The Evil of the Daleks

The Evil of the Daleks is widely considered one of the best serials ever made during the classic run.  According to Wikipedia, it was voted the best ever serial in a poll held by Dreamwatch for the 30^th anniversary.  But why?  What is it about this particular story that makes it so good? Bear in mind that in 1993, when the poll was held, the episode had not existed in any visual format for years.  Indeed, only one episode from this serial exists now, discovered in 1987, 6 years before the 30^th anniversary.  The originals had been wiped in the late 60s, meaning that unless you saw it on original broadcast, chances were you’d missed it.  The novelisation was released in 1993, not long after the vote, and was in fact the very last serial to be novelised, with the exceptions of the Adams stories, such as City of Death. 

So what is it, then, that makes this such a popular serial?  It has everything we’d want from an outstanding story; Daleks?  Check. New companion? Check. A race through time and space? Check. Genetic testing? Check.  But all of these are not what makes The Evil of the Daleks such a phenomenal serial.  No, that honour solely comes down to Troughton – here, we finally can see the Doctor is back on form.  Rather than winning by chance, or coming to some final negotiations to prevent a war, or having to be saved by the proactive nature of his companions, here he is the Time Lord Victorious that we have come to expect.  He is forward thinking, proactive, dynamic, funny, warm, compassionate, and, most of all, brave.  This serial comes at the end of the fourth season, which has seen Hartnell leave, the last vestiges of his tenure have finally been shaken off with the departure of Ben and Polly in the last episode, and the TARDIS team are now finally free to reinvent themselves. 

Thankfully, Terry Nation was unable to write for this serial – designed to be the final face-off with the Daleks, as Nation was trying to break USA with the Doctor’s nemesis – and so David Whitaker was brought in.  Whitaker had previously written for Troughton’s Doctor, and the Daleks, in The Power of the Daleks, arguably one of the finest Dalek stories to date.   In addition to that, it allows Troughton and Hines to perfect the double act between the two which we saw the beginnings of in The Faceless Ones.  Here, the two are given the chance to gel perfectly, honing their relationship, before adding into the mix Victoria Waterfield, soon to be the newest companion.  Of course, this is another difficult one to watch and analyse effectively, as most of it is missing.  Much of it does exist in telesnap form, though, and the photo-novel is published on the BBC website.  Reading through this whilst listening to the audio track helps to gain some appreciation for how wonderful this serial is, though.

We are thrust straight into the action at the top of episode 1, with the Doctor and Jamie still in hot pursuit of the TARDIS following the final scene of The Faceless Ones.  Like Sherlock and Watson, the pair unravel clues and track the ship down – starting with a wonderfully comedic scene as the Doctor and Jamie have to interview an employee of the airport, before being handed a note saying that the TARDIS was due to be collected at 3pm, and signed for by J. Smith – possibly a little nod to the Doctor’s alter-ego, John Smith, although he hasn’t used that moniker yet.  That’s the trouble with time travel, of course, where things never happen in quite the right order.  Troughton’s Doctor is first given the name John Smith in The Wheel in Space, which was also co-written by David Whitaker. 

Of course, all is not as it seems, and the TARDIS crew are being monitored by a man in a nearby field, listening in on their conversation via a wireless radio.  As it turns out, though, no one is quite who they seem, and the Doctor and Jamie end up following their source, whilst being tailed by a man named Kennedy.  Kennedy is in contact with a man called Waterfield, played with sympathetic gusto by John Bailey.  What is fascinating is the way in which these two storylines are running in tandem, with small connections throughout.  The Doctor and Jamie soldier on unravelling clues, whilst we get to see Bailey’s Waterfield working away, suspiciously out of his own time.  His costume is decidedly Victorian, as is his speech pattern.  There’s a lilting rhythm to his dialogue, and we cannot help but feel comfortable in his presence.  That is, of course, ironic, since he is ultimately involved in the scheming and as such should not be trusted.  Waterfield’s suspicious origins become more and more intriguing as we see him visited by a gentleman named Perry who comments on antique furniture, which is in mint condition, as though it were brand new.

The Doctor and Jamie arrive outside a warehouse, whilst inside Hall, refusing to be involved in a kidnapping plot, is beaten unconscious by Kennedy.  The time travellers enter in time to find him laid out across a vast sum of money, mumbling a name.  The detective work continues as the Doctor manages to deduce characteristics and mannerisms about the attacker from a book of matches, before the pair set off, watched by Kennedy.  Kennedy is played with sleazy relish by Griffith Davies, and the scenes between him and Waterfield that follow are wonderful.  The ease with which Kennedy talks about beating up Hall and the like makes him horrifically unknowable, calculating and murderous in equal measure.  Watching as he spies on Waterfield from outside the room is unnerving, too; this man has no moral compass, no honesty or decency within him.  Waterfield, meanwhile, continues to lead the Doctor and Jamie on a merry dance, as he uses photos of the two to send Perry to talk to them.  The multilayered scheme comes across as confusing and convoluted, but works on every level simply because it is so brazen. 

