Doctor Who (TV Series) Into the Dalek (2014) User Reviews

A refreshing spin on the Doctor's oldest enemy

[jamtay95 · 9/10 · 31 August 2014]

This episodes was a perfect example of a what Doctor Who should be. A finally crafted, not overly complicated plot, with a sense of adventure, fear and humor.

Firstly, let's talk about Peter Capaldi's performance. Wow. What a defined and ingenious actor. He is The Doctor i've been waiting for since the show restarted. In this episode in particular, he carries a level of dormant fury with him, a foreboding sense of anger, yet still retains the twinkle of hope for the Dalek. He uses subtly, and if really observed, adds extra depth to the show. Go and have a look for yourself.

Anyway, let's move onto the episode itself. The second TV episode for Phil Ford of the NuWho since "The Waters of Mars" (Another personal favorite) co-written with Stephen Moffat. The whole episode is centered around the morally split question of "Am I a good man?" The majority of the characters have this split. Of course, The Doctor has been wondering this since "Deep Breath", The Dalek has the split of good vs evil and introducing Danny Pink, the morality of the soldier is added to him immediately. The soldier thread continues to weave with all the characters on the base. Clara, been the only non-soldier creates an outside view of the situation, which, was the cause for The Doctor entering the Dalek's soul.

To continuously keep refreshing a Dalek story can sometimes seem forced and out of place for a Dalek story. However, "Into the Dalek" is a perfect example of a stand alone Dalek episode. It wasn't just a one dimensional episode with the motive of hatred and to exterminate everything and everyone, it had a level of morality and almost heart at the core. The dalek's closing line to the Doctor "You are a good Dalek" sent shivers down my spine. The Doctor is at a very delicate stage of regeneration and after the whole episode of trying to find if he is a good man or not, he is told that. A bit of a downer for him.

Overall, I believe this was a fantastic episode, it's functional, refreshing and has all the needed elements of a good Doctor Who episode. I love Danny Pink, I loved the Doctor's performance and overall would give it a 9/10.

But the question still remains. Is the Doctor as good man? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Into the belly of the beast

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 31 August 2014]

After last week's Victorian adventure it is time for something more futuristic. This episode opens with a space battle. A woman, Lt Journey Blue, in a small fighter is fleeing an enemy and her ship is destroyed but rather than dying she finds herself on the Tardis. The Doctor takes her back to her ship but gets a less than friendly reception from her colleagues; they are at war with the Daleks and trust no one. Given this they have a rather strange demand; they want The Doctor to repair a captured Dalek; for some reason it wants to destroy its fellow Daleks! Clara isn't with The Doctor at this point but for some reason he decides he needs her so goes and picks her up, just as she is arranging a date. Once back the two of them along with Lt Blue and a small team of soldiers undertake an unusual mission; they are shrunk to microscopic size and enter the Dalek. Once in they must survive its internal defences and find the cause of its malfunctions… all the time hoping that fixing it isn't a really bad idea!

When I learnt that we'd be getting a Dalek episode this week I groaned a little feeling that surely we've had enough of them for a while; thankfully the episode turned out much better than I'd feared. Having characters shrunk has been used in a few Sci-fi films before but I don't recall it being used in Doctor Who before and sending him into his most famous enemy seemed a good time to do it. There were plenty of scares to be had as the Dalek 'antibodies' attacked and as Daleks killed several unnamed minor characters… nothing too scary though. There were some jokes mixed in with the action… some clearly aimed at older viewers; I don't envy parents having to explain the joke about proctology! Having got his introduction out of the way Peter Capaldi is doing a fine job as a very different doctor; I can't imagine any of the other recent incarnations asking 'Am I a good man?'. Jenna Coleman continues to do well as Clara; the interaction between her and Capaldi's characters is interesting as they aren't quite friends yet but are developing a working relationship and trust each other. Of the guest stars Zawe Ashton impressed most as Journey Blue; so much so that I was a little disappointed when The Doctor turned down her request to join him. Overall I found this to be an enjoyable episode; I hope the rest of the series can be this good.

Very Interesting and tense!

[masonbingley2000 · 8/10 · 31 August 2014]

At first, Into the Dalek was fantastic already with the special effects and action packed start! The Doctor was funny as i was expecting but sometimes mumbled so words sometimes were not understandable. Then we met Danny and Clara at the school, this scene seemed to go on for too long and took up most of the episode. But it was enjoyable to watch.

After about ten minutes, we finally get to the Dalek, this episode is a little bit like the 2005 episode 'Dalek' but better. The Dalek insides were superbly decorated and the VFX were phenomenal. I really enjoyed it. Very tense and annoying little antibodies but in a good way. A great second episode but maybe not as good as Deep Breath.

Injecting Life into an Old Dog...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 28 December 2021]

Encountering a Dalek with behavioural issues, the Doctor Et al. Are miniaturised and put into its tissues (inside it at least), in order to find out how this mutation evolved, and then subsequently and ever so naively resolved. It's a bit not like but very similar to Fantastic Voyage or Innerspace, though it's engaging enough to keep you in your place, and we can see that this Doctor's mind set is cantankerous, with extremely strong shades of being stubborn and quite rancorous. Hardly original though!

It felt original, I know the story's been done, but it works very well.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 18 September 2015]

An imaginative episode, which sees The Doctor and Clara literally travel into The Dalek. One of the stronger episodes from this series.

