Doctor Who review: Conversion explores different sides of the Fifth Doctor and the Cybermen
By James Aggas
The Doctor faces his demons while confronting the Cybermen, in the second story of this month’s Fifth Doctor double bill, Conversion.
Conversion is a little bit different compared to your usual Cyberman tale. This isn’t a story where they’re trying to take over the Earth, like in The Invasion. It’s not a story about them trying to survive, like in The Tomb of the Cybermen. It’s not even a story of their origins, like in World Enough and Time. In fact, Conversion is less about them, and more about the Fifth Doctor.
Oh don’t get me wrong, the Cybermen do play a huge role in this, one that’s very significant. But for his story, Guy Adams is more keen to explore a new side to the Fifth Doctor, one that we haven’t really seen before. One that’s just a little bit darker and more dangerous, as he’s put into an extremely desperate situation. More importantly, he’s forced to face up to something that’s been haunting him for a long time.
It’s nice to see the emotional consequences of Earthshock finally explored. That’s a major story where one of the companions died, but how it affected the Doctor was never truly explored on-screen. So it’s fantastic to finally get that in Guy Adams’s story.
(L to R) Mark Hardy (Cyber Lieutenant), Peter Davison (The Doctor) and David Banks (Cyber Leader) all star in this month’s Fifth Doctor audio, Conversion.
(Image Courtesy: Big Finish Productions.)
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The horror of the Cybermen
What also works about Conversion is how horrifying it is. As you can probably guess from the title, the Cybermen’s conversion process is a major part of this story. Like the Fifth Doctor, it’s explored in a very personal way, and helps to make the Cybermen more horrifying as a result.
While they’re not given as much to do as last year’s excellent release Hour of the Cybermen, it’s still wonderful to hear David Banks and Mark Hardy as the Cyber Leader and Cyber Lieutenant, respectively. Hearing their voices again is extremely nostalgic, and despite having a limited presence, they still feel extremely threatening and scary.
Overall, Conversion is a fantastic story for this season to end on. It’s been a strong trilogy of releases for the Fifth Doctor, one that’s been keen to explore not just a new companion, but also what makes the previously established characters tick. It also doesn’t provide easy solutions or wrap everything up neatly, which is actually refreshing. I’m excited to see where these characters go from here.
Conversion is the second half of this month’s audio release Warzone / Conversion, which you can purchase on CD or download from Big Finish’s website.
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Have you listened to Conversion? Are you a fan of the Eighties Cybermen? Do you think David Banks and Mark Hardy should voice them once more for the TV series? Let us know in the comments below.