There’s a smashing moment in the café, as the Doctor and Jamie sit listening to The Seekers, where they discuss the fact that they are conscious that they are being toyed with – there is no company by the name signed on the delivery order, according to the phone book, and he says that if only they knew who their enemies were, the Doctor could deal with the situation.  When Jamie asks if it is still the Chameleons responsible, the Doctor responds that it is “something else. I can feel them, closing in all around us.”  This psychic sense is a call-back to a throwaway line in The War Machines, during which Hartnell’s Doctor noted that he sensed his nemeses, the Daleks.  At the time, of course, it was a theory discounted due to the presence of the eponymous War Machines themselves; but bearing in mind we now know of the time frame in which this story, as well as the previous one and Ben and Polly’s first ever adventure, is set, it becomes all the more interesting to think that the Doctor, back then, noted that the Daleks were around at the same time.  Likewise, when Perry arrives and hands the Doctor a business card, intended for Doctor Galloway and Mr McCrimmon, he announces that it is Mr Waterfield who is expecting him – the true person behind the scheme is revealed, yet still shrouded in secrecy and cunning.

The episode rattles towards the first cliffhanger at a great pace, as Kennedy attempts to break into the secret room at the back of Waterfield’s office, a room filled with technologically advanced machinery which has no place in 1966.  Of course, what makes this all the more unsettling is the fact that this machinery, which has no place in 1966, is in a room belonging to a man that has no place being in 1966.  It is an incredibly clever scenario, one which completely throws the audience.  The emergence of the Dalek in the final moments, uttering “Who are you? Answer!” is horribly unnerving, and despite their presence in the title – spoilers, damn it! – we almost forget that they are supposed to have been involved.

Episode two, thankfully, exists, so once again we are given the opportunity to relish Derek Martinus’ direction.  Whilst most of his work is missing, from the existent episodes of his work still available, we can tell that Martinus is a gifted director – his work on Spearhead from Space, the very first colour serial, is simply breathtaking, as is his work on The Ice Warriors and The Tenth Planet, so we know that such a strong script is in suitably skilled hands.  The materialisation scenes are wonderfully shot, and again the deep-focus is used perfectly, particularly in an early scene to enhance the comedy in the double act of the Doctor and Jamie – as he warns Jamie not to be clumsy, moments before knocking a vase off to be caught by Jamie behind, who gives an over-the-top eye roll before resetting it on the worktop.  Moments like this are magnificent when we are able to see them, and we can only imagine what the rest of this looks like.  The scenes in Waterfield’s shop are wonderful – from the Doctor and Jamie continuing on their Sherlock-and-Watson double-act and discovering Kennedy’s body, and Jamie’s utter lack of subtlety, to the scenes with Perry fetching the Police Officer, so utterly trusting – and the direction simply works.  There’s a bizarre Star Wars-esque screen wipe as we cut from Troughton’s face in close-up to a copy of the photograph Perry had earlier on being placed into a trap by Waterfield. 

Waterfield is a wonderful narrative construct, and he is played with perfection by Bailey – being able to see him in this episode allows us to better appreciate his performance throughout the serial.  He truly is a man torn, stuck between a rock and a hard place.  His wish to hand himself to the authorities in a few episode’s time becomes more relatable having seen him here, in mental anguish as he struggles with the right and the wrong of his actions; he desperately wants his daughter back, but the death of Kennedy makes him realise that there is more to the Daleks than at first there appears to be.

What Whitaker does so magnificently with his script, though, is to confuse us.  Still, more than half way through the second episode, we’ve only seen the Daleks briefly, and whilst they have committed murder onscreen, their plans are still an utter mystery.  It all seems so ridiculously convoluted, with the Doctor and Jamie following clue after clue – many of them utterly redundant anyway – to get them into the back room of a Victorian antique specialist’s shop in 1966, where they are then transported back to 1866, only for them to still remain in the background, using humans to complete their work as they become babysitters for Deborah Watling’s Victoria Waterfield.  Watling gets an unfair level of criticism, I feel, principally due to her being the companion instead of Pauline Collins’ character from The Faceless Ones, who would have been a more contemporary identification figure.  Instead, Victoria, as a character, comes across as more of a damp squib, a Victorian girl terrified by almost everything she sees.  Here, though, she is surprisingly confident, never screaming or even really whimpering.  There is fear evident in her eyes, but she follows the instructions of the Daleks to the letter, and simply bides her time, confident that she will be rescued, somehow.

As the time travellers are dragged back in time by the time machine in the back of the shop, they wake to find themselves in Maxtible’s home, which is frankly magnificent.  The set designs here are luscious and the contrast created between the contemporary shop, filled with Victorian bric-a-brac, then the futuristic backroom, followed by this grand scale is magnificent.  Of course, we are fortunate that these ornate doorways are wide enough for Daleks to fit through – they no doubt chose Maxtible exclusively for his huge doorframes, as well as the enormous sprawling property he owns, allowing for the most elaborate game of Mousetrap ever.  The very first mention of Maxtible is wonderful; as Mollie refers to him as “the Master”, Troughton’s Doctor does a double-take which is fantastic, before we are introduced to Maxtible for real – played with wild-eyed enthusiasm by Marius Goring, who is simply spectacular as he intones that “we are all of us the victims of a higher purpose”.  Again, his ulterior motives are somewhat predictable, but Goring plays the role with such genuine conviction that we cannot help but be enamoured by his blind ambition.