Danny Pink has been a good addition so far, lots of depth to his character. Clara is also becoming more interesting, I was starting to get a little fed up with all the impossible girl stuff, much better dynamic between her and Peter then there was with Matt.

The Missy interlude was once again really interesting, she's definitely building towards something.

The fight scenes are truly brilliant, the camera work is also extremely interesting.

I think they've been so guilty of overusing the Daleks, they've gone from being something I wanted desperately to see, to oh no not again. This, an Asylum in fairness have been outstanding. This was such a clever, imaginative and different episode.

9/10 You can't beat a bit of Rusty.

A good Dalek episode when it tries to be a Dalek episode

[Meven_Stoffat · 7/10 · 31 August 2014]

I'll admit that I didn't really have high hopes for the episode to begin with, and that was down to mostly one thing: the fact that this was only the Doctor's second adventure with Capaldi at the helm and it was already a Dalek episode. Of course, this was the first Dalek story in two years, but even then it felt as if Moffat and co. felt as if Daleks were the be-all- end-all of the series, when really they aren't: they didn't appear as often in the original series as people think they did (to reiterate: Hartnell got four Dalek stories, Troughton and Baker only got two, Pertwee got three, and Davison, Colin Baker and McCoy all got one each), and a lot of fans of the classic series consider the seasons without daleks as some of the best seasons. But nonetheless I sat back and let myself be proved wrong by Moffat.

The concept of the episode is pretty interesting, if rather quite done before: The TARDIS materializes on board a military fleet after The Doctor rescues a soldier named Journey Blue. Taken into captivity by Uncle Smiley, the head of the fleet, The Doctor uses his name to be able to get out of the situation. Except he is given one thing he must do: care for a Dalek. Not just any Dalek: a good Dalek. So he goes to present day earth, grabs Clara and takes her back, and it's here where we realize they have to go into the Dalek (hence, the title) to see how he got so good all of a sudden. The concept, as Theo Robertson here correctly pointed out, is very reminiscent of the film "A Fantastic Voyage" as well as the 1987 comedy "Innerspace", and a few nods to both movies are given. The episode succeeds when it's actually a Dalek episode: for one we get a rather long and unnecessary opening at Coal Hill school, and we are introduced to Clara having a new boyfriend by the name of Danny Pink. It feels pointless and tacked-on, especially when Danny Pink only gets 2 minutes of screen time. When Clara finds The Doctor, that's when the episode really begins to pick up. The Daleks are back to being scary again by doing what they do best: trundling through corridors, screaming "EXTERMINATE" and zapping some poor sucker in its path. And so when they're on screen, they're terrifying and a pleasure to watch, especially after seeing them neutered.

On the topic of Capaldi though, which is another issue I find with the series so far: Peter Capaldi as The Doctor. Not in a bad way, the issue is that he's such a great actor that whenever he was not on screen, my interest began to wane. Undoubtedly he's the best of the NuWho Doctors so far, and I can see him going on to be considered one of the great Doctors; he seems like a mix of the first doctor, the third doctor and the fifth doctor, and so I really hope that he doesn't end up having to carry the episodes by himself, or otherwise he'll be a great doctor let down by weak scriptwriting. Nonetheless though, as per usual he was a pleasure to watch, even in the third act when he talks to the Dalek face to face in his shell. His acting here was emotional gravitas not seen since Tennant's portrayal, and let's hope he continues this path.

Overall, despite the few gripes I had, I enjoyed the episode and while it's a bit too early to tell yet, I can tell things are looking up for the eighth series of the show. In fact, next week was written by one of my favourite writers (Mark Gatiss, who wrote undoubtedly the best episode of 7.2 "Cold War") and it's about Robin Hood. This could end up being my favourite series since series 2, and if the show continues down the darker path with the newer Doctor, it may achieve a new sense of greatness.

An interesting episode but with missed opportunities

[SpoodermanDerp · 8/10 · 30 August 2014]

*Minor Spoilers Ahead* Into The Dalek is one of the average episodes known to Doctor Who. It starts out with an interesting plot at the start but executes it with slow pacing and clichés. There are quite a few interesting points in the episode such as the Dalek and the introduction of Danny Pink (who reminds me of Mickey) and Missy. The Doctor was great in this one. I really need to see more of Capaldi because he is an interesting and entertaining Doctor, however the writing seems to be pulling him down. Series 8 might just end up being Series 7.2 if the writing continues to grow weaker and weaker and Peter Capaldi might be put to waste, his scenes with the Dalek proves his potential to be a enthralling Doctor. His attitude as a mysterious and rude person to other people is yet to be explored for the series and I really hope they do. Danny Pink is also introduced in the episode but gets a short screen time, but the scenes with him were intriguing as he was a soldier with a past yet to be expanded upon and good chemistry with Clara. Speaking of Clara, she really needs to have a story. Ever since the Impossible Girl storyline, she became quite dull and ended up becoming a School Teacher who goes with a mysterious man with a blue box for some reason and I think Clara will be more compelling when they add Danny Pink in to the story. In a way, an episode with its 40+ minute run time felt a bit like 20 minutes. Some scenes were useless and some scenes were thrilling. I think the main problem in this Series is the writing. Moffat needs to fix this or might as well focus on Sherlock and get a new show runner for Doctor Who.

