The Keys of Marinus by Terry Nation, directed by John Gorrie

Serial 'E'
The Keys of Marinus
Written by Terry Nation
Directed by John Gorrie
First Aired: 11th April to 16th May 1964

Episode 1: "The Sea of Death"

Terry Nation returns for his second story in our marathon and, surprisingly, it doesn't feature the Daleks in any capacity. It's not really that surprising given that both The Daleks and The Keys of Marinus were written before the first episode had even aired, but it is odd from a modern perspective.

After all, if Doctor Who had been launched today then you know that the Daleks would be the recurring villains throughout the first season. With The Keys of Marinus, we're given a rare chance to see what else Nation has up his sleeve before Dalekmania begins and his destiny is forever forged.

Following up on the creation of the Daleks with another villain to terrify the kids and fascinate the adults was never going to be an easy challenge. What we end up with was the Voord. When originally thinking about the direction of this episodes review, I was going to defend Nation, placing the blame for the appearance and actions of the Voord on the costume department and the director. However, thinking about it, the faults with this week's villains must be at the script level.

Susan is menaced by a Voord.

Not that the Voord are given much to work with in this particular episode anyway, as they are consigned to skulking about in corners and attacking people at random. It isn't until we finally meet Arbitan, a lonely and tragic figure whose sole purpose is to guard the Great Consciousness of Marinus that we finally learn that the Voord, led by Yartek, intend to find the Keys of Marinus, take over the great machine and rule the entire planet.

Scary stuff indeed, yet Arbitan forces the Doctor and his companions to begin a quest to find the four Keys of Marinus so that he can reset the machine and use the Consciousness to control the minds of the people of Marinus and bring an era of peace. Laudable goals perhaps, but how does that make him any different to Yartek and the Voord. It's good to think that the only reason the Doctor condescends to assist is because Arbitan erects a force field around the TARDIS and prevents them leaving. This presents a bit of a plot-hole, because if Arbitan can project a force-field to stop the travellers escaping, why can't he erect a force-field around his pyramid and keep the Voord out?

Arbitan explains the Consciousness of Marinus.

It'll be interesting to have a story where we have a completely new location each week. Our first step on Marinus is strange and mysterious on paper with it's acid seas, pools, and bizarre pyramids, but unfortunately the budget must have all been blown on Marco Polo, as the realization falls somewhat short throughout. Either with cardboard cutout Voord falling to their deaths, shaky wooden walls, badly choreographed fight scenes, and unforgivably visible stage hands and boom mikes on several occasions. Those of you that have read my reviews from the beginning will know that I often tend to be forgiving of these things, but for me to bring it up with this episode is an indicator of how bad it was.

There are some positives to be taken away from this episode however. Despite the lacking effects throughout the episode, the opening shot of Arbitan's island and the materialization of the TARDIS (the first time we've seen this) were superbly done. The arrival of the Voord submarines are borderline, but despite some claims, I couldn't see the strings pulling them. The regulars have firmly settled into their roles know and have established a good rapport, suggesting that a real family is starting to form. The Doctor admonishing Ian for not having any boots on when he'd just lent them to Susan was a particular highlight.

4/10

Episode 2: "The Velvet Web"

The previous episode ending on the startling cliffhanger of the Doctor, Ian and Susan discovering Barbara's travel dial abandoned outside a building with a hint of blood on it! Quite how Barbara could have got herself in trouble when she had only activated her travel dial about 30 seconds after the others left me sceptical.

Barbara's later explanation that she simply scratched herself while trying to remove the dial during transit is plausible enough. However, the further stretch in credibility comes from the fact that in those 30 seconds she was able to ingratiate herself with Altos and the inhabitants of Morphotron, get changed and sprawl out on a chaise-lounge.

Altos.

The case could be argued that the travel dials could allow the wearers to traverse time, as well as space, but no mention was made of this fact when Arbitan provided the travellers with the dials. Perhaps Barbara has gained some time controlling abilities during her travels with the Doctor. Hell, perhaps this could explain the revelation in the Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor that neither Ian nor Barbara had aged since the Sixties.

The idea of aliens using hypnosis or an advanced form of brainwashing via technology to convert others into mindless slaves isn't a new one in the realms of science fiction, and certainly becomes a staple in Doctor Who. However, John Gorrie has succeeded in creating quite a haunting atmosphere to the piece and the juxtaposition of the beautiful and elegant backgrounds, furnishings and clothing witnessed by the Doctor, Susan and Ian is nicely contrasted with Barbara's vision of decayed backgrounds, furnishings and people in rags. Indeed, the best example of this is when Altos shows the Doctor and Ian their ultra-modern and well-equipped laboratory that was "wish", and we're treated to a view of a broom cupboard and the Doctor examining a cracked mug and proclaiming it as a scientific instrument.

The guest characters, Altos and Sabetha, certainly bring up the creepiness stakes in this episode. Altos's soft-spoken RP voice makes for the perfect host for the opening segment of the episode, but there was an edge there. An edge which was perfectly exposed when he realises that the brainwashing machine has failed on Barbara. The shot of him leaning close to her, his unblinking eyes staring straight at her and saying "what's the matter?". Creepy as heck.

Barbara tries to wake up Sabetha.

