A rollercoaster waltzer game of chess. As the Doctor plays the Doctor under stress. At stake the universe. Cybernetically dispersed. Silver soldiers seek your mind to reprocess.
27 Reviews
All the Fun of the Fair...
Xstal26 December 2021
not the best from Gaiman
lightningbarer6 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
There's a lot I could say about the latest installment of the Cyberman run in who, a lot I wish I could say without coming off as insulting. This isn't a great episode, not by a long shot, and what is good is mired inside a lot of rubbish, take the underdeveloped plot of the Emperor, who was Porridge and other than the tiny little bit of him not wanting the responsibility of ruling? I don't mind the secondary and background characters that much, they were mostly there as Red Shirts to die, but some of them were problematic to say the least, killing of the Captain so early on was a mistake in my book, I would have preferred something like Ha-Ha taking centre stage at being the serious leader when the dogmatic and regimental Captain can't, but that's just me. I don't know how this happened really, other than internal meddling or too much responsibility handed to Gaiman, everyone can have a stinker every now and again. I love the new design of the Cybermen, they finally look more than the Cybers industry replicas we've seen since the revival. The short amount of internal dialogue between "Mr.Clever" and The Doctor were wonderful, seeing Matt Smith play off himself as he does two different characters was great.
Yet what I can' stand about Who is the terrible use of children in episodes. I know that certain episodes like to show things from a child's point of view. But why? Why oh why do we always have to get young actors who can't act? Merry Gejelh was a beautiful ray of sunshine for me in Rings of Akhaten, for the black cloud that hangs over this season is Angie and Artie are possibly the most annoying characters who has had since Adric, and that includes the whole Tyler family.
And the argument that probably has to come up eventually is the Cyberman-Borg comparison as they've taken a lot of the Borg characteristics on in this, I don't mind that much as the Cybermen were around a long time before the Borg, but some will complain.
Yet what I can' stand about Who is the terrible use of children in episodes. I know that certain episodes like to show things from a child's point of view. But why? Why oh why do we always have to get young actors who can't act? Merry Gejelh was a beautiful ray of sunshine for me in Rings of Akhaten, for the black cloud that hangs over this season is Angie and Artie are possibly the most annoying characters who has had since Adric, and that includes the whole Tyler family.
And the argument that probably has to come up eventually is the Cyberman-Borg comparison as they've taken a lot of the Borg characteristics on in this, I don't mind that much as the Cybermen were around a long time before the Borg, but some will complain.
The Doctor is 'possessed' by a Cyberman!
Tweekums12 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
After the children, Angie and Artie, figured out that Clara was somehow time travelling with The Doctor they blackmail her into taking them somewhere exciting. That somewhere turns out to be the largest amusement park in the galaxy
unfortunately it is now closed so Angie declares that it is boring. They aren't alone on the planet; there is Webley, a group of soldiers and Porridge; a dwarf. Angie wants them to leave but The Doctor wants to investigate some strange insects he has seen. It turns out these are cyber-mites and they can cause people to become part of the Cybermen's collective conscience. They manage to infect the children and later on even The Doctor, although his superior mind means he can engage in a mental battle with his new cyber-personality. Before being infected he put Clara in charge of the soldiers and they must fight off the Cybermen until he can regain control of himself.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this episode; on the one hand the presence of the children had the potential to be very annoying given how they were in the previous episode, on the other it was written by Neil Gaiman. It became clear early on that the children were destined to be irritating; especially Angie who was bored despite being on another planet to make matters worse she is the one who uncovers the 'big twist' at the end. I thought the people infected by the Cybermites looked a bit too much like 'Star Trek's' Borg only far less scary. So much for the negatives, on the positive side it was fun to see Matt Smith switching between playing The Doctor and the cyber entity that was possessing him and there were good performances from the main guest stars; Warwick Davis, Tamzin Outhwaite and Jason Watkins. It was good to see Clara taking control of the situation and even better that she has finally discovered that for some reason she intrigues The Doctor; even if she doesn't know why he thinks of her as 'The Impossible Girl'. Overall I'd say this episode was a bit of a disappointment; not terrible but not as good as I'd hoped.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this episode; on the one hand the presence of the children had the potential to be very annoying given how they were in the previous episode, on the other it was written by Neil Gaiman. It became clear early on that the children were destined to be irritating; especially Angie who was bored despite being on another planet to make matters worse she is the one who uncovers the 'big twist' at the end. I thought the people infected by the Cybermites looked a bit too much like 'Star Trek's' Borg only far less scary. So much for the negatives, on the positive side it was fun to see Matt Smith switching between playing The Doctor and the cyber entity that was possessing him and there were good performances from the main guest stars; Warwick Davis, Tamzin Outhwaite and Jason Watkins. It was good to see Clara taking control of the situation and even better that she has finally discovered that for some reason she intrigues The Doctor; even if she doesn't know why he thinks of her as 'The Impossible Girl'. Overall I'd say this episode was a bit of a disappointment; not terrible but not as good as I'd hoped.