With an average yet satisfying story, some intriguing scenes and a Doctor yet to be explored. Let's just hope that the next few ones leading to the finale get better.

Verdict: 7.5/10

It's Been Done Before . Possibly Better Too

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 30 August 2014]

No one can accuse DOCTOR WHO of ever being original . Sydney Newman created the show by stealing the premise of a novel by HG Wells titled THE TIME MACHINE and the rest is history . Over the years the show has stolen homages from other influences . Pulp horror was a favourite of the mid Troughton and early Tom Baker periods while early Pertwee owed a lot to QUATERMASS and these eras was when the classic show was at its very best so it's not a complaint in any way

Certainly Into The Dalek can't be described as being original . It borrows a lot from FANTASTIC VOYAGE an enjoyable 1966 film featuring miniaturization in its central plot . This was remade by DOCTOR WHO eleven years later as The Invisible Enemy . In fact miniaturization had been done before in Carnival Of Monsters from 1973 . Add to this a lone Dalek prisoner from the NuWho story Dalek from 2005 and internecine Dalek warfare stretching back all the way to Evil Of The Daleks from 1967 and you've got something that gives deja vu a bad name . Some younger fans might enjoy all this because to them it will seem " new " and iconoclastic but to the older cynical eye some new ideas might be in order

Where the episode succeeds at is on two levels . First of all we have Daleks doing what they do best , moving forward screeching " EXTERMINATE " as they blast any human unfortunate enough to get in their way , devoid of any gimmickry as we've recently seen such as the Fatleks . Secondly we've got a new incarnation of the Doctor in the shape of Capaldi who is a million miles away from Matt Smith as it's possible to be . Capaldi is a superb cross between the alien fourth Doctor played by Tom Baker and the angst ridden eighth Doctor played by Christopher Eccleston . This Doctor is instantly compelling . He may have human form but is far from human and his cold uncaring reaction to a death of a supporting character is somewhat shocking

The problem with this portrayal is that he's so good that the rest of the characters make little impression with this viewer . Worse still is that a lot of the running time is taken up by events at Coal Hill School . Watching these scenes play out with Danny and Clara with their possibly blooming romance feels like the channel has switched over to an early evening weekday soap opera and totally fails to gel and is totally jarring . As with last weeks episode with the dreadful Patermoster Gang my attention wandered when the Doctor wasn't on screen

Not to be too negative I did enjoy this episode for the most part and with this older and darker Doctor I find myself looking forward to Saturday evenings which isn't something that has happened since the RTD era , and yes I did get the " Rusty " joke . I do hope that Capaldi doesn't have to carry the show single handed and we get stronger material for him because he could be the best Doctor the show has ever had

A good Dalek episode which we have seen in the past

[JamieHinchliffe26 · 8/10 · 31 August 2014]

It started really well with the Daleks at the beginning with a good plot but then it just went of course. This is probably the best Dalek story since classic who and now it has been brought back to us. Into a Dalek is a good title for this episode it showed the Doctor and Clara climbing into a Dalek which is different cause no writer has come up with an episode such as this one. This episode showed what the 12th doctor is like with the Daleks now and what he is capable of dealing with the Daleks once and for all.

The Daleks didn't have much of a grasp in this episode their should have been more Daleks in this episode that's what would make it better more Daleks ship instead of one.

Another Moffat story: derivative plot elements, clichéd supporting characters, sacrificing logic for lazy plot resolution

[balkaster · 6/10 · 1 September 2014]

Unlike some of the reviewers here, I enjoy a good Dalek story (I loved seeing the effects of the ongoing Dalek civil war in the original series). Unfortunately, this really wasn't one.

Moffat uses several scenes to make sure that even the most brain-dead viewer is aware that the premise is lifted from the film "Fantastic Voyage", but the details feel very much like a retread of 2005's "Dalek". That episode had the Doctor in philosophical argument with a lone Dalek, who proclaims that the Doctor would have made a good Dalek. "Into the Dalek" has the Doctor in a philosophical argument with a lone Dalek, who proclaims that the Doctor *is* a good Dalek (having viewed the Doctor's own hatred and violence). Although the contextual meaning of "good" is different in each episode, "Into the Dalek" only reiterates the same insights about the Doctor without really saying anything new or useful about them.

There is a heavy-handed subplot about the difference between "good" and "evil", which may feed into the season-long arc, but here just feels like window dressing or time filler. The Doctor's own actions seem "nicely" dark as promised, but if the good/evil discussion is meant to inform this in some way, it doesn't really come together in an initial viewing. The Doctor's distaste for soldiers is reiterated here, perhaps as forcefully as in "The Doctor's Daughter" for the first time since that episode, but whereas it was a plot point in that episode, in this one it just comes off as rude and misplaced.

What really mars the episode is Moffat's characteristic sacrifice of logic to further the plot or to give it a cheap twist. There are two by my count. First, the last time we saw the Daleks, Clara had erased all mention of the Doctor from the Dalek central database, causing the Daleks to forget all about him. That plot twist felt cheap, false, and tacked- on at the time, but in this episode it takes only one character to address the Doctor by name in its presence for the Dalek to immediately recognize him. We are also told that a Dalek's internal database records every experience and can forget nothing, thus making the conclusion of "Asylum of the Daleks" retroactively impossible. The second involves the Dalek's antibodies: when his charges question why a "good" Dalek's antibodies are attacking them, the Doctor explains that a Dalek can't control its antibodies any more that a human can. Yet when the Dalek turns "bad" and the antibodies attack again, as soon as the Dalek turns "good" again, the antibodies immediately retreat.

