And so, we continue with our comprehensive review of all the Great Dalek Sagas.
What's a Dalek Saga? How are we reviewing them? If you're asking yourself these questions then you've sure missed Part One of this series.
Here be the link:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-overview-which-is-best-dalek-saga.html
Give it a read first, if you haven't. Then proceed on with this:
Third Place:
The Davros Saga - Part One
Given the deep love that so many have for Genesis of the Daleks, I would imagine most fans would rank this Saga higher than I am. But, if you're an avid follower of this blog (and there are a few of you out there besides my Mom who read this quite regularly!), you know I'm not as big on this tale as most folks are. So Story Quality will not, necessarily, earn it all that much street cred for me.
But there are other problems, too. Ones that I will get into momentarily. But I have not come here just to bury Part One of The Davros Saga. There's quite a bit to it that I rather enjoy. Which is why it places where it does in this list.
Dalek Presence:
Genesis of the Daleks is weird when it comes to Dalek Presence. In some ways, it works that we don't see that much of them. They are in their earliest stages, there wouldn't be that many of them around, yet. I would even say that the comments fans sometimes make about their lack of presence in the story is exaggerated (Fans?! Exaggerate?! Never!). They do show up for a bit in most episodes. They're not pushed to the background as much as some would have you believe.
The problem with Dalek Presence in Genesis lies more in the fact that this is a six-parter that really only needed to be four. To compensate for this, we are lumbered down with some really blatant padding (Davros' long impassioned speech to the five extras hired to portray the remaining Kaled scientists in Part Six being one of the more obvious examples of this). If some scenes had been created with more Daleks in it, this might have solved this problem. Sequences where the Daleks start behaving eccentrically and showing some degree of free will would have made the whole story far more interesting. Especially since the Daleks suddenly seizing control of things at the end of the whole adventure seems to come out from nowhere. Creating a whole chain of events throughout the six episodes that shows them reaching full independence would have been far more interesting than what we got. Or it could have been an altogether different storyline involving Daleks. It just would have been nice to have gotten more Dalek action and less obvious time-marking.
So, in some ways, the lack of Dalek Presence in Genesis does make perfect sense. I don't dispute that. But the story still could have benefited if that presence had been stronger and used in a clever manner.
Destiny of the Daleks, on the other hand, seems to make a very conscious effort to make sure it's not all about Davros. Especially since he doesn't actually come into the plot until halfway through it. But even when he does arrive, lots of time is still spent with the Daleks. We're not getting more drawn-out scenes of Davros pleading to Kaled scientists with artificial heart valves.
Of course, Destiny still hides its Daleks til the end of Part One to give us a Great Reveal that really isn't that great. Another example of this incredibly silly practise that various production teams indulged in for a time. Once more, the Daleks arrive at a Cliffhanger even though their name is right in the title .
Dalek Progression
Something else that works well in some places and not so well in others. One of the things that makes Genesis great is the Deep Dive it does into Dalek Philosophy. Through the various rantings and ravings of Davros, we see that this mutant race are more than just ruthless conquerors. That Davros sincerely believed that turning them into Nazis was the best way to ensure their survival. He felt he was doing good even though his creations turn out very evil. Taking the time to show this in their origins made the very two-dimensional quality of the Daleks suddenly seem a bit richer.
Destiny, however, doesn't really push that idea along much. It's more of a just a fun run-around and a way to bring Davros back since he was so popular in his first tale and the fans wanted more of him.
So, lots of progression in Genesis. We understand the Daleks on a whole new level thanks to that story. But Destiny doesn't do much to follow this idea up. Nor does it do much of anything else to present us with anything new or different about the Daleks.
Connectivity
This element works quite well between the stories. Some time is taken to explain how Davros could survive a full blast of Dalek firepower at point-blank range.It's a reasonably satisfactory answer. We're also given a good reason for why the Daleks just left him to rot in a bunker for so long.
Everything lines up very beautifully, here. It's even quite neat that it takes a good two episodes for the link between the stories to be properly established. That's actually some pretty competent writing!
