History Recap / DoctorWhoS22E1AttackOfTheCybermen

* StandardSnippet: When the TARDIS turns into a pipe organ, the Doctor plays the opening notes to Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor".

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* [=~What Happened to the Mouse?~=]

Some of the best ''Series/DoctorWho'' stories have been written by fans of the show. "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E3FullCircle Full Circle]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E10Blink Blink]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E13Doomsday Doomsday]]"...

...and then there's "Attack of the Cybermen", which is the kind of thing that gives fan fiction a bad name. It's a sequel to two decades-old Cybermen stories ("[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Tomb of the Cybermen]]"),[[hottip:*:It should be noted that, in spite of the name on the script belonging to one "Paula Moore," the episode was actually created by Eric Saward with help by BigNameFan Ian Levine, the former working under a friend's name to escape the BBC ditching the script due to union laws. Many people seem to think they should have ditched it anyhow.]] trying to handwave the fact that the Distant Future setting of the former had suddenly become '''next year''', and thereby bringing it to the attention of many people who would not otherwise have noticed or cared.

To spoil what happens, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks A villain from last season]] returns, does something ambiguously noble, and the Doctor is made to say nice things about him. The TARDIS's chameleon circuit is suddenly working again for reasons not even the Doctor can quite understand, despite the fact that he was trying to fix it ([[StatusQuoIsGod of course it stops working again at the end]]). Many think it was just an excuse to have the TARDIS shaped as something different for "comedic" relief. There's a pointless visit to the junkyard in which [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E1AnUnearthlyChild the series' very first episode was set]] (which, like the Tomb of the Cybermen, looks nothing like it did [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen last time we saw it]]). Needless to say, [[{{Understatement}} the plot is a big ol' mess]].

Meanwhile, on Earth, [[strike:someone who's totally not familiar]] [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} Commander Gustave Lytton]] has been living a somewhat low-key life after quitting his job for the Daleks. And by "low-key," we mean "organized a gang to rob banks throughout London." And, indeed, Lytton's newest plan is to steal £10 Million in diamonds by digging under the bank and breaking up through the ground of the vault. One of his gang, Russel, is worried this will bring the cops down on them. Well, it certainly will - Russel is an ''undercover cop''. But, as we're in an Eric Saward script, this actually is more of a throw-away fact. Anyway, Lytton leads his gaggle of gangsters down into the AbsurdlySpaciousSewer of London, but not before activating a transmitter of some sort.

Landing in a car repair shop, the TARDIS decides to turn into a pipe organ. It's nice to see the TARDIS has somehow inherited this incarnation of the Doctor's sense of dress perfectly. Our time traveling heroes muck about and are nearly ambushed by [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} a random pair of policemen toting guns]].[[hottip:*:The episode gives us no reason for their appearance, it just assumes that you remember they're the two guys who escaped with Lytton at the end of ''Ressurection'', but of course there's no particular reason that you ''should'' remember this. According to the ExpandedUniverse, they're Lytton's bodyguards. This does make some sense, but not much.]] Soundly trouncing them ''(and maybe even killing one of the pair - we never ''do'' see what the Doctor does to him.)'', Peri and the Doctor decide to also go into the sewers for... some reason.

Back with Lytton, one of the four gangsters has decided to head off for a smoke... and is promptly beaten to a gruesome bloody death by whatever assaulted the pair of workers in the start of the episode. Lytton and his remaining team come to a dead end, only to be ambushed by Cybermen! Yes, [[CaptainObvious the guys in the title]], who'd have thought?! One of Lytton's men decides to shoot the Cyberman, but Lytton decides to disarm his comrade and [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor offers his services to the Cybermen]]. Russel, quite sensibly, flees from the scene--only to run into the Doctor and Peri coming the other way. Wow, what are the odds?

Wayyyyyy off on another planet, the Cybermen's adopted homeworld of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Telos]], a pair of guys named Bates and Stratton stumble around, working for the Cybermen in shiny silver suits. They decide to rebel and kill a Cybermen to use the head to sneak into Cyber Control to... do something. Apparently, the Cybermen have stolen a time machine--which may or may not have once belonged to Bates and Stratton--and will soon use it for their own, nefarious ends. B&S[[hottip:*:For some people, this is a most appropriate abbreviation]] want to steal it back and use it to escape. [[IdiotPlot Because a pair of random human prisoners totally have the skill to fly a time machine]].

