History Recap / DoctorWhoS28E6TheAgeOfSteel

'''Original air date:''' May 20, 2006

'''Production code:''' 2.6

Written by [=Tom MacRae=], this episode was adapted in part from Marc Platt's ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho034SpareParts Spare Parts]]".

* WhamLine: After the Cybermen are taken care of and the TARDIS crew are ready to return to their native universe, Mickey says this:

* BittersweetEnding: Lumic's dead, the Cyberman presence in London has been annihilated, Rose and the Doctor are able to revive the TARDIS and return to the prime universe, and what's left of the Preachers now have the cancellation code which can disable the Cybermen's emotional inhibitors. But the Cybermen are still upgrading in Cyber-factories on other continents in the meantime; Pete has still lost his Jackie to the Cybermen, and he (unlike his main universe counterpart) ''desperately'' wants to get away from the fact he's been followed around by the alternate-universe daughter that he never had to boot; the Preachers are down to just Jake and their ally Pete; and Mickey decides to stay on the parallel Earth with the last Preacher to replace Ricky at the cost of Rose, the Doctor, and his friends on the prime Earth never being able to see him again.

* BittersweetEnding: Lumic's dead, but the Cybermen are still upgrading, Pete (unlike his main universe counterpart) ''desperately'' wants to get away from the fact he's been followed around by his alternate-universe daughter, the Preachers are down to one, and Mickey decides to stay to replace Ricky.

-->'''Cyber-Controller Lumic:''' What have you done?!\\

* OddlySmallOrganization: The Preachers are essentially this despite being the only group that pose a direct threat to Lumics' Cybus Industries consisting of just three members all working out of the back of an electronics service truck: Ricky Smith, Mrs. Moore, and Jake Simmonds.

* PretendToBeBrainwashed: Rose and Pete, with the help of fake earpods, infiltrate the Cyberman factory by pretending to be two more of the mind-controlled civilians marching in to be Cyberconverted.

-->'''Cyber Controller:''' What have you done?!\\

Mickey, listening, understands that the Doctor is referring to him and is dropping hints about finding a code that will shut down the emotional inhibitors. Mickey searches the Lumic database to decrypt the code, which he sends to Rose's mobile phone. The Doctor points out to Lumic that in his drive for technological dominance, he made his systems able to interface with anything. The Doctor proves this by plugging Rose's phone into the console, sending the code across the Cyber system.

* PokeThePoodle: Ricky is most wanted in London... for parking tickets.

The one with a Cyberman that left its high-beams on.

** Lumic is converted into a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Cyber-]][[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E1AttackOfTheCybermen Controller]].
** Then there's his use of the word "EXCELLENT!"

-->"[[AC:Chamber 5 now open for human upgrading. Chamber 7 now open for human upgrading. Chamber 12 now closed for sterilisation. All reject stock will be ''incinerated''.]]"

Jake and Ricky do some reconnaissance and determine that the Cybermen are everywhere, taking the people to their lair. When asked, Pete tells the Doctor that Lumic's base of operations is at Battersea, and that the Cybermen were born out of the dying Lumic's obsession with prolonging his own life... no matter the cost. Rose suddenly realizes she's seen the Cybermen before, as Henry van Statten kept the head of one in his museum. The Doctor confirms that the Cybermen in their universe began on a small planet like this, and then swarmed across the galaxy. To keep this universe from suffering, the Doctor plans to "nip" the birth of the Cybermen in the "bud".

The Doctor is brought to Cyber Control where he meets Pete and Rose, who tell him of Jackie's demise. The Doctor asks where Lumic is, and a Cybermen tells him that Lumic has been upgraded into a superior Cyberman model — the Cyber-Controller. A wall slides back and reveals what was once Lumic, now a specialised Cyberman with glowing eyes and a transparent braincase, seated upon a mechanical throne.

The humans in the factory snap out of their trances and, seeing the conversion machines above them, realise what they're walking into and flee. The Cybermen that try to stop them being knocked aside like skittles in their panic. In the control room, the Doctor hears the cries and knows that his friends have succeeded in their task. However, the Cyber-Controller refuses to admit defeat, saying that he has factories around the world, and if he cannot use the [=EarPods=], the conversions will take place by force.

The Cyber-Controller calls out to the Doctor in the horror of what is happening to his fellow Cybermen, all his creations, demanding to know what he has done. The Doctor retorts that he has given the Cybermen back their souls; the Cybermen can now see what Lumic has done, and it's killing them. He, Rose and Pete run out of the control room as the factory begins to be consumed in fire and explode from the inside. With all the destruction, escape doesn't seem possible; but, despite Jake's urgings, Mickey refuses to leave the others behind. He calls Rose and tells her to make for the roof. Rose, the Doctor and Pete retreat up the stairs as the factory explodes all around them. In the midst of the flames, the Cyber-Controller, displaying pure rage at the destruction of his creations, frees himself from the chair and goes on a rampage after the Doctor.

Mickey, meanwhile, lowers a ladder from the zeppelin for the Doctor and the others. As the Doctor, Rose and Pete climb upward, escaping the factory's destruction, the ladder is suddenly jerked by a great weight — the Cyber-Controller climbing up after them. The Doctor throws Pete his sonic screwdriver and tells him to use it on the rope. Pete does so, and the Cyber-Controller falls down from the zeppelin and is consumed by a huge fireball which rises up from the burning factory, presumably destroying him.

The Doctor says they have only five minutes of power and have to leave. He tells Jake Mrs. Moore's real name, asking him to find her family and tell them how she died saving the world. However, to his shock, Mickey announces he is staying. This world lost its Ricky, there are other Cybermen factories to destroy, and his blind grandmother needs looking after. Rose promises that they will come back and see him, but the Doctor reminds her that they only arrived in this parallel universe by accident, and when they leave, they must seal the crack in time, meaning they can never come back. The Doctor gives Mickey Rose's mobile phone, telling him to get the code out there and wishes "Mickey the Idiot" luck.

On the parallel Earth, Mickey tells Jake that he does not intend to replace Ricky but be his own man. They can remember him by fighting in his name. Mickey wonders if there is a Cyber-factory in Paris, and suggests they go liberate the city. Jake is sceptical that they can do that with the two of them in a van. Mickey tells him there is nothing wrong with a van. After all, he once saved the universe with a big yellow truck...

** Played straight with a couple of the deaths at the hands of the Cyberman, who always make very loud noises whenever they take a step, except when they need to suddenly show up in the picture, right behind someone.

* BodyHorror: Cyberconversion. Tellingly, the Cybus Cybermen include a vital component that represses their emotions, so they won't react to their condition with suicidal despair.

* CannedOrdersOverLoudspeaker: An unpleasantly angry voice can be heard calling out through the Cyberconversion factory.

** Then there's Lumic's "EXCELLENT!"

'''The Doctor:''' I gave them back their souls!