The episode gets six stars based on the performances and production values, but no higher due to disappointing and derivative writing.

Greatest Dalek episode since 2005's "Dalek"

[ryanjmorris · 9/10 · 31 August 2014]

A Dalek turned good was always going to be an interesting premise for Doctor Who. Undeniably the most infamous villain the show has ever produced, the Daleks are so conventionally evil that turning one good would either wind up as a complete and utter success, or a catastrophic fail. Thankfully, Into the Dalek lies very strongly with the former. I'm personally not a fan of the Daleks. To me, they are loud, shouty, screechy tin cans with hardly any redeemable qualities. So if, like me, you were beginning to feel the Daleks were becoming a little tired, then this episode could just start to change that perspective. Into the Dalek is, arguably, the greatest Dalek story since, well, Dalek.

What was so strong here was how different this episode felt from the offset. Even before we went inside the mind of the Dalek, the introduction of soon to be recurring character Danny Pink (a presumable love interest for the ever improving Clara) was smartly handled. It is already clear that he isn't like his male counterparts from other recent series'; a soldier-turned-teacher, he has a history behind him that, if handled appropriately, could make him an interesting and well mapped character. I look forward to seeing more of him in upcoming episodes. Capaldi shined through even stronger here than he did in last week's opener Deep Breath, in an episode that was more tightly plotted and suitable for its run time. The plot moved along at an admirable pace, the action and the dialogue were evenly spread, and the tension peaked at exactly the right times. In terms of pacing and story, this was pretty good stuff.

But what really set this episode out from the rest (so far, at least) was how focused it remained on the character of the Doctor amidst the action and occasionally dodgy CGI. After first coming face to face with the broken Dalek, he questions Clara "Am I a good man?", to which she responds, as the viewer surely would, "I don't know". Since that moment so early on in the episode, you can feel this motive empowering every move the Doctor makes. He spends a lot of time attempting to work out the answer to this question, but by the time the credits begin rolling and the episode has concluded, the answer remains as open as ever. "Am I good man?", the Doctor asks. "I don't know, but I know you try to be" Clara answers. Capaldi's Doctor may be unsure whether he is a good man, but he is an incredible Doctor, in what is shaping up to be potentially one of Doctor Who's very best seasons.

A Decently Interesting Return for the Daleks

[NineTenElevenTwelve · 7/10 · 25 September 2014]

The Daleks have grown fairly stale for me in recent years due to them constantly coming back over and over again at such frequent rates. "Into the Dalek" was far from one of my most anticipated episodes this season; and while this episode didn't make the Daleks my absolutely favorite monster it was still a fun ride.

The chemistry between Capaldi's Doctor and Coleman's Clara continues to develop wonderfully and entertain me in this episode. Both characters have very fun moments throughout the episode and I'm liking where their relationship is going.

The supporting cast, for the most part, was pretty forgettable aside from two standout characters: Journey Blue and Danny Pink. The Daleks, meanwhile, acted as much as I expected them to and held few surprises. However, it's the main Dalek of the episode, Rusty, that provides a lot of the intrigue that the episode has to offer. By the end of everything, I have to admit that I was fairly interested in seeing how the morals and behaviors of a Dalek actually worked.

Overall, "Into the Dalek" was an interesting, albeit by-the-numbers second entry in Capaldi's first series.

So Disappointed...Could have been a great episode

[gpriceathome · 4/10 · 30 August 2014]

The story is boring but the biggest problem is that this episode has no likable characters. Peter's portrayal of the Doctor is dark and evil. The Doctor is no longer a hero and I don't like that. He is depicted as heartless, uncaring, and untrustworthy. Not even terribly witty. He killed a man who trusted him to help him in order to save himself. Clara like normal is cute but determined to try to be the star and hero. She's truly my least favorite of all companions for all time; all though her hard slap to the Doctor's face this episode was priceless. The character Blue is not likable, though you want to like when Donna showed up in a wedding dress on the Doctor's ship, but Blue never did it for me, like Donna. I think it was just wrong casting here as well as all the rest of the characters. It seems like the magic they had to grab an excellent cast for these past 7 1/2 seasons is completely gone. There are a few characters at Clara's school that seemed very interesting, such as her love interest, and there was hope. He seems like a likable rich character, but we don't see much of him.

Overall, this episode is very disappointing. I love the Doctor as a savior and hero. He's reborn resembling more the Master than the Doctor who loves Earth and people. He could be evil as much as good, and he doesn't seem to have made up his mind as to which one he wants to be. He is no longer a good man. I don't see the Universe responding to save this Doctor, and the truth is I believed in Peter and thought he could do a good Doctor. But he's a villain. The Doctor is a "Good Dalek".

I'll skip watching the rest of this season and catch it on Netflix later. There are so many good TV shows on, and as much as this is my favorite show, I'm not going to force myself to watch bad TV.

Off to watch Doctor Who Season 4...and Season 5...and Season 6....and then I'll say goodbye to Amy and Rory and start over with Rose again.

Am I A Good Dalek Story?