Troughton’s Doctor is magnificent in the early scenes in Maxtible’s laboratory, and Goring’s pride is wonderfully contrasted with Troughton’s seemingly bumbling silliness.  What is telling, though, is that moment that we hear mention of “Static”, and Troughton’s instant about-face.  He goes from impish clown to serious scientist in a heartbeat, as he realises the implications of the static electricity, and who is therefore responsible for the manipulative games at hand.  Whitaker here continues the ideas originally set out in Terry Nation’s earliest Dalek stories, and sketches the creatures as Nazi despots, horrifically single-minded in their desperation for what they see as the purity of all civilisation; the mention of testing on humans is enough to make anyone shudder, and that it should be Jamie who is to be tested upon is all the more shocking.

With Jamie finally waking up in the drawing room, we see more of the lover, as well as the fighter, from The Faceless Ones that we have come to expect; he flirts outrageously with Molly, the serving girl, as well as with Ruth Maxtible to some extent, and is instantly drawn to the portrait hanging above the fireplace.  Quite why Maxtible has a portrait of Waterfield’s wife is never made entirely clear, but this slight oddity can easily be overlooked.  The episode ends with a stranger in the window striding forward, knocking Jamie unconscious with a cosh before planting the unconscious Molly in his seat and leaving.  Meanwhile, two Daleks chant in abrasive tones that there will be no delay to their plan to test on Jamie.

Episodes 3 and 4 are sadly where things seem to go a little wayward for me during The Evil of the Daleks.  Obviously, in a 7 episode serial we come to expect a little filler, but there are entire sequences here which seem utterly irrelevant, and are particularly difficult to sit through with no visual aid.  Firstly, we have the discovery of the maid, unconscious, and the Doctor follows a clue – a piece of straw – to the outhouses, where Jamie has been taken by Toby, the burly stranger from the previous episode.  Here, it appears he is under the employment of one James Terrall, fiancé of Ruth Maxtible.  Terrall swiftly succumbs to some form of interference, though, and becomes an entirely different person.  Toby insists that Terrall offered to pay him substantially for the kidnapping of Jamie, but Terrall denies this stringently, and the thug attempts to blackmail him in a later scene, leading us into the cliffhanger which is a direct reprise of the end of episode 1 – the thug in question this time is Toby, rather than Kennedy, but his fate is the same.  The Doctor’s following of the clue to the outhouses is utterly pointless, since Jamie is freed by Terrall anyhow.  Likewise, Terrall’s motives for asking Toby to kidnap Jamie in the first place are unclear, and we never gain any closure from it – with Toby’s death, so too does the story.  All in all, it seems like a redundant sidestep in the action; although well acted, and well scripted too, it adds nothing to the plot.

 

Whilst all of this is going on, there is also a bizarre sequence in which we meet Kemel, Maxtible’s Turk slave, played by Sonny Caldinez in his first Doctor Who appearance.  Caldinez will go on to appear in four further serials, each time playing an Ice Warrior.  He is a mountain of a man, an impressively built man in fact, and the first scene featuring him with Maxtible is entirely set up for the scenes to follow in the opening scene of episode 4.  Here, though, it all seems a little perfunctory.  Simply by looking at him, we can tell that he is a monstrously strong character, so the scenes in which we see him shatter planks of wood with his bare hands, or bend iron rods around his neck in an attempt to prove his strength to the watching Dalek, all seem rather pointless.  Likewise, the explanations about the danger of the spikes and so on; ultimately, we could simply have seen Jamie become almost impaled, and that would have been just as effective. Kemel is another of those stock characters that Doctor Who does so well, but which will from here on gradually dwindle in frequency; the gigantic racial stereotype, who seems all brawn and no brains but which shows compassion and humanity.  This is epitomised by Toberman in the very next serial, The Tomb of the Cyberman, but here seems to be being trialled. 

Really, episode 3 – and 4, and much of 5 too – is all set up for, and completion of, the experiment.  Jamie is being tested for the Doctor to extract ‘the human factor’ as Jamie is monitored completing a number of tasks, ultimately saving Victoria Waterfield from her captors.  What is particularly interesting here is that the Doctor comes across as manipulative; Sylvester McCoy is regarded – rightly – as having created the “Darker Doctor”, a more manipulative and devious character who plots and plans and uses everyone for his own ends.  He has a game plan, and knows where everything is heading.  This is most notable in his final season, in serials such as Ghost Light and The Curse of Fenric.  But this is proto-McCoy.  Here, Troughton intentionally baits Jamie into heading off to do the righteous thing and to save the girl, all the time using him for his own ends.  The heated argument between Troughton and Hines is horrible to watch – our Doctor and our Jamie, at each others’ throats, makes for uncomfortable viewing indeed.

