Ten Statements About....DOCTOR WHO STORY ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR: DESTINY OF THE DALEKS (1979)

Tom Baker and Lalla Ward try to run away
from a heavily rewritten script....

"Dead?  I do not die.  Mark this moment, Doctor.  In the history of the universe, this moment is unique.  Davros lives!"
"Yes, well I can see your long rest hasn't done anything to cure your meglomania.  Have a jelly baby."

1)  And here we begin Lalla Ward's two and a half season tenure as Romana....and we begin it in typical Graham Williams/Douglas Adams fashion with a comedy sequence which shows Romana being very cavilier in her usage of her regenerations to convince the Doctor she should just mimick Princess Astra's form.  It's a tiresome scene that takes up too much time in the first episode of this serial, and it's a definite harbinger of the the way the Williams era will spiral out of control.

2) That being said, I rather like the visual appearance of Romana in this story.  With the long white scarf and the pink suit, she serves as a sort of female mirror image of the Doctor while also retaining her own identity.

3) This is the first of the Dalek stories that begins the devaluation of the characters as villains, primarily because they are subservient to Davros.  As of this moment, they're pepperpot-shaped henchmen to a man in a bad mask.

4) You know, after the series spends a chunk of the last serial devoted to setting up the new status quo of The Randomizer shifting the Tardis, ummmm, randomly with the Doctor having control of where they will end up....they pretty much crap on that by having them show up on Skaro, a place The Doctor has shown up on several times before.

It's the invasion of the cosplaying rasta fashion models!

5) The problem with the Movellans is simply that outside of being another race of robots, they've got nothing going for them.  They're just robots who are pure-d-evil, and that's that.  There's nothing that makes them interesting or scary or even notable, which means the tension the story is counting on never develops.  It doesn't help that those mopheads make them look like a bunch of people going trick-or-treating as a rasta disco band.  

6) This is the beginning of the year where the highly overrated Douglas Adams takes over as script editor (who heavily rewrote the script)...which means that Graham Williams' tendency to treat the show as a comedy runs rampant.  The forced humor begins with that regeneration sequence at the top of the story and continues throughout, the low point being the Doctor mocking a Dalek for not being able to climb up a steep incline--which absolutely invalidates the Daleks (already becoming a bit naff due to their subservience to Davros) as scary threats.

7) You know, while there is a legitimate germ of a good idea as to why the Daleks are seeking Davros out....the moment Davros shows up, that germ is discarded save for some stray mentions in dialogue and that endless 'rock/paper/scissors' scene that is supposed to explain why the Daleks need what Davros is supposed to provide them so much.  For that matter....

"I am ready for my close-up, Mr. DeVille...."

8) Is it just me, or does the whole plot disappear thoroughly around the end of episode three?  The second we get the introduction of that atmosphere-burning bomb, the whole thing just degenerates into a lot of silliness with Daleks running around with bombs strapped to their bodies and these two dull alien races getting caught in the crossfire.

9) I think I understand the decision to raid the BBC Wardrobe of all the old Who costumes to kit out the Dalek slave force....but seeing all these recognizable and obviously tatty outfits--some of which are very ill-fitting--only emphasizes the cheapness of this production.  I really have to wonder if the slave force would have been better served by showing up in simple, nondescript outfits because....

10) ...when all is said and done, the slave force and Tim Barlow's Tysson are just there to muddy the waters.  There's so little done with them that they come off as a whole big bunch o' filler....which is sad, because Barlow is generally really good, and plays off of The Doctor well.

Overall...the beginning of one of the darkest era of the series, where canonical elements are treated with contempt by Adams and Williams.  While it may not be the worst Dalek story ever (Russell T. Davies saw to that), it is amongst the worst.  Avoid.

(And speaking of avoid...wait until we get to the next story...)

Ten Statements About....DOCTOR WHO STORY TEN: THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH (1964)

"Seig Hie--EX-TER-MI-NATE!  I mean EX-TER-MI-NATE!"

"We do not release prisoners. We are the Masters of The Earth."

"Not for long."

1) I will acknowledge that I am too young that I don't appreciate the real reason this show must've had the impact it did when it first aired. The WWII similes come hard and fast throughout the show (this really is the story than cements the Daleks=Robot Nazis concept), and while it's not as unsubtle as, let's say, Torchwood: Miracle Day, it is very, very present throughout.

2) Unlike other 'companion falls in love and leaves the Doctor' final stories ("Hi, I'm Leela, fierce warrior of a primitive culture...and now I's in lurve with wimpy Gallifreyan Guard Guy I have two, three scenes with"), Susan's storyline is very well constructed. Terry Nation makes certain Susan and David have lots of screen time together to build their chemistry and make you believe that they are in love...and I find it interesting that the final decision is The Doctor's, choosing to give her a home rather than selfishly keeping her for himself. It sort of signifies a point in the Doctor's character arc as well as Susan's.

3) We've got another example of Hartnell's struggle with his health as not only do we get him stumbling over his lines, we get in episode four...The Doctor falls insensate so Hartnell can rest for a while! The way this development is introduced is so hamfisted, it's hilarious. And speaking of hilarious....

"It's time you had a life of your own, my child...besides, your
weird-ass face is quite frankly creeping me out...:

4) WHAT. The. Fuck. That Slyther thing....Ye Gods, that's an awful monster. And I love the fact that it's apparently The Black Dalek's 'pet'....doesn't that imply a level of affection the Daleks just aren't capable of? But then....

5) Even at this early point in the series' existence, it's obvious the 'greater-than-four episodes' structure for longer stories start to seem overextended very easily. Not only the whole time waster of the Slyther seems gratuitous, the whole side trip with the women in the shack in the woods could be cut whole without any disruption to the flow of the story.