[timdalton007 · 8/10 · 29 December 2014]

The Doctor and the Daleks are inextricably linked to one another, both on screen and off. Without their debut story in the winter months of 1963-64, it's doubtful we'd be talking about the series at all fifty years later and they've been a frequent presence in the Doctor's life ever since. So it was perhaps only a matter of time before Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor would face them and Into The Dalek, the second episode of Series Eight, gives us the first confrontation between the two. But how does it stack up?

Even though we're only two episodes into the current series, it's already clear that there's a "back to basics" approach to this series. While that was certainly true last week with Deep Breath, it's even more true with this episode which sees a returning more and more to its Classic Series (and indeed its own more recent) roots. The episode also goes someway to answer a question that viewers have been asking since that first story five decades ago and that has been its fullest answer here: what actually is inside a Dalek? The basic plot of the episode which sees the current TARDIS crew and a group of soldiers shrunken down and sent into an apparently "good" Dalek (soon nicknamed "Rusty" by the Doctor) calls to mind the often derided 1977 Fourth Doctor story The Invisible Enemy though special effects technology has finally caught with the imagination of series writers (not to mention that there isn't an unconvincing prawn like villain insight here either).

That isn't the last place where the episode calls back to the show's past however. In many respects, the episode calls to mind three earlier Dalek stories. The most obvious is Dalek, the Rob Shearman penned episode that introduced them the Ongoing Series nearly a decade ago which, like this episode does for a good deal of its running time, sees a group of isolated humans facing down a single Dalek. Into The Dalek though goes farther than that as it goes so far as to also repeat lines and moments from that episode (with perhaps the final shot of the opening teaser sequence and one of the Dalek's final lines being the most obvious moments). When more Daleks do so up and begin exterminating their away through the space station Aristotle, one is almost reminded of scenes from 1984's Resurrection Of The Daleks at times as well. Whether this is all a neat way of paying homage or perhaps a downright rip-off is down to the viewer of course, but it is something which shows the truth behind the old saying that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Moving beyond those calls to the past, there's more to the episode. Peter Capaldi is settling in nicely with a captivating performance that continues to show the incredible range he brings to his Doctor. With the "impossible girl" plot-line and the flirty chemistry with Matt Smith's Doctor gone, Jenna Coleman's Clara is also beginning to shine thanks to both the development of her character's life beyond the TARDIS and the friendship developing between Clara and the Twelfth Doctor, one that leads to some strong moments surrounding the "Am I a good man?" question. The episode also sees the introduction of Samuel Anderson's new reoccurring character Danny Pink those his scenes here seem to be more filler than anything else though Anderson comes across well in the scenes nevertheless. Nicholas Briggs of course returns to voice the Daleks and even after voicing them on and off screen for fifteen years now, he's still finding something new to bring to these most iconic of Doctor Who monsters. Elsewhere, the production values of the episode are strong with the excellent direction of Ben Wheatley being standout with his ability, as he did in Deep Breath, to bring a strong sense of atmosphere and tension to proceedings. The quality of the special effects is variable though from the excellent chase that opens the episode to the sometimes iffy interiors within the Dalek itself.

And of course there's the script. Phil Ford finally returns to the series, having co-written the standout special of Tennant's final year The Waters Of Mars, and (along with Moffat) crafts an intriguing Dalek tale. As well as all those call backs to Dalek tales of the past, the script gives us two very different presentations of the threat of the Daleks. The obvious one is the physical threat of the tank like Dalek and eventually multiple ones that storm through the Aristotle, exterminating their way as they go. The second, and perhaps more intriguing one, lies in the episode's exploration of the Doctor/Dalek relationship which is at the heart of the episode and makes the repeated line from Dalek all the more powerful as a result. Like Ford's work on The Waters Of Mars five years ago, the episode takes the classic base under siege formula and packs it with a emotional punch as well.

On the whole then, Into The Dalek would seem to be a success. From its calls back to the show's past, solid performances and the excellent direction of Ben Wheatley, it certainly has the makings of a good episode. Yet it's the script and the themes it explores that make it one of the more memorable Dalek stories we've had since 2005. As a result, I'd call Into The Dalek a successful first encounter between them and the Twelfth Doctor.

Best examination of dedoctrination

[doctor-934-207111 · 9/10 · 31 August 2014]

Heavy spoilers warning as usual.

9.5/10 !!

For those who understood the dedoctrination of those soldiers subjected to totalitarianism from the atheistic anti-Christian communism to the neo-pagan anti-Christian Fascism/Naziism, You will understand why so high a rating.

So I may not like the Coal HIll School scene.

Big deal. Hopefully this new tough as nails teacher will join the Doctor and Clara.

A good Dalek, could there be such a thing?

What about those who turned from their evil ways because their society went wrong like Communist or Nazi/Fascist societies?

The Dalek started out as a human kaled only to have some of its humanity programmed out of it similar to what was seen in totalitarian societies of the 20th Century.

Can you make a Dalek good? Can you make all the Daleks good?

What a challenge to be miniturised and then go into battle.

Battling inside a transport machine with a reminent of an organic Kaled.

First repair the issue that made the patient sick. Whoops!! Reactivated Dalek programming.

Suddenly you have to fix what you intented to do - create a good Dalek.

On the Aristotle, either save the crew or lose the day!

Clara unlocking the memories plus the Doctor mind merging with the Dalek 'Rusty' does save the day and makes the Daleks see the evils of its kind.