Execution of the Overall Theme
Admittedly, I've covered this a bit already when I discussed Dalek Progression.
Terry Nation creates Davros so that the Daleks, at last, have a somewhat more eloquent spokesman. With him, we can now really explore what makes the Daleks tick.Which is what I believe this Saga was really meant to be about.
This theme is executed masterfully in Genesis. And I wouldn't say we don't get this at all in Destiny. Davros does indulge a bit more in the ideology behind his creation during certain conversations that he has with the Doctor. But this sort of stuff is still painfully scant in the second story of this Saga.
I do still find Destiny to be a pretty fun story. But it doesn't really present much of what seems to be the real core issue of this Saga. Which means, of course, that the Execution of the Overall Theme is only so good.
Story Quality
While I do love to point out that Genesis of the Daleks is not the Classic many fans make it out to be, I don't think it's terrible, either. There is still quite a bit about the tale that I genuinely enjoy. It is gorgeously directed with a very gripping visual tone to it. I believe this is another one that ruffled Mary Whitehouse's feathers a bit - and I can see why! It is very gritty and disturbing, in places. And, like most fans, I love it for that.
The central premise of Genesis is also quite brilliant. The Doctor has undertaken a few missions for the Time Lords over the years - but never one like this! That opening scene with him and the Time Lord is very powerful and sets a great tone for the rest of the story. The Doctor finally reaching that intense moral debate with the two wires in his hands is a great ultimate destination for where this whole journey has been going. None can deny that this aspect of the plot is handled magnificently.
The real problem with the story is that the some of the lesser narratives that it tells don't always work so well. The subplots really get "clunky". To the point where some pretty absurd stuff happens in places (Sara's fall from the scaffolding at the end of Part Two being one of the more notorious examples of this). There's some definite kinks that needed to be hammered out with some of the writing that just never happened. Which, to me, causes the whole adventure to work better in theory than it does in execution.
I have a strange soft spot for Destiny of the Daleks. It is the first Doctor Who story that I watched in its entirety (for a deeper look into that experience, try reading my First Anniversary Special: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2016/03/first-anniversary-special-something.html). Clearly, I'm going to have a bit of a bias for Destiny since it's the one that "got me hooked."
But it reeled me in for a reason. Overall, it tells a half-decently interesting plot. The utter absurdity of two military races that are too dependent on logic is quite a novel premise. Their quest to bring chaos into their lives in order to solve the problem is also quite entertaining. The very thing they need to integrate into their battleplan, of course, becomes their undoing.
It's all quite clever.
Making the New Davros wear the same mask as the Old Davros is probably the most damaging error in judgement that the production team made. It really does become quite distracting, sometimes. And, while some fans froth at the mouth over the scene where Tom Baker taunts a Dalek to follow him up a mineshaft, I was quite amused by it all. This is, in fact, the only story in Season 17 where I don't feel the comedy ever really works to the story's detriment. Anything else this season has to offer will, more times than others, take the humor too far (and, yes, that does include City of Death!).
I do find that, even with my own personal biases, Destiny is a fairly solid tale. It's not some great work of poetic brilliance that astounds me in any sort of way. But it accomplishes its task of giving us an exciting Dalek story.
In the final analysis, Part One of The Davros Saga is a solid mid-ranger. There's some very great stuff in there with only a few problems that drag it down a bit and prevent it from getting a better ranking. Still, for the most part, I'm quite pleased with it.
Second Place:
The Recon Dalek Saga
This is where things really begin to excel.
There are, of course, any number of fans out there that hate Chris Chibnall's writing. But some of them are willing to concede on certain points. One thing that they will offer the Head Writer a backhanded compliment on is the fact that he does seem to write very well for recurring monsters and/or villains.
His Dalek stories definitely back up that point. Both of them are really quite magnificent. Working together, they create what I think is an amazing Dalek Saga.