Not too shabby
scottyent8 October 2014
This episode wasn't too bad as a whole. Unlike most of the other episodes these days, this one didn't have me shaking my head when things just started getting silly or illogical. There were certainly a few moments that made me stop and think....but why?....but not nearly as many as the earlier episodes in this season.
Things I liked:
The doctor playing against himself was really interesting, and allowed Matt Smith to really do some fascinating acting
The plot was pretty cool, liked the abandoned worlds biggest amusement park, and upgraded cybermen
Good solid performance for Clara, a strong role where she really seemed to come into her own
Things I disliked:
The kids were definitely annoying
The fact that the Cybermen just instantly adapted to...anything. I get that they are smarter, better, and upgrade themselves to adjust, making them the ultimate weapon...I LOVE this idea...but it just seemed too much when they just insta-upgrade for literally anything. At least give them some time to regroup, instead of just power through everything.
I don't know why the emperor didn't just get them all beamed up in the first place. If all he had to do was say some words, and the bomb would be activated and they would all be beamed up to the main ship safely....uh, why not do that in the beginning? I get he didn't want to be emperor, but really? Let people die? Put plenty of people in danger? All because he didn't want to be the most powerful man in the universe? Idk, just seemed like a silly wrap up that had no real explanation of why he didn't just do that immediately
Things I liked:
The doctor playing against himself was really interesting, and allowed Matt Smith to really do some fascinating acting
The plot was pretty cool, liked the abandoned worlds biggest amusement park, and upgraded cybermen
Good solid performance for Clara, a strong role where she really seemed to come into her own
Things I disliked:
The kids were definitely annoying
The fact that the Cybermen just instantly adapted to...anything. I get that they are smarter, better, and upgrade themselves to adjust, making them the ultimate weapon...I LOVE this idea...but it just seemed too much when they just insta-upgrade for literally anything. At least give them some time to regroup, instead of just power through everything.
I don't know why the emperor didn't just get them all beamed up in the first place. If all he had to do was say some words, and the bomb would be activated and they would all be beamed up to the main ship safely....uh, why not do that in the beginning? I get he didn't want to be emperor, but really? Let people die? Put plenty of people in danger? All because he didn't want to be the most powerful man in the universe? Idk, just seemed like a silly wrap up that had no real explanation of why he didn't just do that immediately
When babysitting goes wrong.
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic20 February 2019
This is a fun, entertaining and interesting adventure with a great performance by Matt Smith.
This is written by famous fantasy genre writer Neil Gaiman. I think Moffatt aspired to make Doctor Who in Gaiman's fantasy style and Gaiman therefore fits in very well in this era of Who. Although that pure fantasy stuff isn't actually the style I want Doctor Who to generally be, I really like Gaiman's own fantasy work such as Good Omens and think he absolutely nailed the previous episode he wrote, The Doctor's Wife so this could have been another classic. However, it seems Gaiman felt somewhat restricted on this occasion and the episode wasn't quite what he wanted it to be. Therefore it isn't a classic in my opinion but I do think it is a solid, decent episode.
We get a Gaiman style fantasy world with steampunk vibes and Warwick Davies as a mysterious character called Porridge. Then it becomes a fun Cyberman story. The chess games against a Cyberman are perhaps influenced by the excellent 8th Doctor Big Finish audio adventure The Silver Turk. The scenes are certainly reminiscent of that story. It is a great idea so it is fun to see it created, slightly differently, on screen. I think Big Finish deserves more recognition for ideas it creates though.
The flaws I see in this episode include the slightly underwhelming children and the weird ease with which Clara becomes a confident military leader. The episode overall is certainly not the greatest plot or situation or perhaps quite what Gaiman really wanted it to be but the Cybermen are impressive and exciting and the script and action are very enjoyable.
Matt Smith's acting, especially in the scenes where the Doctor is fighting being taken over by the Cyber Leader, is impressive. Warwick Davies and Jason Watkins are strong guest stars and add quality too.
Overall I think this is a pretty nice 'filler' episode. It is not up to the standard of Neil Gaiman's earlier effort The Doctor's Wife but I think it is a bit under-rated.
My Rating: 7.5/10.
My Series 7 Episode Ranking: 7th out of 14.
This is written by famous fantasy genre writer Neil Gaiman. I think Moffatt aspired to make Doctor Who in Gaiman's fantasy style and Gaiman therefore fits in very well in this era of Who. Although that pure fantasy stuff isn't actually the style I want Doctor Who to generally be, I really like Gaiman's own fantasy work such as Good Omens and think he absolutely nailed the previous episode he wrote, The Doctor's Wife so this could have been another classic. However, it seems Gaiman felt somewhat restricted on this occasion and the episode wasn't quite what he wanted it to be. Therefore it isn't a classic in my opinion but I do think it is a solid, decent episode.