Can the rest of the Daleks be reprogrammed?

Clara is back and the Aristotle is saved with the Daleks in retreat.

And next week the Robin Hood Episode.

Moffat take a bow for this script.

Good start to new season...

[klinky20 · 8/10 · 7 September 2014]

In the second episode of eighth season of Doctor Who, Clara (Jenna Coleman) and the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) go into a "good" Dalek. This episode also features the introduction of Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), a new character who works with Clara at Coal Hill Secondary School. The episode presents many questions about morals and what it really means to be "good."

The Daleks are one of the Doctor's oldest enemies. To the Doctor, the Daleks represent pure evil and hatred. Historically, Daleks try to kill all other life forms. They believe that the Dalek race is superior and their goal is to exterminate everyone else.

The episode opens with a group of human soldiers fighting against the Daleks. The Doctor saves a soldier named Journey Blue after the Daleks destroy her ship. When he takes her back to the command ship, the Doctor finds out they have a Dalek prisoner who has turned good.

However, the consideration of "good" is very loosely applied. This Dalek, unlike the others, doesn't want to destroy humanity and most of the universe. Instead, it wants to wipe out the other Daleks. So its desire to destroy is still there--it has just shifted. Using a shrinking machine on the human's ship, the Doctor, Clara, Journey Blue, and two other soldiers go inside the Dalek to find out what happened to change the Dalek's morality. While trying to find the answer, the morality of the Doctor also comes into question, as it has throughout the history of the show.

Before the Dalek leaves to rejoin his race, the Dalek and the Doctor discuss the differences between the Daleks and the Doctor. That conversation echoed an episode with a similar theme from the first season of the Doctor Who reboot.

In the episode called "Dalek," a different Dalek tells the Ninth Doctor (Chris Eccleston) that they are the same in their hatred of one another. In much of the "Dalek" episode, the Doctor struggles with what is right and good, as well as trying to be a good man. In "Into the Dalek," the Doctor faces similar dilemmas.

This episode shows more of the Twelfth Doctor's personality. For example, within the first ten minutes inside the Dalek, the Doctor unapologetically sacrifices one of the soldiers to save the rest of them. While the Doctor has never been a fan of war, the Twelfth Doctor seems particularly inclined against anyone involved in fighting. Throughout the episode he makes rude remarks to every soldier he meets. He also rejects and criticizes Journey Blue continuously about her decision to be a soldier.

Through Journey Blue and Danny Pink, the show introduces the concept of "moral soldiers." While both characters have killed people in the line of duty, they both value human life, sometimes seemingly, more than the Doctor does. I assume this idea will be a recurring theme throughout the season. This will especially be prevalent as Danny Pink, who is an ex-soldier, joins the Doctor and Clara. I'm excited to see more of Danny throughout the rest of the season.

I liked this entire episode, but Danny Pink's scenes were my favorite. I think his character is brilliant I also love his social awkwardness, particularly around Clara. He obviously likes her and his inability to construct a coherent sentence when she is around is very sweet. He will be a great foil for the Doctor. From this one episode, it is obvious that something happened when Danny was a soldier--something for which he feels a lot of sorrow and guilt. I am very excited to see his back story and character develop in future episodes.

More new characters continue to come into the show and the relationship between Clara and the new Doctor continues to develop. Overall, I think the newest season of Doctor Who is off to a good start.

Definitely A Good Man

[redmaxdrive · 9/10 · 1 September 2014]

This isn't one of the better episodes of Doctor Who I've seen; it's not in my top five, ten, or even fifty favorite episodes. But it is still an intriguing story that sheds light on the character of the newest Doctor.

Near the beginning of the story, the Doctor asks Clara if he is a good man. The answer she gives him is the same then and at the end of the episode: "I don't know."

I want to give my own answer to this question. In my opinion, the best (and only) measure of a freshly-regenerated Doctor's character is how he handles an encounter with the Daleks.

In this episode, the Doctor meets a Dalek who's been turned good by radiation poisoning. He, Clara, and several soldiers shrink down and go into the Dalek to repair it. They succeed, only to reinstate its original personality. The Doctor then shows the Dalek its memories of a star being born and gives it access to his own memories as well, allowing "Rusty" to see just how much the Doctor hates the Daleks; Rusty then takes it upon himself to hunt his own species into extinction. Before he leaves, he calls the Doctor a "good Dalek" and heads out to complete his new mission.

This isn't the first time the Doctor has encountered a renegade Dalek. The Ninth Doctor encountered one in Utah; Dalek Sec and Dalek Caan became allies of the Tenth Doctor after first serving as antagonists. Then there was Oswin, an insane Dalek who turned out to be the first of Clara's incarnations encountered by the Eleventh Doctor. So there is a precedent for good Daleks, even if they are few and far between.

My final analysis is this: The Doctor did his best to try and save the soul of this particular Dalek, and for that reason, I believe he is a good man.

Inside the Doctor

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 9/10 · 29 September 2014]

An interesting and strong Dalek episode. Somewhat along the lines of the 2005 episode 'Dalek' but with enough of a difference to stand on its own and let's face it, how can you make a truly original Dalek story with no similarities to any that went before.