n episode 4, we have a fight sequence which seems to last forever; whilst it all sounds great, it’s difficult to tell exactly what is happening without Hines’ exuberant linking narrative.  Eventually, however, through Jamie showing compassion and mercy to Kemel, the fight comes to an end and the two make an uneasy truce; one which is later solidified.  There is what sounds like a hilarious scene in which a Dalek enters with Victoria’s lace handkerchief, laying it down in position for a trap.  The image of a Dalek with something as innocent and feminine as a lace hankie makes me giggle.  Whilst Jamie’s quest continues, we have scenes intercut with the Doctor in the laboratory, monitoring his progress and gradually distilling chemicals based on what he watches.  Exactly what or how this is done is unclear – which chemical exactly will help to imbue compassion within a Dalek?! – but it is often better not to look too closely at the science of Doctor Who, at least not until Christopher Bidmead joins the staff.

The scenes in which the Doctor extols of the virtues of compassion is quite an interesting one, particularly as it is juxtaposed with a wonderful scene between Maxtible and Waterfield, in which Maxtible shows that, like the Daleks, he too is missing that vital ingredient in the ‘human factor’ the Daleks are so desperate for.  Gradually, episode by episode, Maxtible is revealing himself to be more and more insane in his hunger for wealth.  Still, during episode 4, we don’t even know why he is working with the Daleks.  It is the ultimate slow burn, forcing the audience to question the motives of this man.  Waterfield shows regret, remorse, sympathy for the victims in all this – including himself, of course – and yet in contrast, Maxtible feels nothing but overwhelming self-assurance and pride in his experiments and his laboratory.  There’s a chilling scene at the end of this episode between Maxtible and a Dalek in which Maxtible, under no circumstances, uses the word “obey”.  He argues that they are mutually exclusive business partners, and they are assisting each other in their experiments.  But under no circumstances is he, Theodore Maxtible, the servant of the Daleks!  As he says, “You have a strange way of putting things. I prefer to say that you have asked for certain services, I have provided those services punctually and efficiently.”  When the Daleks commands that he obey for the third time, his response is a pointed “I understand”.

Finally, after the cliffhanger at the end of episode 4 seeing Kemel and Jamie coming face to face with a Dalek in the banqueting hall where Victoria is being held, we get to see Jamie and Victoria meet.  The scene at the beginning of part 5, where the pair throw their rope over the Dalek before propelling him over the edge of the balcony sounds wonderful, and probably looked it too.  Victoria then reinforces the relationship that the mute Kemel had suggested exists between them, and the pair are evidently close, but what is even more evident is that there is a definite chemistry between Hines and Watling; the pair hit it off instantly, and it speaks volumes of their relationship that the pair are still close today, appearing in documentaries and on conventions together, the two are inseparable.  The trio then barricade themselves in the room, as the experiment comes to an end.  In the laboratory, the Doctor has finally gathered enough evidence and samples to create the elusive ‘human factor’.  There is a wonderful moment during which Troughton’s Doctor refers to himself as a “Professor of a far wider academy”, and following the scenes in episode 4 during which he tinkers and smiles with glee as Jamie’s life is endangered, we almost get a sense that the Doctor would quite enjoy being able to test future companions in such a way.  Indeed, it perhaps goes some way to explain Hines’ presence as the longest running companion; he more than proves his worth many times over.

Meanwhile, we have further evidence of Maxtible’s lack of compassion and humanity in his scenes with Waterfield – after threatening to kill him in the previous episode, and being prevented only by Terrall’s sudden appearance, the two continue to argue about the morality of their experiment.  Contrasting with these scenes, we have the moment when Terrall kidnaps Victoria via a secret passage and ends up in a sword fight with Jamie.  Again, it sounds wonderful, but it is ultimately more filler, not adding anything to the plot.  Terrall isn’t in charge of his own faculties, so it hardly works as a criticism of humanity in the same way as Maxtible’s inhumanity does.  The same goes for Terrall’s mistreatment of Molly earlier on; whilst Maxtible is choosing to do inhuman things for his own reasons – the acquisition of the secret of turning base metals to gold – Terrall is being controlled, and so is ultimately just a monster in the same way as the Robomen of The Dalek Invasion of Earth. 

Waterfield’s humanity and conscience leads to one of the most telling moments for Troughton’s Doctor we have yet seen, continuing the idea that he is being manipulative, and providing us with a moment of troublesome foreshadowing; as Waterfield talks about the “destruction of a whole race” due to their meddling, he is meaning that if the Daleks were to acquire the ‘human factor’, it would make them utterly unstoppable.  The Doctor’s response, however, has far darker connotations, as he mutters “I don’t think you quite know what you’re saying, but yes.”  Here, the Doctor is making perfectly clear that he intends to destroy the Dalek race.  We will not see such an ethical dilemma involving the Daleks until Tom Baker’s infamous “Have I the right?” speech in Genesis of the Daleks.  There’s a terrifying moment where Waterfield even contemplates murdering the Doctor – now of course he wouldn’t, and indeed couldn’t, do that; he’s the moral compass in this right now.  Maxtible raising an axe behind Waterfield in the last episode was believable, because he comes across as a person willing to commit atrocities for his own ends.  Waterfield, though, is too good, and pure, and innocent.