We get a Gaiman style fantasy world with steampunk vibes and Warwick Davies as a mysterious character called Porridge. Then it becomes a fun Cyberman story. The chess games against a Cyberman are perhaps influenced by the excellent 8th Doctor Big Finish audio adventure The Silver Turk. The scenes are certainly reminiscent of that story. It is a great idea so it is fun to see it created, slightly differently, on screen. I think Big Finish deserves more recognition for ideas it creates though.
The flaws I see in this episode include the slightly underwhelming children and the weird ease with which Clara becomes a confident military leader. The episode overall is certainly not the greatest plot or situation or perhaps quite what Gaiman really wanted it to be but the Cybermen are impressive and exciting and the script and action are very enjoyable.
Matt Smith's acting, especially in the scenes where the Doctor is fighting being taken over by the Cyber Leader, is impressive. Warwick Davies and Jason Watkins are strong guest stars and add quality too.
Overall I think this is a pretty nice 'filler' episode. It is not up to the standard of Neil Gaiman's earlier effort The Doctor's Wife but I think it is a bit under-rated.
My Rating: 7.5/10.
My Series 7 Episode Ranking: 7th out of 14.
Temporal error by the Doctor?
quyst18 May 2013
While I enjoy most of the Doctor Who episodes, I had two problems with this one. First, as I understood it, the Doctor had promised to return Clara to the home where she watched the family friend's children at a point where her absence wouldn't be perceived by them. Why, then, would they do a search for Clara on the internet and find all that "incriminating" time travel evidence and in such a short time (relative to their sense of time)? Additionally, if the Doctor chose to take them to the most amazing theme park in the galaxy, WHY would he take them to the point in time when it is a no longer operational, dilapidated theme park. One would think, IF he wanted them to have a fun, non-threatening time, he would have taken them to opening day or - if they wanted to avoid the crowds - a year or two before it shut down. Other than those things, I enjoyed it. :-D
Really not as bad as most would let you believe
maxglen16 November 2018
It's no masterclass but I found it very enjoyable, the visuals were stunning, the actors all did a fantastic job with the acceptation of the children who really are the only thing I didn't like about this episode. 8.0 out of 10 for me
amazing plot, terrific acting, wonderful action, horrible kids
MazTheOculus11 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
let me just say, that last episode felt...off. but this was VERY impressive. definitely one of the best of the season. so the basic plot is that the kids that Clara babysits find out about her time traveling, and ask her to take them somewhere, so they go to the biggest theme park in the galaxy, which is of course in the same spot as a punished crew guarding the planet against Cybermen. sounds sorta bad? trust me it gets better. the idea that they're so fully upgraded now, that that new cybermites can take over even a time lord, and the cybermen are completely invulnerable was really nice to see, and to see a very threatening villain(s), unlike a bad animated monster, a star, or an old woman with a weird thing on her breasts. now the acting was amazing. we got to see how Clara can not only be a mother like figure, but a general. also Matt smith's acting was really good. the way he changed his voice/tone when he talked as the cyberplanner really made it feel like an internal struggle, and the chess game also. the kids.... the only problem is the kids. they're just the biggest pain in the rear- end ever. the boy is just there to get controlled by the cybermite, and the girl, to act all sarcastic, but she just ends up pissing me off. really, REALLY useless characters, but i guess the episode would be weird without them. OVERALL: 8/10, Very Good.
(and the trailer for the next ep.....that itself is an 11/10)
(and the trailer for the next ep.....that itself is an 11/10)
I love Neil Gaiman
drnikic20 March 2024
And Warwick Davis and Jason Watkins. Both of them tend to steal any show they're in. Sadly, I didn't love this episode.
It was full of Gaiman's usual humour mixed with the very scary. The Cybermen have had an upgrade as per Steven Moffat's wishes. Soldiers are comic characters, although they lack the charisma of Aunty and Uncle from The Doctor's Wife (2011) I'm clearly becoming a grumpy old human, because the children annoyed the bejaysus out of me, especially the girl. What a brat. Tamsin Outhwaite doesn't get enough screentime either.
It all seemed a bit rushed, and Neil Gaiman himself was not happy with the finished product.
It was full of Gaiman's usual humour mixed with the very scary. The Cybermen have had an upgrade as per Steven Moffat's wishes. Soldiers are comic characters, although they lack the charisma of Aunty and Uncle from The Doctor's Wife (2011) I'm clearly becoming a grumpy old human, because the children annoyed the bejaysus out of me, especially the girl. What a brat. Tamsin Outhwaite doesn't get enough screentime either.
It all seemed a bit rushed, and Neil Gaiman himself was not happy with the finished product.
