Earthshock

Earthshock
by Eric Saward
Originally Broadcasted: March 8th-16th, 1982

A brigade led by Lieutenant Scott is investigating mysterious deaths inside some mysterious caves. Of course, the TARDIS crew shows up and are indeed accused of murder. Little do they know that the Cybermen are behind it all, with a plan to destroy the Earth and stop a united force to destroy the Cybermen. It's up to the Doctor and all his allies to put a stop to them, but one won't make it out alive...

Earthshock is not only a great Cybermen story, but also a phenomenal Doctor Who story. Skillfully written as a late replacement script by incoming script editor Eric Saward, Earthshock had the daunting task of reintroducing the Cybermen after a 7 year absence. Producer John Nathan-Turner wanted to keep the return of the Cybermen a secret to really put the shock in Earthshock, so he canceled Doctor Who's appearance on the front cover of the Radio Times and let no one outside of the production see the filming of this serial. Right up until the end of Part One, the Cybermen actually aren't shown. Instead we get a very atmospheric piece taking place in some caves. The Cybermen have placed androids there to guard a bomb, and explorers who have gone near this hidden bomb have been killed. The androids are very slowly revealed throughout the episode. Meanwhile, the TARDIS crew land in the caves and are captured under suspicion of murder by the troopers now investigating the deaths. It is only then when the androids attack that the Cybermen are revealed at the cliffhanger to Part One. And what a cliffhanger it is! I can only imagine how exciting it must have been to finally see the Cybermen return to Doctor Who after 7 years, or perhaps have seen these emotionless creatures for the first time. The Cybermen have been reinvented many times throughout the history of Doctor Who, but this was their first big redesign since their second appearance. I think these are my favorite Cybermen. The costumes still look great even today, and the actors (especially David Banks' Cyber Leader) give wonderful performances. I think they should bring the Cybermen closer back to this design in current Who. One of my favorite parts of the story is when the Cybermen are looking for clues to the android's destruction. The Cyber Leader comes across the TARDIS and recognizes it, but doesn't recognize anyone in the cave as the Doctor. So they then flip through a few clips of past Cybermen stories with William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Tom Baker. Some of my favorite moments in Doctor Who are these self-referential ones. It's always nice to see the show celebrate its past. But the Cybermen's reappearance wasn't the only shocking thing in Earthshock, for there was also Adric's death. And can I say he kind of deserved it? Ever since Adric first appeared the previous season in Full Circle, he was shown to be the biggest annoying brat. Now I'm not sure if that's down to the writing or Matthew Waterhouse's performance, or both, but there's just something about Adric that grinds my gears, and most other Doctor Who fans too. Adric could have easily saved his life had he just stayed put on the escape pod, but he let his annoying teenage tendencies (I CAN DO THIS) get the best of him, and he crashes, along with the spaceship. This leads to the weirdest closing of a Doctor Who episode ever. The credits roll silent over Adric's broken star. Fitting, but perhaps a bit too cheesy. Earthshock is a prime example of what makes Doctor Who great. I have seen this story so many times, yet every time I get thrilled, emotional, and really into the excellent storytelling!

Luke's Rating: 10/10