Back on Earth, the Doctor, Peri and their new friend Russel go back to the TARDIS ''(but not before the Doctor kills a few Cybermen with a Sonic Lance)'' to talk about what they're going to do next. Sadly, they're ambushed by Cybermen--and their new pets, Lytton and his crony Griffiths, are with them. Russel is killed promptly after [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome killing two Cybermen with just a simple pistol]] [[hottip:*: [[FridgeLogic And just how'd he manage that, anyway?]] Did Russel borrow some ammunition from [[TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]] or what the hell?]], and no one mourns his passing. The Cyber Leader decides that killing Russel just wasn't enough, so he orders his men to kill Peri as weWOOOOOOOOOSH! End of episode!

Meanwhile, a lone Cyberman (Cyberperson?) is revived on Telos... only for it to go randomly berserk for no reason and destroy things. Apparently, this is happening to all the Cybermen in stasis, but we're never told why in this story. [[hottip:*:Or any story. It's ''implied'' to be the work of the Cryons, maybe, but never stated outright.]] Anyway, the TARDIS arrives on Telos, this time turning into a massive ornamental gate that everyone walks through... but they're in the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Tombs of the Cybermen]][[hottip:*:Which look nothing like they used to, incidentally.]]rather than Cyber Control because the Doctor decided to fudge the coordinates. As everyone goes up to Cyber Control, another random Cyberman breaks out of his cryo-freeze chamber and goes berserk because why the fuck not? Lytton, Griffiths and Peri escape--only to nearly get killed by ''another'' rogue Cyberman because... well just because it's been a while since something ''really'' contrived happened. [[strike:Contrivedly]] Luckily, they're saved by the Cryons! Peri goes off to get out of the way with one Cryon while another Cryon meets with Lytton and Griffiths. As it turns out, [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Lytton]] is really working for the Cryons in their struggle to destroy the Cybermen and prevent them from using B&S' captured time machine. Griffiths joins in, mostly thanks to the fact that the Cryons are filthy rich and offer him £2 Million in diamonds. The two then find B&S, and it is revealed that the pair of criminals are actually [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul failed Cyber-conversions]], left with robot arms and legs. This doesn't really have anything to do with the story[[hottip:*:Does sort of explain how they manage to decapitate a Cyberman guard with shovel so easily]], but does set up something for later.

The Cybermen, meanwhile, show off some remarkably good thinking and decide to lock the Doctor up in a closet doubling as a refrigerator. A closet that contains with the former Cryon leader, Flast. You may or may not notice, but Flast's chest is even bigger than Peri's. Since she's wearing a really stupid costume the effect is lost. None of this is actually relevant to the story but by this point the plot has not only gone completely off the rails but also plunged into a very deep gorge, so it really doesn't matter. Did we mention that closet [[LockingMacGyverInTheStoreCupboard contains enough explosives to completely destroy the Cybermen on Telos with little effort]]? No? Well, it does.

Lytton is re-captured by the Cybermen, who decide to crush his hands for no reason except that Saward and the director wanted an excuse to show a bunch of blow spraying all over. Then they cyber-convert him because at this point why not? The remaining three Cryon agents finally make it up to the landing pad where that time ship has landed. What's that? You forgot about the time ship? Eh, it doesn't matter anyway, since our three would-be time travelers are randomly killed off by the Cybermen instead. Flast is also killed off by being dragged outside the cold storage room, because Eric Saward always felt that [[KillEmAll the series needed more people dying]].