Sabetha, who turns out to be Arbitan's daughter, is a slave that is on the run from her masters for failing to ensure that Barbara's brainwashing worked. While not having much bearing on the run of the episode, her haunting performance of downtrodden slave with a hint of an internal struggle is enough to make her memorable. Which is fortunate when you can consider that both she and Altos later join the travellers on their quest.

The conclusion of the episode is just as creepy and well-realized as the rest of the episode. Barbara, having been caught by a completely brainwashed Ian, finally confronts the architects of this whole drama: some brains with eyes living in jars. Considering this was made in the mid-1960's, they aren't actually that bad realized, with the soundscape and the effects on the actors voices helping to sell it. The only let down with them being that once Barbara has gone full-on action hero and smashed the place to pieces, the eye-stalk of one of the brains just flops down and it does rob from their effectiveness.

Ian and Barbara face the brains behind the operation.

And so with the city of Morphotron saved from its masters, the former slaves are running amok and tearing the place up. Our travellers, along with Altos and Sabetha, decide to depart for the next location. Unfortunately, the Doctor won't be joining us as he has chosen to look for the fourth key. So, tomorrow we'll have Hartnell in Spain and Susan have the screaming ab-dabs. Could be interesting.

6/10

Episode 3: "The Screaming Jungle"

"The Screaming Jungle" has a lot of preconceptions to overcome following that cliffhanger. The blow that we wouldn't have the Doctor in this episode was quickly followed by Susan have yet another screaming and whining fit in the middle of a jungle.

"The Screaming Susan"

However, by the end of this episode, I feel a little bad for judging Susan. I sometimes forget that Time Lords have telepathic abilities and that she was simply picking up on something that our regulars, Ian and Barbara, as well as our new friends, Sabetha and Altos, can't register.

Her agitated state could even be a good explanation for her overreaction to become snared on a vine. Although, Barbara going at the vine with her shoe gives a strong hint of a parent trying to ward off an imaginary monster from under the bed so that a frightened child could go to sleep. Once again, it feels as if Susan is being written as an eight-year-old, rather than the fifteen-year-old she is meant to be.

Surprisingly, Susan, Altos and Sabetha are quickly dispensed with and the episode moves to focus on Ian and Barbara. With Barbara discovering a false Key of Marinus and having been kidnapped by a molesting statue, Ian sets off to rescue his colleague and nearly gets his head taken off for his trouble. Thankfully, Barbara has been able to maintain her faculties and warn her friend in time, but they are in an entire room full of booby traps.

The molesting statue.

A room full of booby traps wouldn't normally be a trouble for our resourceful school teachers, but they both quickly fall foul of them: Ian stupidly pulling at a pick axe that was attached to something by a chain and Barbara being intrigued by the sudden opening of a creeky door, mooching inside, getting caught in a net and setting off a spike trap!

Their salvation is brought about by a strange old man called Darrius, holder of one of the Keys of Marinus, who set the booby traps to prevent anyone from stealing it. Bizarrely, he informs the travellers that Arbitan would have told anyone he sent about how to avoid the traps, but I don't recall that in the mission briefing during "The Sea of Death". Before we can get any answers from Darrius, he is strangled by a vine and only lives long enough to give a cryptic clue to the teachers about the location of the key.

After some trial and error searching, Barbara manages to locate the key so that they can depart, but not before Ian solves the mystery of why the jungle appears to be quickly overcoming Darrius house and why Susan was affected. It appears that Darrius was a scientist who, presumably bored one day, decided to examine and accelerate the tempo of destruction for the jungle. As you do.

Darrius faces certain death...

In summary then, this was a poor episode in almost all key areas: the story itself is a good example of padding what with false keys and a pointless final riddle; the idea of killer plant-life is definitely unoriginal and will be repeated ad nausea in many, many stories throughout this marathon. The acting fell down in several places too, especially with Edmund Warrick as Darrius. He definitely needed another go at being menaced by the vine, as that was one of the most unconvincing performances I've seen so far.

One area I do have to praise the story on is the set design. The jungle was really well realised, the idol was well done (although the arms let it down slightly) and Darrius' home and laboratory were absolutely gorgeous and atmospheric. It's just a shame we didn't get to see it again.

3/10

Episode 4: "The Snows of Terror"

We've encountered fair few monsters and villains during our journey through Doctor Who so far. They've ranged from the usual grunts working to fulfil someone else's plan, those acting out of fear of the unknown or the usual lunatics. From Quadrigger Stoyn (The Beginning) to the brains of Morphotron ("The Velvet Web"), they've all had a purpose and to some extent, we can identify to why they're acting the way they are.

That is until we meet Vasor, a trapper living in the mountains. Despite the initially unchallenged belief that he single-handedly carried Ian and Barbara down from off of the mountain before they could die from exposure, that air of ruthlessness and cruelty is readily apparent. Even when he is rubbing Barbara's hands to warm them up and stave off frostbite, you get the feeling that he is sizing her up in the same way that a wolf sizes up its prey.

Vasor's cottage.

The discovery that Vasor had previously encountered Susan, Altos and Sabetha as well as taken their possessions in "trade" for food and furs are enough to rouse the suspicious of the two school teachers, yet Ian seems oblivious to the threat that the trapper poses to Barbara. He willingly leaves her alone with Vasor after trading his travel dial for furs and "supplies" as he goes off in search of the others.