Dalek Presence
The Dalek Presence in both of these stories works in a very peculiar way. Which actually gives it a great new tone. In Resolution, the Recon Dalek only finally gets his casing towards the end. But, because of his special abilities to "pilot people", he is active throughout the entire tale. He's just not functioning in the usual Dalek fashion - which makes for a far better adventure. We're experiencing the Daleks in a very new and interesting way.
Revolution of the Daleks also comes at things from a weird angle. A cloned version of a recon Dalek is at work, again. This time, he is trying to build a whole army. But, in the meantime, we also see these Dalek-shaped security drones all over the place. No, they're not "true Daleks". But we know that will change soon enough. It's a bit reminiscent of Power of the Daleks. Or even Victory of the Daleks (which is really just trying to imitate Power, anyway!). For a time, it's safe for a human to be around a Dalek. But that won't last. At the right moment, those defense drones are going to turn. So, again, there is a real Dalek Presence in this tale. But it's done in a different manner than just having them roll along all day and exterminate everyone in sight.
Both stories have a solid Dalek Presence that is used in a very creative manner.
Dalek Progression
Clearly, introducing a Recon Dalek takes the whole concept of the Daleks in a new direction and makes them very fresh, again. Learning what makes this particular brand of Dalek different from its kin is quite fascinating.
As we witness that Recon Dalek trying to operate on a grander scale in the second adventure, we see all-the-more how much he breaks away from the common Dalek. In many ways, this is the opportunity that the Cult of Skaro Saga missed. The Recon Dalek is quite happy to just take available resources and work with them to create a force to be reckoned with. To then, suddenly, discover there is a special task force among the Daleks to deal with the sort of thing creates an interesting new dimension to their culture. If such a team of Daleks exists, it makes us wonder how many other times this sort of thing happens. Which causes our imaginations to reel in all sorts of interesting directions.
The Recon Dalek Saga, for me, scores tremendous points in this category. Chibnall really does do some great new things with a monster that has been viciously overused.
Connectivtiy
Some other huge points to be scored, here.
The fun little re-cap of Resolution's last few minutes is nice. The bridge that then gets built into Revolution of the Daleks is great. I especially like that it takes quite some time to really see the full consequences the first story has on it successor. Only after several minutes of secret meetings between Robertson and the Tech-Minister-turned-Prime-Minister does the join between the two adventures finally complete itself. I love that things flow this way. It's a nice sense of realism. Things should not get resolved in one hastily-written scene.
I'd go so far to say that, out of all the links that have been done in Dalek Sagas, this one was the best.
Execution of the Overall Theme
The theme of this Saga is a simple one: Recon Daleks move very differently from the common Dalek. But the exploration of that theme is done quite thoroughly. We begin with just the examination of a single Recon Dalek and then watch as it works on perpetuating itself into a sizeable army. It's done with a straightforwardness that makes it quite refreshing. Even delightful. Particularly when you consider how convoluted or disjointed some of the other Dalek Sagas are, sometimes.
This Saga understands that if you're going to link several Dalek stories together into a singular narrative, then you need to maintain some consistency. And it does an excellent job of accomplishing this.
Story Quality
And, again, this Saga crushes in yet another category.
Resolution is one of those nice plots that really shows us the deadliness of the Daleks by scaling things back and featuring just a single member of this fearsome race. New Who does this from time-to-time. We saw it first in Dalek, of course. And then Into the Dalek does something similar (there is, technically, more than one Dalek in the adventure, but it's still mainly about Rusty). With the introduction of a whole new type of Dalek in this story, I'm glad that Chibnall takes this tact. We really get to see the full extent of its powers.
I especially like that, unlike Dalek and Into, there isn't one of those "You would make a good Dalek" moments in Resolution. It really does show the much stronger moral compass that Thirteen brandishes. It's quite nice to see the Doctor just being full-on heroic again and not having her greatest foes trying to make her actions seem questionable. Yes, perhaps it makes the tale a little simpler. But it's nice to have a version of the Doctor on the show, again, where we're not asking ourselves: "Did she throw the Cyborg off the balloon or did he jump?!". Pondering such things for a bit was actually fun. But we really did need someone like Thirteen to come along and give us a Doctor who refuses to compromise certain crucial ideals. Resolution, I find, really highlights this incarnation's ethics. Dealing with something so ruthlessly evil throws things into sharp relief and we can really see the dark and light at work against each other.