The cliffhanger is truly unnerving, though, as we see the humanised Daleks running amok, taking the Doctor for a ride and generally acting in a silly and bizarre manner.  Really, this shouldn’t work as a cliffhanger; Maxtible muttering “an amusing little game, eh, Jamie?” isn’t a moment of mortal peril.  No-one is in danger here; rather they’re all messing about and having fun.  The beginning of episode 6 is equally frivolous, with scenes of the Daleks chanting the word “trains” in their grinding grating timbre, and playing roundabouts and chanting “dizzy” is all a little disconcerting.  In hindsight, this is the pivotal moment that brings about the Daleks’ “final end”, but for now it just sits strangely.  Similarly, the Doctor naming the Daleks is uncomfortable – for such human things as names to be associated with such inhuman creatures as the Daleks makes an audience uncomfortable.  But that’s sort of what Whitaker is going for here; when we instil the ‘human factor’ into a Dalek, it seemingly utterly removes the ‘Dalek factor’ itself, leaving the creatures as petulant children, pouting and asking why before stomping their foot and going to their room.

The destruction of Maxtible’s laboratory, as everyone is taken via the time machine to Skaro, sounds terrifically bombastic, and no doubt looked phenomenal.  The sound of horror in Goring’s voice as Maxtible realises that his entire life’s work is about to be destroyed is awful; what makes it all the more disturbing is that it again allows us to draw parallels between Maxtible and the Daleks.  His daughter, Ruth, has run away with Molly and Terrall – no longer under the influence of the mind-controlling technology – and yet he is utterly unfazed by it, as his true child, his baby, is his laboratory.  So too do we see this in the final scenes of episode 6 reflected in the Emperor Dalek, whose willingness to sacrifice the 3 human-Daleks is chilling.  Whilst on Skaro, Maxtible’s self-confidence and misguided surefootedness continues to baffle, as he insists that “No-one can help you – no-one but me!” he remains blinded to the truth.  Ultimately, although the alchemical secret is given to him, he can do nothing with it.  Instead, he is stranded on an alien planet, utterly insane and infused with the Dalek Factor.  There is a chilling moment in episode 7 where, once converted, he responds with the phase “Obey”, proving once and for all that the last vestiges of what made him human are now gone forever.

The Emperor Dalek itself is simply magnificent, sitting astride a magnificent dais as it is, looming over the Doctor and the other Daleks, tentacle-like wires and pipes coiled around it.   The voice, too, is horrifying – it almost seems more human than other Daleks, capable of cunning and malicious cognitive processes as it is.  The Emperor Dalek ultimately reveals the real plan – all along, the Doctor’s experiments have been a shroud, a red herring to allow the Daleks to monitor what it is exactly that makes humans tick so that they can then distil the ‘Dalek Factor’.  The cliffhanger at the end of episode 6 is hauntingly cried out by the Emperor; “You will take the Dalek Factor, and you will spread it throughout the entire history of Earth!”  Whilst the Doctor has been tinkering away, he has unwittingly allowed the Daleks the ultimate weapon, one which will turn every human being, ever, into a Dalek.

Victoria finally gets the chance to step up to the fore here.  What is interesting is that this story is due to introduce her as a new companion, and yet she was only introduced to us in episode 2, met no-one human until episode 5, and still has never met the Doctor.  Even though she’s not met him yet, she holds out hope for him, which is wonderful.  Jamie has evidently told her and Kemel all about the Doctor and how wonderful he is whilst they were locked in the lumber room – despite his argument with the Doctor shortly afterwards – and so she shows guile and cunning, understanding the Daleks’ plot all along – the scene in which she berates Maxtible for screaming to attract the time travellers’ attention is fantastic, showing foresight and grittiness which she will sadly be lacking as her adventures continue.

Episode 7 rattles along at a fantastic pace – now that the real threat has been unearthed, and the Doctor has been given his ultimatum, the story belts through to its explosive and magnificent conclusion.  With the TARDIS still under Dalek control, and the entire hope of humanity locked in one room, with a deadly arch to pass through to escape, the tension is palpable.  The scene in which the Doctor pretends to be infected with the Dalek Factor is magnificent, and makes the Doctor unknowably alien once more.  He makes a passing reference to “not being human”, but what is most impressive is that not only does he pass through the arch without being infected; he also manages to ignore Maxtible’s mesmerism.  Instead, once on the outside, he manages to supplant the Dalek Factor phial with one of the Human Factor.  His cunning with the Dalek Emperor is marvellous, too; in pretending to be infected with the Dalek Factor, he is able to plant the subconscious suggestion that there are dissidents amongst the Dalek troops, and that his own Human Daleks are creating rebellion.  Only by passing through the arch to ensure that they are fully “Dalekised” (for want of a better word) can Skaro be safe. 

