Into the Dalek

"Imagine the worst possible thing in the universe and then don't bother, because you're looking at it right now. This is evil refined as engineering."

Writers: Phil Ford & Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30th August 2014

Series: 8.02

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Doctor is forced to go somewhere he never thought he'd find himself - inside a Dalek. Facing antibodies and his own companion not knowing if he's a good man or not, can the Doctor fix Rusty and put a stop to the Dalek-Rebel War?

Verdict 

Into the Dalek is a brilliant and audacious second episode of this eighth series with our brand new Twelfth Doctor. Typically a new Doctor's first story sees him come to terms with his regeneration and new body but now we're into the thick of things and the action can commence! How wonderfully audacious to have this Doctor's first 'proper' adventure against the Daleks! He's certainly been thrown right in the deep end. Not only is he going to be up against his deadliest enemies but he's going to go inside of one! A magnificent idea and I loved how the Doctor was genuinely terrified of the prospect, so much so that he couldn't face it alone and called upon Clara. For her it'd been three weeks since the events of Deep Breath but it wasn't clear how long it'd been for the Doctor and I think that's subtly a good thing as by now he should be used to his new body which certainly seemed the case here. I really love Peter Capaldi's voice, it's so authoritative and perfect for the Doctor. The quirks that seem to genuinely be a part of his personality are fantastic. The comments about babysitters, Clara being his carer so she cares whilst he doesn't have to and the questioning over whether he made up that Colonel Blue was Journey's uncle were all just brilliant. The nanoscaler was a good device and I thought the seemingly silly lasagne in the microwave analogy was actually very effective! The design of the Dalek interior was pretty impressive I thought and I really liked the threat of the antibodies. Just how dangerous they were was soon realised when the Doctor asked his comrades if they could control their own. I was quite surprised by the Doctor's reaction to Ross dying and how he joked about him being the top layer of the protein food supply of the Daleks. Rusty, a name the Dalek seemed to accept, was great and I liked how this Dalek being good, even saying that the Daleks should be destroyed, was wrong. That just showed how evil the Daleks truly are. It appeared that the Doctor has been counting every star that the Daleks have burned. But to Rusty all that seemed in vain now as the Dalek had bore witness to the birth of a star and realised that life is never ending. The Daleks will never realise their goal of becoming the sole or supreme beings. The continuation from Asylum of the Daleks was good but I'm not sure I'm a fan of it continuing in every story. The Daleks not knowing the Doctor hurts the encounters a tad I think. The moment where the Doctor stood eye to eye with Rusty was my favourite part of the story. The reference to The Daleks was simply stunning with the Doctor realising there and then who he was and that his name wasn't merely just that. His first encounter with the Daleks allowed the Doctor to work out who he really was and what had to be done. His linking up his thoughts with Rusty was excellent and I loved how devastated he seemed when all Rusty could see in the Doctor's mind regarding the Daleks was a divine hatred. He'd known them long enough and seen them take so many innocent lives that all he could hope for was their extinction. Journey was a good character and I loved the way the Doctor wanted her to ask to take her back to the Aristotle after rescuing her from death. It was an emotional end seeing her approach to be a companion rejected on the grounds to her being a soldier. That's a for more critical part of a CV than having a criminal record it seems! The anti-climatic sealing of the radiation breach was quite humorous and I loved how the Doctor was right about Daleks being naturally evil and I think he knew he was always going to be right. He just wanted to prove it. The good broken Dalek was repaired and once again it was evil and destructive. The Dalek-Rebel war subplot was very good and provided some wonderful action scenes! Clara was just wonderful, looking amazing, and I loved her persistence in asking the Doctor and co what they'd learned. Once the Doctor finally caught on and questioned why he wasn't paying Clara, the memory of the birth of the star needed to be replayed in Rusty's mind to make him see good again. With the moment anxiously and finally flooded back into the Dalek's memory by Clara, Rusty saw that the Daleks needed to be destroyed from the Doctor and embarked on carrying out that mission, aiding the Rebels. The moment Rusty told the Doctor that he was a good Dalek mirrored Dalek where the Ninth Doctor was told he'd make a good Dalek. I think that was taken a step further here! Missy's appearance with Gretchin was good though I still maintain my disapproval of series arcs being given in this way. I really don't see the need for them. Speaking of not seeing the need for things, this brings me to Danny Pink. I just don't care. He's boring and just unnecessary. Why can't Clara just continuously travel with the Doctor like nearly every companion before her? It really frustrates me and I do hope Series 9 isn't like that. Overall though, this was a brilliant episode to continue along Peter Capaldi's tenure.

Rating: 9/10