Asylum of the Daleks

"You will save the Daleks."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1 September 2012

Series: 7.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends must escape from a planetary prison and the dangerous convicts within, but Rory becomes separated from the Doctor and Amy as disaster strikes. And who's the soufflé girl?

Verdict

Asylum of the Daleks was an excellent episode to kick off the seventh series of the modern era of Doctor Who! I am very excited to reach this point in the series because it has been, to my knowledge, around a decade since I last watched this episode which for a modern era instalment is an awfully long time for me. Doctor Who is and always will be my comfort show and before I discovered the world of extended media around the time I started this blog in 2013, I would rewatch endlessly the modern era. On paper, this is right up my alley with the numerous designs of Daleks featuring within the Asylum. I think it's a fun concept and I love the moment where the Doctor can proudly proclaim that the Daleks are scared of something of their own creation. Versions of their own kind gone wrong or mad. It's tremendous. I like how this sees the return of the more traditional gold Daleks and moves away from the Paradigm design established in Victory of the Daleks. They work well enough here as minimal elements in an entire Dalek Parliament, and the Prime Minister is very cool! It's a fantastic design and I'm all for giving us new kinds of Daleks. Even if it's just for the figurines. The number of designs I have of Daleks now is not far off a hundred and I hope they keep coming. I proudly own the Dalek Prime Minister and a few Daleks from within the Asylum which is tremendous. It's an easy marketing opportunity and I'm all for it being exploited. I think this is such a brilliant introduction for Jenna Coleman and whilst she's not quite playing her companion of Clara, the mystery of Oswin starts with a bang. It's brilliant stuff. I love that she's within a Dalek and it's such an emotional revelation. She's so much fun throughout and the chemistry she has with the Doctor just from mere telecommunication means she's perfect to be a companion, but she won't quite make it. The truth of her creating a dream for herself because the truth was just too hurtful was powerful stuff and I think it's heartbreaking that what seems like a comedic throwaway line at the start about where Oswin gets the milk for her soufflés actually becomes crucial. Where could she actually get the milk in the middle of a Dalek asylum? The Daleks simply needed her genius so they converted her fully into one of their kind. That's not exactly pure, but we saw the humans under Dalek control through the freaky eyestalks within the forehead! That's a new development that adds some fear. Getting glimpses of the Special Weapons Dalek in particular was a real highlight for me but just spotting the early Daleks, particularly those from the 1960s, was an absolute delight. One thing I don't enjoy about this episode is the whole storyline surrounding Amy and Rory. There's no feasible way I can ever believe that they would break up and whilst it is a little harsh for Rory to claim he loves her more than she did to him, it was equally not right of her to give him because he wanted kids that she couldn't give him without having a conversation. There are many other options! Rory didn't deserve that. I'm glad they see sense by the end and up in quite a passionate kiss, but for me it's a bitter pill to be kicking off a series with. Oswin actually deleting the Doctor from the Dalek path web is impressive and it really does give the Doctor an upper hand now when it comes to confronting his old enemies. I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the Daleks forgetting their greatest enemy, but the Doctor relishes it! He just leaves and keeps the Dalek Parliament guessing on who he is and his significance. That's fun stuff. Overall, there's just so much going on and this does a good job of making the Daleks scary again. A fantastic series opener! 

Rating: 9/10