Possessing perfect dramatic timing, the Cyber Controller and several Cybermen show up and threatens the Doctor with guns. Lytton decides he'll have none of that shit and karate chops the Cyber Controller[[hottip:*:Well OK, actually the Doctor handed a knife to Lytton so he can stab the Controller with it.]], letting the Doctor grab the Controller's gun. This turns out to be Lytton's [[HeroicSacrifice final deed]], as the Doctor blows away all of the Cybermen with his newfound love of violence. The Doctor doesn't really want to leave Lytton behind, but Peri drags the Doctor off just before the place explodes. Inside the TARDIS, however, the Doctor expresses regrets over how he treated Lytton and how wrong he was about the guy.

The second story of the Colin Baker era has drawn to a close, and so far the era seems to be batting nil for two... but at least Colin Baker did his best with what he was given.

* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Large enough to stand up comfortably in. In London. Yeah.
** On the plus side, [[{{SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome}} the lighting]] is ''awesome'' for these sewers.
*** London sewers are generally massive. Seriously, just image search for "london sewers".

* BrokenBase: There are several fans who actually like this serial, exactly because it's ContinuityPorn.
* ContinuityLockout

* CreepyMonotone: Unsurpisingly the Cybermen (partially). Suprisingly with the usually bit flippant David Banks' Cyber-Leader, who is a lot less scenery-chewing this time around, which makes him sound very intimidating. This is not kept in the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E3SilverNemesis next serial]], sadly.

* RunningTheAsylum: Possibly, given the claim by Ian Levine that he had co-written the serial. While Eric Saward will deny this, the simple fact of "Who the hell would ''want'' credit for this thing?" is enough to make things uncertain.
** Eric Saward also applies whenever Cybermen are involved. His insistence that Cybermen are totally awesome has actually ticked off many a writer, including long-time [[Series/DoctorWho Who]] writer Terrance Dicks during the writing of [[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]].

* ThirtyGambitPileup

** Eric Saward also applies whenever Cybermen are involved. His insistence that Cybermen are totally awesome has actually ticked off many a writer, including long-time [[DoctorWho Who]] writer Terrance Dicks during the writing of [[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]].

Some of the best ''DoctorWho'' stories have been written by fans of the show. "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E3FullCircle Full Circle]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E10Blink Blink]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E13Doomsday Doomsday]]"...

*** Like these one? In London? http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/london_sewers/sewer2.jpg

* KillEmAll

* CreepyMonotone: Unsurpisingly the Cybermen (partially). Suprisingly with the usually bit flippant David Banks' Cyber-Leader, who is a lot less scenery-chewing this time around, which makes him sound very intimidating.

* LargeHam: Literally and figuratively in the Cyber-Controller's case. In addition to being physically large, he spends most of the story seemingly channelling WilliamShatner for whatever reason, contributing to the {{Narm}} factor of this story.

* ThirtyXanatosPileup

Meanwhile, a lone Cyber unit is revived on Telos... only for it to go randomly berserk for no reason and destroy things. Apparently, this is happening to all the Cybermen in stasis, but we're never told why in this story. [[hottip:*:Or any story. It's ''implied'' to be the work of the Cryons, but never stated.]] Anyway, the TARDIS arrives on Telos, this time turning into a massive ornamental gate that everyone walks through... but they're in the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Tombs of the Cybermen]] rather than Cyber Control because the Doctor decided to fudge the coordinates. As everyone goes up to Cyber Control, another random Cyberman breaks out of his cryo-freeze chamber and goes berserk. Lytton, Griffiths and Peri escape - only to nearly get killed by ''another'' rogue Cyberman. Luckily, they're saved by the Cryons! Peri goes off to get out of the way with one Cryon while another Cryon meets with Lytton and Griffiths. As it turns out, [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Lytton]] is really working for the Cryons in their struggle to destroy the Cybermen and prevent them from using B&S' captured time machine. Griffiths joins in, mostly thanks to the fact that the Cryons are filthy rich and offer him £2 Million in diamonds. The two then find B&S, and it is revealed that the pair of criminals are actually [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul failed Cyber-conversions]], left with robot arms and legs. This doesn't really have anything to do with the story[[hottip:*:Does sort of explain how they manage to decapitate a Cyberman guard with shovel so easily]], but does set up something for later.

