Part 3: Conversion
Conversion finally does what I had been hoping for since Scorpius began by bringing the Cybermen to the forefront. Gone is the sneaking around behind the scenes. They take to the streets with intense force.
After the shock ending of the previous episode, Brigg’s had his work cut out to not undermine the impression it left on the listener. While his method of continuing the story may seem to some as an easy way to get out of it, for me it worked well enough to not ruin the previous episodes impact. And, as Karen continues to fall ever deeper under Cyber control, it turns to Liam Barnaby to become the driving force behind events.
Taken to an android ship, deep in enemy territory, Liam is forced to help them recover a head of a Cyberman so the androids can learn their plans. For the most part, he is reduced to a bumbling wreck; the only thing dragging him back to reality is Sam’s kiss. These scenes left me cringing, the cliché being too much for me to bear. While I could see why the kissing was needed, it did leave me thinking the Brigg’s just wanted to have these people snog for the sake of it, and seemed out of place around the rest of this gritty story. On the other hand, taking his character to the enemy territory resulted in some brilliant banter between the two species, in particular the doctor and Liam. Hearing a group of people who are so similar, yet completely different is fascinating, not least because of their different viewpoints. They see each other in a way that people at war on earth might, as part of the same creature, but with different views of the world.
And, as I mentioned, it is in Conversion that the Cybermen finally reveal themselves to the world, but not as the enemy. With the President of Earth under the Cyber Planners foot, they begin to dispatch their troops into every city in every country, telling the people that they are advanced soldiers, and criminals who have offered themselves for intense training. Having a ship full of Cybermen attacking the Androids also advances the episode even further and means we get our fair share of silver action which the series promised. It is so satisfying to finally hear the giants out in force; it makes the series worth it.
And so, the third instalment in this first series has to be the most satisfying so far. There is little to fault, it drives the series forward further than any before it, and we finally see the enemy. In fact, if I were to find a major problem in this episode, it would be: “What the hell is wrong with the Cyberleader’s voice?”
After the shock ending of the previous episode, Brigg’s had his work cut out to not undermine the impression it left on the listener. While his method of continuing the story may seem to some as an easy way to get out of it, for me it worked well enough to not ruin the previous episodes impact. And, as Karen continues to fall ever deeper under Cyber control, it turns to Liam Barnaby to become the driving force behind events.
Taken to an android ship, deep in enemy territory, Liam is forced to help them recover a head of a Cyberman so the androids can learn their plans. For the most part, he is reduced to a bumbling wreck; the only thing dragging him back to reality is Sam’s kiss. These scenes left me cringing, the cliché being too much for me to bear. While I could see why the kissing was needed, it did leave me thinking the Brigg’s just wanted to have these people snog for the sake of it, and seemed out of place around the rest of this gritty story. On the other hand, taking his character to the enemy territory resulted in some brilliant banter between the two species, in particular the doctor and Liam. Hearing a group of people who are so similar, yet completely different is fascinating, not least because of their different viewpoints. They see each other in a way that people at war on earth might, as part of the same creature, but with different views of the world.
And, as I mentioned, it is in Conversion that the Cybermen finally reveal themselves to the world, but not as the enemy. With the President of Earth under the Cyber Planners foot, they begin to dispatch their troops into every city in every country, telling the people that they are advanced soldiers, and criminals who have offered themselves for intense training. Having a ship full of Cybermen attacking the Androids also advances the episode even further and means we get our fair share of silver action which the series promised. It is so satisfying to finally hear the giants out in force; it makes the series worth it.
And so, the third instalment in this first series has to be the most satisfying so far. There is little to fault, it drives the series forward further than any before it, and we finally see the enemy. In fact, if I were to find a major problem in this episode, it would be: “What the hell is wrong with the Cyberleader’s voice?”