The Doctor (Patrick Troughton), and his companions Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Victoria (Deborah Watling), stumble onto an archeological expedition on the planet Telos.
The expedition has uncovered a hidden tomb filled with frozen Cybermen. As the creatures slowly begin to revive, it becomes clear that certain members of the party would be more than happy with the titular characters escaping their crypt…
This is the latest in a series of reviews of the classic era of Doctor Who (1963-1989).
I am not a Who fan, but I have been interested in getting into the series in some way.
Because of how many episodes there are, I came up with a formula for covering the series, and trying to get a sense of its diversity, from the different performances of the various actors, to the divergent tones and focus of their incarnations.
Here are the rules I set for myself:
Rule One: Select stories with some level of regard by critics and fans. This felt like a good way to find entry points into the series.
Rule Two: Review stories with complete existing episodes. At least for this initial series of reviews, I wanted to get a sense of what these stories looked and sounded like.
Patrick Troughton is a victim of the BBC’s practice of wiping the recordings of its programming. Sadly his introductory story, Power of the Daleks, is missing, and the BBC commissioned an animated version utilising the serial’s audio.
With these reviews, I wanted to get a sense of their original flavour and aesthetics, which is why I decided not to review the animated version.
Rule Three: Review one story from each Doctor in a row - this would enable me to get a feel for each of the performers and their respective eras.
Like the series, these rules are not hard and fast and probably subject to change.
Tomb of the Cybermen is a season opener - with a new companion - which made it feel like a good jumping-on point.
It also gave me a strong first impression of Troughton.
Eccentric yet more approachable than his predecessor, the Second Doctor is a delight. Since it is not his debut, Troughton appears to be more settled and at ease than Hartnell did in An Unearthly Child. The one real downside of starting with this story is losing that sense of freshness and electricity of watching an actor inhabit a role for the first time.
I was vaguely aware of the play-acting a real sense of calculation and purpose. It is easy to leave this story wondering if we ever get a chance to see the real Doctor. He is also hilarious, playing to the villainous Kleig’s (George Pastell) megalomania without ever playing to the viewer. There is no winking at the audience - he is still playing the stakes of the situation. It is a delicate balance that Troughton carries off with deceptive ease.
Frazer Hines’ Jamie is a fine companion for the Doctor, bringing an earthy practicality to offset the Doctor’s wilder flights of fancy. Together they create a (sometimes comic) double act, where it feels like they genuinely need each other, and each has skills which complement each other.
Blending scifi with an old-fashioned adventure narrative, Tomb feels more familiar than in its amalgamation than the initial story. It is also more action-packed than the first serial. I have not seen the story I am about to reference, but the genre-blending here made me excited to check out the Baker-era Pyramids of Mars. It feels like a dry run.
Wisely, the serial delays the introduction of the titular villains, building suspense until their eventual reawakening.
My previous experience with Cybermen was their appearance against Peter Capaldi at the end of his run.
Similar to the Borg of Star Trek, assimilating and augmenting anyone who gets in their way.
If I have a criticism, it is that our heroes are more like bystanders - the Doctor keeps suggesting solutions to the team’s problems, while warning them of what could happen, and then said bad things happen.
Despite taking place in the future and in a different world, the serial is immediately grounded by racist stereotyping. The hulking henchman Tauberman (Roy Stewart) is an obvious example, taking the arc from minor antagonist to noble hero.
Partially turned into a Cyberman, he ultimately sacrifices himself to save the remaining humans.
This aspect of the show is its creakiest. The serial is interested combining different elements, but not interested in interrogating any of them.
Overall, a funny, creepy story and a fine introduction to the Second Doctor.
While it is only one story, and I have five more doctors to go, I am in the bag for Troughton.
He is absolutely fantastic: Somehow personable with his companions yet deceptively scatter-brained to the expedition.
While I appreciated his cunning, he is also flawed. One of the joys of the serial is when he shows a hilarious dash of ego: in the early scenes, he cannot help but show up Kleig, inadvertently putting himself in danger.
Next up is Jon Pertwee. While I am excited for what comes next, I cannot deny my eagerness to see more of Troughton’s work.
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