The Cybermen, meanwhile, show off some remarkably good thinking and decide to lock the Doctor up in a closet doubling as a refrigerator. A closet with the former Cryon leader, Flast, inside, and [[LockingMacGyverInTheStoreCupboard enough explosives to completely destroy the Cybermen on Telos with little effort]]. Predictably, the Doctor and Flast come up with a plan in order to make everything blow up - but it seems that Flast cannot leave the room, as Cryons cannot survive at room temperature. But hey, [[HeroicSacrifice she's willing to warm up the explosives]] to the point where they'll automatically explode. The Doctor uses a small amount of the explosive to kill off the Cyberman guard, then just leaves Flast to await her death after thanking her for what little help she provided.

Lytton is re-captured by the Cybermen, who decide to crush his hands for no reason and then cyber-convert him. The remaining three Cryon agents finally make it up to the landing pad where B&S' time ship has landed... only to be randomly killed off by the Cybermen instead. Flast is also killed off by being dragged outside the cold storage room, because Eric Saward always felt that [[KillEmAll the series needed more people dying]].

Luckily, the Doctor finds Peri and the other Cryons, and they get to the TARDIS. The Doctor informs the Cryons of the incoming explosions, and the Cryons say they'll go down deep into their tunnels to escape the explosions - but not before telling the Doctor that Lytton was working for them all along and wasn't really that big of a dick in the first place. Our time traveling heroes, meanwhile, take the TARDIS up to Cyber Control to save Lytton and talk to the Cyber Controller for a little bit. For her part, the TARDIS has decided [[StatusQuoIsGod to return to being a blue police box again]] for reasons better left unexplained. The Doctor tries to free Lytton, but he's been converted well over most of his body and instead [[MercyKill begs for death]] while the Doctor actually starts to apologize for how he treated him earlier.

Possessing perfect dramatic timing, the Cyber Controller and several Cybermen show up and threatens the Doctor with guns. Lytton decides he'll have none of that shit and karate chops the Cyber Controller[[hottip:*:Well okay, actually the Doctor handed a knife to Lytton so he can stab the Controller with it.]], letting the Doctor grab the Controller's gun. This turns out to be Lytton's [[HeroicSacrifice final deed]], as the Doctor blows away all of the Cybermen with his newfound love of violence. The Doctor doesn't really want to leave Lytton behind, but Peri drags the Doctor off just before the place explodes. Inside the TARDIS, however, the Doctor expresses regrets over how he treated Lytton and how wrong he was about the guy.

Back on Earth, the Doctor, Peri and their new friend Russel go back to the TARDIS ''(but not before the Doctor kills a few Cybermen with a Sonic Lance)'' to talk about what they're going to do next. Sadly, they're ambushed by Cybermen - and their new pets, Lytton and his crony Griffiths, are with them. Russel is killed promptly after [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome killing two Cybermen with just a simple pistol]] [[hottip:*: [[FridgeLogic And just how'd he manage that, anyway?]] Did Russel borrow some ammunition from [[TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]] or what the hell?]], and no one mourns his passing. The Cyber Leader decides that killing Russel just wasn't enough, so he orders his men to kill Peri as weWOOOOOOOOOSH! End of episode!

Well, the Doctor doesn't really like the idea that Peri could be killed, so he threatens to blow up the TARDIS if they do. The Cyber Leader decides "well, why not" and simply exposits at the Doctor instead. As it turns out, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen the Cyber Controller]] is totally still alive and not dead despite blowing up [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen the last time we saw him]][[hottip:*:He also seems to have [[{{AdiposeRex}} gained a few pounds]] since the last time we saw him.]] Because the story is nowhere near over, the Doctor begrudgingly agrees to set course for Telos and is then tossed into a random room somewhere in the TARDIS alongside everyone else. One wonders if [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock that missing Cyberman from a previous regeneration's adventure]] showed up again during this time. Either way, the Doctor fills everyone ''(audience included)'' in on what the hell's going on, explaining about the Cybermen, their leadership and their adopted planet. He also adds information in on the [[RememberTheNewGuy totally old-Who classic aliens]] the Cryons. Apparently, the Cybermen killed all of them off and used their cities to keep their people in suspended animation. And Lytton knows all of this too, [[BlatantLies which will certainly never tie in to anything in this story]].

