Nasty
pepperpots. Defeated easily by stairs. Aim for the eyepiece. Say what you will
about them, but the Daleks have survived as Doctor Who’s most popular monster
for a reason. They truly are as creepy as hell. Looking back at their first
story, it is easy to see why they became so instantly popular across Great
Britain, and in doing so, assured the show’s success for several years to come.
Through the
second half of Episode 1, the viewer is wandering the mysterious city with the
TARDIS crew. The design is something straight out of The Cabinet of Dr.
Caligari – all weird angles and sloping walls, reinforced by the camera angles
to disorient both the crew and the viewer. At the very end of Episode 1, we see
a screaming Barbara from the Dalek point of view, only the sucker arm appendage
coming into the frame. Even knowing what that arm is attached to – maybe even
*because* I already knew – that scene, that cliffhanger was so tantalizing. I
can only imagine having to wait a week to discover just what terrified Ms.
Wright, and not just the few minutes before Episode 2 started up on the DVD.
That horror, that unknown-ness is, I think, part of the continued appeal of the
Daleks. We see them in their full glory in Episode 2, but even then, there is
still mystery. What is inside these outer shells? What are the Dalek “people”
like without their transports? Later, the Doctor and Ian see one inside the casing;
they both shrink back in horror and then remove it. It is kept hidden from
Barbara and Susan, as well as the audience, by being wrapped in a cloak. We see
the tiniest glimpse of a mutated claw reaching out from underneath, and that is
all. Throughout the seven episodes, that
is all we see of a “Dal” mutant, keeping the mystery intact.
Although
not my absolutely favorite monster (I’m a Cyberman guy), I’ve always liked the
Daleks immensely. Rewatching their first appearance, wow are they brilliant.
Terry Nation may have repeated himself through the coming years, but his first
time on, he nailed it in terms of characterization. Of course, the real triumph
here is Raymond Cusick’s design of the Daleks. It’s sad that it wasn’t until
much, much later that he got the credit which he was rightfully due. Without that timeless design, immediately
identifiable today, the Daleks may not have rolled out of our nightmares.
At seven
parts, there is a fair bit of padding in the story. What is surprising is that the final three
episodes which could have felt extraneous are still as gripping as the opening
of the story. I found them to be at least as interesting, if not more so, as
three episodes of inter-tribal caveman politics. The TARDIS team is well done,
and even two stories in, Ian and Barbara are such strong characters. Ian has
his moral position about asking the Thals to fight, and Barbara is just whip
smart all around, and even gets a Thal suitor. The kiss to her hand as she
leaves surprised me, not previously realizing that Barbara became the first
companion to have any romantic interest. And an interest that, despite
assumptions to the latter, wasn’t Ian.
This
adventure on Skaro, The Dead Planet, is a great off-world adventure, and the
first for the series. Its success set the template for future stories and began
the shift from purely educational to the fantastic. More than that, it is an
auspicious introduction of the Doctor’s longest running adversary. Until we
meet again, Daleks…
NEXT EPISODE: Edge of Destruction
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