Matt's Best Acting
chitwtay12 August 2018
Ten is my favorite because Tennant is probably the greatest asset and actor of the BBC. Maybe even history. Matt Smith is pretty good, but he can't capture the Doctor like Ten did. However, I think this episode is the best acting as the Doctor that Matt ever accomplishes. I was blown away by his acting in this. He came close in A Good Man Goes to War, however, I think he's brilliant in this. It's the only episode I would actually say in that his acting is on par with David's.
Running Away From Yourself on a Roller Coaster
boblipton11 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The Doctor, Clara and a couple of children go to a far-future amusement park, where they discover that the Cybermen threaten to take over the universe ... by assimilating the Doctor. It also considers the season's theme of identity and lets us know that it is a far more obscure issue than it appears at first sight.
I have said in my review of "The Doctor's Wife" that Neil Gaiman, who also wrote this episode, is probably the best writer of fantasy now working. Although this episode appears to be far more usual an episode, its subtext is that no one is who they appear to be. We all show a particular face to the world, especially when we don't really like who we are. That, this episode tells us, is why the Doctor has regenerated ten times and can assume a new identity by waving his psychic paper; that is why the platoon on the planet turns out to be a punishment unit; that is why Clara is so interesting: after looking at her for almost a full season, no one really knows who she is; and that is why the Cybermen are so compelling to Gaiman and us: they have lost their identities completely. The only person who is what she appears to be is the platoon's captain and she dies. Apparently that's the punishment for identity.
It's not as compelling a story as Gaiman's last; it depends far more on the details of execution, but the Doctor Who production team is up to providing the fillips to keep it interesting and Matt Smith to the task of playing two characters almost simultaneously. In what has been a fairly rocky season, it is an excellent episode.
I have said in my review of "The Doctor's Wife" that Neil Gaiman, who also wrote this episode, is probably the best writer of fantasy now working. Although this episode appears to be far more usual an episode, its subtext is that no one is who they appear to be. We all show a particular face to the world, especially when we don't really like who we are. That, this episode tells us, is why the Doctor has regenerated ten times and can assume a new identity by waving his psychic paper; that is why the platoon on the planet turns out to be a punishment unit; that is why Clara is so interesting: after looking at her for almost a full season, no one really knows who she is; and that is why the Cybermen are so compelling to Gaiman and us: they have lost their identities completely. The only person who is what she appears to be is the platoon's captain and she dies. Apparently that's the punishment for identity.
It's not as compelling a story as Gaiman's last; it depends far more on the details of execution, but the Doctor Who production team is up to providing the fillips to keep it interesting and Matt Smith to the task of playing two characters almost simultaneously. In what has been a fairly rocky season, it is an excellent episode.
All the signs of a good episode are here and it would have got away with it too if not for those pesky kids!
zacpetch17 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I hate to be one to repeat the 'children cannot act' cliché but it's pretty hard to not say that when you get something like this. I'm reminded when I see the Maitland kids in this episode of something from a year later called "Kill The Moon" which also had an annoying kid aboard the TARDIS so clearly the production team didn't learn anything from this mistake.
The plot itself is actually decent enough: An amusement park in another galaxy is under threat by Cybermen and it's up to the 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald to stop them. It's a shame the two of them are joined by two of the most irritating kids I've ever witnessed on a TV show. Angie and Artie are not representative of real-world children: They're on another planet which is also an amusement park and they're claiming to be bored... REALLY?! Do the writing team not know children? I don't buy it but the story insists that we do since their running off is what leads to them being captured by Cybermen and starts their conversion into the metal monsters.
It's not just them though as the Doctor is given the same treatment and is forced to become the Cyberleader. This leads to the two consciousnesses competing for control of the Timelord's body and gives Matt Smith a great opportunity to display his versatility as an actor. His Doctor even claims/threatens that he can regenerate in order to eradicate the Cyberleader from him, something we later learn (in "The Time Of The Doctor") is a lie. But he is convincing here and Matt Smith is the best actor in the show once again.
The guest cast, ignoring the kids, is pretty forgettable due to just being a little superfluous and irrelevant, except for an excellent turn from Warwick Davies as an emperor called Porridge. Also nice are the redesigned Cybermen though it did take a while for many fans to warm to this new look but they are now fully integrated to the world of the show. Not so sure I can be as positive towards the brand new Cybermites though... This is also the first time Clara gets some real opportunities to shine which feels a bit weird to write now after series 8 made sure that was a guarantee throughout but series 7, remember, did not so to see a series 7 episode with good Clara moments is an absolute joy.
A decent episode but the children ruin it for me completely despite Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman and guest star Warwick Davies all putting on great performances. The kids are so awful that the most I can give this effort is 4/10 but that's an achievement when you see just how bad the two of them are.
The plot itself is actually decent enough: An amusement park in another galaxy is under threat by Cybermen and it's up to the 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald to stop them. It's a shame the two of them are joined by two of the most irritating kids I've ever witnessed on a TV show. Angie and Artie are not representative of real-world children: They're on another planet which is also an amusement park and they're claiming to be bored... REALLY?! Do the writing team not know children? I don't buy it but the story insists that we do since their running off is what leads to them being captured by Cybermen and starts their conversion into the metal monsters.