The plot moves at a gorgeously breakneck speed but still takes some time for character development among the regular cast. Ryan coming to terms with his Dad did make for a great subplot.
Resolution is definitely one of the better Dalek stories in the Revived Series.
And then of course, we have Revolution of the Daleks. Admittedly, I was excited about this story before it even came out. Having the word Revolution in the title implied another Dalek civil war. And, for some odd reason, I really enjoy seeing Daleks fighting each other.
Chibnall doesn't just try to give some kind of re-tread of previous Dalek civil wars. Revolution is definitely telling its own tale. And it tells it well. Over the last few years, we've had a couple of different Doctor Who stories that have had cinematic releases. I do wish the story had received the same treatment. This one really does flow like a really great action film.
But, again, there's some wonderful character moments. The plot slows down very nicely for both Jack and Yaz and the Doctor and Ryan to have some nice heart-to-heart moments. And the ending with Graham and Ryan really played out beautifully. It was so nice to see companions just decide to leave again. Rather than get stranded in parallel universes or get turned into Cybermen or some other such harsh style of separation. We need more companion farewells like this.
Each story is riddled with slight issues in plot mechanics. The way in which the shell of the Recon Dalek is stolen from the truck driver at the beginning of Revolution, for instance, is super-contrived and a bit preposterous. But these are fairly minor quibbles compared to the strengths of both these stories.
First Place:
The Davros Saga - Part Two
I should say, upfront, that there are a few substantial problems with some of the adventures in this Saga. For instance: we never get a satisfactory explanation of how Davros survived the Movellan virus in Resurrection of the Daleks (his life support system is equipped with an automatic toothpaste dispenser that malfunctioned?!). And I've never been fond of the supporting cast slaughterfests that occur towards the end of certain stories in Seasons 21 and 22. Both Resurrection and Revelation use this device and that bothers me a bit.
But, even with those issues, it so hard not to love this trilogy. This isn't just the best Dalek Saga, ever. But these are also some of the greatest Dalek stories that were made.
The Quality of the Stories, in fact, is a huge part of what makes the Saga so successful. We'll definitely explore that category when we come to it. Let's cover the other stuff, first, though.
Dalek Presence:
With the exception of Part One of Revelation of the Daleks - where Dalek Presence does feel a bit light - there is no real problem with this issue. Which can be a tricky thing to accomplish in stories involving Davros. He really steals that limelight from his creations, sometimes.
I'm especially happy that both Resurrection and Remembrance provide some great "Grand Entrances" for the Daleks when they first appear onscreen. But we don't have to wait til the end of an episode to see them. It just happens at a nice poignant moment during Episode One. Thankyou, production team, for finally breaking that painfully nonsensical trend!
Dalek Development:
It is in this Saga where we discover that the Daleks can actually engage in politics and, in so doing, become capable of destroying themselves from within.
Admittedly, we did see something like this in Evil of the Daleks. But that was artificially engineered by the Doctor. This time, the process occurs more organically as the Daleks come to terms with the fact that their creator must be acknowledged and respected for the contributions he has made to their development. It's another one of those great moments where the Daleks become something more than just two-dimensional ruthless conquerors.
Connectivity:
The links between stories are quite interesting in this one. They all require a bit of imagination to fill in certain gaps. We don't know for sure, for instance, how Davros establishes himself as the Great Healer on Necros. But it's not hard to see how the process might happen. The same can be said for the huge re-arrangement of Dalek politics that occurs between Revelation and Remembrance.
While I love how thoroughly the join between Resolution and Revolution is displayed in The Recon Dalek Saga, this way works just as well. In some sense, it even shows a bit of creativity on the part of the writers involved. They're able to let us create some of the story on our own rather than spelling everything completely out for us.
