The issue with Cybermen, Darleks, and Weeping Angles.
I'm currently rewatch from the 9th onwards, and every time besides the early encounters and a few select examples such as World Enough and Time, their appearances feel lazy, for lack of a better word.
They are always built up as the idea of an unstoppable force that can't be beaten yet rarely is this the case, there's always some clever plan to escape or defeat them. In my opinion these classic foes should be treated how they are portrayed and reserved only for such episodes where tragedy must befall a key character or times where from then on things are never the same again. They are collectively "The Big Bad" yet they often have little impact overall once the episode is finished.
On them being "lazy": Doctor Who has a track record of some of the most creative villains and antagonists in media, yet a story will often set up to be something very interesting and then "oooh a Cyberman, again... Oh I wonder what will happen, I wonder if there will be a small army of them doing the same thing as always, kill a few grunt characters and then we win, right?" For almost all of the episodes where the Darleks and Cybermen show up, and to some extent as the show goes on, the Weeping Angels (especially whenever they are too weak to use their powers fully or are even seen to be moving) if they had just come up with a different villain I feel the episode would be much stronger.
Especially if no actual major events happen and they are supposed to be defeated. Anything any character, take the exact same episode formula they were going to appear in and just make them some organic creature, or 3-headed slime ball, or something original. (not actual suggestions, just making a point)
Basically they are now so over diluted that there's little threat or surprise when they show up.
The first few times where cool, how the Doctor really changed his normal tone commanding the last surviving Darlek (that was know of) to destroy itself, because at that point it was known as the most terrible creature in the universe, but throughout the series so many of them are casually destroyed, and billions more outsmarted and sent scattered through out time and space, that they have become filler.
Cybermen should be an absolutely terrifying concept. Cyborg robots that will harvest and convert humanity if they get the chance, but since becoming a "fan favourite" have become so overused that it has become almost boring, or even just odd where they pop up sometimes when you think about it.
The Angels were SOOO cool, at first, everyone loved them, but that should have either been their first and last appearance or one of the very few times they show. When Clara is grabbed by one in Christmas, as it reaches through the snow... that was such a nothing event.
These are just my thoughts and opinions and the over dilution of what should be "The Big Bad" enemies, in fact just about anytime there's a returning foe (The Silence mostly gets a pass as they were revealed to be key in the grand plan of keeping "the secret")
What are your thoughts?
Final note; I'm getting multiple auto warnings at the bottom of this post saying it might be removed, though I can't see what rule specifically I am breaking as it's an open discussion looking for engagement and its clear these are just my thoughts and opinions on the show. Also it's well outside the spoiler window. So mods, if you can help me out on what the issue may be if there is one. Thanks.
Edit: can't change the autocorrect in the title, Angles it is
Posted Jan 11, 2026, 8:06 PM UTC