Dalek

You would make a good Dalek.

Dalek is generally considered the best Dalek story of the New Who era and it is difficult to argue that thought. It would help if the Daleks were ever shown to be as competent as the one in this story is, but that's a discussion for another day.

Of all the new series Doctors, it is only the Ninth Doctor who seems to act as though the Daleks are a foe worthy to be scared of. The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors were generally a bit too non-shalant about the Daleks while the Twelfth Doctor has a respect but not a fear of the Daleks. It is the Ninth Doctor's fear that sells this story more than anything.

The scenes that everyone seems to lock into are the two instances of confrontation between the Ninth Doctor and the Dalek. In the first, the anger and fear are palpable. My personal favorite moment is when we get the Dalek point of view and the Doctor thrusts his face into the eyestalk screaming about how not only did the destruction of Gallifrey and the Dalek race happen, he made it happen. That is the angry Doctor unleashed. That is the hatred borne of fear and self loathing coming to the surface.

The second scene that everyone remembers and loves is after the Dalek has destroyed most of the private army and the Doctor screams that it should just die and purge the universe of it's race. The Dalek pauses and remarks, I can imagine almost with a bit of humor, that the Doctor would make a good Dalek.

All that said, there are flaws in this episode. Intense as the Doctor's scenes are, there are moments where he does go over the top with his hysterics. That can be a bit cringe inducing. Also, Rose hits my annoyance factor hard in this episode. She energizes the Dalek and despite it's murderous rampage, still appeals for some level of mercy for it. It is only because it has absorbed this human quality from her that it eventually allows itself to recognize the futility of existing alone and destroys itself.

I understand the emotional depth that they were going for in this episode, but I get frustrated by the concept that there can be good in anyone or anything and that is something that must be cultivated to preserve the purity of the hero. This is rubbish. Evil must be opposed and that does require the use of extreme measures, including execution sometimes, to preserve the good. The Daleks have always been an absolute evil and to mitigate that evil with the idea that it can be infused with good, muddles the story and even gives a bit of a cop out ending where the Doctor ends up not having to destroy said evil again. I understand this is part of the overall redemption of the Doctor from the torment of what he did in the Time War, but it still feels like a cop out ending.

Still, a good story on many levels and well worth multiple viewings.

Overall personal score: 4 out of 5