The scenes with the Doctor in the cell, before his ‘transformation’, are rather bizarre with hindsight, too; at one point, the Doctor even talks about returning to his home world.  Although it is not name-dropped yet as Gallifrey, it is still troubling to think that he believes the current situation worthy of facing the Time Lords.  In only two season’s time, we will be faced with other Time Lords and the very idea of contacting them for help chills the Doctor to the bones.  Waterfield’s death is a touching moment of inevitable hubris too – despite his conscience, he ultimately was always going to have to pay for his sins, and so it is only right that he dies by protecting the Doctor, who in turn promises that he will always look after Victoria.

The final scenes are utter carnage, and sounds magnificent – the deaths of Waterfield, as well as lovely, helpful Kemel, are horrifying, as the whole of Skaro is torn apart by a rebellion brought about by the human nature within the Daleks, forcing them to question the orders barked at them.  Hines’ narration really sells the disgusting acts of genocide and individual scenes of true horror; at one point, he describes “the mutant creature within recoils in its final death throes.”  Ultimately, though, it was inevitable, and there is a wonderful moment as the Doctor pauses with Jamie and Victoria, looking down at the destruction they have ultimately caused, and comment that this is the Daleks’ “final end”.  Not quite, Doctor.  Not quite...

The Power of the Daleks

It is often said that the function of a companion is that of an identification figure for the audience – and never is that more true than in The Power of the Daleks.  With the introduction of Troughton as the Doctor, the audience should be confused and bewildered by what has happened.  It is all too easy nowadays to shrug nonchalantly at a regeneration.  But at the time, this was a complete game changer, never seen before.

From the opening scenes of Troughton in the TARDIS, he is muddled and unclear.  No explanation is given at any point for his strange behaviour, and his unexplained presence in the ship is confusing for the companions, Ben and Polly.  What is more, Troughton comes across as a dangerous addition – he speaks, at first, in hushed tones, grating and guttural.  He is unknowable, unsure even of himself, and constantly refers to himself in the third person, and Ben in particular feels unsafe in the presence of this unknown interloper.  He has invaded the sanctity of the TARDIS, and brandishes Saladin’s knife with glee, before picking up, instead, a recorder.  At no point can we be sure exactly what is happening – and this is a very brave decision.

After 3 and a bit seasons of watching Hartnell grow from an alien outsider into the lovable hero that he became, we are suddenly faced once more with Troughton’s equivalent of the Doctor from An Unearthly Child, mysterious and alien.  What is most interesting about Troughton’s portrayal throughout this serial, though, and also the most courageous decision on the part of the production team, is just how different from Hartnell he is.  Whilst Hartnell portrayed the character as aloof and noble, with the ability to have fun at times, Troughton instead focuses solely on the more comical elements, with only the occasional glimmer of the seriousness we typically associate with the role.  Troughton is to be the template for most Doctors to follow, laden heavily with comedic elements but an underlying menace and fury at times coming to the surface.  Here, though, it comes as a shock to the system.

Ultimately, The Power of the Daleks is a serial entirely about appearances and their very deceptiveness.  We are given a new Doctor, who doesn’t act like the Doctor.  That same Doctor assumes a false identity, becoming the Earth Examiner.  Meanwhile, we have Governors incapable of ruling, a doctor who is really a rebel, rebels who are actually being betrayed by those persuading them to rebel, and the Daleks pretending to be our “ser-vants”. 

The Daleks are wonderful here, though.  Usually I try to write my blog in chronological order, from the beginning of episode 1 through to the end of the serial.   If I were doing that now, I wouldn’t be mentioning the Daleks until about the 1000 word mark.  But that’s no longer important – I mentioned this as I reached the end of The Gunfighters, and we saw the end of the individual episode titles.  Sadly, The Power of the Daleks is the very first casualty of what we predicted – the removal of any tension in the grand reveal of the cliffhanger.  Here, as the Doctor and his companions finally make their way into the strange ship dredged from the mercury swamps, we know full well that it will contain a Dalek, since the title has signposted their presence from the outset.  Before we even saw this new Doctor and his strange ways, we knew the Daleks were coming.  What that does do, though, is presents us with the premature realisation that this story will be something special.  We have a new Doctor, and he’s facing up to his arch-nemeses, and so anticipation is high.

 

From the introduction of the new Doctor, we are wrong-footed, as Ben and Polly are – from the obscure repetition of choice phrases – “renewal!” – to the bizarre behaviour looking for the diary and the recorder, we can never be sure of this man.  As the companions follow him out of the TARDIS, they are still not safe; and neither are the audience.  It works, though – regardless, as we see him discover the body of the Earth Examiner in the swamps, and his joyful dancing across the pools of mercury, we root for him.  The emergence of strangers behind him terrifies us.  Even in a ridiculous hat, acting so unDoctorly, we root for him. 

In the camp, meanwhile, political intrigue is abound, and scientific curiosity is being explored; Whilst Bragen, Quinn and Hensell are battling it out so supremacy within the government of this rag-tag group of settlers, Lesterson and Janley are busy in the laboratories.  When the Doctor arrives, with Ben and Polly following, he is mistaken for the Examiner and granted full access to the area.  Lesterson is a fascinating character, putting the importance of his scientific explorations over the “pressure groups” and rebels within the society.  The supporting cast are all superb, but particular mention must go to Robert James as Lesterson, whose drive brings about the downfall of his society.  His gradual decline into madness as everything falls apart around him is wonderfully underplayed and is pitch-perfect.

