Attack of the Cybermen

The Cybermen are messing about with time travel.

This story attempts to clear up some of the continuity and trace the history of the Cybermen, but it ends up causing even more confusion. Additionally,the writers have squeezed in as many gratuitous continuity references as possible, such as Totters Lane and the Chameleon Circuit. It is all a little too much.

The story is action-packed and fairly entertaining, but is absurdly complex. It is in severe need of a trimming.

Peri is dull and irritating in this story. Colin Baker puts in a good and typically pompous performance as the Sixth Doctor. He may irritate, but he is clearly our beloved Doctor.

The Cybermen in this story are pathetic. They are vulnerable to bullets and the Doctor's sonic lance. Their decaptitated heads also appear to be purely mechanical.

Why was it necessary for the original actor from Tomb of the Cybermen to play the Cybercontroller? His voice was not being used. With the advance of age, he simply too overweight for the role.

The Cryons are a well-conceived alien species, but it does seem odd that they got no mention in Tomb of the Cybermen, given that they were around all that time.

There is a lot of violence in this story. The crushing of Lytton's hands is particularly unpleasent and unnecessary.

With the emphasis on continuity, it is odd that the Doctor should know Lytton so well, as they never actually met in Resurrection of the Daleks. Perhpaps they met offscreen. It also seems strange that the Doctor believes he has misjudged Lytton when he finds out he is working for the Cryons. It is not like mercenaries only ever work for the bad guys!