The Moonbase
Story 33, Episodes 148-151, Season 4 Episodes 24-27
Doctor: The Second Doctor
Companions: Polly Wright, Ben Jackson, Jamie McCrimmon
The Moonbase is a find second outing for the Cybermen, at its best when the mystery is at its highest.
The Review
The tension in the story is the best part. Why are people falling prey to a disease? What is behind the mysterious pressure changes and fluctuations in the Earth’s weather? It’s a classic Who scenario, the Doctor and his companions show up right as it all goes to hell and start to be blamed. Of course, the Cybermen are behind it all. Modernized from earlier in the season, they have harsh robotic voices and certainly must’ve been a fright in the 60s. Their immediate screen presence shows how they endure. Set in 2070, the story has plenty of tension and different aspects to consider, such as Earth radioing down, and weather reports making sure we don’t miss a thing. The final solution to lower the Cybermen’s gravity is a smart one, cleverly foreshadowed by the TARDIS team jumping about at the start.
The guest cast is well done, the head of the station, Hobson, is a good authority figure and his French number two Benoit is well done too. There is one non-white guy on the crew, but it’s diverse in terms of country of origin. The Doctor is up to his wry self before, and I continue to love Troughton. His monologue that there is evil out there that must be fought is pitch perfect, as well as is hysterics when he realizes the Cybermen are in plain sight. Jamie is sick a lot of the story, so his character is still developing. Ben gets a lot to do, but Polly is the companion star. She first sees the Cybermen, comes up with the way to liquify their organs, and even goes out and attacks after Ben tells her that’s ‘men’s work’. Polly does twice make coffee for the crew, but pleasingly gets as much action as Ben. This story’s guest cast is superb.
This is a fine, classic, easily watchable story. It doesn’t have the pitch-perfect tension that would elevate it to an all time classic, but shows the Cybermen are here to stay.
8.75/10 Don’t think we’ll be waiting for more Cybermen for long.
Reviewing Doctor Who from Start to Finish 