Of course once Ian finds Altos tied up on the mountain and discovers that Vasor put raw meat into his bag in order to attract wolves, the science teacher realizes just how foolish he's been and races back, with Altos, to rescue Barbara just as he's about to perform some horrible and despicable act on her. Unfortunately, all of this isn't the first time that Ian is foolish in this episode.

Using Vasor to guide them deep into the mountains where he abandoned Susan and Sabetha, the travellers are all reunited among great hugs, even though they've had to cross a rickety rope bridge to do so. Feeling left out, Ian decides to join the others rather than keeping an eye on the trapper. In typical fashion, Vasor seizes the opportunity and cuts the rope bridge so it falls into the crevasse, stranding the travellers.

Vasor sizes up Barbara over a meal.

As luck would have it, the travellers are just a short walk away from a chamber containing the next Key of Marinus. This time, a bit more ingenuity has been used as the key is trapped in a block of ice surrounded by copper piping and four rather scary knights, similarly frozen, guarding it. The solution to the problem is rather simple, though, as Barbara just turns on a tap and hot water from a volcanic spring slowly melts the ice. Unfortunately, it also thaws out the knights.

Whereas in today's Doctor Who we have a kind of monster choreographer who works with the actors and teaches them how to move, it's fairly evident that this wasn't the case in 1964! The actors are meant to be portraying four knights in heavy armour that have just been woken up from years of being chryogenically frozen. Yet they show no example of this, moving as if they were wearing jeans and t-shirts. Even when one of the knights fall into the crevasse stupidly, the others just catch up, stand at the edge of gaze around stupidly, wandering what has befallen their comrade.

"The Knights that Say 'meh'"

The "knights that say meh" do have one redeeming feature though and that is the way they stab Vasor in the back as he is once again menacing one of the female members of the group, in this case, Susan. A fitting end for a truly reprehensible character.

In summary then, "The Snows of Terror" is a bit of an odd mish-mash. On the one hand, we have a really creepy villain in Vasor that would be right at home in a post-watershed crime drama. On the other hand, we have some campy knights running around like some crappy Monty Python sketch. With that in mind, I can only give this episode...

5/10

Episode 5: "Sentence of Death"

An unconscious Ian.

Having fled from the frozen mountainous regions of Marinus, our travellers now find themselves in the city of Millennius on their quest to retrieve the fourth and final Key of Marinus. Even better, the travel dial appears to have led them directly to it, as Ian is quickly able to find the key in a display cabinet.

A dead body is also lying in the room, yet Ian seems to be more interested in recovering the key. Unfortunately, for the school teacher, the murderer is also in the room and sees fit to knock Ian unconscious, put his finger prints all over the presumed murder weapon and steals the key for good measure. Tarran, the Millennial police officer, or guardian, assigned to investigate the murder is adamant that Ian is guilty of the murder and, unfortunately under Millennial law, he is guilty until proven innocent.

The trial begins.

Chesterton needs a miracle and thankfully it arrives in the form of the Doctor. After two episodes sunning himself in Spain, Hartnell returns and he's in the best form we've ever seen him in. The warmth and good humour that we've occasionally glimpsed in the previous episodes is brought to the fore, with the duplicitous characteristics gone. He is quick to take up Ian's case and goes as far to reassure the younger man and ask him to trust him. From that point on, he's a ball of energy, dishing out the job of studying the laws to Altos and Sabetha, getting Barbara and Susan to act as his investigators and bloodhounds, and staging quite an energetic reconstruction of the murder.

However, the Doctor really comes into his element when he's serving as the defense during Ian's trial. With charm and humility he is able to use his ignorance of advanced Millennial law to post-pone the trial for a couple of days so he can gather evidence. During the second session, his suspicions about the murderer, the location of the missing key, and a little subterfuge with Sabetha is enough to get the culprit to reveal himself: Aidan, the relief guard. Unfortunately, there isn't enough evidence to exonerate Ian of being involved and he is still sentenced to death.

A deceased Aidan and his "distraught" wife, Kala.

Things seem pretty dire for Ian Chesterton, but things aren't looking too good for Susan either. Just after all the hysterics surrounding Aidan's reveal and then his "suicide" in the courtroom, Barbara is called away to take a call: Susan has been kidnapped and if Barbara ever wants to see her alive again, she has to reveal the location of the key!

6/10

Episode 6: "The Keys of Marinus"

The end of the last episode ended on one of the most intense cliffhangers that we've seen on Doctor Who to date. After all, with Ian about to be executed for a murder he didn't commit and Susan kidnapped, presumably by the real murderers, to silence the others, you can't get more intense. Unfortunately, the resolution to this excellent cliffhanger is a little rushed. Throughout this rewatch it truly amazes me that the writers had six or seven episodes to play with, yet manage to pad out the middle episodes with nonsense and then rush the ending. Terry Nation was guilty of this with The Daleks and John Lucarotti was equally as guilty with Marco Polo.

Gripes about the rushed ending aside though, there is still plenty to like in the first half of the episode. The revelation that it was Aidan's wife Kala, along with the prosecutor, who had committed Eprin's murder, Aidan's murder and the kidnap and attempted murder of Susan came as a bit of a surprise. This is Doctor Who's first cold-hearted bitch! How quick she was to weep over her murdered husband in yesterday's episode, play the distressed widow for the benefit of Barbara, Altos and Sabetha and then sneer and taunt Susan when they left. Marvellous.