Back with Lytton, one of the four gangsters has decided to head off for a smoke... and is promptly beaten to a gruesome bloody death by whatever assaulted the pair of workers in the start of the episode. Lytton and his remaining team come to a dead end, only to be ambushed by Cybermen! Yes, [[CaptainObvious the guys in the title]], who'd have thought?! One of Lytton's men decides to shoot the Cyberman, but Lytton decides to disarm his comrade and [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor offers his services to the Cybermen]]. Russel, quite sensibly, flees from the scene - only to run into the Doctor and Peri coming the other way.

Wayyyyyy off on another planet, the Cybermen's adopted homeworld of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Telos]], a pair of guys named Bates and Stratton stumble around, working for the Cybermen in shiny silver suits. They decide to rebel and kill a Cybermen to use the head to sneak into Cyber Control to... do something. Apparently, the Cybermen have stolen Bates and Stratton's own time machine and will soon use it for their own, nefarious ends. B&S[[hottip:*:For some people, this is a most appropriate abbreviation]] want to steal it back and use it to escape. [[IdiotPlot Because a pair of low-key petty criminals totally have a time machine]].

Back on Earth, the Doctor, Peri and their new friend Russel go back to the TARDIS ''(but not before the Doctor kills a few Cybermen with a Sonic Lance)'' to talk about what they're going to do next. Sadly, they're ambushed by Cybermen - and their new pets, Lytton and his crony Griffiths, are with them. Russel is killed promptly after [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome killing two Cybermen with just a simple pistol]], and no one mourns his passing. The Cyber Leader decides that killing Russel just wasn't enough, so he orders his men to kill Peri as weWOOOOOOOOOSH! End of episode!

Well, the Doctor doesn't really like the idea that Peri could be killed, so he threatens to blow up the TARDIS if they do. The Cyber Leader decides "well, why not" and simply exposits at the Doctor instead. As it turns out, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen the Cyber Controller]] is totally still alive and not dead despite blowing up [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen the last time we saw him]][[hottip:*:He also seems to [[AdiposeRex gain a few pounds the last time we saw him.]] The Doctor begrudgingly agrees to set course for Telos and is then tossed into a random room in the TARDIS alongside everyone else. One wonders if [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock that missing Cyberman from a previous regeneration's adventure]] showed up again during this time. Either way, the Doctor fills everyone ''(audience included)'' in on what the hell's going on, explaining about the Cybermen, their leadership and their adopted planet. He also adds information in on the [[RememberTheNewGuy totally old-Who classic aliens]] the Cryons. Apparently, the Cybermen killed all of them off and used their cities to keep their people in suspended animation. And Lytton knows all of this too, [[BlatantLies which will certainly never tie in to anything in this story]].

Landing in a car repair shop, the TARDIS decides to turn into a pipe organ. It's nice to see the TARDIS has somehow inherited this incarnation of the Doctor's sense of dress perfectly. Our time traveling heroes muck about and are nearly ambushed by [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} a random pair of policemen toting guns]].[[hottip:*:The episode gives us no reason for their appearance, while the ExpandedUniverse explains that they're Lytton's bodyguards. This does make some sense, but not much.]] Soundly trouncing them ''(and maybe even killing one of the pair - we never ''do'' see what the Doctor does to him.)'', Peri and the Doctor decide to also go into the sewers for... some reason.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cybergun_6026.jpg

Landing in a car repair shop, the TARDIS decides to turn into an organ. [[UnfortunateImplications No, we mean the musical instrument]]. It's nice to see the TARDIS has somehow inherited this incarnation of the Doctor's sense of dress perfectly. Our time traveling heroes muck about and are nearly ambushed by [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} a random pair of policemen toting guns]].[[hottip:*:The episode gives us no reason for their appearance, while the ExpandedUniverse explains that they're Lytton's bodyguards. This does make some sense, but not much.]] Soundly trouncing them ''(and maybe even killing one of the pair - we never ''do'' see what the Doctor does to him.)'', Peri and the Doctor decide to also go into the sewers for... some reason.