Execution of the Overall Theme:
While Part One of The Davros Saga was about giving the Daleks a spokesman in the guise of Davros (or should have been, at least, Destiny only maintains that principle so well!), Part Two is about the relationship that develops between the Daleks and their creator.
After his first two stories, Davros comes to terms with the fact that his creations are not going to give him the respect that he deserves and takes matters into his own hands. Watching the Greatest Dalek Civil War build up over a series of three stories is amazingly enjoyable. We go from a handful of Daleks that Davros has injected with a mind control virus to an army of white-liveried Daleks that is so formidable that the original strain is now considered the Renegade Faction. The central theme of this Saga is executed brilliantly. The Three Story Burn that it takes us to get there is magnificent. I really don't think there will ever be a Dalek Saga that executes its Central Theme better than this one.
Story Quality
While the Saga scores well in all categories, it's in this one that it truly propels itself to the top.
Resurrection of the Daleks is, probably, the weakest of the bunch. So it makes all-the-more sense that this is the first installment in the arc. Things have somewhere to go, now.
Its biggest problem is that the Daleks are up to too much at once. They want to cure the Movellan disease, assassinate the High Council of the Time Lords and take over 20th Century Earth with their duplicates. Things do feel a bit too convoluted because of this.
I may claim that this is the weakest of the three tales but that doesn't mean this is a bad story. Resurrection has some very intense stuff in it. It manages to overcome most of the budget limitations that start showing quite clearly when you're trying to do a bit of a space opera on Doctor Who. There's even some stuff that's downright terrifying. That scene where one of the two prison ship crewmembers that is trying to kill Davros suddenly succumbs to the disease the Daleks have unleashed is, quite easily, one of the most disturbing moments in the history of the show.
In many ways, Resurrection is the Dalek version of Earthshock. It doesn't pack quite the same punch - but it still does well.
Revelation of the Daleks is almost off to a bit of a shaky start. It does take quite some time for the Doctor and Peri to get involved with the central action. It also feels like Davros is dominating things too much during Part One and the Daleks are taking too much of a back seat.
The supporting cast, however, is just so morbidly delightful. The DJ is the most fun, of course. But Jobel is a great laugh, too. As are Bostock and Orcini. The less colorful characters also hold our attention quite nicely. The scene with Arthur Stengos begging his daughter to kill him is a bone-chilling moment that rivals the disturbing sequence I just described when speaking of Resurrection.
And then Part Two kicks in. Even before the gunmetal-grey Daleks arrive, the episode is great fun. There's action sequences aplenty that are keeping us entertained. But once we finally realize why Davros' Daleks are such a weird color, things become truly epic. Suddenly, the Daleks have some legitimate politics going on. It's a fascinating new dimension to them.
Much should also be said about how great of a director Graeme Harper is. This may sound blasphemous, but I actually prefer what he did here to Caves of Androzani.
In many ways, it felt like Revelation couldn't be topped. It was a truly awesome adventure. But then along comes Remembrance of the Daleks. I have nothing for this story but superlative upon superlative. There's so little that I can find wrong in this tale that it's just not worth going into. It is, quite simply, mind-blowingly amazing.
Of course, if you really want to hear about my deep love for this story, it's just easier to go here: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-of-lists-top-ten-who-stories-2.html. This is my second-favorite Doctor Who story, ever. I give it much love in that particular entry.
The way these stories improve in quality each time a new one comes out is a huge part of what makes this such an incredible Saga. Things build to such an awesome climax as the Dalek Civil War grows more and more complex.
For all we know, there may be more Dalek Sagas to come (in fact, The Recon Dalek Saga might not even be over). But I doubt anything will ever beat this one. Watching these three adventures back-to-back was an utter delight.
Unfortunately, I decided to watch the Sagas in chronological order. Which meant Cult of Skaro was after it. It may have been the harshest contrast since Twin Dilemma had to follow Caves of Androzani!
