1.2 The Daleks

 
Okay, so this is the very first every epic episode that started off all those other epic episodes about the Doctor's most troubling nemeses --- the Daleks. In other words, this is the mother of all Dalek episodes.

The most recent doctors have had to face the Daleks --- most notably in David Tennant's acting period. However for me they seem to fit into a story way better in this William Hartnell chapter.  By that I mean that they are these aliens living on their own planet, and struggling to survive with what they have. 


By no means are they cunningly zipping through time and space, screaming "EXTERMINATE!!!" to whatever crosses their paths, hell bent on destroying The Doctor and the entire bloody universe.  Maybe the Daleks' agenda changes over time, but they seemed to go from "Oh this is little 'ol me trying to survive on radiation" to "You will all burn in hell" very abruptly.  But then I have not seen anything in between.


Oh wait, and don't forget the recent Doctor moments has when he screams "I hate you!" at the evil Daleks and that one silent tear falls down his face.  *snicker* How could we ever forget that?


Apparently viewers liked the Daleks so much, that they kept bringing them back and back and back and back, using them into the ground.  Now at the recent end of Doctor Who, I have been Dalek-ed to death and I resent that. "The last of their kind" phrase has become ludicrous, as each time the writers find some lame brain excuse in which to bring them back.  Welllll...they all died in this episode, but actually........Those rascally Daleks! You are NOT the last of your kind! I declare!


I could make a few passing comments at this time about the four travelers like: Wait, did the doctor just say, 'diddle'????  Could Susan be any more annoying than she was in the first episode? Oh well...yes she can. 

In the beginning we discover that the Doctor is really a conniving fool. And I really mean fool in the best possible sense.  Oddly enough, the two companions don't want to run around outside. They want to eat dinner, play chess and go to bed. However, he wants to run out exploring like a giddy four year old boy. So, he removes a piece of the TARDIS containing mercury, and tricks them into thinking they must find more on the planet to get the TARDIS running again. Really? What a dollop.


And this plan backfires because the part that he takes out is confiscated , better yet suctioned, by the Daleks when they are recaptured [for the 17th thousandth time].  So just when you think the episode is reaching a merciful end, they realize the mercury gone, and have to go back for it.  Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! Hence, three more stilting chapters about the Daleks.  [Of course, it's the one little thing that runs the box. I mean, couldn't he have just as quietly put it back before they went out on their journey? He knew he was just tricking them.  If you have something that is irreplaceable, don't run around in the great outdoors with it in your pocket. That's just stupid.]

But does the Doctor take full credit for this little escapade? No, he blames Ian.  Booyah!

Right, so does anyone not see the little red light in the TARDIS flashing "DANGER HIGH RADIATION LEVELS, YOU LITTLE NITS"?  After about 25 minutes, they start collapsing all over the place with very sweaty faces and come to the conclusion that they are dying from radiation.  OH yeah. This is so cool. 


Susan is dispatched to get the anti-radiation pills [wow, diseases are so easily cured nowadays] while the others get themselves captured by the Daleks. We get to see a really long scene of her acting like a nervous twit, falling over roots and such. Oh yay.

The Doctor and companions end up running through numerous metal corridors, finally get captured and they have to figure out an ingenious way to get out.  [This is before the all powerful sonic screwdriver came to be.]  They overtake a Dalek, and shove Ian into it, so that they can escape.  This works.  There are only four physical Daleks in the show, which is pretty evident. I think you were supposed to get the impression that it was a whole city of Daleks, but I was not fooled.


Along come the Thals who also live on the planet. They need the anti-radiation stuff to survive on the planet.  They attempt to exchange food , mighty crock pots and green things for the anti-radiation medicine but the Daleks just want to kill them all. That's why mother always said, "Always eat your greens or you will become a Dalek."  Actually I don't remember her ever saying that.  Was I too young and innocent?  


The Daleks can only survive on radiation so they create a crafty plan to bomb radiation back into the atmosphere so they can keep on living.  Now that's a cunning plan indeed!!!  The Thals cannot allow that to happen, so the Doctor convinces the grass chewing Thals to take over the Dalek city.  Yay! [Fortunately they only have four Daleks to take out so it really doesn't seem that daunting.]  

Now, the first three chapters were pretty good, but then it got bad, real fast.  Starting from "The Ambush" on, we get to witness the most boring race of aliens ever.  The Thals come off as really...um...girly?  But guess what, the woman teacher gets to hang with one particularly annoying Thal and she gets all giddy and annoying.  'Scuse me while I barf. 

Plus, they have this really long scene of them all jumping over a chasm, using a rope that is thinner than a pencil.  Predictably, one of them doesn't make the jump. Why did I see that coming?  They were really good at not actually showing us the chasm, so one could get the impression they were merely playing hopscotch. I expressed this impression very loudly and obnoxiously to my husband during the show.  That's what happens when you have a low props budget, I suppose. 


In the end, the Thals and the Doctor/companions cut the power source to the Daleks, and successfully kill the four that we see.  Some of them got suctioned real bad.  By killing them, I mean tilting them on their sides.  Aww.........They manage to kill the Daleks just seconds before the bomb goes off. Now that's some pretty amazing timing, huh?

In the end, the Doctor and his companions leave the Thals to take care of their planet, and rebuild everything.  Or will they?

The Doctor has a really creepy moment with the Thals before they leave. He's been having a lot of those lately. And Barbara steals a quick kiss from boring Thal number 17 before jumping into the box.  Yikes! Please never show that again.


EXTERMINATE!

According to trivia, this entire episode was almost junked.  That would have been a cryin' shame.

Next up: Inside the Spaceship

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