Review - Dalek

A classic and much loved foe returns in Dalek, an exemplary episode from season one which is, not to put too fine a point on it, everything Doctor Who should be.

Season 1, Episode 6 - Dalek

Here we have the first real attempt to globalise the New Who, bringing the setting out of England to a "near future" (at least then) America in the year 2012. The episode ticks along nicely with well constructed plot exposition. We learn that Henry van Statten is the typical eccentric billionaire genius who views people as disposable tools for him to use towards his goals. His torturous examination of The Doctor seemed a little unnecessary considering all he did was scan his chest and see he has two hearts, but hey, maybe that's just how he rolls.

"No, it doesn't HAVE to hurt, but where's the fun in that?"

The Doctor's initial contact with the Dalek in the cage was one of the finest moments in the history of the show. Eccleston shifts fluidly from concern upon his initial contact with the as yet unidentified creature, to sheer, abject brown-trousers-time terror upon discovering what it was, and then to seething hatred when he realises it is harmless. This scene is not just testament to great writing by Robert Shearman, but to Eccleston's totally under-rated portrayal of The Doctor as a broken man still haunted by untold horrors.

The Dalek is a fantastic enemy because it is quite clearly a real danger. First of all, if The Doctor is that scared, we should be too. Then we see it absolutely destroy a small private army with zero damage. Of course then we get a nice little play on the old stairs gag where we think a weakness is found, only to have our hopes dashed with a single word.

E-LE-VATE!

Of course in the end the unstoppable killing machine is destroyed by itself. Or more precisely, by absorbing those weaknesses Davros had tried so hard to remove. There was something a little bit War of the Worlds about it.

After all the previous deaths caused or at least not prevented by The Doctor in the past five episodes, here's one we can understand him pushing for. And yet, here we finally see Rose stand up in moral outrage at The Doctor's behaviour. She had a couple of halfhearted attempts to stand up to him in The End of the World and The Unquiet Dead, but here she finally manages to turn the mirror on The Doctor and let him see what he's become. I think this becomes a turning point in their relationship.

Rose finally gets some hand.

The Doctor and Rose seem now to have decided that they are not romantically attached, but sadly Rose immediately latches on to a new bloke. Poor Mickey. Again.

I can't praise this episode enough. It has all of the classic elements of a good story with none of my usual gripes. If I wanted to get really picky I could complain that the Bad Wolf reference was a bit ham-fisted but hey, I can totally ignore that.

10/10

Can we fix it?

No. There is nothing to fix.