The story is about a faulty and apparently 'good' Dalek being held by a group of human resistance fighters in a Dalek dominated time in our future. The Doctor and Clara, along with a few soldiers are miniaturised and sent inside the Dalek attempting to fix the fault so that it can be used to infiltrate the Daleks. But will this 'fix' the Dalek back to evil? The Doctor shows his hatred, fear and mistrust towards the Dalek. (We will ignore the fact that, despite suggestions to the contrary, the Doctor has seen 'good' Daleks before in classic episodes during the Troughton era.) The miniaturised journey is actually also something done before in the classic show during the 4th Doctor era's The Invisible Enemy.

There is a nice psychological aspect to this story as with 2005's 'Dalek'. The symbolic search inside the Dalek mirrors the Doctor searching within himself to answer his question to Clara, "Am I a good man?" Although I find the idea the Doctor isn't sure if he is good a bit silly I still think that the depth of character study, along with Capaldi's performance, lift this to a good standard. It is not perfect in every single way but it is an absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable slice of TV science fiction.

The Doctor is starting to reveal more of his new character. He is shown to instinctively dislike soldiers. This is, for me, a more extreme reaction than earlier incarnations because, while always suspicious of soldiers and disdainful of warmongering, the Doctor was able to be best of friends with the Brigadier despite their different approaches. I think Moffatt's sensationalist nature makes him exaggerate this feeling and portray the Doctor as uncharacteristically judgemental. However, I guess the Doctor has a feeling about people he meets and judges on his instincts whereas he had time to change his mind about the Brigadier. The Doctor is also shown to be rude and socially inept, have a dry wit and have a lot of self doubt and inner conflict.

Some of this is pretty dark as he appears rather uncaring about the fate of people he is with. This seems out of keeping with all we know of most Doctors, perhaps except the 1st and the 6th. I think this is Moffatt's take on all those times when people die or are in danger and the Doctor just carries on. Personally I think Moffatt interpreted this in an over negative way. I think that the Doctor was always more pragmatic, realistic and strong, thinking of the bigger picture rather than individual lives but I don't think most Doctors are at all uncaring. I think this aspect could have been toned down a touch.

Acting, filming style and production values are all strong. Jenna Coleman's acting is good but Clara has never been a particular favourite of mine as I feel she is slightly confused as a character. I wonder where she is coming from at times whilst at other points I really enjoy her character and sharp tongued banter with the Doctor. New character Danny Pink has an OK debut but I worried straight away how this relationship story would go and sadly I didn't end up liking Danny's involvement.

This episode is well written with very funny lines and very interesting psychological drama. There is action and excitement but best of all there is Peter Capaldi. He is fabulous as the Doctor and watching this the first time I remember just hoping the writing would produce quality to match his characterisation and acting talent.

My Rating: 8.5/10.

My Series 8 Episode Ranking: 5th out of 12.

Redemption of the Daleks

[boblipton · 5/10 · 30 August 2014]

Some time in the future, during the Dalek-Human Wars, the Doctor finds an injured Dalek that may be good. Using the current medical technology, Clara, he and three soldiers are miniaturized and inserted into the Dalek to help cure it... with unexpected results.

The script, co-written by series runner and Phil Ford -- who spent several years working on THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES spin-off -- attempts to offer a vision of redemption for the Daleks. The only difference between good and evil is an understanding of the beauty of the universe. Yet what you may choose to do with that understanding is not what others may understand.

This is a very dark and not entirely successful story for DOCTOR WHO. Even so, it offers its viewers a clearer insight into the Twelfth Doctor's psyche. The revived series has offered us fairly simple versions of the Doctor. The Ninth Doctor was filled with regrets over the Last Great Time War; the Tenth was overtly human and the Eleventh bizarrely alien. The Twelfth seems to be shaping up as one seeking some morality to the Universe -- at least in this, his first season. It's an intriguing idea. We'll see if show runner Steven Moffat and his crew can manage to make it great television.

Into the Dalek

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 15 April 2021]

A much improved episode over the previous one. A new spin on the classic Doctor Dalek story lines. I liked this episode very much. Precious little more to say other than it was an enjoyable storyline which as I've said before is the most important aspect of anything.

Worst side character ever

[elias-34013 · 8/10 · 22 October 2023]

I think it was too soon to do a Dalek episode for Capaldi's first series. This would've been better a few more episodes in, seen as we just had Daleks in the Day of the Doctor and the Time of the Doctor.

But Capaldi is fantastic, his cold approach to helping the Dalek is very refreshing to see. You know what you're going to get with Capaldi. Clara is surprisingly enjoyable to watch aswell.

However, this episode suffers from one of the WORST SIDE CHARACTERS EVER. Played by Zawe Ashton, her acting and dialogue is just atrocious. She just ruins any tension in the episode. Pulling the episode down a lot for me. Which is disappointing as Daleks haven't had a great solo episode in a while.

Innerspace meets Docto Who :)

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 12 April 2019]

Not sure how dangerous referencing a now obscure 80s movie title is but it's a somewhat apt comparison. The Doctor and Clara are miniaturized and sent into a "good" Dalek, accompanied by a group of resistance soldiers, in order to repair said Dalek (and to see how a Dalek could turn "good").

It's an interesting concept and the execution is done rather well. I enjoy how the episode takes its time to build the story and flesh out the supporting characters, a nice trend thus far in the eighth season. The production value is also obviously high with cinematic special effects. The space battle that opens the episode is on par with any Hollywood film.