It's not just them though as the Doctor is given the same treatment and is forced to become the Cyberleader. This leads to the two consciousnesses competing for control of the Timelord's body and gives Matt Smith a great opportunity to display his versatility as an actor. His Doctor even claims/threatens that he can regenerate in order to eradicate the Cyberleader from him, something we later learn (in "The Time Of The Doctor") is a lie. But he is convincing here and Matt Smith is the best actor in the show once again.
The guest cast, ignoring the kids, is pretty forgettable due to just being a little superfluous and irrelevant, except for an excellent turn from Warwick Davies as an emperor called Porridge. Also nice are the redesigned Cybermen though it did take a while for many fans to warm to this new look but they are now fully integrated to the world of the show. Not so sure I can be as positive towards the brand new Cybermites though... This is also the first time Clara gets some real opportunities to shine which feels a bit weird to write now after series 8 made sure that was a guarantee throughout but series 7, remember, did not so to see a series 7 episode with good Clara moments is an absolute joy.
A decent episode but the children ruin it for me completely despite Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman and guest star Warwick Davies all putting on great performances. The kids are so awful that the most I can give this effort is 4/10 but that's an achievement when you see just how bad the two of them are.
Gaiman continues to impress with crazy, innovative plots
potter_freak_9912 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
First, having written an episode as critically acclaimed as The Doctor's Wife, it can be hard on someone to match-up to it. Neil Gaiman took the challenge on, adding plenty of his trademark mind-blowing moments. I don't see why anyone should compare his previous episode with this one simply because they tackle two completely different aspects of the Doctor- the last one was his relationship with the TARDIS, this one is more about the complexities of his own mind (proving again that his worst enemy is himself).
Moving on, I think the best moment of the episode was the conflict between the Cyber Planner and the Doctor. Matt Smith carried-off the instantaneous switches in character brilliantly, though it did get a little tedious toward the end. We got to see a whole new side of Clara- that she is not just an adorable, clever person but also someone who can get things done if worked into a corner. As for the kids, there has been a lot of annoyance among the fans, but remember: they are just teenagers. A majority of teenagers are like that.
8.5 out of 10
Moving on, I think the best moment of the episode was the conflict between the Cyber Planner and the Doctor. Matt Smith carried-off the instantaneous switches in character brilliantly, though it did get a little tedious toward the end. We got to see a whole new side of Clara- that she is not just an adorable, clever person but also someone who can get things done if worked into a corner. As for the kids, there has been a lot of annoyance among the fans, but remember: they are just teenagers. A majority of teenagers are like that.
8.5 out of 10
Series 7 best story yet and it was almost ruined by children!
mitchmazda611 May 2013
Kids and Sci-Fi rarely ever go together and when we all saw the ending to last week's "the Crimson Horror," I think we all knew what was coming. Thanfully Neil Gaiman delivered us an exciting story filled with great dialog and a great new character called "Porridge" (Warwick Davis). This episode, minus the awful Angie, was exciting from beginning to end and gave us enough bits about the Doctor and Clara's relationship leading us into next week.
Unfortunately, just like the episodes prior. A Nightmare in Silver has divided the Who fan base into a love/hate relationship. It really is something you need to watch and judge for yourself.
Regardless of the child actors this episode managed to convince me that Doctor Who is still going strong and delivering fine Sci-Fi on a weekly basis.
9.5/10
Unfortunately, just like the episodes prior. A Nightmare in Silver has divided the Who fan base into a love/hate relationship. It really is something you need to watch and judge for yourself.
Regardless of the child actors this episode managed to convince me that Doctor Who is still going strong and delivering fine Sci-Fi on a weekly basis.
9.5/10
The Cybermen are NOT a Borg Ripp off
pimplepopper22 December 2013
It is so funny to see someone claim the Cybermen are a Borg rip off! If anything it was the other way around, in fact (being a fan of both shows) I remember stating when next gen was on "Oh look it's the Cybermen"! The upgrade to the Cybermen was brilliant and works perfectly with their character, I for one would now like to see them take on the Pepper Pot Daleks again and whoop their eye Stalks! Loved the Episode, and the style, come on everyone, DR Who is cutting edge, fast paced and requires some investment of attention, unlike almost every other show I watch where I spend most of the time playing on my phone as well. I agree it has gotten quite Dark, but that's the show, constantly changing, let's see what the new DR brings:)
... with a weakness to gold?
dkiliane7 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Neil Gaiman returns to write another Doctor Who episode, this time featuring the Cybermen, who take over an abandoned amusement park that the Doctor and Clara visit, accompanied by the two kids in her nannying charge. Oh and there is a platoon of soldiers there for some reason. Arguably not the best premise but somehow Neil makes do.
