Earthshock (Story #122, 1982)
Viewed 22 Oct 2013

Doctor/Companion: Five, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka
Stars: Peter Davison, Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding
Preceding Story: Black Orchid (Four, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan)
Succeeding Story: Time-Flight (Five, Nyssa, Tegan)

It’s been four months since G and I last sat down together to watch Doctor Who. A lot has happened both in our daily lives and in the life of the show. In our flurry of catching up, the latter got lost; I never did tell her about the amazing episode recovery announced earlier this month. I did, however, manage to explain a little bit about the Cybermen.

One of the many reasons I chose this particular serial to screen for G next is that our methodology—viewing introductory and final stories for every Doctor, with one or two “representative” stories in between—has meant that she’s missed out on the Doctor’s epic struggles with some of his most iconic foes. She only met the Daleks a few sessions ago in Genesis, and until now, she’d never come across the Cybermen. So it was predictable that the “big reveal” at the end of Part One—when it turns out the Cybermen are behind it all—didn’t get much of a reaction: “Okay, now we’re to the silver guys.”

You see, since the Cybermen are all over the DVD menu, she’d seen them ahead of time. I’d had to explain who they were, and that the Doctor had come across them often before (though it was quick). So her reaction was completely unlike any fan who watched it at the time (“Cybermen! They haven’t been seen for years!”) or even a post-Hiatus fan otherwise unfamiliar with pre-Hiatus stories watching this one without spoilers (“Hey, Cybermen! I guess the Doctor did say that one was an ‘old friend’…”). In fact, I had to remind her that these were, in fact, the Big Bad; she’d been hoping for some sort of pyramid scheme in which we’d keep finding another kind of mechanical creature behind the last, as the Cybermen had been behind the androids in Part One.

Oh, well. She’s getting into the story anyway. As our heroes try to defuse a planet-smashing bomb and trace its source, she declares Earthshock “a good one. It’s like a chess match.” Once the venue changes, she really enjoys the ship’s captain (“Isn’t she fun? She’s about a thousand six years old.”) but is not keen on how things are going in the hold. “Oh dear. Oh, not again. They’re always the ones caught with the bodies. … Here comes the misunderstanding.” Poor thing; she’s got a gentle soul and just hates the misunderstanding portion of any plot.

Lucky for her, it’s not as painful as it could have been. Besides, there are some classic elements from way back (e.g., in The Dæmons) in the way sightlines work, though this time is rather opposite to the previous instances. The first officer suggests the Doctor and Adric should be thrown in the brig. “Not yet,” replies the captain. “I want them where I can see them.”

“That’s why they were behind the console!” G pipes up. Leave it to her to find an inconsistency where I’d never noticed. Even when I have noticed something incongruous—specifically, a pair of Cybermen waiting for the good guys to pick them off by standing around, apparently chatting—she has a way of looking at things that never ceases to surprise (and amuse) me: “Even silver guys go out for a smoke!”

She sees much of the plot unfold ahead of time, too, predicting the Cybermen will take over the bridge. By the end of Part Three, she figures she knows where things are headed. “I can see how this has to end, but it’ll be interesting to see how they do it.” Indeed…

Rolling into the final episode, the Cybermen leave the Doctor (and Adric) on the bridge. “That is a fatal flaw! They should know that by now; they’ve dealt with him a thousand times!” Eventually, though, Tegan is brought in (G quite likes Tegan: “Not bad for a stew[ardess]; she’s always thinking.” “She’s really pretty.”), and the Cybermen use the Doctor’s affection for her against him. Eventually, they haul the Doctor and Tegan away, insisting Adric stay on board the freighter. Adric, in turn, insists the Doctor leave him behind, and G thinks she sees them parting ways. “I wish he’d stay long enough for us to watch him grow up. … Now he’s forcing the Doctor to leave him.”

But Adric takes charge once the Doctor is gone, certain they can counteract the Cybermen’s plan if only they can solve three logic codes. “That could take forever!” complains the first officer. “Well, then, I suggest we start at once.” G cheers. “Yes, Adric! That’s as smart as the Doctor. That’s something he would’ve said.”

In the last few minutes, G is really into it. She has something to say for almost every turn of events. But then it becomes clear that the freighter is on a nigh-unstoppable collision course with Earth. As the situation turns dire, she asks, “Is this where Adric exits?” I nod; I don’t have the heart to lie to her—she’s only seen him the once before, and she’s still quite fond of him. “Ohh… That makes me so sad!” We watch as helpless as the TARDIS crew as the inevitable unfolds.

I surprise myself by getting a little misty; I’ve never been a big fan of Adric, and though it doesn’t make me happy to see a Companion die, I’d not lost any sleep over this particular departure before. I guess watching through someone else’s eyes really can change how one sees the show. All the more reason to continue doing so.

We get up and stretch. “That was a good one. A really good one.” Looks like I get to continue at least a little while longer.

Verdict: Thumbs up

Looking ahead: The Caves of Androzani