Yartek's "cunning" disguise.

Once the true murderers were revealed and the Doctor was able to prove he knew where the key was, it was back to Arbitan's island for a final "confrontation" with the Voord and their leader, Yartek. Despite Yartek's best attempt to dress as Arbitan (seriously how do you fit a hood over your headpiece) and Ian is able to rumble him. Rather than risk a violent confrontation, he hands over the fake key the acquired from the jungle and the Consciousness of Marinus is blown sky high. Taking the Voord with it.

At least we end on a happy note as Altos and Sabetha have given in to their feelings for each other and fall helplessly in love. As they leave via travel dial to start a new life in Millennius, I cannot help but wish them well. Despite not contributing much to the overall story, they've been pleasant to have around and went some way to filling the Hartnell void that we had in the third and fourth episodes.

Yartek

The Keys of Marinus has truly been a welcome change of format to the series. We've been spoiled with a new location every week, but unlike Marco Polo where we had deserts, jungles and various way stations, we've had truly alien locations each episode: from strange islands surrounded by acid, to overgrown jungles to snow-capped mountains and advanced cities. To cap it all, we've had a new set of characters to deal with in each episode. All this helps to keep things fresh and interesting, which truly helps with a six-part beast like this.

Looking at the downsides of this story, I cannot help but reiterate the problems that I had with the production and the acting during the first and third episodes in particular. We even had a Voord trip over during episode 6, but I'll gloss over that one as it made me laugh. I'm not the sort of person to bemoan the special effects of a series made over fifty years ago, you can't compare it to the CGI extravaganza's we get today, but I know that Doctor Who was made better than this at the time. Hell, you only have to go back seven weeks.

4/10

The Keys of Marinus average score = 4.67

Gallifrey to Trenzalore #20: The Daleks by Terry Nation

Serial 'B' - The Daleks
Written by Terry Nation
Directed By: Christopher Barry & Richard Martin
Broadcast: 21st December 1963 - 1st February 1964

Episode 1: "The Dead Planet"

Having escaped from the Tribe of Gum by the skin of their collective teeth at the end of An Unearthly Child, the slightly dishevelled TARDIS crew have arrived at a new destination, one which has dangerously high-levels of radiation.

Indeed, "The Dead Planet" is a curious beast as it establishes the new destination and allows the crew to have a bit of a wander around the petrified jungle.  What a wonderful jungle it is, the design work is absolutely wonderful and you're sold that this is a completely alien world, whatever happened with the film at the very start of the credit worked very well in setting the scene.  Then of course, we have the tempting sight of the city in the distance.  Some have lampooned it over the years, but I think the model works incredibly well. It was certainly good enough to be recreated and expanded upon for Series 9's "The Magician's Apprentice" and "The Witch's Familiar".

The wander around also allows the characters a bit of a chance to catch their breath and give us a chance to get to know them further.  It's a nice touch that the circumstances of Ian and Barbara's entrance haven't been glazed over for the sake of adventure and I couldn't help but smile when Barbara suggested that the Doctor might deserve something to happen to him.  It's meant in a teasing way, but boy is she tempting fate.  Then, suddenly, Susan gets touched on the shoulder and we descend into hysterics and sulking.

The following TARDIS scenes left me in two minds.  On the one hand, it was nice to see Ian and the Doctor still trying to smooth over their differences and establish their places in this bizarre new "family", as well as the Doctor's plea to Barbara to speak to Susan.  Of course, the scene where the Doctor tricks his companions in order so he can investigate the city is pure gold and it was great to hear the Hartnell chuckle which will become a defining trait over his tenure.

Then there's the food machine scene.  Sure, it's interesting to see how the characters eat and to see the Doctor's pride slightly pricked by Ian, but it's the opening episode of a brand-new story, it just seems to be incredibly misplaced.

Still, this episode will be remembered for one thing and one thing only.  That final image of Barbara being menaced by a sink plunger!  I can't help but wonder what viewers must have thought back in December 1963, that the Doctor and co were going to go up against a group of intergalactic plumbers.  Even the build-up to the cliffhanger really raised the game as Barbara staggered around the corridors, doors closing around her.  Terrifying.

6/10

Episode 2: "The Survivors"

Following Barbara's terrifying encounter with the sink plunger of doom at the conclusion to yesterday's episode, we now get to see what was on the end of it... eventually. That was certainly a masterstroke by Verity Lambert and co to end episode one on that cliffhanger; then start the second episode with her fellow travellers still unaware of her fate. Furthermore, perhaps it is even more of a masterstroke to have the audiences first sight of the Daleks be at exactly the same time as the Doctor claps his eyes on them. What a moment it was too, so sudden and abrupt with that scary musical sting. However, it wasn't my favourite iconic moment in this episode, but more on that later.

Before we reached that first iconic moment though we had a great scene where the travellers discover why they are feeling so sick and the Doctor's actions in the previous episode come back to haunt him. It's just one of those moments in these early episodes where we see that the Doctor is not yet the man he becomes, being perfectly fine with abandoning the missing Barbara so that they can bugger off back to the TARDIS and look for a cure for the radiation sickness. Once again, Ian (with a little help from whiny Susan) to be the conscience and the voice of reason.

