is penned by Steven Moffat. Something I think they must have realised to a certain degree when Steven became the lead writer and more experienced quality writers were drafted in for other episodes.

This was a bit of a slow burn episode that really just sets up for the big second act. What I did enjoy about this episode was some of the character work, particularly where Mickey is concerned.

I've always felt Mickey could have been a much better written and developed character. He is often written to be a buffoon and slightly dim which is a shame. I've also found the relationship between Rose and himself to be quite odd, ever since the Doctor came into their lives he has played second fiddle. Finally it is addressed in this episode and I appreciate how The Doctor also acknowledged this.

Rose as a character in this 2nd series has been quite inconsistent at times wavering between petty, jealous and bratty whenever another woman shows interest or has a close connection to the Doctor. Her petty jibes towards Lucy the waitress were totally unnecessary and I just don't enjoy that side of her character.

Going into the episode it wasn't hard to work out that the Cybermen were making their debut in the new who era in this episode so that took a lot of the mystery out for me. Also the main human villain was kinda hammy in my opinion and not in the good way.

Overall a bit lackluster in parts but the character work made it stronger.

Roger Lloyd Pack is perfect in the role of creator of the Cybermen. I think this is one of the better Tennant episodes (there are of course many great ones, him being one of if not the greatest Doctor (that's up to you)). But this is truly a great episode, highly recommend.

Rise of the Cybermen, the first part of a two-part story, successfully reimagines the iconic villains for a modern Doctor Who while offering a compelling, if at times rushed, adventure. It's a solid introduction to a new breed of Cyberman and earns a well-deserved 8 out of 10.

This episode wisely plays on fears of technology and media manipulation to reinvent the Cybermen. Their sleek new design is effective and menacing. The story moves at a brisk pace, introducing us to a parallel Earth while seeding hints of the danger to come. The parallel versions of Rose's family, notably her father Pete, add an intriguing emotional layer and allow for some excellent character work.

What really elevates the episode is the emotional core surrounding Rose and her newfound relationship with her parallel-world father. Billie Piper's performance shines, and the scenes between her and Pete are heartwarming and later heartbreaking. David Tennant's Tenth Doctor gets a bit less focus here, but he's still effortlessly charming and full of energy.

Where things stumble a bit is in the pacing. Some of the plot points, particularly the Cybermen's origins, feel a touch rushed to fit the two-part format. John Lumic, while acted well, is a bit too much of a generic power-hungry villain. Additionally, some of the dialogue verges on cheesy, even by Doctor Who standards.

Despite a few flaws, Rise of the Cybermen is a great reintroduction to a classic foe and a powerful start to the two-parter. The upgraded Cybermen are genuinely chilling, the emotional beats land perfectly, and the cliffhanger will leave you hungry for the conclusion. It's a solid, enjoyable setup for something even grander.

Oh my god! What an awful awful episode and this season was doing so well! We've had cool Cat People, Were-Wolves, Sarah-Jane and 17th Century France. BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!

But now we learn that Russell has given the series' defining moment to a monkey on an iMac. The writer this week has never written before for Doctor Who and has had brief spells on the crappy No Angels, so why why why give him the task of bringing back the Cybermen???

There was very little set up in the episode- it really didn't need to be 2 episodes. The dialogue was hammy, the storyline boring and a complete waste of a Doctor Who episode! Stephen Moffet should have written this one- then at least there would have been some jokes in it! Waste of time if you ask me- they really need to pull out all the stops next week because otherwise this season is going to go downhill! I'm not even looking forward to the season finale now because they're cyberiffic as well! Just as long as they're not written by this chimp then they might be savable!

Shame on you Russell T. Davies- shame on you!

My love for parallel worlds in sci-fi may make me biased, but I love this episode. I'm glad we get another look at Rose and her dad, but this time it's not really her dad. I love that we get a look at how both Rose and Mickey react to seeing something they aren't able to have. For Mickey, it's his grandma, and for Rose, of course, it's her dad. I'm glad this episode expands even more on Mickey's feelings on being in the TARDIS. His character arc has been slowly coming since season 1, but it was really kickstarted in School Reunion. This transformation comes to a peak in Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel. There isn't much to say about this episode, it's a regular plot of the cybermen taking over the world, only this time in a parallel world. It's so simple, but it's done so well that makes it, in my opinion, a classic: 9.0/10.