Doctor Who (Season 2) "The Age of Steel" (Spoilers)

[HellCat]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/casarbi/dw.jpg
Doctor Who Series 2: Episode 6
The Age of Steel
Written by Tom MacRae
David Tennant and Billie Piper
Saturdays, BBC 1 - 6.35pm

Still trapped on the alternate Earth, can The Doctor stop Lumic's insane ambitions to transform the population into Cybermen?

Watch the TARDISODE prequel! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/tardisodes/)

[HellCat]

Much better than last week, but a shame to see Mickey go. For a second I thought he might be Ricky but the reference to K-9 confirmed it. I think the Cybermen being given back their humanity was well handled. The poor bride to be was a real tear jerker. The way things played out, who wants to bet Mickey and Lumic will somehow return for the finale? Something had to cause that dimensional slip...

[Conan-san]

It was a gret episode and it's a bloddy shame that the bbc wants to screw it over in favour of the lotto and Eurovision (Why does anyone watch it? It's just the rest of Europe geting pissy about the war and such).

At every point I was thinking "Oh, this is where Mickey's going to get it...no here...there...h-Damn the flying spegetii monster, where is Mickey going to die?!" ;p

But The Tin Dog's exit was well played, the Bizaro World needed him more than Prime world and he was better there.

[HellCat]

I'm not sure what to make of Rose's decision to tell Pete at the end. After the night the poor guy has just had, saying "I'm your alternate universe daughter you'll never have!" isn't exactly a good idea.

[MonkeyFunk]

Lumic is the coolest Doctor Who villain ever.

Why? Because when he died, he went "za-wok".

Y'see, somewhere along the line I developed an ear for sound effects that have been re-used between cartoons. There's a moo I've heard a few times, a crunch I used to hear a lot, and a couple of boings that get around a lot. Maybe they're in the public domain, or else just really cheap. But my personal favourite is za-wok.

Since I started taking note, I heard it in The Little Mermaid (when Triton shot lasers out his trident), in Ninja Scroll (when that old guy polevaulted), the only case I know of of one of these effects making it into an anime, and now it's made the hallowed transition to live action, accompanying Lumic's fittingly Wile E-esque demise.

Wallpaper of the week: None. As the BBC has not provided us with wallpaper of Lumic falling into an exploding factory prior to going za-wok, I refuse to link to their site.

[Conan-san]

Holy hell, it's off topic but the lotto just get beseged!

[HellCat]

Apparently Mickey's suggestion of Paris was set up- the alternate version of his web site says Paris has been over taken by Cybermen.

[IanC]

Lumics death was brilliant.

[Conan-san]

Lumics death was brilliant. Which one?

[HellCat]

The downloadable commentary for this ep is painful. Noel Clarke dominates it and you can tell Shaun Dingwell is seconds away from throttling him.

[Conan-san]

Anoying to the end, eh?

[HellCat]

Anoying to the end, eh?

He's pretty much constantly talking, often resulting on him stepping on the others or coming out with some half thought out comments. He does step on some of their gushing (eg, the other two talk about how they didn't expect Mrs Moore to die whilst Clarke says you kind of expect that from Who) but for the most part it's very awkward and overbearing.

[Conan-san]

Well, in any case, the next episode, well, I realy don't like things that coment to the effect of "Television is teh evils!!!!11101010101111dearimasu" especaily when it's Television Shows that do it (come on guys, Hypocits, much?!) but the mutating into monsters thing sounds okish.

[HellCat]

Well, in any case, the next episode, well, I realy don't like things that coment to the effect of "Television is teh evils!!!!11101010101111dearimasu" especaily when it's Television Shows that do it (come on guys, Hypocits, much?!) but the mutating into monsters thing sounds okish.

Apparently, next week is actually about some kind of alien that can only move by using transmission signals

[Conan-san]

Apparently, next week is actually about some kind of alien that can only move by using transmission signals Ok fair enough, checked who it was doing the Episdoe and it's the dude who did Unquiet Dead so we might just miss that whole moral-social cometary thing Davis occasionaly likes to wang into his storys (See World War Three and the 45 seconds deal along with the "Big Brother is the evils" thing, even though I agree about that point).

[Mr Cat Dog]

Ratings news for last night:

The average overnight viewing figure for this episode was 6.85 million (a 36% share), peaking at 7.7 million.

[Conan-san]

Um, for hte uneducated, was that good or bad?