As stated at the top of this entry, this episode is all about our travellers (and by extension, the audiences) first encounter with a Dalek. It's always been fascinating to me to how the British public initially reacted to the menacing pepper pots. Yes, much has been said in the intervening years, but that is with the benefit of hindsight looking back over the years of Dalekmania. Even as a child of "the lost generation" the Daleks were iconic enough that I knew exactly what they were before the series returned in 2005. I'd love to know what people thought when this episode went out and in the hours after.

Of course, as a fan it's very easy to become over-awed at this first encounter between the Doctor and the Daleks, but for me it isn't the best scene. OK, you've got the intimidating and grating Dalek voices the likes of which had probably never before been heard on British television, but all they do is shoot Ian and cart them all off to a jail cell. Before moving on though, it is surprising that the Daleks can shoot to cause temporary paralysis rather than outright "extermination". I hope it's something we get to revisit as this marathon proceeds.

Following that tense meeting, the episode sags a little bit as our travellers are reunited in the prison cell and the affects of the radiation start to hit everyone, especially the Doctor, particularly hard. The one interesting exchange during these scenes is Barbara hypothesising that there may be something living inside the Dalek machines, to which Susan scoffs. Of course, she's absolutely right, but it's great to see the creepiness turned up a notch.

Now, however, we come to the absolute pinnacle of the episode for me: the Doctor's first proper showdown with the Daleks. Unfortunately, the picture posted above is the only good quality image I could find with the Doctor on his knees at the mercy of the Daleks, and it appears to be a rehearsal, but it's still a fantastic image. Watching that scene just brings back to mind the Twelfth Doctor's comment in "Into the Daleks" about this being truly where the Doctor was born, "the Doctor isn't the Daleks". This is one of only a handful of times that we've seen the Doctor so beaten and defeated in the series, perhaps one of his lowest points, and we're only five episodes in! It's perhaps even more delicious that this is all of his own making. It has to be noted though, that the Doctor draws short of mentioning the TARDIS and it's capabilities to the Daleks. Certainly a good precaution, but considering that at this point the Daleks can't even leave the city, it seems a little overcautious. Unless, of course, he does have some knowledge about them and what they'll become.

Putting aside the awe though, we learn a few tidbits of information about the Daleks and how they were at war with a race known as the Thals 500 years previously and that the detonation of neutron bombs had turned turned the Thals into a race of mutants. Terry Nation was certainly tapping into the fears of the British audience at the time. After all, this story was written and produced at the height of the Cold War and certainly the memories of Cuba in November 1962 and how close the world came to Armageddon would be very fresh in the minds of Mom and Dad. It's interesting that even at it's very beginnings, Doctor Who was tapping into the fears of children and adults and creating a cracking story out of it.

From the sublime to the ridiculous and that has to be the scene where it's decided that Susan has to be the one who returns to the TARDIS to collect the anti-radiation gloves (drugs ;-P). Once again, Susan is written as someone who should be five-years-old, not fifteen. Barbara's protestations that "she's a child" not withstanding, Susan's pleading and sulkiness about having to go when her grandfather lies practically dying, poor Ian is unable to walk and Barbara to dizzy to stand and she still whines! If my grandfather and friends were in such a poor state and it was up to me to run back and bring them something to save them, I'd bloody well do it. No questions ask. Yes, I'd be a little nervous, after all it does involve running through a petrified jungle in a thunderstorm (although jogging on the spot will suffice, apparently), but compassion conquers all.

We'll see how the brave and intrepid Susan fares tomorrow...

5/10

Episode 3: "The Escape"

When we last saw our intrepid time travellers, the Doctor, Ian and Barbara were slowly dying of radiation poisoning and the brave and fearless Susan had ventured into the petrified forest to retrieve anti-radiation drugs from the TARDIS. It's certainly an effective cliffhanger and, though I was a bit harsh on Susan in the last review, you can understand how she feels being back in the safety of the TARDIS, but knowing that she has to go back out in the thunderstorm to make it back and save her friends. It gave me the chills, and I felt a little sorry for the young Time Lady.

Susan meets Alydon for the second time.

Of course, things don't get any better for the poor mare as she steps out of the TARDIS and into the Aryan Adonis Alydon. It seems that he gets his kicks out of scaring young women in the petrified jungle as it was only two episodes ago that her touched her on the shoulder and scared her witless. Still, he seems a lot friendlier this time. We quickly learn that he is one of the "mutated" Thals that the Daleks referred to in conversation with the Doctor in the previous episode.

I'll leave it to far more learned reviewers than myself, but even I'm aware of some of the parallels that Terry Nation drew between the Daleks and the Nazi's. What had never occurred to me before though, that the Thals are the epitome of the Nazi ideal: the Aryan race, all blond hair and blue eyes; and yet they are painted as the good guys. However, when Alydon referring to his people as warriors and the Daleks' ancestors as intellectuals and scientists, an inference could be made that the Thals were once as war-like as their Nazi counterparts and that they were ultimately responsible for the war.

While we're on the subject of the Daleks, one comment I forgot to make in the previous episode is that there was no overt statement that the Daleks were evil. Maybe I'm becoming a Dalek sympathiser, but if you look at it from their perspective, a group of strangers turn up in their city unannounced and uninvited and they start poking around like they own the place. Their only violent act was to temporarily paralyse Ian, who was attempting to escape arrest. In hindsight, maybe more could have been made of which side was the real evil on Skaro: the Daleks or the Thals.

