In the war for the future, fear is the only weapon.
The Cybermen are triumphant; nothing can stand in their way. First they will absorb mankind, and obliterate their android spawn; then they will stride the stars once more, to transform the galaxy into an empire of icy, flawless logic.
The battle must end; only one race will emerge victorious.
CYBERMAN 2: EXTINCTION
Hey, that wasn’t so bad! I was afraid that James Swallow was going to go for the explosive, action-packed finale in which the humans overpower their Cyberman oppressors and drive them off Earth – and while “Extinction,” the final episode of “Cyberman 2,” certainly has some action set pieces, the finale takes a more unexpected route. It’s very much like a Joss Whedon finale in that Swallow brutally kills off half the regular cast – but the Doctor Who influences are obvious, as the final heroic sacrifice that saves the day takes the form of a conversation. Unfortunately, that conversation is implausible to the point of being ridiculous. Samantha (Hannah Smith) basically tells the Cyberplanner, “You know conquering humanity is going to be a bit difficult, right?” and it responds, “I hadn’t thought of that! Retreat!” I get that we’re going down the same road as other Cyberman stories, with the villains underestimating the strength their human (and android) adversaries get from their emotions, but this seems like awfully poor planning for a Cyberplanner. I do like that Hazel (Jo Castleton) gets the final monologue, though, as Cyberman 2 has been her story more than anyone else’s, and she runs the gamut of emotions more than any other character. I also want to take time in this final review to commend the sound design from Kelly Ellis and Steve McNichol from Fool Circle Productions, which is consistently excellent throughout all four episodes and serves as a great example of effective atmosphere in audio drama. Overall, “Extinction” is a solid conclusion to a solid series, better than the original “Cyberman” in most respects.
Recommended.
7/10