How do you measure the abilities of a new Doctor? Throw him up against his oldest and deadliest enemy of course. While many will release an uneasy sigh at the use of the killer pepperpots once again, when used properly, the Daleks are a potent presence. Thankfully, Into the Dalek uses them well. The Doctor finds himself aboard a medical vessel hiding in an asteroid belt. It is host to a human resistance group fighting against an ongoing Dalek invasion. Also onboard is a “broken” Dalek, one which is deemed to be good, having accepted the futility of his race’s quest to exterminate lesser species. To figure out how this can be used to their advantage in turning other Daleks, the Doctor and his “carer” Clara are shrunk using medical equipment to go inside the Dalek to find out how this has happened.
Last weeks season opener was a frenetic episode throwing a lot of plot at the viewer as well as a lot of changes. Thankfully things have settled down. The story unfolds in a logical and interesting way but more pertinently, the Doctor seems to be more settled. A regeneration always takes it’s toll, on the Time Lord as well as the viewer. He’s still prickly but in an amusing way. These elements made for a more cohesive piece of entertainment.
The Doctor seems more settled, still acerbic and intense but more focused. He seems to be settling into a nice rhythm with Clara, who continues to be developed more in a single episode than in the whole of last season. We also get a surprisingly fresh introduction to Danny Pink, a soon to be companion on board the TARDIS. Presented as a well rounded, sympathetic but capable character, he is an ex soldier now working as a teacher at Clara’s school. He clearly will have a lot of baggage to bring with him into Clara’s life as well as the TARDIS but already, in a short space of time, is one of the more interesting people to arrive on the show. His flirtations and fumbles handling Clara offer much potential too. The fact that he is a soldier presents an interesting angle, a profession that has always brought out a negative reaction from the Doctor. The entire episode seems to frame the role of a soldier as something that may be a recurring theme with Pink’s arrival on board.
Special mention should be made for the production work on this episode. The special effects are some of the best seen on the show; an asteroid sequence reminiscent of that seen in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, fantastic (and always appreciated) model work, as well as great action scenes of exploding Daleks in battle. Director Ben Wheatley (Sightseers, A Field in England) worked on the first two episodes of the season and brings a great eye to events. Great music, riffing on some 80s synth with echos of The Terminator round off a return to form for the show.
The Daleks are overused, plain and simple. Following a path of the Borg from Star Trek: TNG, the more you learn and see of them the more disarmed they are. Apparently there are license issues at play where they HAVE to be used a certain amount to keep the rights, so this poses a challenge for the writers. This episode feels like a fresh take but actually does draw a lot of inspiration from three earlier episodes; Evil of the Daleks (1967) where the Second Doctor essentially “humanizes” Daleks, Dalek (2005) where the Ninth Doctor has an emotional one on one encounter with a sole survivor of the Time War and most recently Asylum of the Daleks (2012) with Twelve looking at the psychology of “broken” Daleks. Throw in an element of Star Trek TNG episode I, Borg as well as the film Innerspace (which does get a little nod) and bosh, you have Into the Dalek. Looking at the innerworkings of a Dalek (literally) was a interesting twist, a lot of groundwork was done in the classic series to explain how the Daleks came to be. Not so much in this Nu-Who. The episode expanded on their engineering and makeup and as such seemed to help reframe them as a real threat.
Daleks in Doctor mean a study of hate. In the case of the former, a genetically and technologically engineered aspect easy to understand but with the Doctor there is an emotion derived from thousands of years of conflict and loss with his oldest enemy. Hate is an emotion that has overwhelmed him previously and nearly does again here. Again events are reminiscent of the episode Dalek, where the Ninth Doctor’s anger pushes him to finish off a wounded Dalek but his companion Rose pulls him back. Here it is Clara that slaps some sense into him (again literally). His prejudice (warranted) against the Daleks blinds him to the possibility of a “good” Dalek and while his hopes are dashed, it is an interesting change in the character that in the midst of him becoming a far more acerbic and critical personality, he is amenable to suggestions his previous more whimsical incarnations would not have been. The irony is that while mentally connected to the Daleks in his efforts to help, his emotions come though and undermine his efforts. His motives may have been good but the truth under the surface cannot be avoided to his own detriment.
We also see another little peek into the mystery of the season, the enigmatic Missy, again popping up and welcoming another soul (departed in the course of the Doctor’s adventures) to “Heaven”. This appearing woman seems a reminder of Madame Kovarian, the woman who intermittently popped up in the vision of Amy Pond and was responsible for a plot to bring down the Doctor a few seasons ago. I’m sure Missy will go a different route than that. The ramifications and weight of his actions have often weighed on or caught up with the Doctor, the idea of people who have died as a result of the doctors actions (or inactions) being recruited for some reason is an interesting one.
Into the Dalek is a step up in quality from the season opener. A tighter script and more well defined threat make for a far more cohesive episode giving a surprisingly fresh take on a enemy that has been developed for 50 years and of late severely overused. Again the best thing in the episode is Capaldi, a more settled performance, growing well into the role and his relationship with the ever more impressive Clara. Is he a good man? We have yet to find out, but it is becoming apparent he really is a good Doctor.
Next Week: Robots of Sherwood — In a sun-dappled Sherwood forest, the Doctor discovers an evil plan from beyond the stars and strikes up an unlikely alliance with Robin Hood.
With all of Nottingham at stake, the Doctor must decide who is real and who is fake. Can impossible heroes really exist?