Ultimately though, Nation decided to go in a different direction and paint the Daleks as the supreme evil in this episode. While, it may seem a little far-fetched that the Daleks hadn't learnt in five centuries that any of the Thals has survived the final neutron war, it could be argued that typical Dalek arrogance prevented them from considering such an eventuality. However, once they learn of the Thals survival thanks to eavesdropping on our travellers following Susan's return, they hatch one of their diabolical schemes to finish of the Thals: trick them into coming into the city for food and supplies and exterminating them all on site. Even better, they get Susan to write the letter for them (although, God only knows where they get the pen and paper from. Probably the same place they stored the last chair on Skaro for "The Witch's Familiar").

Cover for Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks.

Back with our travellers, and, recovered from the radiation sickness due to the Thal drugs, they decide to set an escape plan into motion. As escape plans go, it's rather excellent and makes use of all the elements they have at their disposal: the best kind of escape. The very fact that they manage to capture a Dalek and have Ian climb inside and start operating it is the icing on the cake! The creepiness was even pushed up a notch or two when Ian and the Doctor opened up the Dalek and witnessed the horror inside, although not seen by the audience. The only hint we get is when the arm/claw/appendage flops out from under Susan's cloak. *shivers*

8/10

Episode 4: "The Ambush"

A strange way to start a review, but some readers may remember the halcyon days of 2005 when Series One of the New Series was put out. In episode one of "Rose" we were treated to the top view of a lift ascending. That image was used several times throughout the series, recognizably so, even in destinations far away from the 21st century, and people picked up on it and mentioned it. Russell T. Davies himself even remarked on it in the episode commentaries. He shouldn't have worried though, as it could have just said it was an homage to this very episode. It seems like almost every scene in the first half of this story was punctuated by that bloody lift ascending and descending.

I did look around for a clip that I could use to punctuate the review, but alas I could not. Just imagine that every paragraph is punctuated with said clip. Regardless, some say it was designed to build tension. Others would say it was used to pad out an under running episode. To me, it certainly doesn't give this episode a lift.

Back to matter at hand though, and our intrepid time travellers have just escaped from their Dalek prison cell using their cunning, a cloak and a handful of mud. Thankfully, the tension isn't dialed down as the episode begins as Ian works out the controls to the Dalek and soon has to bluff his was past some Daleks. It was certainly close and it was down to the quick thinking of Susan that her display of histrionics (not much of a reach for her, but there we go!) that allowed them to pass their first hurdle and enter the infamous lift that would take them to safety.

Ian is trapped in a Mark III travel machine.

Unfortunately, the Daleks aren't stupid and they soon learn that it is an escape attempt and react quickly by magnetising the floor, thus preventing poor Ian from getting out of the Dalek, and then start cutting through the door! Tension! Naturally, Ian escapes with seconds to spare and then we enter the aforementioned lift section of this episode. This was dealt with a satisfying conclusion that sees Ian dump a sculpture down the lift shaft, obliterating the lift and the poor Dalek trapped inside.

The tension doesn't stop there though as the Doctor and co-witness the Thals arrive in the Dalek city in response to the letter that Susan wrote in the previous episode. It is soon decided that Ian will remain and warn the Thals while the others make their way back to the TARDIS.

Alas, poor Ian arrives too late to stop the slaughter which sees the Thal's leader, Temosus, exterminated and left sprawled over the array of food supplies and toilet rolls had left as bait. It is certainly a rather affecting image (hence it's inclusion, and minus the toilet rolls). Minutes before his death, he was talking to Alydon about honoring their pacifistic ways and having faith that the Daleks had changed in the five centuries since they last encountered each other. Certainly, the surest confirmation that the Daleks are pure evil.

Temosus lies dead.

After the harrowing events in the Dalek city, we return to the petrified forest where the Doctor is learning some more about the Thals and their history. While this could serve as a boring exposition scene, I find it fascinating that a lot of the Thal records have survived 500 years and appear to be in such good condition. Not completely unfeasible, as we certainly have old books dating back that far, although they haven't had to survive through a neutron bombardment. A couple of facts are reiterated with regards to the Thals having once been the warriors and embracing the pacifistic way. More interesting, is the Doctor's supposition that the Thals had completed their mutation to become the Aryan master race they are, but that the Dalek's mutation had not yet run full circle. It would be fascinating to see this plot strand followed up with one day, although the two instances that spring to mind with regards to mutating Daleks (The Mutant Phase and Evolution of the Daleks) didn't produce great results.

As the episode concludes, we once again get a sense that the Doctor isn't quite the man that he will be as they watch as the dying and wounded Thals are carried out from the city and he is quite happy to climb back into the TARDIS and bugger off. There's only one snag, though: Ian has left the fluid link in the Dalek city.

The Doctor is certainly reaping what he sowed.

Episode 5: "The Expedition"

"The Expedition" certainly hits the ground running as we deal with all of the fall-outs from the last episode: the travellers can't escape without the fluid link to the TARDIS and so they are presented with either settling down on Skaro or encouraging the pacifistic Thals to take up arms against the Daleks and take back their planet. Most surprisingly were the fact that it was the Doctor and Barbara proposing to turn the Thals back into warriors, and Ian championing their right to respect their pacifistic ways.

Ian confronts Alydon.