Well, the Doctor doesn't really like the idea that Peri could be killed, so he threatens to blow up the TARDIS if they do. The Cyber Leader decides "well, why not" and simply exposits at the Doctor instead. As it turns out, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen the Cyber Controller]] is totally still alive and not dead despite blowing up [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen the last time we saw him]][[hottip:*:He also seems to [[AdiposeRex gain a few pounds the last time we saw him.]] [[{{Narm}} The result is as laughable as it sounds]]]]. The Doctor begrudgingly agrees to set course for Telos and is then tossed into a random room in the TARDIS alongside everyone else. One wonders if [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock that missing Cyberman from a previous regeneration's adventure]] showed up again during this time. Either way, the Doctor fills everyone ''(audience included)'' in on what the hell's going on, explaining about the Cybermen, their leadership and their adopted planet. He also adds information in on the [[RememberTheNewGuy totally old-Who classic aliens]] the Cryons. Apparently, the Cybermen killed all of them off and used their cities to keep their people in suspended animation. And Lytton knows all of this too, [[BlatantLies which will certainly never tie in to anything in this story]].

Some of the best ''DoctorWho'' stories have been written by fans of the show. "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E3FullCircle Full Circle]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E10Blink Blink]]", [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E13Doomsday Doomsday]]...

Some of the best ''DoctorWho'' stories have been written by fans of the show. "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E3FullCircle Full Circle]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]", the entirety of [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E1Rose Season 27]]...

--

The second story of the Colin Baker era has drawn to a close, and so far the era seems to be batting nil for two... but at least Colin Baker did [[YourMileageMayVary pretty damned good]] with what he was given.

* DethroningMusicOfSuck: This episode has arguably the worst music score in the entire history of the series. Basically, imagine the much better music from "Earthshock" (which, incredibly, was by the same composer) and mix it with electronic farting, "comedy" music and screeching noises until the result ''literally'' causes you physical painful when listening, and you have the music from this episode.

* {{Narm}}: The Cybermen somehow manages to be [[BeyondTheImpossible more narmier]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock than last time]]. For starters, the actor playing the Cyber-Controller really doesn't fit in his outfit and the voices for the Cybermen completely destroys any dramatic weight the scene might had.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Some of the set-designs are actually pretty good, once you ignore how the Cyber-Tombs look nothing like they were before.

* YouLookFamiliar: Terry Molloy winds up in a non-Davros role as Russel.
* [[YourMileageMayVary Your Mileage WILL Vary]]: Many think this is one of the worst tales in Doctor Who, or at least the worst written by Eric Saward. Others think it's par for the course of Eric Saward's style and the era itself.[[hottip:*:This is what ColinBaker feels, actually]] Still others think it's not that bad, while a small few think it's a great story.
** And some of those who feel this was a pretty bad story at least admit that Colin Baker ''tried'' to do more than just read off lines... if not feel that he was simply, like many, screwed over by the script.

----

* AdiposeRex: The Cyber-Controller. It makes as much sense as it sounds(I.E. [[FridgeLogic Not at all]]).

* CreepyMonotone: Unsurpisingly the Cybermen (partially). Suprisingly with the usually bit flippant David Banks' Cyber-Leader, who is a lot less scenery-chewing this time around, which make him sound very intimidating.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Terry Molloy winds up in a non-Davros role as Russel.

Meanwhile, on Earth, [[strike:someone who's totally not familiar]] [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} Commander Gustave Lytton]] has been living a somewhat low-key life after quitting his job for the Daleks. And by "low-key," we mean "organized a gang to rob banks throughout London." And, indeed, Lytton's newest plan is to steal 10 million pounds worth in diamonds by digging under the bank and breaking up through the ground of the vault. One of his gang, Russel, is worried this will bring the cops down on them. Well, it certainly will - Russel is an ''undercover cop''. But, as we're in an Eric Saward script, this actually is more of a throw-away fact. Anyway, Lytton leads his gaggle of gangsters down into the AbsurdlySpaciousSewer of London, but not before activating a transmitter of some sort.