The cliffhanger of the first episode is wonderfully tense, as the Doctor leads Ben and Polly into the space ship, and with a flourish introduces the companions to his nemeses – “Come in and meet the Daleks”.  What I love most about this serial is the way in which it takes for granted the power of the Daleks, if you’ll excuse their pun, and the Doctor’s very real fear of them.  The appearance of a clawed mutant scuttling across the floor sounds wonderful, and Anneke Wills’ linking narration on the audio seems palpable.  Ben’s response in episode 2 that “The real Doctor was always going on about Daleks” is brilliant too – I can just imagine Hartnell gloating over his defeat of them in the past, bragging to his companions that he destroyed, time and time again, the most feared creatures in the universe.

As the Examiner, the Doctor is granted full access and he uses it to perform his first really Doctorly speech – demanding that the Daleks be broken up or melted down, and suddenly pausing over this wonderful phrases – “Up or down, I don’t care which”.  The Daleks are powerless throughout much of the opening sequence, but the Doctor realises that a third Dalek casing is missing, and demands that Lesterson stops his experiments.   Of course, Lesterson is too fascinated by the results to pay attention to such a demand, and the scenes in which, with Janley, his assistant, they test the Dalek responses and study its casing are terribly unnerving; they have no idea of the dangers, and as they point out the “short, stubby arm”, wondering what purpose the gun stalk could have, we eagerly wait for the inevitable...  but it doesn’t come, not right away, and that’s what makes The Power of the Daleks such a spectacularly effective serial.  The paranoia of the Daleks is inherent in all of us at home – we’ve seen what they are capable of – yet here they are impotent, passive slaves, grating the phrases to do with servitude with an effective and affected weariness.  It is telling, in fact, that the only person murdered by the Daleks in the first few episodes is also the only person that suspects them of not being as subservient as they appear to be.  The death is swiftly ignored, though, by Janley and Lesterson as Janley covers it up, driven as she is by her desire to arm the rebels.

The very idea of the subservience of the Daleks is one which we have since seen revisited in the new reboot – Victory of the Daleks does almost exactly the same thing, but rather than an alien planet with a colony of humans, in that story is placed the action during the second world war.  Here, though, it is rather more effective – we as an audience, and Ben and Polly as companions, are now almost certain that this funny little man in his funny little hat is our Doctor; and to consolidate it, the scenes between him and the Daleks show that he is.  No-one else could fully appreciate the very danger of having the Daleks within the compound, and the Dalek’s recognition of the Doctor, despite his regenerated appearance, confirms it utterly, whilst also unnerving the audience further.  The shot of Troughton seen through the eye-stalk of the Dalek at the cliffhanger for episode 2 is terrifying, as it closes in on him, only to offer its services.

The Doctor’s order for the Dalek to immobilise itself in episode 3 is equally unnerving – the fact that it does not do so quickly shows that it is clearly not as subservient as it claims, and the very speed at which it reboots itself as he leaves makes the audience uncomfortable – this Dalek is cunning, it is watching, waiting for the right time.  3 episodes in, and the Daleks are still holding their cards close to their chest, and the audience is unclear when their time to strike will be; since serials range in length from 2 to 12 episodes, nothing is certain.

The political intrigue elements continue with the arming of the rebels with the Dalek gun stalks;  by disarming the Daleks, we imagine that they will all be safe, but instead the story turns the point on its head – the weapons of the Daleks are still usable, but this time by humans, with a thirst for power, rather than the Daleks themselves.  What is interesting is that there are few redeemable humans in this serial.  They come across as conceited, selfish, power-mad, and all the more dangerous for it.  By the time the Daleks return to their old ways, which is surely inevitable, we don’t care anymore; each and every one of them deserves to die.  They have it coming to them, but again, it is simply a question of when.  Throughout episode 4, in fact, this becomes even more prevalent a concept; as the rebels plot their political coup d’etat, they are served drinks by demeaned Daleks with trays instead of weapons.  They are blind to the clear danger amongst them, as they are so blinded by their desperation to succeed.

The ending of episode 3 is yet another brilliant cliffhanger, as the Daleks close in on Lesterson, chanting “we will get our power” ad infinitum.  Of course, Lesterson reasserts his ‘control’ in the opening of episode 4, but the seed of doubt is planted – he begins to question the motives of the creatures, and finally starts to see how dangerous they could perhaps be.  This turning point in James’ characterisation is wonderfully handled – vocally, there is only the slightest nuance of fear in his delivery, but it sells the idea completely.  The disgust with which James delivers the line “More important than human life?!” upon hearing that Rezno was murdered by a Dalek is smashing – again, he is slowly coming to terms with the fact that he has been blinded by his own desire to succeed, and that scientific progress is no excuse for ignoring the sanctity of human life.  It is this realisation, though, which makes his death in episode 6 all the more shocking – but more on that later.

