Kingdom of Silver: The Doctor arrives on Tasak in search of refreshment, armed with nothing more than a kettle. But this is a time of crisis for a civilisation about to enter an industrial age.
Keepsake: Sifting through the technological junk of Reclaim Platform Juliet-November-Kilo, the Doctor discovers evidence of a personal tragedy involving some friends of his. Where will the story of their fate lead?
KINGDOM OF SILVER
Here we are, over forty years since Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis introduced the Cybermen, the second-most famous “monsters” in Doctor Who history, into series mythology. Created amid controversy over mechanical “spare parts” being used to replace human organs and tissues — and reintroduced by Russell T. Davies as the natural extension of an increasingly computer-oriented culture — the Cybermen have been used at their best to reflect pervasive societal fears. “You will be like us” became their battle cry, and their Cyber-conversion and forced conformity prefigured Star Trek’s Borg by approximately two decades. Big Finish, too, has been in on the act, and while not every Cyber-release has been a hit, they’ve produced arguably the greatest Cyberman story in history in “Spare Parts” as well as “Human Resources,” a story which amusingly conflated Cyber-conversion with office life. But the least interesting Cyber-story they’ve done was Nicholas Briggs’s “Cyberman” miniseries, which managed both to abandon an interesting premise and totally disregard everything that makes the Cybermen interesting. I wondered why the latest release, James Swallow’s “Kingdom of Silver,” sounded a lot like a Briggs script — then I saw that “Kingdom” is intended as a prequel to another upcoming “Cyberman” series, and I understood.
So there’s a massive war between humans and androids — the Orion War, first introduced in Briggs’s “Sword of Orion” and elaborated upon in “Cyberman” — that serves as the backdrop to Swallow’s tale. One of the lead characters is an android, and that character enjoys making disparaging remarks about “organics,” their term for humans. Does this relate in any signficant fashion to the story? No, but it does allow this character to learn, by the end, that humans aren’t as bad as Cybermen; why this “lesson” needed to be learned is beyond me, however. We also have the ludicrous premise that the tombs of Telos were not, in fact, unique: there are thousands of Cyber-tombs spread throughout the galaxy, ready to awaken at a moment’s notice! This nonsense didn’t make any sense in “Cyberman,” which ended with the certain defeat of humans and androids alike, and it doesn’t work here. Cybermen don’t just convert out of a desire for likeness, they convert out of a desperate need to survive. After Tomb, classic series Cybermen are almost always portrayed as the last of their kind, resorting to increasingly-horrific conversion methods to prolong their race at all costs. These Cybermen don’t have that fear — they’re just biding their time until they can swarm over the entire galaxy with an army of billions — so, while they might be more threatening, they’re so much less interesting. And, not coincidentally, they’re totally uninteresting in “Kingdom,” stomping around and yelling things that haven’t been original since 1968.
Swallow, of course, is not to be blamed for following the rules of another writer’s setting, and it’s hardly surprising to find that the first part of “Kingdom,” which features no Cybermen, is easily the most interesting of the three. I don’t generally enjoy steampunk settings — they’re often just excuses to show off nonsensical technology — but Swallow does a fantastic job of portraying a society on the cusp of industrial revolution. The characters never really distinguish themselves from their political functions, but the performances are exceptional. Terry Molloy is particularly good: you’d never think the kindly, conflicted Magus Riga is played by the same man that brought us ranting megalomanic Davros. Unfortunately, rather than building on this development, the story is abandoned in part 2 in lieu of Cyber-action, and we’re never given the opportunity to see the characters develop.
I particularly enjoyed Sylvester McCoy in this. Despite the fact that this is the pre-TVM seventh Doctor, Swallow doesn’t crowbar in a brooding Doctor, and the story is all the stronger for it. McCoy’s performance is first-rate, as he remains in full command throughout. The supporting cast, particularly Neil Roberts, Kate Terence, and the aforementioned Molloy, is excellent, even if Nicholas Briggs’s noticeable voice stands out once too often. David Darlington’s sound design and score are up to his usual high standards, while Ken Bentley competently directs another three-part story.
What’s the point of “Kingdom of Silver?” To lead into another Cyberman miniseries? What about this story suggests the existence of an interesting story to come? It’s certainly not about the Cybermen, nor is it about this society, nor the character, nor is it even about the Orion War — so I ask, in all seriousness, what on earth was the point? The presence of one interesting episode just makes the subsequent two all the more frustrating! The overriding feeling I got from listening to “Kingdom of Silver” was boredom — but the more I think about it, the less generous I feel. Hopefully “Keepsake” will elevate the release, because “Kingdom” isn’t worth it.
Not recommended.
4/10
KEEPSAKE
It’s better than “Kingdom of Silver,” I can say that right off the bat. “Keepsake,” James Swallow’s companion piece to the aforementioned Cyberman story, is a much more intimate, character-oriented play than its parent. It’s also very reminiscent of much of Nicholas Briggs’s Cyberman and Dalek Empire serials, told in similar flashback fashion, and recounting events through official records — in this case the debriefing and interrogation of Temeter (Neil Roberts) and Sara (Kate Terence). When it’s not trying to set up a Cyberman sequel — which is too often — it’s surprisingly affecting, telling a short but heartbreaking tale of an android losing (for lack of a better term) her humanity. I’m not sure if the ending is intended to be a surprise, as it’s foreshadowed almost from the moment the Doctor activates the drone, but it’s saddening nonetheless. Sylvester McCoy is much more mournful here than in “Kingdom of Silver,” and it works very well — though I’m not sure the comedy accent on the junkyard attendant works, as it distracted me from time to time. Briggs directs, which probably explains the similar feel to his miniseries work. “Keepsake” is a nice little gem after the dreary expanse of “Kingdom” – might not be worth buying the CD to hear it, but it helps salve the wounds.
7/10