While the plot doesn't really hold up under close scrutiny, it's still a fun adventure full of action, a few terminator-esque scares, and plenty of wit and charm. It's also fun to see the Doctor essentially battle himself in the form of the Cyber-Planner who has more or less taken his body hostage from his mind. Matt Smith admitted the dual role gave him some trouble and at times it shows, sometimes being unable to tell the difference between the Doctor and the Cyber-Planner personas. But this is a relatively minor complaint and their literal chess match works as a nice metaphor for the battle of wits between the Doctor and his foe.
Surprisingly the children aren't as annoying as some other reviews indicated and I thought their acting was fine. And it was nice to see Clara get to be in a more in-charge role. The runaway emporor disguised as amusement park employee was fun too. Though his impromptu marriage proposal to Clara at the end was a bit odd.
My major complaint is how could an entire army of Cybermen be stored on that planet when it is literally the platoon's only job to make sure there are no Cybermen on the planet?! Ugh. That and the ending was a bit lazy, having the emperor just basically call an imperial ship for a ride as the planet blew up. Completely rendered moot the fighting of almost the entire episode. So definitely not Mr. Gaiman's strongest script but it did accomplish making the Cybermen exciting again, even if it does rip off the Borg from Star Trek (though to be fair it is said they ripped off the Cybermen first). 8/10
While the plot doesn't really hold up under close scrutiny, it's still a fun adventure full of action, a few terminator-esque scares, and plenty of wit and charm. It's also fun to see the Doctor essentially battle himself in the form of the Cyber-Planner who has more or less taken his body hostage from his mind. Matt Smith admitted the dual role gave him some trouble and at times it shows, sometimes being unable to tell the difference between the Doctor and the Cyber-Planner personas. But this is a relatively minor complaint and their literal chess match works as a nice metaphor for the battle of wits between the Doctor and his foe.
Surprisingly the children aren't as annoying as some other reviews indicated and I thought their acting was fine. And it was nice to see Clara get to be in a more in-charge role. The runaway emporor disguised as amusement park employee was fun too. Though his impromptu marriage proposal to Clara at the end was a bit odd.
My major complaint is how could an entire army of Cybermen be stored on that planet when it is literally the platoon's only job to make sure there are no Cybermen on the planet?! Ugh. That and the ending was a bit lazy, having the emperor just basically call an imperial ship for a ride as the planet blew up. Completely rendered moot the fighting of almost the entire episode. So definitely not Mr. Gaiman's strongest script but it did accomplish making the Cybermen exciting again, even if it does rip off the Borg from Star Trek (though to be fair it is said they ripped off the Cybermen first). 8/10
Nightmare full stop!
Sleepin_Dragon17 September 2015
The Doctor takes Clara and the children to a broken down funfair seemingly run by mysterious chap called Webley, the planet also contains an old for.
I'll start with the positives, Matt Smith is fantastic, he puts in an absolutely brilliant performance, he's on top form, fantastically alien and totally brilliant when he doubles up, he slips from fun to dark with ease. I also liked Jason Watkins Cyber performance, done with true vigour. The activation of the Cyber Army looks stunning, possibly the note Earthshock wanted to hit.
The bad bits, the kids make the episode unbearable to watch, is there really a place for them in the show? Personally I don't think so, maybe it's just that they were so badly written for. The story itself I dislike, for no other reason I can think of then I just don't like it. The Cyber upgrades seem totally ridiculous, The Doctor has always fought the Cybermen, and now they are invincible with their upgrades, and as for being extinct? Makes no sense.
A truly awful story, made slightly bearable by Smith's excellent performance. Moffat has to stay away from Cyber stories under his tenure, both this and Closing time have been shockingly bad.
3/10.
I'll start with the positives, Matt Smith is fantastic, he puts in an absolutely brilliant performance, he's on top form, fantastically alien and totally brilliant when he doubles up, he slips from fun to dark with ease. I also liked Jason Watkins Cyber performance, done with true vigour. The activation of the Cyber Army looks stunning, possibly the note Earthshock wanted to hit.
The bad bits, the kids make the episode unbearable to watch, is there really a place for them in the show? Personally I don't think so, maybe it's just that they were so badly written for. The story itself I dislike, for no other reason I can think of then I just don't like it. The Cyber upgrades seem totally ridiculous, The Doctor has always fought the Cybermen, and now they are invincible with their upgrades, and as for being extinct? Makes no sense.
A truly awful story, made slightly bearable by Smith's excellent performance. Moffat has to stay away from Cyber stories under his tenure, both this and Closing time have been shockingly bad.
3/10.