The concept of the multiplying Daleks is wonderful, and verging on comedic – whilst we can’t see the visual, the surprise in the Doctor’s voice implies that there was almost a double-take upon seeing the 3 Daleks in the corridor, after leaving one in the office.  I also love the idea that the colonists are so self-obsessed and ignorant that they have failed to notice the increase in numbers; again, to the settlers, these Daleks are simply obedient servants and waiters, nothing to pay a great deal of attention to. 

The scenes in the rebel meeting are all rather spurious; the manner in which the Doctor decodes the ‘simple anagram’ is rather silly, but it does allow our heroes the chance to infiltrate the second plotline, one which until now they have been merely skirting.  Throughout the story, they have been distracted by the Daleks, and whilst the Daleks have done nothing, Bragen and his rebels have actually been achieving a fair amount, via the gradual overthrowing of the current governor during his absence.

The cliffhanger to episode 4 is probably the most terrifying yet; as Lesterson hides in the shadows, watching the production line of Daleks, Wills’ descriptions are truly bloodcurdling.  The mysterious bubbling liquid, the green blobs being probed with metal spikes and electrocuted, before being dropped into the casings all sounds horrifying.  The image is so horrifying, in fact, that it drives Lesterson mad.  Utterly, stark-raving bonkers.  And James is outstanding here; again, we can’t see this, and only have the audio to go from with a few stills and the occasional snippet, but here we can almost feel the insanity radiating from him, all eye-rolling and with spittle running down his chin.  The way in which Janley uses Lesterson, denying his claims and pointing out that he is clearly mad, is brilliant; he’s driven mad by what he helped to create, yet that very madness is what prevents anyone from listening to him or taking him seriously.

With the Doctor imprisoned, the story begins to speed up at a rate of knots; his warnings are ignored after being accused of killing the real Examiner.  He has uncovered who the real spy is, and is unable to prevent them from taking over the colony with their group of rebels.  Meanwhile, Bragen has taken over control, using a Dalek weapon to exterminate Governor Hensell, and the remorse in his voice is smashing – he sounds genuinely appalled by what he has done, bringing just a touch of humanity to the role.  The reproduction of the Daleks is simply dismissed, as they point out that this way they are “twice as useful.”  Episode 5 is simply wonderful – jumping from set piece to set piece, with the Doctor using his cunning to escape from his prison cell by emulating the sound of the sonic key on the rim of a glass of water.  These days, in the reboot of the series, it is all too easy for the Doctor, between the psychic paper (one of the laziest yet most overused tools at the Doctor’s disposal) and the sonic screwdriver.  Here, though, it is by sheer brain power that the Doctor and Quinn are able to make good their escape.

The final scenes of episode 5 set up the show-stopping final episode, as the Daleks finally drop their pleasantries, and the rallying cries of “Exterminate!” come from every corner of the colony.  The final episode is, for the most part, based around the epic battle sequences, which sound magnificent.  The sound effects are fantastic, as is the sparing use of incidental music, and some of the stills and snippets we have show a grand sense of scale.  There is an unnerving moment when, to evade extermination, the Doctor and Quinn hide themselves under a pile of corpses.  It is grim, and gritty, and all the better for it. 

The realisation of the colonists that they no longer have any control over the Daleks is wonderful, and Bragen’s calls for his men to return to the centre of the colony is bleak and darkly humorous; his calls are sent through empty halls, as almost all of the men have died, fighting the intruders.

Lesterson is the best thing about this episode though, if not the whole serial;  his decline into madness is racing now, as he sits back and sighs “you have to admire them!  They’re the new species!”  His faith in humanity has now utterly dissipated, and in his current psychological state, it is all he can do but fall to his knees and praise the Daleks.  His Dalek impersonation is blackly comical, as he puts on the infamous grating voice to hear him utter “I am your ser-vant!” before being neutralised in a flash.  He is certain, or at least as certain as a lunatic can be, that they will not kill him, because he helped to create them – he brought them back from their hibernation and gave them “life”.  It is a tragic end to someone who was, frankly, wonderful, albeit naive.

Of course, throughout the story the Doctor has warned that this would all happen.  And no-one listened to him, so most of them are dead; but again, this helps to solidify Troughton’s Doctor.  He knew.  We can trust him...  except we can’t, because although he saves the day, even he doesn’t know how he did it.  He messes around with some wiring, and is ecstatic that it stops the Daleks dead, but he can’t for the life of him figure out what he did to save the day.  Gone are the assured actions of the First Doctor.  This Second Doctor is a liability.  Whilst he may be funny, and silly, he is the Doctor; he fights evil, and he wins.  But reminiscent of The Daleks’ Master Plan, he doesn’t do it without casualties.  The camera panning across the fallen men and women reminds us of this, and his uncertainty about what he actually did is troubling.  Bragen’s death at the hands of a human shocks us – it should have been a Dalek that did it.  We weren’t expecting such a callous execution, although of course he deserved it.  It’s all so shocking, so final.  And then the Doctor and his companions leave, with Vulcan a warzone, with the inexperienced Quinn forced to rise to the challenge of bringing Vulcan back.  As they leave, the group examines a fallen Dalek, before dematerialising...  and we see that the Dalek was, in fact, examining them.