S5E2
Tragic
Written by Gerry Davis & Kit Pedler
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The Tomb of the Cybermen Part 2

When an archaeological expedition breaks into the tomb of the Cybermen, the Doctor must stop a power-hungry member of the crew from reviving the Cybermen and using them to take over the Earth, before it's too late.

On the planet Telos, an archaeological expedition led by Professor Parry unearths the long-lost tomb of the Cybermen. Among the crew are the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria, who quickly sense the danger lurking within the seemingly dormant tomb. The team discovers a testing room with a robotic Cyberman used for target practice, hinting at the deadly technology that awaits them. Soon after, one of the crew members is killed, revealing that the Cybermen are not as inactive as believed.

As the Doctor investigates, tensions rise within the group. Parry, determined to continue his research, clashes with Viner, who is spooked by the recent events. Meanwhile, Klieg, a member of the expedition with ulterior motives, secretly works to decipher the Cybermen's code, aided by his powerful assistant Toberman and the devious Kaftan. Captain Hopper, the ship's captain, becomes increasingly wary, focusing on repairing his damaged rocket and keeping a close watch to ensure his own safety.

Despite Parry's reluctance, the team ventures deeper into the complex, uncovering the hibernating Cybermen. Klieg, having cracked the code, activates the tombs, defying the Doctor's warnings and revealing his true intentions: to harness the Cybermen's power for his own organization, the Brotherhood of Logicians. As the Cybermen begin to awaken, Viner attempts to stop Klieg, but is murdered for his interference.

Up in the control room, Victoria is left to guard Kaftan, but is soon drugged and left vulnerable. As Kaftan prepares to ensure the Cybermen's rise, a Cybermat that Victoria inadvertently brought with her springs to life, attacking Kaftan. Victoria manages to dispose of it and then realizes she must do something to stop them all. Down in the tombs, the Cybermen break free of their icy prisons and move to destroy those who have disturbed them.

The Doctor must stop the Cybermen and Klieg's plan, and save the remaining members of the expedition before they are all destroyed. Victoria seeks help while the Doctor and his companions confront the newly awakened Cybermen in their tomb.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

20
Act 1

The expedition confronts the aftermath of Haydon's death. Doctor investigates, deducing Haydon was shot in the back, not by the robotic Cyberman target practice unit Viner claimed. The Doctor re-enacts the test sequence, demonstrating the Cyberman is an inert model, a target for weapons testing, not a living threat. During this, Victoria discovers a small metallic creature, which the Doctor identifies as an inactive Cybermat, and she places it in her bag. Professor Parry, shaken by the deaths and Viner's panic, decides to abandon the expedition and return to Earth. However, Captain Hopper reveals the rocket has been sabotaged, rendering it inoperable for at least 72 hours and trapping the entire team on Telos. With no immediate escape, Klieg, who has been secretly working to decipher the Cybermen's code, successfully activates a mechanism that opens a massive hatch leading to deeper, colder caverns below. Parry, seeing no alternative, agrees to proceed with the exploration, sending the men down while Victoria and Kaftan remain in the central chamber. Kaftan then subtly drugs Victoria, isolating her and setting the stage for Klieg's true plan to unfold unimpeded, leaving the Doctor and his companions unknowingly walking into a carefully laid trap.

Act 2

The men descend into the newly opened caverns, immediately discovering the vast, frozen tombs of the hibernating Cybermen lining the walls. Doctor warns against disturbing them, but Klieg views them as a source of power. Above, Kaftan confirms Victoria is unconscious, then deliberately closes the heavy hatch, trapping the men below with the dormant Cybermen. Below, the trapped men panic, but Klieg, instead of using the controls to reopen the hatch, manipulates them to activate the defrosting sequence for the Cybermen tombs. Viner attempts to intervene and shut down the process, but Klieg produces a gun and shoots him dead, explicitly revealing his motive: to harness the Cybermen's power for his organization, the Brotherhood of Logicians. As the Cybermen begin to rip free from their icy cells, Victoria awakens above. Her Cybermat, previously thought inactive, comes to life and attacks Kaftan. Victoria fights off the creature, shoots it with Kaftan's dropped gun, incapacitating Kaftan, and then, realizing the gravity of the situation, runs to find Captain Hopper for help, initiating a desperate counter-move against Klieg's unfolding plan.