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| The Lone Cyberman (Patrick O'Kane) interrogates a prisoner. |
NOTE:
I previously reviewed Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children as a single story. Given how different the focus is for each episode, and my very different overall response to each installment, I have chosen to re-review these as individual episodes before moving forward with the latest season. You can find my original review here.
THE PLOT:
In the distant future, the Cyber-Wars have resulted in the near-eradication of both humanity and the Cybermen. A handful of human survivors, led by Ravio (Julie Graham) are trying to reach a place of safety known as "The Boundary" in a dilapidated shuttle. But the shuttle has broken down - and despite Ravio's best efforts to repair it quickly, the Cybermen have found them.
The Doctor and her friends arrive just as the Cybermen attack, led by Ashad (Patrick O'Kane), the Lone Cyberman who retrieved the Cyberium from 19th Century Earth. The Doctor stands her ground long enough to distract Ashad, allowing the others to escape. However, Ryan and a young survivor named Ethan (Matt Carver) become separated from the others. The Doctor rescues them - but becomes separated from Yaz, Graham, and the other survivors in the process.
That group manages to find shelter inside a dead Cyber-ship. They appear to be safe for the moment. But Ashad is not far behind - And this ghost ship is not as dead as it appears!
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: As The Haunting of Villa Diodati made clear, the Doctor is still haunted by Bill's Cyber-conversion. The moment she realizes that her preparations have failed and that she won't be able to just fend off the Cybermen, she pushes her companions to flee and berates herself for being "reckless" by bringing them anywhere near Cybermen. The generally more ferocious Doctor of the last couple episodes is well-suited to Jodie Whittaker's acting strengths and she really holds the screen, particularly in a holographic confrontation with Ashad in the episode's second half.
Graham/Yaz: They are strong enough together to seize a leadership role when separated from the Doctor. Between Graham's experience and Yaz's inherent optimism, they push Ravio's group to keep trying, even when the weary survivors seem ready to give up just to end their perpetual running. Graham also enjoys an amusing flirtation with Ravio, Bradley Walsh and Julie Graham showing some pretty decent screen chemistry in their too-brief moments together.
Ryan: That this TARDIS team is too large is shown by how many episodes relegate at least one companion to the role of spare part. It's Ryan's turn to wear the dunce cap, not for the first time, his importance to this installment basically just being the excuse to separate the Doctor from the others so that the derelict ship subplot can happen.
The Cybermen: "We're carrying a Cyberman that makes other Cybermen scream!" Ashad, the Lone Cyberman, returns, this time as the head of an army. The Doctor's capitulation to him has left him in control of the Cyberium, and has made him more powerful than ever. He easily defeats the preparations against his attack, and the survivors are lucky to escape with their lives. The Doctor correctly guesses that Ashad despises himself for being too human - And the decidedly un-Cyberman-like anger he carries makes him more dangerous than most of the Cyber-leaders the Doctor has faced.
THOUGHTS:
Though the math changes when it's considered in combination with the next episode, when taken on its own merits Ascension of the Cybermen ranks among the best of the season. Momentum is built almost immediately, as Ashad's Cybermen make short work of the Doctor's defenses and three of the seven survivors fall in rapid succession. There's a sense of danger, and the situation feels legitimately high-stakes in a way that The Battle of Ranskoor av Kolos failed to achieve.
Meanwhile, a side story involving a young man named Brendan (Evan McCabe) is given no direct link to the main story, yet it feels of a piece and is intriguing on its own. Initially lyrical, this side story builds a gradual sense of dread after Brendan miraculously survives a gunshot wound and a fall from a cliff. Though he protests that he was "lucky," his family suddenly eyes him... not quite with suspicion, but certainly in a way that's less than loving. When we return to him near the episode's end, his story receives a shocking final note... But it never is tied into the main plot, its significance withheld until the following installment. This is not in itself a bad thing - It shows Chris Chibnall's confidence in his material, a confidence that was too often lacking in Series 11, with him certain the audience will wait for the next installment to tie it all together.
Ascension builds to strong endings to all three threads: The Brendan side plot, Graham and Ravio's group trapped on a ship with the Lone Cyberman, and the Doctor coming face-to-face with the story's true enemy, a being even more dangerous than Ashad. Pretty much every note works, guest performances and regulars alike are on strong form, and anticipation is left high for the final episode.
Overall Rating: 9/10.
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Next Story: The Timeless Children
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