From the very beginning, the script proves that viewers are in for a rather action-packed and intense Dalek adventure. It's not entirely obvious at first, but this story takes place in two different points in time simultaneously. In that sense, it's a bit like Day of the Daleks (1972), with time corridors and time-travelling Daleks. The first half of the story sets the scene but doesn't evolve the story much. The plot also revolves around viruses, cures and creating the undefeatable Dalek, as on previous occasions. Eric Saward also throws in a couple of pretty good twists. The second part of the story feels intense, dark and quite mature at times, taking the story into unusual directions. The adventure reaches a satisfying climax, one of the better ones in any Dalek story.
This is one of the best performances of all three main cast members, Davison in particular. Rodney Bewes is fantastic as the awkward, cowardly and stuttering Stien - not your average soldier type. In the second half, his performance changes drastically, and it's equally great. Jim Findley and Sneh Gupta are given wonderfully big parts, but their acting shift from perfectly natural to somewhat stiff, particularly on Gupta's part. Chloe Ashcroft is the real standout among the actresses in an admirably fresh scientist part. Terry Molloy is the Davros actor for me - both creepy and intense, with a hint of madness.
Each incarnation of the Doctor meeting the Daleks for the first time is always a defining moment, and this is no exception. The Fifth Doctor is confidently mocking the Daleks while being careful to not push them too hard. At the same time, we see some of his darker sides.
The companions find themselves in precarious situations, with Turlough siding with the rebels and Tegan having to escape the clutches of Colonel Archer. They're pretty generic as companions here, but Turlough has one of his better moments. Tegan's departure comes at the end of the story, and it's a sweet little moment, even if it's not very well anticipated.
The Daleks are quickly established as a deadly force, shedding human lives left and right like never before. The body count is high in this story. Davros returns, looking better than ever and once again sounding like he should. His plans are the same as before and he's just as naive, though. I like how the Doctor is instrumental for their grand plan. In the end, the story turns into a civil war between different factions of the Daleks.
The production feels pretty big-budget, with big sets, fine special effects and very ominous music. It's one of the better production values of any JNT era story.
A menacing atmosphere, some fine performances and plenty of action pieces keep this story flowing very well. The two 45-minute episodes feel evenly paced out, even though the second half moves the plot forward somewhat better.
The story opens with one of the more atmospheric and well-shot opening sequences in Classic Doctor Who. It's quite fantastic. It's a pretty intense action-packed affair, almost like a space-opera, from its early moments until the closing credits. The rest of the serial has that intense, dark and pretty menacing atmosphere like the best Daleks stories have. The stakes are high and the menace is palpable both in the action-packed moments and the quieter sequences.
After the dud that was Destiny of the Daleks, this story managed to once again make the Daleks feel menacing while delivering a highly enjoyable story.
This is a story I will surely rewatch several times over. It's one of the stronger Dalek stories overall.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
This story depicts a pretty diverse crew, which is unusual for Classic Who.
This story attempts a new format of two 45-minute episodes (roughly four 25-minutes episodes), which would be extended into the next season and is the norm for the revival era.
Professor Laird is one of only a handful of female scientist characters on the show, and so much alike Osgood from the Peter Capaldi era, that she must have been a source of inspiration fro Steven Moffat.
The Daleks' war with the Movellans, as seen in Destiny of the Daleks (1979) is mentioned by Davros.
We've seen Daleks time travel before, and their cloning technology has also been shown to us in The Chase (1965).
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-09T05:36:56Z
From the very beginning, the script proves that viewers are in for a rather action-packed and intense Dalek adventure. It's not entirely obvious at first, but this story takes place in two different points in time simultaneously. In that sense, it's a bit like Day of the Daleks (1972), with time corridors and time-travelling Daleks. The first half of the story sets the scene but doesn't evolve the story much. The plot also revolves around viruses, cures and creating the undefeatable Dalek, as on previous occasions. Eric Saward also throws in a couple of pretty good twists. The second part of the story feels intense, dark and quite mature at times, taking the story into unusual directions. The adventure reaches a satisfying climax, one of the better ones in any Dalek story.
This is one of the best performances of all three main cast members, Davison in particular. Rodney Bewes is fantastic as the awkward, cowardly and stuttering Stien - not your average soldier type. In the second half, his performance changes drastically, and it's equally great. Jim Findley and Sneh Gupta are given wonderfully big parts, but their acting shift from perfectly natural to somewhat stiff, particularly on Gupta's part. Chloe Ashcroft is the real standout among the actresses in an admirably fresh scientist part. Terry Molloy is the Davros actor for me - both creepy and intense, with a hint of madness.
Each incarnation of the Doctor meeting the Daleks for the first time is always a defining moment, and this is no exception. The Fifth Doctor is confidently mocking the Daleks while being careful to not push them too hard. At the same time, we see some of his darker sides.
The companions find themselves in precarious situations, with Turlough siding with the rebels and Tegan having to escape the clutches of Colonel Archer. They're pretty generic as companions here, but Turlough has one of his better moments. Tegan's departure comes at the end of the story, and it's a sweet little moment, even if it's not very well anticipated.
The Daleks are quickly established as a deadly force, shedding human lives left and right like never before. The body count is high in this story. Davros returns, looking better than ever and once again sounding like he should. His plans are the same as before and he's just as naive, though. I like how the Doctor is instrumental for their grand plan. In the end, the story turns into a civil war between different factions of the Daleks.
The production feels pretty big-budget, with big sets, fine special effects and very ominous music. It's one of the better production values of any JNT era story.
A menacing atmosphere, some fine performances and plenty of action pieces keep this story flowing very well. The two 45-minute episodes feel evenly paced out, even though the second half moves the plot forward somewhat better.
The story opens with one of the more atmospheric and well-shot opening sequences in Classic Doctor Who. It's quite fantastic. It's a pretty intense action-packed affair, almost like a space-opera, from its early moments until the closing credits. The rest of the serial has that intense, dark and pretty menacing atmosphere like the best Daleks stories have. The stakes are high and the menace is palpable both in the action-packed moments and the quieter sequences.
After the dud that was Destiny of the Daleks, this story managed to once again make the Daleks feel menacing while delivering a highly enjoyable story.
This is a story I will surely rewatch several times over. It's one of the stronger Dalek stories overall.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
This story depicts a pretty diverse crew, which is unusual for Classic Who.
This story attempts a new format of two 45-minute episodes (roughly four 25-minutes episodes), which would be extended into the next season and is the norm for the revival era.
Professor Laird is one of only a handful of female scientist characters on the show, and so much alike Osgood from the Peter Capaldi era, that she must have been a source of inspiration fro Steven Moffat.
The Daleks' war with the Movellans, as seen in Destiny of the Daleks (1979) is mentioned by Davros.
We've seen Daleks time travel before, and their cloning technology has also been shown to us in The Chase (1965).
Score: 97/120