The Invasion

Packer!

I don't think it's possible to watch this episode and not try to talk like Vaughn at least once.

Anyway, the episode. I like this one. But I'm finding that A, I like many of the Second Doctor stories and B, I have a certain affinity for ideas derived from Kit Pedler. That probably causes me to overlook a few flaws that might be jarring in other stories.

Attempting to look at this one objectively, I can see three specific flaws with it. The first is more of a preference is that I don't care for the character of Isobel Watkins. I'm sure she was intended to be something of a hip girl of the time, but she comes across as vacuous to me and see contributes almost nothing of substance to the overall story. It's just a portrayal that rubs me the wrong way.

The second nit to pick is the cyber control that Vaughn interacts with. Maybe it's just my ears, but I had a very hard time understanding it. I could get the gist, but given that some of the principle plot points hung around those conversations, it was a bit aggravating to not fully understand it. Subtitles would have helped, but it's a point against the story in my book to have a crutch needed in the first place.

The third flaw is one that most folks will readily admit to in that the story is too long. Apparently the story was submitted as a six-part story and that would have probably been a better length. Part of the problem with the length was that Wendy Padbury went on vacation in episode three (Zoe spends the episode in a transport pod on a train) and Frazer Hines got episode eight off (he recovers in the hospital after being shot). Still, the bloat is a little less noticeable than when the Doctor has been written out for an episode (such as Web of Fear). It's not a major problem, but it does create a drag in the middle.

Still, compared to other stories, these flaws are pretty small. This story also gives us some rather iconic images of the show. Everyone knows about the Cybermen marching from St. Paul's, but we also get some of the most used sample shots of Cybermen on the attack. We also get the memorable and highly amusing scene of the Doctor running away from a Cyberman while the gun shoots around him. It makes for a rather stunning contrast to the First Doctor staring down the war machines at the end of episode three of that story, but no less enjoyable or character defining.

This story also sets up some of the show's best assets in bringing back newly promoted Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and introducing UNIT. In fact, the framework established in this episode would be used multiple times in the Third Doctor era. It also gives us Vaughn and Packer also make up one of the best villain/henchman combos in the show; second probably only to Harrison Chase and Scorby in Seeds of Doom.

This is probably not a story for a simple or casual watch, but it has great charm and is a major building block for the show as a whole.

Overall personal score: 3.5 out of 5