The Daleks: my review
jph...@aol.com
7 episodes: The Dead Planet, The Survivors, The Escape, The Ambush,
The Expedition, The Ordeal, The Rescue.
THE PLOT
After their rapid departure from prehistoric Earth, the time travelers
find themselves on an apparently dead world. The Doctor's attention is
drawn by a mysterious alien city. But with Ian, Barbara, and Susan all
wanting them to move on, he resorts to subterfuge, sabotaging the
TARDIS in order to coerce the others into agreeing to explore the
city.
It proves to be a severe mistake. The city is not uninhabited, but is
populated by the Daleks, the severely mutated creatures who once were
humanoid, but now are anything but. The Daleks shielded themselves in
metal casings to survive the effects of nuclear radiation. The other
race on the planet, the Thals, also mutated - but completed a full
cycle of mutation over the centuries and returned to human form. Now
the Daleks have hatched a plot to destroy the Thals forever - and the
Doctor and his companions right along with them!
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: The First Doctor's manipulative side shows itself again in
his sabotaging of the fluid link in order to get what he wants - to
explore the city. The tactic does not appear to fool Ian for one
second, but it still works - whether done deliberately or
accidentally, the "accident" means that there really is no choice save
to go to the city.
Hartnell's authority remains evident throughout. His strongest moment
probably comes in the final episode. The Doctor is a prisoner of the
Daleks, restrained to a wall, helpless to act against the Daleks' plan
to commit genocide. And it is from that position that he decries "this
senseless, EVIL killing!" It's a line delivery that's impossible to
forget, as Hartnell puts such layers of revulsion into it. The Doctor
- a character the audience still cannot fully trust, a character many
probably weren't sure yet that they even liked - is morally outraged,
and when he tells the Dalek at the end that even if he wanted to help
the Daleks, he doesn't know how, his tone and posture seem vaguely
like that of a judge passing sentence.
Ian: Readily assumes a leadership position, both among the other
travellers and with the Thals. Despite his naming the Doctor "leader"
in An Unearthly Child, he has no problem in assuming authority over
the Doctor, insisting that the Doctor cannot explore the city alone
(because, as the only one who can control the ship, he is not
expendable), then taking the lead in planning their exploration of the
city. He then takes the lead among the Thal expedition to the Dalek
city. At this point in the series' run, Ian is far more the series'
hero than the Doctor is.
Barbara: Still, by her own admission, a very "unwilling adventurer."
In the early episodes particularly, she seems almost constantly
afraid, save for a rather nice TARDIS scene in Episode One in which
she takes a somewhat motherly role toward Susan. The strong Barbara of
my memories does begin to emerge around Episode Three. When Ian and
the Doctor are planning the Dalek escape, trying to figure out how to
deal with the impossibility of hiding from the Dalek, it is Barbara
who comes up with the simple solution of using the dirt from Susan's
shoes and their water supply to create mud to throw onto the eyestalk.
Actors Jacqueline Hill and Philip Bond also do a nice job of picking
up on fairly mild script cues to create a fairly convincing
relationship between Barbara and the Thal second-in-command, Ganatus
(Bond).
Susan: Gets some surprisingly strong scenes. Her eagerness to show off
the various TARDIS functions to Ian and Barbara is touching, like a
child seeking approval. She also gets a particularly plucky moment in
Episode Four, preventing a too-early detection of the group's escape
plan through a quick-witted show of false panic (sadly oversold by an
unnecessary close-up showing her winking to the camera).
Daleks: Their first-ever appearance is a very different Dalek
characterization than any of their later outings. Several things
arrive fully-formed. The design, the voice, the near-hysterical
xenophobia... These things are part and parcel of their makeup from
the beginning. However, these Daleks are weaker - and, perversely,
more complex and interesting - than their later counterparts. These
Daleks are not interstellar space conquerors. They do not seem even to
be aware of life beyond Skaro, assuming that the Doctor and his
companions are Thals simply because they cannot conceive of any
alternative existing other than "Thal" and "Dalek."
Most of all, the Daleks seem to be constantly afraid. They select the
Doctor for interrogation, likely because he is clearly physically the
weakest of the group. Despite his age and clear state of illness, they
insist on him staying "in the light," and back away from him when he
starts to leave that area. When the regulars stage their escape,
attacking their Dalek guard, the guard responds with sheer panic,
repeating, "Keep away from me! Keep away!" These Daleks are,
essentially, cornered animals. What makes them dangerous is not
immense power, strength, or technology - it is simply that they will
do anything to stay alive.
HEROIC SELF-SACRIFICE OF THE WEEK
Ganatos' cowardly brother, whose name I can't remember so I will call
him Fraidy Thal, fails to hop a chasm to finish the journey to the
Dalek city, and ends Episode Six dangling over the chasm, while Ian -
attached to the other end of the rope - is starting to lose his hold.
Episode Seven opens with Fraidy Thal cutting the rope to save Ian, at
the cost of his own life.
The heroic self-sacrifice will eventually become one of the most
tiresome of Who cliches, in my opinion, with some of the later stories
seeing characters falling over themselves to give up their own lives
at the drop of a hat. This one, however, works, for several reasons.
