Doctor Who Review: Ascension of the Cybermen (Season 12 Episode 9)

Barrelling towards the conclusion of the season, Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 9, “Ascension of the Cybermen” presents a suspenseful suspenseful and terrifying in all the best ways.

Setting up for an explosive finale, this episode rests heavily on the established mythology of the series and creates an enjoyable hour that isn’t afraid to take its time when needed. 

The encampment with the last seven humans around creates a solid core group of characters to follow, but breaking them up and following the two on different paths also lets the story breathe and gives our characters sometime to shine. 

Plus, the fact that they both end up with blended groups means they can naturally end up heading in the same direction without anyone having be stuggle to find their sealegs.  

The Doctor’s realization that she has to protect her friends is the kind of reaction I’ve come to expect from this character when the chips are down. There’s something reminiscent of Christopher Eccleston’s performance in the scene where she tells her friends to leave and she’ll find them. 

In many ways, this episode feels similar in tone to Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 13, “The Parting of Ways.” There’s a lot at stake, there’s an enemy that will stop at nothing to eliminate humans, and it isn’t a safe place for the Doctor’s companions. 

All of these are solid indicators of a strong season finale, or two-part opener, but “Acension of the Cybermen continues to top itself to the point where it’s an understatement to say we have questions. 

So much of this episode rests on the performance of Jodie Whittaker and Patrick O’Kane. There’s so much venom and disdain in Whittaker’s scenes.

This is the kind of performance that we need from the Doctor, as much as the goofy and fun-loving personality is fun to watch, she is old, smart, and wise too, and that needs to come out in times like this. 

Meanwhile, Patrick O’Kane’s performance as Ashad is equally terrifying. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about this version of cyberman after the previous episode, because one of the scariest things the Cybermen represent is the theft of individuality.  

Ashad’s backstory and processing of the Cyberium is giving the audience interesting insight and unique psychology to the cyberman. There’s blind faith to it and that alone is a dangerous thing. 

The bit where Ashad started mutilating the cybermen in their chambers was especially jarring. That behavior and intention to cause harm feels more human than cybermman and could possibly speak to a supressed part of Ashad’s personality. 

“Acension of the Cybermen” is an episode that succeeds in making a timeless villain scary in a new way. It’s hard to tell what Ashad is alluding to when he talks about the Cyberium’s intentions, but the threat to both the Doctor and humanity hits a new nerve. 

The Cybermen and the Daleks are two classic who villains. The Daleks are scary for their ruthless xenophobia and determination to survive at all costs, and the Cybermen are scary because they represent humanity with everything that makes us human stripped away.

The difference between them is that with the Dalek’s its usually the Doctor they’re targeting. With the Cybermen it’s humanity.

The Doctor’s comment about her fam being danger because they’re human and if they’re captured they’ll be converted made me think about all the times the Doctor faced off against the cybermen. This is honestly the first time since their introduction on Doctor Who Season 1 that the cybermen have felt like a real threat to humanity.

In their other appearances there didn’t seem to be a ruthless assimilation. Even during Doctor Who Season 8’s finale, when Missy converted them out of Earth’s corpses, did they begin their quest of the ultimate upgrade. Each time, the Doctor’s companions were right by her side. 

But I think it’s different now with what happened to Bill on Doctor Who Season 10 Episode 12, “The Doctor Falls.” She’s realized how reckless she’s been with her human companions and she won’t lose three of them the same way, especially when the cyberwar is on this scale. 

The Doctor has never been at risk before, unless you count when Peter Capaldi’s Doctor expanded the definition of human to include two hearts on the Mondasian ship. The Cyberium seems to have a way to end her and that thought alone is chilling, and makes me wonder if that updated definition is still in play. 

Cos if it is then there’s a lot kmore at stake than just the Doctor’s own life. Gallifrey is back in the picture, and not the Gallifrey we saw on Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 2, “Spyfall: Part II,” This version of Gallifrey is whole and safe, and it’s where the humans from the far future are going. 

I have so many questions right now! The first being that we need to know if the cybermen are working with an expanded definition of human because if they register two hearts as human that brings up a whole can of worms as to what could have been done to lead to its destruction.

The second has to do with are the humans and Time Lords related, cos it’s starting to feel like all those, “Well, you don’t look alien,” comments may have something to it besides saving on prostetics. 

While the reveal of Gallifrey would have been enough the return of The Master cinches the deal that the finale is gong to be explosive. Sacha Dhawan is a welcome return to the cast and I cannot wait to see what happens The Master in the las episode. 

He made one hell of an entrance and I have to wonder where he’s coming from within the timeline as well since that did not look like a destroyed Gallifrey through the boundary. 

We cannot close out the episode without talking about Brendan.  It’s a little to see how that bit is tied together, but since we are looking at a two-part episode the answers are sure to come.

Brendan’s story bears a striking resemblance to Captain Jack Harkness, and the way his memory was erased is just the right amount of creepy. 

In the end, “Acension of the Cybermen” is sets up the finale well and keeps us interested. There are a lot of questions and pieces to put together. I do not know how they’re going to tie it all up with just one hour, but I’ll be waiting on baited breath for next Sunday.

Just please, don’t convert any of the Tardis fam into cybermen. Somehow I don’t think Graham, Ryan, will have a celestial being on their side. Unless Pearl Mackie is making a surprise cameo to save them, but even then, don’t mess with us like that. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Cyberdrones, or flying Cyberman heads, are just as terrifying as a whole Cyberman.
• So, was time rewritten with the arrival of the Lone Cyberman? I am trying to reconcile the post-Cyberwar future with the one we saw on Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 3, “Orphan 55.” In a show whose canon hysterically says “time could be rewritten” it could be written off, but its still the same result, just a different cause.
• Is it just me or does the Thirteenth Doctor’s delivery sound a lot like River Song when she used to break bad news to people in her early days? The Doctor’s socially awkward delivery regarding the future of humanity is so blunt and carries the same weight as when River explained to Amy “…it’s just a labyrinth with dead people in the walls.”
• Fuskle was the kind of underdog character I wanted to root for from the moment I met him, but I also could see he had a giant target on his back the moment he was introduced.  
• Is it just me or does the Doctor seem to be meeting a lot of people who mirror her story lately? I feel like Ko Sharmus is a mirror regarding the Doctor’s stewardship of Earth. Ko Sharmus is to the boundary as the Doctor is to Earth and her Tardis fam. 

What did you think of this episode of Doctor Who? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Doctor Who airs Sundays at 10/9c on BBC America.

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