The themes of the episode are also quite intriguing and are fleshed out and developed nicely. An examination of basic good and evil, and especially the gray area therein, the episode works as more than a Doctor Who adventure, but as a plain good story about the morality of war and the nature of hatred. For instance, the Dalek in need of repair, Rusty, calls the Doctor a "good Dalek" citing his divine hatred, ironically, of the Daleks, which Rusty now feels himself. Is good simply the opposition and hatred of evil? Does the hatred of whom we consider evil an expression of evil itself? There may be debate on whether the episode satisfactorily answers those questions, but it definitely successful opens thoughtful dialogue about them.

It is also an interesting examination of what the Doctor views to be "good" and "evil." His view of good and evil at times seems rather black and white. All Daleks are evil because all they do is hate. All soldiers are evil because all they do is kill. While the Doctor seems to change his mind at some point about the Daleks (though does hating other Daleks really qualify as a "good" Dalek?), It doesn't feel like much of a victory. He never changed his mind about the soldiers, even about Blue, who was willing to leave the soldiering behind to join the Doctor herself.

It seems quite an oversimplification for someone as experienced as the Doctor, especially when he operates in quite a gray area himself. For example, The Doctor gives one of the soldiers a pill when he is targeted by the Dalek's antibodies. But rather than save him it just marks where the remains end up via some sort of traceable particle. Blue, the girl who is our entryway into the point of view of the soldiers, exclaims, "I thought you were going to save him!" The Doctor replies, " it was too late to save him. I was saving us!" But this raises the question, could he have saved him? To be "good" was the Doctor obligated to try and save everyone? And with how many Daleks he himself has killed, is he really in a position to judge?

The episode never really answers this question, which may be why Clara is forced to admit "I don't know" when the Doctor asks if he is a good man. But she follows it up with "but you try to be. And I think that is the point." And perhaps it is. 8.5/10

Very good second story for the 12th Doctor

[warlordartos · 8/10 · 19 April 2021]

I don't get all the hate that are in so many of these reviews.... I guess they hate because they are Daleks too? I thought this episode was absolutely amazing. There are a few things I don't agree with here and there, but as a whole it is a good watch.

Something I forgot to mention in my review of the previous episode is that Peter Capaldi's Doctor is much like Christopher Eccleston's Doctor , at least in the way of his darkness. We see more of that here in this episode and i very much enjoy it.

So it appears we are on the road for the darker stories of Doctor Who again, something I miss and will be glad to see more of again.

A lack of control and creativity provide a poor showing

[Palude · 3/10 · 30 August 2014]

This episode starts off well with an intriguing scenario. However, soon after, it starts losing its way. One over-riding problem was the way in which certain scenes were set up and directed. The direction tarnished the whole episode to the point where supposedly relevant scenes came off as misfired opportunities and scenes that were already weak, were made to look worse.

The writing wasn't much better. For the most part, it lacked strength and cohesion. And I appreciate that, in the past, the writing has often lacked cohesion to the benefit of keeping the audience intrigued. Well, that trick didn't seem to work on this occasion.

I also wasn't too happy with the dismissive manner in which the Doctor handled the impending death of two of the soldiers. The lack of care by the Doctor was of concern. It was as if the Doctor was saying...."Hurry up and die so I can move onto the next scene". Sure, the Doctor had his logic for the manner in which the first soldier died however there wasn't a trace of remorse or sympathy from the Doctor for that soldiers upcoming plight.

And as people are aware, music is supposed to build a wonderful synergy with the events unfolding on screen. Well, that didn't happen too much here. The scene where the Daleks invade the hidden ship is a perfect example. Not only was there poor depth of field camera-work in this scene (that robbed it of it's power) but the music also seemed out of context.

I have, for the most part, enjoyed the revival of this show since 2005. And I appreciate this season has only just started. I hope it has continued success however I can't say I'm overly excited so far....

It's astonishing and depressing how bad it was!

[gabi-trandafir31 · 3/10 · 30 August 2014]

This was by far, in my opinion, the worst episode from the 2005 series! Yes, it was even worse than "The Unicorn and the Wasp"; but that was a filler episode, while this was not, so that's why the disappointment is all that much greater. I'm not a fan of the Daleks and I never look forward to Dalek episodes, but I do enjoy them nonetheless because any Dr. Who episode is better than none. But this one was painful to watch til the end. It seemed incredibly unoriginal and full of clichés. It started out OK and I enjoyed the mixing in of Clara's personal life from the school (also love Danny Pink, fresh blood is always interesting). However, the episode lacked excitement overall and the story and the Doctor's gestures and actions were predictable a few times. There were some unnecessary scenes and a huge missed opportunity for what should have been a beautiful and longer one: going into the Doctor's head and memories and thoughts. What a chance for poetry ruined and rushed!

The overall idea of the episode is pretty good, but handled oh.so.poorly! And very inconsistent; it didn't focus on the exciting heart-stopping action you would expect from a Dalek episode but neither on the heart-breaking emotional roller-coaster of the Doctor's revelations so it just left me wanting more.

And why does this Doctor seem so selfish and un-kind? A man died and he used that death to his advantage without a flinch. What happened to the "every-life-is-important" Doctor that always made this show stand out?!

Aaand, on an unrelated note, why isn't "Dalek" recognized as a word yet?!