📝6/10

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THIRD IMPRESSIONS: “ARMY OF GHOSTS”

Army of Ghosts, the penultimate episode of Series 2, serves as an ambitious set-up for the season finale. It reintroduces the Cybermen, pits them against the Daleks, writes out Rose as the Doctor’s companion, and officially brings Torchwood into the spotlight. While it’s primarily a prelude to the action-heavy Doomsday, the episode has several strengths that make it memorable.

The eerie premise of deceased loved ones reappearing as ghosts worldwide sets a haunting tone and effectively hooks the audience. It’s immediately clear that a larger threat is at play, though the intrigue is slightly undermined by a lighthearted Ghostbusters gag. The Cybermen’s involvement is revealed early, leaving the Daleks’ dramatic appearance as a surprising cliffhanger. Additionally, the Torchwood staff lack depth, existing primarily to serve as victims.

Despite these shortcomings, Army of Ghosts is fast-paced and engaging, especially for the first part of a two-parter. The episode delves deeper into the season’s exploration of alternate realities and introduces the Void, a space between universes that becomes integral to the Cybermen’s plan. This builds on earlier themes while intertwining them with Torchwood’s experiments and the Earth’s looming invasion.

Character dynamics are a highlight. Jackie’s worries about Rose and how her travels with the Doctor have changed her add emotional weight, foreshadowing the poignant farewell in Doomsday. Camille Coduri delivers a multifaceted performance as Jackie and her chemistry with David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor is a delight, bringing humour and heart to their interactions. Tennant is energetic and determined, particularly when confronting Yvonne Hartman, Torchwood’s director. However, his moments with Rose sometimes veer into overly smug territory, making his scenes with Jackie more refreshing and reminiscent of his later dynamic with Donna Noble.

Billie Piper gives a solid performance in her final regular episode as Rose, though it lacks the impact of her upcoming exit. Noel Clarke’s sudden reappearance as Mickey feels shoehorned in, adding little to the story. Meanwhile, Tracy-Ann Oberman impresses as Yvonne Hartman, portraying one of the more compelling female antagonists of the RTD era.

The episode also includes Freema Agyeman’s debut as a Torchwood employee, establishing a tradition of future Doctor Who stars appearing in minor roles first (see also Colin Baker in Arc of Infinity and Peter Capldi and Karen Gillan in The Fires of Pompeii). While her character meets a grim fate, it’s later revealed that she’s Martha Jones’ cousin, tying her appearance to the series’ lore. Raji James has a minor role as a typical Doctor Who scientist, though his screen time is limited.

Murray Gold’s score enhances the episode’s atmosphere, incorporating Torchwood’s distinctive musical themes while blending them with the series’ established motifs. The soundtrack heightens the tension, particularly in the final ten minutes, which deliver a gripping build-up to the cliffhanger. The Cybermen’s invasion, complete with a callback to their classic appearances in The Invasion and Tomb of the Cybermen, is chilling. The reveal that the ghosts are Cybermen from Pete’s World is a clever twist. However, the simultaneous introduction of the Daleks through the Void Ship feels excessive, setting the stage for an uneven second part.

Overall, Army of Ghosts is an ambitious and engaging episode that effectively sets up the finale while showcasing strong performances and thematic depth. While some elements feel rushed or underdeveloped, the eerie atmosphere, character moments, and thrilling cliffhanger ensure it remains at least somewhat entertaining.

This is a really solid set-up for the finale of Series Two and just a fun, interesting episode all around.

My favourite part of Army of Ghosts, by far, is the way we are almost casually introduced to the topic. Rose and the Doctor stop by the Tyler home, only for everyone to go "well, it's ghost time," and some ghosts start roaming around. We're at a point where this has happened enough that the surprise and even the novelty of it has largely worn off to everyone but our main characters (and us, the audience). It's a really fun way to introduce the mystery and they only build up on things here.

Where as series one loved to drop hints through the mystery phrase of "Bad Wolf," series two has been using "Torchwood" and that starts to get paid off here. I'll admit it isn't quite as strong as the feeling of pay-off I got out of Bad Wolf, but the way Torchwood has been built up until now as something at the very least antagonistic, only for them to mostly be courteous to the Doctor at first and even clearly admiring him - it's good writing. It adds a lot of tension and builds up on all this mystery.

And then we start getting reveals that really surprised me. The Cybermen were something I really didn't see coming and while it is a sharp turn from the direction the plot seemed to be heading to at first it still really worked for me. I just really like the writing of this episode and that goes right up to the end when we have that big final reveal of the Daleks. A really strong episode overall, largely held back only by some of the special effects not looking great. The ghosts just aren't anything special looking and some of the other stuff looks clearly fake, even by the standards of television that's pretty old by now.\