Gaiman is back, and he was absolutely fantastic!
navneetjain-7205427 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Another wonderful episode. I am not a part of the season 7 diss herd. I've enjoyed this season just as well as 11's past 2 seasons. And believe me, I have LOVED THEM. It's a fantastic setup. Fantastic writing. Fantastic acting, except for the children. They were a pain in my cyber rear. Annoyed the silurians out of me! But they were the only weak point of this story, yet, the plot does seem to hold meaning because of them, so I'd be sick to cut a single point out of this episode. Matt keeps proving time and again that he's THE Doctor. His performance was sensational. I was in awe while watching the chess scene. Clara is the cutest and probably one of my favorite companions already. And in this episode she proved that she can be anything she wants to be including a mother or a soldier. Gaiman always ups the game and introduces adds a mythological feel to the story. He makes doctor who his own genre. I cannot keep my mouth shut though, as this review does contain spoilers. I had my heart in my hands when eleven said the magic words - FANTASTIC AND ALLONS-Y. I Just had it. These two words sold the entire episode to me and it was already sold when I read "written by Neil Gaiman"
Nightmare in Silver
MrFilmAndTelevisionShow13 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This was certainly a fun little episode, always glad when they bring back a classic villain not in a two-parter.
Clara had the oppotunity to become Empress of the Universe but unfortunately turned it down. Oh well, maybe next time.
I feel what this episode needed was the Cybermen to be a bit more threatening and to say "you will be deleted" a couple times, but other than that it was very good.
Clara had the oppotunity to become Empress of the Universe but unfortunately turned it down. Oh well, maybe next time.
I feel what this episode needed was the Cybermen to be a bit more threatening and to say "you will be deleted" a couple times, but other than that it was very good.
A Nightmare To Sit Through
Theo Robertson12 May 2013
This had all the makings to be an instant classic . Neil Gaiman wrote the highly regarded The Doctor's Wife for the previous season and we see the return of the Cybermen who are no longer the impractical marching army of metallic soldiers . Add to this the production values that can match the best Hollywood blockbuster and what could possibly go wrong ? After seeing the episode I've got to ask did anything go right ?
The problem with this episode is that it's painfully ill thought out and under developed which has been the fundamental problem of the Smith /Moffat era . There's a good premise in there somewhere but it gets murdered within the execution . A couple of children find themselves in an inter-galatic theme park and they treat it with less awe and wonder than a trip to McDonalds ? You'd think they were characters in a not very good children's series than real people . A punishment battalion get sent to an obscure outpost and they resemble these Walter Mittyesque salad dodging airsofters populating - if not literally polluting - some weekend woodlands with tales of derring do such as " Yeah I could have got a VC in the 'Stan but didn't join the army because I'm such a free spirit "
And this is what ruined the episode . Regardless of the genre an audience must have their disbelief suspended . DOCTOR WHO who is a fantasy show featuring an alien who can travel through time and space and regenerate and battles alien menaces but when you can can suspended the audiences disbelief you've got something that's every bit as compelling as Tolstoy . Here however everyone runs around giving the impression that they're appearing in a silly unsophisticated CBBC show
Moffat is on record as saying he sees DOCTOR WHO as " a dark fairytale " . If it's a dark fairytale you're after Steven then watch Michael Mann's 1983 film THE KEEP that has a supernatural , haunting ethereal beauty which despite its pretence and expressionism could personify the whole idea of a dark fairy tale . If it's dramatic realism in fantasy scenarios then QUATERMASS AND THE PIT is the best role model to aspire to . What you don't want is a shoutey woutey clown running around like a Muppet on cocaine . What you don't want is a bunch of not very good actors give the impression that CHUCKLEVISION is an adult cerebral drama . What you don't want is a writer give the impression he's writing stuff as he's going along . Steven what you want to do is pop in to the the offices of the BBC chief executives and say you've tried your best but now you want to move on and give someone else a chance as being show runner for DOCTOR WHO . Paul Cornell would be a great successor but failing that I'm sure a five year old child with attention deficit disorder would make a better show than you've managed in the last three years
The problem with this episode is that it's painfully ill thought out and under developed which has been the fundamental problem of the Smith /Moffat era . There's a good premise in there somewhere but it gets murdered within the execution . A couple of children find themselves in an inter-galatic theme park and they treat it with less awe and wonder than a trip to McDonalds ? You'd think they were characters in a not very good children's series than real people . A punishment battalion get sent to an obscure outpost and they resemble these Walter Mittyesque salad dodging airsofters populating - if not literally polluting - some weekend woodlands with tales of derring do such as " Yeah I could have got a VC in the 'Stan but didn't join the army because I'm such a free spirit "
And this is what ruined the episode . Regardless of the genre an audience must have their disbelief suspended . DOCTOR WHO who is a fantasy show featuring an alien who can travel through time and space and regenerate and battles alien menaces but when you can can suspended the audiences disbelief you've got something that's every bit as compelling as Tolstoy . Here however everyone runs around giving the impression that they're appearing in a silly unsophisticated CBBC show
Moffat is on record as saying he sees DOCTOR WHO as " a dark fairytale " . If it's a dark fairytale you're after Steven then watch Michael Mann's 1983 film THE KEEP that has a supernatural , haunting ethereal beauty which despite its pretence and expressionism could personify the whole idea of a dark fairy tale . If it's dramatic realism in fantasy scenarios then QUATERMASS AND THE PIT is the best role model to aspire to . What you don't want is a shoutey woutey clown running around like a Muppet on cocaine . What you don't want is a bunch of not very good actors give the impression that CHUCKLEVISION is an adult cerebral drama . What you don't want is a writer give the impression he's writing stuff as he's going along . Steven what you want to do is pop in to the the offices of the BBC chief executives and say you've tried your best but now you want to move on and give someone else a chance as being show runner for DOCTOR WHO . Paul Cornell would be a great successor but failing that I'm sure a five year old child with attention deficit disorder would make a better show than you've managed in the last three years
Can this please stop now? It's 2013!