6) Was I the only one who wanted Barbara at some point to grab Jenny by the collar and punch her repeatedly? Especially after all the 'I'm a ballsy tough broad who will do anything to survive' bullcrap she keeps spouting....only to collapse into a pile of pork gelatin once she's captured by the Daleks in episode five. Ann Davies' portrayal pisses me off.

7) Dortmunn...I understand intellectually why this character existed in the story (The parallels to him and Roosevelt are hard to escape)...but maybe it's Alan Judd's portrayal, maybe it's the way the character is written, but I just don't buy his role. His death, meant to be heroic and bittersweet, just seems anticlimactic to me.

"...and we take bread and fruit and dip it in the cheese...it's
the party idea of the century!"

8) What I did think was effective was the shots of Barbara, Jenny and Dortmunn running through the empty streets of London, and seeing Daleks wandering around recognizable London landmarks. They ground the story in a weird reality that makes the invasion seem realer.

9) Overall the design sense of this story contributes greatly to the atmosphere and reality of the narrative. Simple things like the Dalek lettering seen throughout the show, or the 'vetoed' signs on artwork and museum pieces all lend veracity to the idea that this is a recognizable city that something truly terrible happened in.

10) Here's something that nags me about Dalek stories as a whole--wouldn't they be more effective, especially given how Episode One's cliffhanger is the appearance of a Dalek out of the water of the Thames, if the story wasn't named 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth?' Apparently, the story at one time was called simply 'The Invaders,' and I can imagine the chill that would go through me if I didn't expect that shot.

Overall...I know a lot of people hail this as a classic, but the truth is it's overlong and somewhat all over the place. Sure, there are some nice moments, but it could have benefited from being shorter and/or more focused. Still, an important story in the development of the show and required viewing.

Ten Statements About....DOCTOR WHO STORY TWO: THE DALEKS (1963)

Barbara is a little upset at the prospect of her pipes
being plunged....

"He appealed very sensibly to them. Any responsible human beings would have responded. The Daleks didn't. They obviously think and act and feel in an entirely different way. They just aren't human."

1) It's nice to see that this second story carries forward the tension between Ian and The Doctor, as William Russell and William Hartnell effectively play a game of one-upsmanship with each other that actually interferes with their stated intention of leaving Skaro.

2) And it's also nice to see that Verity Lambert and story writer Terry Nation seem to be gleefully not backing away from the idea that The Doctor is Something Of A Sinister Sort. The fact that he consciously lies about the Tardis being broken just so he could get the opportunity to explore the city is kinda creepy. And he doesn't stop trying to manipulate everyone, even down to the last scene! That kind of uneasy feeling he's always playing his own game gives Hartnell at this point a refreshing edginess we won't see again until McCoy's later stories.

3) Especially given that each episode of the series was budgeted at an ungodly low amount of money, you have to give them a hand at how thoughtfully the sets are designed. Little things like the lower ceilings in the Dalek chambers and the strange ovoid shape to the doors gives the setting an alien air to it.

4) Boy--watching this now (I don't think I've seen this story since it ran once on WLIW in the early 90's), with my knowledge of what the Daleks become in the era of Pertwee and beyond, I'm somewhat taken aback by how....laid back these Daleks are. They only utter their signature phrase once, shoot Ian only to paralyze his legs, and discuss their plans like borough representatives. The moments where they're the paranoid, single-minded Space Nazis are still there, but much a little on the few and far between side. It's not until we see them again (which we will on DYE! DYE! in a short while) in 'The Dalek Invasion Of Earth' that the psychotic Dalek mentality surfaces.

"All due respects, young lady...I live on a planet
with the Daleks, and you creep me out more..."

5) And similarly....it's rather a shock to see this first portrayal of the Thals as these white-haired hippie types in soundproof quilting vests. It takes a long time to get used to them talking about growing food and the like when you want to see them be ass-kickers. Of course, it doesn't help that the outfits of the female Thals are, ummmmm, silly as all hell....

6) It's obvious to me that the production team is feeling around in the dark at this point trying to find their ideal groove, because this story might be a touch long at seven episodes. To be fair, it keeps it pace pretty well for the first four episodes...and then everyone plans an assault on the Daleks that involves an episode and a half tromp through a swamp with a killer whirlpool and a whole lot of nuttin' that slows the story to a crawl. When it's time for the climax, everything shoots back in double time in an effort to wrap everything up.

7) There's something really weird about Philip Bond's Ganatus pursuing Barbara. I know it's not the first time a character wants Barbara to be his wubbie (I'm looking at you, 'The Romans'), but given the continuing evidence that Ian and Barbara are involved (when she pulls him up from the elevator, she embraces him; they're seen sleeping next to each other when they rest in The Mutant Swamp) it makes her prissy self come off a bit like a player.

Yeah, the Daleks are forcing our heroes to have tea against
their wills...but it's really bad tea...

8) You gotta give directors Richard Martin and Christopher Barry for trying some unique and unusual shots, particularly those that are from the Daleks' point of view. They're obviously done with filters and cut-outs, but given the rather staid three-camera set up it's refreshing to see them trying new solutions for the problems of their budgets.

9) I am becoming more and more creeped out by Susan. Not only is she still disquietingly odd looking, she now chooses to break out this strange, braying laugh at the most inopportune times. There's one moment when the others stare at her after she does this donkey-like whinny, and you get the impression they're just as shocked as we are.

10) I'm also still not used to the way each episode only shows the last few minutes of the episode previous, then there's a fade out, and then the story starts. It's a slight disruption in the show's flow that distracted me every time.

Overall...as interesting as this episode is, it's still something of a shock to see a different interpretation of the Doctor's greatest foe. Still, another essential episode for aspiring Whovians.