[Mr Cat Dog]

Well, just over 1 in 3 people watching TV at that time were watching Doctor Who. It fell a bit from last week, but it's stil really good ratings none the less:

Rise of the Cybermen - Overnight viewing figures for this episode averaged 8.6 million (39.7% share), peaking at 9.65 million.

[HellCat]

A thought that hit (a cruel one but relevant none the less)- Mickey lists his alternate gran as one reason to stay. However, what if she'd already been converted or processed as rejected stock?

[MonkeyFunk]

A thought that hit (a cruel one but relevant none the less)- Mickey lists his alternate gran as one reason to stay. However, what if she'd already been converted or processed as rejected stock?

Or tripped down the stairs.

[HellCat]

Or tripped down the stairs.

Exactly. I can see Mickey and Jake returning for the finale, Rose asks in a quiet moment how his gran is and we find he got short changed again.

[Conan-san]

Exactly. I can see Mickey and Jake returning for the finale, Rose asks in a quiet moment how his gran is and we find he got short changed again.For every Kira, there needs to be a Shin, I guess.

[HellCat]

For every Kira, there needs to be a Shin, I guess.

Hmm, so I guess that makes Rose the series Lunamaria? :p

[Conan-san]

Hmm, so I guess that makes Rose the series Lunamaria? :p Luna = Lynda with a Y, she gets screwed over too, remember?

[The Guitar Slayer]

After seeing Age of Steel, I've decided that Rise of the Cybermen really only rates a 2 while this ep rates a 4. Overall, the arc is a 3, given how slow the first part was. There is a way to do a two arc episode without it dragging on -- Moffat's The Empty Child nails it perfectly. On the other hand, Aliens of London is between this and AOS.

This ep was everything its first half was not. Once again there were a few scenes that we could have done without. I think it would have been a better show of Rose's character if she'd let Peter go on his way without revealing the big secret. She seemingly needs to tell everyone she's their ____, or whatever.

The Tin Dog gets his due! I didn't like the overly obvious slight the Doctor committed by forgetting -- seems out of character to muck around when the going is tough, not to mention the useful guy that looked exactly like him just DIED. I know Mickey is easily forgotten at times and a bit of a whiner, but this just was a little much. The message was received quite clearly when he did the whole "Even an idiot could..." or for all the times Jake commented on how useless he is.

Very fun episode with very appropriately human moments. Only quibble on acting is what I felt to be Tennant's under-reaction to Mrs. Moore's death. Given the character, he should have really gone "BOOM."

Lumic was much more fun this time around, after he's been assimulated by his own machine. Less cheesy, more "I should have really thought this through more." The Idiot Speech was fantastic.

So yes, much better than last time. Still, I consider my favorite arc to be Moffat's Empty Child and the best ep to be Moffat's The Girl In the Fireplace...

Notice a pattern? ;)

[HellCat]

So yes, much better than last time. Still, I consider my favorite arc to be Moffat's Empty Child and the best ep to be Moffat's The Girl In the Fireplace...

Notice a pattern? ;)

You wouldn't mind having Tennant as your 'Fireplace Man'?

[The Guitar Slayer]

You wouldn't mind having Tennant as your 'Fireplace Man'?

Whatever makes you think that?

(miniature Dalek rolls by waving fangirl banner) :D

[James]

It was fun, but often retro naff than retro cool.

Two human guards to be disposed off by Jake and Mickey? So old hat and formula.

The hacking into the computers of a genius who happens to be one of the richest men in the UK using a keyboard and a spare five minutes seemed very naff. Fine for War Games in the early 80s, but now it just seems silly.

Why did the Cybermen take Rose to their leader? Again, it just seemed a little lazy.

It was fun to watch and some lovely scenes (The death of Moore, the engaged Cybermen, the departure of Mickey, Pete's reaction to her daughter), but it just didn't feel polished enough, falling into naff trappings than cool retro. Still gets a 4 for being fun.

[IanC]

Why did the Cybermen take Rose to their leader? Again, it just seemed a little lazy.
They took Pete to there leader, Rose just happaned to be with him.

[James]

They took Pete to there leader, Rose just happaned to be with him.

Precisely. Why? If I was a Cyberman, I'd seperate her out for upgrades. She's superfluous to requirement. Only Pete had relevance.

[The Guitar Slayer]

Precisely. Why? If I was a Cyberman, I'd seperate her out for upgrades. She's superfluous to requirement. Only Pete had relevance.

She reacted identically to Peter. Peter is considered a VIP and a possible mole (confirmed earlier as Gemini by the resistance). Anyone in association with him could be part of Rickey's gang. Interrogate the two of them, find out more about the resistance, destroy them, and find the rest of the little rats.

