The Tomb of the Cybermen [TV/1967.9.2 ~ 9.23]

★★★☆☆

  After this most recent rewatch, I can imagine some people coming out of the woodworks to claim that The Tomb of the Cybermen is due a large-scale critical re-evaluation. Thing is, though, Tomb has already had a critical re-evaluation; if I remember correctly, in the last ten years it's had several differing overall receptions from the Dr. Who community. Some people hold onto the notion that it's a masterpiece of the Patrick Troughton era, some other people call it an absolutely dire piece of television, and others yet are simply nonplussed by how much discourse is caused by something they consider unremarkable in every way. Me? I'm somewhere along thereabouts. I think The Tomb of the Cybermen is good, a solid piece of television with great sets and performances, and a fascinating premise to boot. Its reputation, I believe, is also much overblown, and it's not as polished, imaginative or effective as people say.

  Telos would go on to be a seminal part of Cyberman history, and it's no wonder. If there's one thing this serial does well, it's telling the audience so much with such a limited amount of set pieces. The control room, the booby-trapped weapon testing facility, and the frozen underground tomb -- they all show such a width of imagination that's unique to Who, and I just get a giddy thrill everytime something of this nature comes up onscreen. The entire cast seems to be enjoying the detailed sets as well, in particular Troughton as the Doctor and Frazer Hines as Jamie. The two are legendary at this point, solving problems hand-in-hand and saving each other's behinds, and the actors share an indomitable chemistry. Add in Victoria, and they're caretakers easing a new friend into the life of time-and-space-travel. There's a ton of fun to be had in Tomb, and add that with some iconic moments for the Cybermen (breaking out of their tombs, waking up their Controller, the terror of the Cybermats), it's no wonder it captured the minds of many.

  I'm not here to dish out hot takes about Tomb here. I very much like the serial, and appreciate all that it does. I'm just being honest with the readers of my review when I say it has quite a few downsides as well (the rather slow pacing which is quite ridiculous when it's not even that long, the frankly uninteresting side characters, the generally middling effect of utilising base-under-siege tropes), and that I wouldn't call it a highlight of the Troughton era. That said, although there are Cyberman adventures and Second Doctor adventures more to my tastes... I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Tomb of the Cybermen to new viewers. To watch the serial's most iconic moments in is original broadcast form is a treat we really don't deserve.