Disclaimer: This is less of a Review and more of my unfiltered Thoughts, if you want to read something more proper about this Episode, then I highly recommend @/uss-genderprise's Essay on it that you can find here! I don't think as highly about the Episode myself, but I think it's worth a Read!

I don’t think I surprise anybody when I say Torchwood so far didn’t do it for me, that said… this is the best Torchwood Episode so far and maybe for this whole Series.

Firstly, the big Elephant in the Room: What about the Costume?
Well… I am conflicted about it, one hand somebody could argue they were trying to go for a similar look from a Movie such as Metropolis (which is by the way the best German Movie in my eyes and everybody should watch it at least once), but kinda failed at it. But it’s also hard to defend it too much, since it does kinda strike me sightly of the Issue with Torchwood at least in the early days when they do it because they can do it. I do think it could be designed much better and there is a way you can read much more into it, but yeah not that great but also far away from the worst. It is at least doing something with the Body Horror, which was really lacking in all the RTD1 Cybermen Stories.

And dare I say as a Cybermen Story it is one of the best in the Revival Time. There is something really nice seeing a Story remember the Core of the Cybermen, lack of Emotions, a Story such as Next Doctor just kinda forgot. The lack of Emotions should as often as possible being a vocal point of those Story, because why else should it be Cybermen and not something else like your regular “evil” Robots?
Exploring Ianto’s Character here is really well done for the most Part. Do I think he behaves a bit too irrational? Yeah, but I think that’s kinda the point here and really fits well when put in contrast with the Cybermen. Their core idea is a lack of Emotion replaced with only Logic, having a Story with a Character just not being able to let go of their Lover and behaving very irrational because of it fits perfectly in my eyes.
The Story is by no means perfect for me, there is a lot for it going, and I genuinely believe compared to the “Sex Gas” Episode it has a lot more about it to say and feels like a much better step into the right direction. Overall, my favorite Torchwood Episode so far.
(Yes I know I mainly went with the Cybermen Aspect of this Episode, but honestly I am not quite sure what else to add here, since a lot of it was already covered or said by others here).

I honestly don't know how to feel. one hand super weird story and all the stuff with the costume. on the other hand, the emotion of this episode was amazing especially with Ianto

I was hoping that due to it being for a more mature audience, Torchwood could fully explore the body horror of Cybermen as a concept in "Cyberwoman" in a way that its family-friendly parent show Doctor Who can't; that was not what happened. "Cyberwoman" introduces the concept of Cybermen converting full-bodies (not just brains) with a result of a human with some metal casing that's capable of expressing some emotion. Unfortunately, Lisa (the titular Cyberwoman) is horrendously objectified, turning the interesting new conversion concept into an excuse to sexualize her.

THE POTENTIALLLLLLL

incredible character work for Ianto, holy s**t this episode could've been great if they leaned so much more into the body horror

you see a bit of what could've been with what happens to Dr. Tanizaki, but like, the idea of a half-converted Cyberman has so much potential for horror and they FUCKED IT UP

my friend had a great rant about this episode after I showed it to them:

Y'see. They made a rookie mistake. When you're tryin to score horny points with a monster that's not traditionally sexy - and there are traditionally sexy monsters and if you wanna do an extra-spicy version of one of them that's fine - but if you're going for horny with one that doesn't usually have sex appeal, then you don't go for mass-market appeal. Because for the people it works for, it's dime a dozen. It'll be mildly titillating and you can get it anywhere. And for the people it doesn't work for you're gonna look ridiculous. Real clown hours. It's gonna be an unnecessarily sexy Halloween costume. What you gotta do is you gotta go for the freaks. The real monster f**kers. It'll be a smaller demographic. But for the people it doesn't work for, they'll just be like "oh cool monster". But for the people it does work for, it'll really work for, and it'll work like nothing else. They'll be dedicated. Rookie mistake. Amateur hour. Embarrassing.

2.5/5 - 1 star for Ianto, 1 star for Lisa/Cyberwoman VS Myfanwy/Pterodactyl fight, 0.5 stars for what could've been

Changing everything, one mission at a time! 

“CYBERWOMAN: A CONTROVERSIAL BUT COMPELLING CHARACTER PIECE”

Cyberwoman, written by future Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, finally brings Ianto into the spotlight after several episodes of him being sidelined. While Jack, Gwen, Tosh, and Owen remain largely in the background, this episode gives Ianto a personal and emotional story as he hides a dark secret beneath the Torchwood Hub—Lisa, his partially converted girlfriend from the Doctor Who two-parter Army of Ghosts/Doomsday. Desperate to save her, he has been keeping her alive in a hidden vault, believing that she can be cured. Of course, things inevitably go wrong when her Cyber-programming resurfaces, turning the episode into a tense base-under-siege thriller.

EXPLORING THE CYBER HORROR

One of Cyberwoman's strengths is its focus on the psychological horror of Cyber-conversion, something rarely explored on-screen in Doctor Who. Lisa's half-converted state is particularly disturbing, as she struggles with her lost humanity and views herself as incomplete. This episode also touches on the aftermath of major Doctor Who events, showing how individuals like Ianto deal with trauma long after the Doctor has left the scene of a botched Earth invasion. The central theme—blurring the line between human emotions and Cyber-control—adds depth to the story, even if similar ideas have been explored more effectively in The Quintessence and other Doctor Who media.

PRODUCTION CHOICES AND CONTROVERSIES

The biggest criticism of Cyberwoman in the fandom has always been Lisa's design. Instead of the full-body horror concept Chibnall initially envisioned, the production team opted for something more visually striking (and unfortunately "sexy"), resulting in a look that feels more like a budget cosplay than a terrifying Cyberman hybrid. While the concept of a half-converted Cyber-victim is great, the execution doesn’t fully do it justice.

That being said, the Cyberwoman design isn't nearly as terrible as received wisdom claims it to be.

PERFORMANCES AND CHARACTER INTERACTIONS

Gareth David-Lloyd delivers an intense but occasionally over-the-top performance as Ianto, particularly in the episode’s later half. While his grief and desperation are palpable, his breakdowns verge on melodramatic. Similarly, Caroline Chikezi as Lisa doesn’t fully capture the eerie detachment needed for a Cyber-converted character. Captain Jack, on the other hand, is at his most commanding and uncompromising, confronting Ianto with brutal honesty about the consequences of his actions. The rest of the team also gets a moment to shine as they wrestle with the difficult choice of fighting against their own colleague’s loved one.

One of the episode’s most misplaced moments is Owen kissing Gwen while they hide from Lisa—an attempt at tension that feels completely out of place. While it fits Owen’s character, it detracts from the overall drama.

ACTION, TENSION, AND A SHOCKING FINALE

The first half of Cyberwoman builds its tension well, while the second half delivers non-stop action as the team fights to reclaim their base. The highlight—Lisa’s apparent demise at the hands of the pterodactyl—is a bold and bizarre choice, though the visual effects don’t entirely sell it.

The episode’s climax is particularly disturbing, with Lisa transferring her brain into a pizza delivery woman and attempting to convince Ianto that she is still the same person.

VERDICT: FLAWED BUT FASCINATING

Cyberwoman is a divisive episode, blending intense psychological horror with some questionable production choices. While it suffers from melodramatic moments and a controversial Cyber-design, it remains one of Torchwood's most memorable episodes, offering an in-depth look at Ianto’s character and the emotional toll of his past. Imperfect but intriguing.

📝83/100

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• The Torchwood hub set was later used as the Cyber conversion chamber in The Next Doctor.