DW 02-05: Rise of the Cybermen (Part 1 of 2)

A Guide to Classic Who references (and other references) in New Who episodes.

Doctor Who series 2, episode 5 (Story 16).  Mickey, Rose & the Doctor meet the Cybermen.

Warning: May contain Spoilers for

"Rise of the Cybermen"

Viewing Order

• 01-01  "Rose" (Suggested viewing - introduction of characters.)
• Children in Need - "Born Again" or Christmas Special 2005 - "The Christmas Invasion" (Suggested viewing - reintroduction of character.)
• 02-03 - "School Reunion" (Suggested viewing - addition to cast.)

References

[1ST] -  The first appearance of things in Doctor Who series.
[NEW] - Things that first appeared previously in the new series.

[OLD] - Things that first appeared in the classic series (or the film.)  Episode List.

• [NEW]  Cybus Industries - First appearance of his company, although it was previously mentioned in the Tardisode for this episode.

• [NEW]  John Lumic - First appearance of this business man, although he was previously mentioned in the Tardisode for this episode.

• [OLD]  Cybermen - Recurring villains for the Doctor, first appearing in the First Doctor's last story.  See Foes - Cybermen for more information from the classic series.  A Cyberman's helmet was part of Harry Van Statten's collection in "Dalek."

• [NEW]  Cybus Cybermen - This is a new breed of Cybermen, first seen in the Tardisode are unrelated to the ones seen previously.  The design is obviously updated for the new series, but they also have that "C" logo of Cybus Industries.

• [1ST]  Previous Adventure - Just as in "Boomtown" Mickey is left out of discussions of previous adventures and once again so are we because they didn't appear.  Previous Doctors have also done this with various levels of believability and evidence.  [The above logo is from the Virgin Doctor Who novel series, which told stories of Doctors prior to the Eighth Doctor, but not necessarily the same ones the Doctors talked about on screen.]

• [OLD]  The Time Vortex - The thing that you travel through when travelling in time.  It has often appeared in the opening credits and it had appeared a number of times in the old series, portrayed differently in different eras due to special effects limitations at the time.  It disappearing is probably not good.

• [OLD]  The Void - "The Void" or "The White Void" was a location connected "The Land of Fiction" outside of real space in the Second Doctor story "The Mind Robber" where the normal rules of time and space didn't apply.  "The Gateway" was an almost white location between N-Space (normal space) and E-Space (exo-space)  

• [OLD]  Parallel Worlds - The Third Doctor discovered a parallel Earth (alternate timeline) in "Inferno."  Individuals also crossed into our world from a parallel Earth where sorcery was real and King Arthur existed in the Seventh Doctor story "Battlefield."

• [NEW] Peter Tyler - Rose's dead (in the "real" universe) father.  Appeared previously in "Father's Day" where Rose tried to stop his death.

• [1ST]  High Contact Metal - First mention of this invention... which is metal that's high contact or something... possibly something to do with the wireless connection the ear-buds use.

• [1ST]  The Preachers - First appearance of this organisation, mentioned in the Tardisode.

• [1ST]  Ricky Smith - First appearance of this character, unless you count the Tardisode in which he first appeared.  The Ninth Doctor used to "mistakenly" call Mickey "Ricky."

• [1ST]  Gemini - First mention of this cover name unless you count the Tardisode.

• [NEW]  Torchwood - It seems the organisation created by Queen Victoria in "Tooth & Claw" exists in this universe, too.

• [1ST]  "I've seen them before" - Obviously. this episode shows the birth of the Cybermen in this parallel universe.  In the usual universe their origin is similar but not quite the same.  Rather than being from Earth, the Cybermen are from Mondas, a planet that was on the opposite side of the sun to the Earth.  Billions of years ago, Mondas broke from from Sol's orbit, leading to the necessity of cyber-conversion by the Monasian survivors.

The 10 Rules to Doctor Who.

(Read the rules here.)

10.  The TARDIS is for arriving at the location of the story at the beginning of the episode and leaving at the end.  This is because Time Travel is the excuse for the story, not that the story is about.  Unless the episode is written by Steve Moffat, then it's definitely about Time Travel.

Obviously the TARDIS spends most of the episode not working and is used for accidental dimensional travel.  [1]

9.  No one can cross their own Time Stream, except when they do.

No time stream crossing, but Mickey meets the parallel universe version of himself.  The Doctor seems much happier with that than Rose meeting her parallel parents [.5]

8.  There's no situation that can't be briefly defused by a non sequitur.

As always.  [1]

7.  The Doctor is both the most serious and most frivolous person in the room - any room - at the same time.  And he does that without becoming insane.  Mostly.

As always.  [1]

6.  The last episode of every series must contain the Master or at least one Dalek.  Every time.  However briefly.

Not a series final.  [NA]

5.  The main companion will be a young contemporary British female.  Although, to be

fair, almost everyone in the Universe is British and most things happen in contemporary London.

Rose.  Mickey is a young male contemporary companion.  (Parallel contemporary London setting.)  [1] 

4.  The more emotionless a species, cyborg or robot the more likely they are to be destroyed by emotions.  This is true of the Daleks.  It is particularly true of the Cybermen.

The Cybermen are emotionaless (see, they're even mentioned in the question).  In this episode their emotionlessness causes them no issues.  [0] 

3.  Even if the episode title contains the words "Dalek(s)" or "Cyberman/men" the presence of the Daleks and or Cybermen will at the beginning be treated as a mystery and their revelation a surprise.

The appearance of the Cybermen is treated as a mystery for about a minute and they appear before the name of the episode is shown onscreen.  [.5]

2.  The nature of the threat will be revealed to the audience before the Doctor.  The truth behind the threat will be unknowable by the audience until it is explained by the Doctor.

We saw the Cybermen long before the Doctor and friends.  Newer viewers may not have known them, but the Doctor had no information that classic Who viewers didn't have already.  [.5]

1.  The most dangerous creature in any situation is the last of its kind.  This sometimes also applies to aliens other than The Doctor.

No lasts of their kind besides the Doctor.  Lumic is dying, but he's not the last of his kind unless genius is a kind, and he's only one if the Doctor isn't in the room.  [.5]

Score:  7/9.