Actually, if they retain their consciousness in a fashion similar to Jackie Cyberman, he could just ask them directly. "Who are you collaborating with?" Get it from two different sources and confirm it, or if they've been operating in different circles, get twice as many names. Either way, it makes sense to drag Rose along

[HellCat]

Remember that toy advert I was talking about?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JFm146YbWgE

[Conan-san]

Actually, if they retain their consciousness in a fashion similar to Jackie Cyberman, he could just ask them directly. "Who are you collaborating with?" Get it from two different sources and confirm it, or if they've been operating in different circles, get twice as many names. Either way, it makes sense to drag Rose along If Robotization has taught me anything about the process, memroies of pre-converson things are spoty at best and damnright unaccessible the rest of the time.

[Lord Dalek]

Well that was an improvement over part one. Still not the best Cybermen show ever (that of course would be The Invasion) but a good one none the less and much better than the last two. And what is with all this Mickey hate? He's much less annoying than a certain other companion that got written out in a Cyberman story.


Remember that toy advert I was talking about?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JFm146YbWgEGive me Sky Ray Lollies anyday.

[HellCat]

Well that was an improvement over part one. Still not the best Cybermen show ever (that of course would be The Invasion) but a good one none the less and much better than the last two. And what is with all this Mickey hate? He's much less annoying than a certain other companion that got written out in a Cyberman story.

Give me Sky Ray Lollies anyday.

From the fans or the characters? I know me and many others have preferred Mickey this season, since Rose has become self centered and obsesses over The Doctor.

[MonkeyFunk]

Remember that toy advert I was talking about?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JFm146YbWgE

When's the football version coming out?

[Rasputin]

This was a fun little two-parter. Nice little commentary on how our need to update our mobiles every six months will doom us all!

I actually didn't mind Lumic that much, oddly enough. I guess I found his voice fun to imitate but his hamminess appealed to me. Then he turned into the Cyber Controller and I found it a neat touch that even though everyone else's emotions led them to despair over themselves, he out of all of them remained unrepentant.

That said, it was awfully actiony this week. I'm looking forward to Gatiss's episode next week as a nice rejoinder. I'm also interested in whether the Cybermen will make a reappearance. They're great villains.

[HellCat]

Thought this was worth sharing, one fan's interpretation of how the Ninth Doctor came to be.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=x2ihlJ7Yggw&search=Doctor%20Who%20regeneration

[The Guitar Slayer]

Nice job. I see they used CE's death in Blackpool (I think) to merge with McGann's face from something else. I quite like it, actually.

I'm still holding out hope that McGann will come back and do the whole thing justice on this new series, as a flashback or crossover.

[James]

Nice job. I see they used CE's death in Blackpool (I think) to merge with McGann's face from something else. I quite like it, actually.

I'm still holding out hope that McGann will come back and do the whole thing justice on this new series, as a flashback or crossover.

It's nice work. I enjoyed it, even with the Cyberfleet's inclusion. Clever little montage.

[HellCat]

Nice job. I see they used CE's death in Blackpool (I think) to merge with McGann's face from something else. I quite like it, actually.

I'm still holding out hope that McGann will come back and do the whole thing justice on this new series, as a flashback or crossover.

Maybe when we get the 11th McGann, Eccleston, Tennant and the new guy can do "The Four Doctors"?

[The Guitar Slayer]

You may have to wait awhile for that scenario! Tennant isn't going to leave unless they kick him out, so he may be in for a T. Baker-like stint as the Doctor. What I'd like to see is The (last) Six Doctors versus Tom Baker as the Master. Now THAT would be fantastic. :D

[James]

I'm a big McCoy fan so I'd be happy with McCoy, Tennany, McGann and Eccleston. That would be cool. A definite for when the ratings start to drop, which as with all things, they will eventually..

[HellCat]

I'm a big McCoy fan so I'd be happy with McCoy, Tennany, McGann and Eccleston. That would be cool. A definite for when the ratings start to drop, which as with all things, they will eventually..

I've actually been wondering similar lately- will any of us live to see Doctors 11-13? And what will happen when the 13th Doctor arrives? Will the writers give him a fresh set of regenerations?

I wouldn't mind seeing McCoy in a team up but Davies is apparently against it hence why I suggested starting with McGann who they could better link to Eccleston.

[The Guitar Slayer]

I have no doubt we'll be alive to see it, as will the majority of the kids who hid behind the couch in the 1960s. Of course, the Beeb will make sure there is a way to continue the Doctor long after the 13th.