One is that the character's anxieties have been so carefully built up
over the preceding episodes. There is a sense that he is pushed into
this by Ganatos, who as early as Episode Three reacts with resentment
to suggestions that his brother is afraid of anything. He pleads with
Ganatos to simply be allowed to go back at one point, and indeed there
would be no real negative consequences to Ganatos letting him do so.
This creates an edge of sympathy. The brother is a bit of a coward,
sure - but he's also being pushed into a situation against his will;
left to his own devices, he wouldn't be in those tunnels to begin
with, something Ganatos realizes after his death.
Also, the situation surrounding the death is quite hopeless for him.
He can't save himself at the expense of Ian. The choice is he dies, or
both die. His first reaction is what anyone's reaction would be: to
cry out and beg for help, for someone to save him. Only when it is
clear that salvation is impossible does he cut the rope to avoid
taking Ian with him. The context makes it effective, and even
believable - something that won't always be true of the Heroic Self-
Sacrifices (TM) in this series.
THOUGHTS
The story that put Doctor Who on the map, The Daleks is also often
regarded as being a bit sluggish and dated. The latter episodes of the
story particularly come under fire. I can't entirely disagree with
these criticisms. Certainly, it is dated - which is hardly a surprise,
for a 45-year-old piece of British television. And the story isn't the
fastest-paced, and parts of it might well test the patience of viewers
used to today's roller coaster-paced entertainment.
Certainly, the entire content of Episode One could be condensed into a
2 - 3 minute precredit teaser in a modern equivalent of this story.
However, doing so would be a great pity. In many ways, I think The
Dead Planet was my favorite of the episodes, because at this point in
the story you really don't know what you're in for. The regulars
explore a genuinely alien setting, while all the while the shifting
power dynamic between Ian and the Doctor drives the character interest
of the episode. By the time they reach the city, we have become
gradually aware that they are being watched - just as the Dalek
plunger is revealed for the first episode's iconic cliffhanger. The
episode may be practically plot-free, but the characterizations remain
vivid, the atmosphere is thick, and there's a real sense of
exploration and wonder to the proceedings.
The story that follows is rather well done, as well. Following that
one-part introduction - which is more about the interaction of the
regulars and creating a tone than about story - what we get are
effectively two linked three-parters: one in which the regulars must
escape from the Dalek city, and one in which they help the Thals to
defeat the Daleks. The first adventure is the more effective of the
two, tense and claustrophobic and boosted by the excellent design of
the Dalek city.
Still, the latter part of the serial, following the Thal expedition,
is better than its reputation would suggest. I particularly refer to
Episode Six, The Ordeal, which has come to be regarded as the episode
where half of it is spent jumping over a chasm. In reality, about six
minutes is spent on this sequence (which begins at 16 minutes, and is
interrupted by a scene between the Doctor and the Daleks) - and I
found the sequence quite enjoyable. I find that I don't necessarily
mind a story taking a little time to show characters actually working
to overcome an obstacle. Ian and Ganatos vying for the leadership
position, and Ian acknowledging that Ganatos' jump was better and that
the Thal actually should have gone first (showing grace on Ian's part)
are good little character beats. The efforts taken with the rope, Ian
prepping his run before actually making it, Ganatos taking time to
explore the ledge and find the tunnel... Sure, you could do all that
in a single minute, but it wouldn't be as detailed and it wouldn't
feel as textured as it does here.
Rating: 8/10. Yes, a handful of later Dalek stories would end up
bettering it - though I'd frankly put far more Dalek stories below i
than above it. But the character dynamics remain interesting, and I
find I am rather a fan of the more gradual storytelling pace of the
'60's.
The Doctor
>bettering it - though I'd frankly put far more Dalek stories below i
>than above it. But the character dynamics remain interesting, and I
>find I am rather a fan of the more gradual storytelling pace of the
>'60's.
>
This is the original. This one does stick out in my mind as well.
I have read critiques ofthe Doctor as Anti-Hero. One thing to
note is that the Doctor does get himself in trouble in a radioactive
world.
Anyways in the end peoles are brought together.
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The Watcher
> This is the original. This one does stick out in my mind as well.
> I have read critiques ofthe Doctor as Anti-Hero. One thing to
> note is that the Doctor does get himself in trouble in a radioactive
> world.
Why is it important to note that? In what way is it significant he gets in
trouble on a radioactive world?
The Doctor
REcall initially he thinks it is safe. He should have waited a few seconds
for the TARDIS to report. Then is when the Danger is revealed.
Also in the City, they find a Geigometer (in English of al things)
indicating the danger. They are almost sick and could have died from in.
In all of this, the Doctor sabotaged the TARDIS just to explore the
Dalek city.
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The Lonely God
dependent on the high radiation environment to stay alive. Add to that the
story after this one seems to establish Skaro was "in the future" compared
to Ian and Barbara's time, makes me wonder when this story should be dated.
The Doctor
Well DWM a long time ago addressed the time line issue.
Previous to the Daleks was Genesis of the Daleks. From there
everything is all over the place till Destiny of the Daleks.
NOw the Time Wars messes everything up.
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