Normally, I would back Ian's views wholeheartedly, however, Barbara makes a very convincing case. It is her assertion, supported by the Doctor, that the Daleks would soon overcome their inability to leave their city, especially with the incentive that their old enemies are still prowling around after 500 years. She also makes the point of asking if the Thals are truly pacifistic or is it because no-one has challenged that belief since the neutron war.

Ultimately, it falls to Ian to test this supposition by provoking the Thals, first by stealing their historical records and threatening to take them to the city in trade, and then will this fails, snatching Dyoni and attempting to take her to the city so that the Daleks could experiment on her. Of course, it's this second act that finally shatters Alydon's calm and he lays Ian out with one punch.

Ian: "So, there is some things you'll fight for."

Ian has succeeded in waking up the sleeping Thals, but it certainly makes for some uncomfortable viewing. After all, Ian had provoked Alydon and his people to turn their backs on their centuries-old beliefs, albeit for the very best of reasons, as we know from just these last few episodes that the Daleks are certainly evil enough to come after them. However, I cannot help but feel there was a wholly selfish and self-serving interest into this little uprising i.e., the fluid link.

Perhaps more surprisingly is the fact that the Doctor takes a back seat during all of this. He certainly has his two pence in the discussion with Ian, but, is content to watch the schoolteacher take the lead. It could be that Ian has built up a position of trust with the Thals after warning them of the ambush and the Doctor hopes they will listen to me. I still find it jarring when you consider that nearly all of his successors would be leading the charge, but I have to remember that the Doctor isn't the Doctor yet.

Meanwhile, there's trouble at mill inside the Dalek city: using the anti-radiation drugs brought in by Susan, the Daleks have used it to inoculate a group of Daleks and cure them. Unfortunately, this results in the injected Daleks behaving erratically, going insane and then slowly dying, confirming that the Dalek's thrive on radiation. Thus, the Dalek leadership begins preparations to detonate more neutron bombs in Skaro's atmosphere. This scene certainly takes up the tension another notch and it was great to see a Dalek P-O-V shot so early in the series.

I've spoken at length about the opening scenes of the episode, mainly because there was a lot to muse over about the scenes, but also because the rest of the episode was about moving the pieces into place for the final confrontation. However, there was a lovely little scene set on the night following the big argument which sees Alydon and Dyoni discuss the fall-out and certainly hints that the romance between these two will soon blossom.

On the same night, we have a scene between Barbara and another Thal, Ganatus. Again, you can feel there is an attraction between the two and it provides a nice lift, which is strange when you consider that they are talking about a lake full of mutated monsters that Ganatus had had the misfortune of once visiting. Maybe, I'm just a sucker for love.

Following these scenes were are treated to Ian, Barbara, Ganatus and a troop of Thals using the rather hare-brained idea of crossing the lake of mutations to attack the Dalek city. A risky manoeuvre perhaps, however, it is pointed out that Dalek defences are minimal as the lake is a natural barrier. Of course, building up to a cliffhanger it isn't long before one of the Thals is dragged under water and drowned. Considering it's the 1960s Who, I wasn't expecting much from the monster, but I was actually impressed as it looked great, slightly let down by all the whirlpool effects.

Episode 6: "The Ordeal"

I always seem to have one particularly strong memory of "The Ordeal" and that is the interminably long scene of Thal's jumping across a ravine. Again... and again... and again... I always seem to think that this is all that happens in this episode. So I internally (and externally, to be completely honest) groan when this episode comes around. When I finally start watching, though, I'm always surprised and grateful to see that other stuff happens too... and it's rather good at that.

Trekking through the mountains.

The death of the Thal in the lake is quickly brushed aside as Ian, Barbara, Ganatus and their party enter the mountains in order to find a way in to the Dalek city. Once inside the mountain we're treated to another nice scene between Barbara and Ganatus as they scout ahead to find a way through and the chemistry between them is obvious and a nice touch. Quite where Ganatus learned about the old Earth expression of "ladies first" is rather interesting, although it's quite probably that he heard Ian use it. Bless Ganatus though, when after Barbara loses control of the rope lowering him down into a cavern, his first thought is whether Barbara is hurt. In fairness though, it didn't seem like much of a drop on screen. I probably "fall" harder when I step out of the shower in the morning.

Antodus, the cowardly Thal.

While on the subject of Ganatus, we properly get to meet his cowardly brother Antodus, after his brief appearance on the last episode. Whether Antodus is just naturally cowardly or whether he is suffering some form of post-traumatic stress disorder is left open to interpretation, although I like to believe the latter as he had previously visited the Lake of Mutations alongside his brother; the expedition where they were the only two survivors. Slightly disconcerting that his suggestion that he runs back to Alydon and claim that the Daleks had killed the rest of the party. It makes you wonder what really killed the rest of the previous expedition.

Turning back is not an option however, as the two brothers fighting cause a cave-in and the only way they can go is forward and into the one abiding memory of this episode: the jumping the ravine scene. It's still interminably long and textbook padding, as well as making Barbara look a bit thick as she sets out facing away from the wall and looking down into the depths. The only thing these sequence of scenes seem to do is set-up Ian as the hero of the story, which in a program called Doctor Who is a rather strange thing to do. At least we get a literal cliffhanger out of this, as Antodus dangles over the ravine with only Ian's fingers preventing his death.

The Doctor, Susan and Alydon hatch a plan.