boerelul-261-10455512 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The chaotic episodes in this series continue. My kids persuaded me to come and watch another one. Clara, the nanny (is she the nanny of those kids?) is found out, so the Doctor takes the lot to a Luna Park far away, but, hey ho, the park is out of action, features however a Moonscene from Earth, that still works with an anti-gravity button, but needs blanked out ropes and hidden platforms in order to persuade the viewer there is no gravity. ''Oh nooo!'' I thought. In the past I attended movies, where toddlers got so bored, they started playing in the isles, throwing with popcorn and so forth. My own children started to twitter with each other on their i-pods and talking about proms. Then the ''we've seen it all before'' kicked in: Willow operating a chess-machine, Star Trek Borg facial appliances with the obligatory led-lights, Wrath of Khan creepy crawlers entering the body, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''sign-the-form please Ma'am'', briefcase-shaped doom-device, a small group of Stargate NERD soldiers, Willow appearing to be the 1000 Galaxies Emperor and no-one sussed that one, but the clever Jonathan Creek girl at the end. When The Doctor, who initially identified himself as a sort of military commander, but was later just addressed as ''The Doctor'', started to talk to himself against a background very reminiscent of the old computer game ''The Sentinel returns'' and then disabled his opponent with a golden ticket and anti-cyberman neck device on his own face(!), I almost screamed: ''Can This Please Stop Now? It's 2013! We want proper scripts!'' The episode imploded with an explosion of a planet, which was supposed to implode and Emperor Willow being rejected after an ''unexpected'' wedding proposal. ''How did you know, that he wanted to ask her to marry him, daddy?'' I had a lot of popcorn to clear when the lights went back on.
And the Matt Smith/Steven Moffat era gets worse
warlordartos15 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
UGH!!! This was absolutely horrendous to sit through. I thought I'd give it another go after all these years and it was even worse than I remember. The new Cybermen look horrible, like they're made out of plastic and they probably are too. Cyberplaner is a stupid title and should never have been invented. Why did the 3 million Cybermen not finish the war if they were just waiting there ready. Why are there no longer humans inside them, the whole point of the Cybermen is suppose to be an upgraded human not just the robotic part. The "upgrade in progress" was lame and why oh why would they invade in a single fine line so that it takes forever to win WHAT THE ACTUAL F. Not to mention the explosion which was suppose to be an implosion.
Really I mean it when I say it, this episode was worse than Love and monsters, worse than Victory of the Daleks, worse than Vampires of Venice and even worse than Closing Time because at least the Cybermen weren't lame and still had there classic New Who look.
Top 3 worst Doctor Who episodes ever and i mean all Doctor Who not just new and THE worst 11th Doctor episode ever. And I really wish I didn't have to say this, but I've learned from past experiences I have to say worst so far. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't make a worse one than this. You are making me lose even more faith in the success of this show.
I suppose if there is anything positive to take out of the show it's that we got to hear Allons-y again.
Really I mean it when I say it, this episode was worse than Love and monsters, worse than Victory of the Daleks, worse than Vampires of Venice and even worse than Closing Time because at least the Cybermen weren't lame and still had there classic New Who look.
Top 3 worst Doctor Who episodes ever and i mean all Doctor Who not just new and THE worst 11th Doctor episode ever. And I really wish I didn't have to say this, but I've learned from past experiences I have to say worst so far. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't make a worse one than this. You are making me lose even more faith in the success of this show.
I suppose if there is anything positive to take out of the show it's that we got to hear Allons-y again.
A rip-off of the Borg in Star Trek
emala10113 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The cybermen in this episode are a complete rip-off of the Borg in Star Trek. Replace "upgrade" with "assimilate" and they're exactly the same. How he gets the cyberman out of his head is overwhelmingly stupid as well; It just isn't believable that he could pick up the device and re-vamp it without the cyberman part of his brain noticing something was up. My least favorite Doctor Who episode yet, even after the one about dinosaurs on a spaceship. 4 stars because Matt Smith is brilliant, even with the ridiculous plot, and because all the others did a great job with what they were given. This is also the first episode I've really had problems with, and I'm hoping this is the last.
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