Cybermen and disability - Torchwood ep 4, reaction 2

[beccaelizabeth]

I have before mentioned Issues with Cybermen when read as a disability thing. Because calling them less than human is like saying humanity=meat, and you can lose it by the limb.

But. I think they fixed it.

This episode completely turned it over. Inverted it, turned it backwards. Because she got put back into meat, but she didn't get any more human.

Someone's review (of the what show were they watching variety) called her fight to hold on to life similar to the lengths people go to to combat disability. And... maybe. The way they made it be in the DW eps, yeah, he was going cyber because he was stuck in a chair. But.

100% human meat, still wanted the upgrade.

So it kind of fixed that. It isn't about meatless disability, or prosthetics. It is about what happens when they turn off the emotions and think everyone is better off just like them.

Also she went from a black body to a white one, by stages, via silver metal and reprogramming. That's just... interesting.


Although the thing where a black character once again didn't make it to the end of an episode was, you know, less interesting
though if taken in the context of DW it isn't a consistent pattern. I mean a lot of people die, but they've got a pretty good record of spreading the deaths around a bit.

Comments

[amberite.livejournal.com]

Yahr. I tried leaving this comment and lost it, but:

It's too early to tell with Torchwood, but DW's doing really well with black characters. Mickey's character arc is my very favorite character arc in new Who -- he gets a very solid arc, goes through more amazing self-discoveries than, I think, anyone else on-screen. (And then there's the new companion, Martha, in s3, who's supposed to be more self-confident than Rose -- though we don't know much about her yet as it hasn't aired.)

(I haven't got a Mickey icon yet, because I want one of him with Jake and Rose, and I haven't found the right screencap.)

[beccaelizabeth]

*nods*