At least our favourite Time Lord hasn't been sitting idle while Ian and co have been trekking through the mountain. Despite Alydon being present, it is the Doctor who has taken complete control of the battle, directing Dyoni to have her people direct mirrors and other light reflectors to blind and confuse the Dalek's cameras and sensors. The most triumphant scene though, is when he hatches a plan to interrupt the Dalek's static electricity supply using just his walking stick to smash things up a bit and using a TARDIS key to drain the energy. Classic Doctor Who made all the more better by the Daleks showing up while he is busy boasting to Susan about how ingenious he is. This was my moment of the episode.

Before signing off, though, we have to check in on the pepperpots and there has been a bit of a change of plan for some reason. The detonation of neutron bombs has been put off and they've decided to vent radioactive gas into the atmosphere instead. Whether this is because the BBC budget couldn't stretch to nuclear explosions, we'll never know.

The final countdown has commenced.

Episode 7: "The Rescue"

At the conclusion of the last episode we were faced with a literal cliffhanger as Antodus the cowardly Thal dangles on a thin piece of rope down a sheer rock face, with only Ian's fingers ensuring his survival. Unfortunately, Ian isn't a superhero and even the added might of Ganatus and the other Thal just isn't enough to save both. I was surprised and a little emotional to see that it was Antodus who decided to make the supreme sacrifice and save Ian's life. In the end, the little Thal came good. A sad and wonderful little moment in this story.

When it looks that Antodus might have sacrificed his life in vain, Ian, Barbara and co are at the very point of giving up as the torches, lanterns and other equipment begin to break down. Ironically, it is turning off the torches that allow them to find an external source of light which leads them into the bowels of the Dalek city.

Alydon takes charge... finally.

Meanwhile, with the Doctor and Susan having deactivated the Dalek's CCTV cameras and detectors in the previous episode, Alydon finally grows a pair of balls and leads the charge on the city now that the way is clear. As for the aforementioned Time Lords, they're manacled to a wall in the Dalek control room and have very little to say. Needless to say the Doctor gets to sound off at the Daleks, but it is surprising that he is so keen to reveal that he has a machine capable of travelling in time and space and practically gifts it to the Daleks. It could be argued that he was only doing so to prevent the Daleks releasing the radioactive waste into the atmosphere, but in hindsight given the later relationship between the Daleks and the Time Lords, a rather stupid ploy. Kudos for Hartnell's performance as he delivers the line about the mindless, senseless murder that the pepperpots are about to execute. It's just a shame that the camera pans to Carole Ann Ford and the look on her face makes you think she's left the iron on.

The final showdown.

Nearby, we see Ian's party meet up with Alydon's and we have a bit of running down corridors and diving under closing doors, but even that is dispensed with pretty quickly, although Barbara is nearly chopped in half at one point, which was slightly nail biting. When it comes to the final showdown between the Thals and the Daleks, it just sort of happens and within the space of a thirty-second countdown. We have Thals dropping down from the ceiling, Barbara's throwing rocks, Ian's shouting a lot as he releases the Doctor and Susan. Ultimately, it falls to an unnamed Thal who gets to be the ultimate hero: he's shot and badly injured by a Dalek, but still charges forward grabs the Dalek and shoves it into the power source, eliminating it.

With the Dalek's power running away and the countdown stopped, the last survivor begs for mercy from the Doctor. Hartnell's delivery of the line "even if I wanted to, I don't know how" is laced with disgust, but with just a hint of sadness. That's twice in one episode that Hartnell has made me sit up and take note and that allusion to the line in "Into the Dalek" enters my head once again. Ultimately, it was the Doctor's arrogance that caused this entire scenario to unfold. It could be argued that if the travellers had left Skaro at the end of "The Dead Planet" then the Daleks would never have an impetus to leave their city, even to massacre the Thals, which were easily lured into the city for food. Certainly, the Doctor's offer of giving them access to the TARDIS and the whole of time and space is a massive incentive. Through the events of this story taking place, the Doctor has preserved the Thal race, but at the cost of billions of lives across the universe. It certainly makes you think.

"Even if I wanted to, I don't know how."

Moving on to happier matters, and the travellers make their way back to the TARDIS, with the Doctor offering Alydon and Dyoni a few words of advice and even admitting that he was a pioneer among his own people. Even the happy ending had a bittersweet twist as Barbara and Ganatus are forced to say their goodbyes, sealing it with a kiss. If Susan hadn't of interrupted, would Ganatus had asked Barbara to stay with him on Skaro. We'll never know, but as an unashamed Ian and Barbara fan, I'm glad he never got the chance.

To sum up then, The Daleks in it's entirety has a vastly important role in the history of Doctor Who. It introduces us to the Doctor's arch-enemy and, as "Into the Dalek" confirms, has a significant role to play in making the Doctor the man he is. As I mentioned in earlier episodes, Terry Nation superbly took some of the largest issues facing the world in the early 1960s with a sprinkling of the memories of World War II and projected it on to another planet and created the ultimate evil.

Is the story perfect? Absolutely not. The padding was fairly evident during episodes 4, 5 and 6, yet the final battle felt so packed in to the last episode that it wasn't given sufficient time to breathe. Does this matter? No. As I stated earlier, this story is retroactively one of the most important stories in the entire series and it's best creation, rather than the story itself, will be remembered for decades, even centuries to come.

7/10

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The Edge of Destruction