On to Fave Dalek Story Number Two. No cheats, this time!
SOME POINTLESS BACKGROUND:
As you may or may not know, Sixie is my favorite Doctor. I loved the gradually-softening abrasive personality. The dark storylines. The heavy reliance on continuity. I even adore the outfit! Everything about his era really resonated with me. Not sure what that actually says about my psyche but it's where I stand!
One of the other traits about his era that hasn't been discussed as much is the genuine weirdness of both of his seasons (and, sadly, there were only two!).
Trial of a Time Lord was not the first Umbrella Season the show ever saw. Nor would it be the last, either. But it had a much tighter continuity than Key to Time did. You could miss entire stories from Key and still be okay. But you needed to watch every episode of Trial or you would quickly be lost. At the same time, however, Trial still retains that "multiple stories coming together to form a larger one" vibe that Flux doesn't. Flux truly is just one story being told across multiple episodes that span an entire season. Trial gets broken down into neat little subsections.
Key to Time and Flux are extreme versions of a plot structure. Trial of a Time Lord is almost like everything owned by Baby Bear in the Goldilocks Fairy Tale. It sits nicely in the middle. Which makes it very unique in its own right. Even if its central conceit is not entirely original.
Season 22, however, is even odder than its successor. Eric Saward really wanted something raw and gritty for the Sixth Doctor's first full season. This is, perhaps, Doctor Who at its darkest. It's also quite violent, in places. This very different tone sets this season apart from most other periods of the show.
Some would even say it's too different. To this day, there are still fans who malign Season 22 quite heavily. Claiming it does not resemble its core formula enough. It's something calling itself Doctor Who that uses some of its main tropes but, ultimately, strays too far from what the show is really about.
I, quite naturally, disagree. In fact, I applaud Season 22 for stretching Doctor Who to its absolute limits. But I will admit, there are some missteps throughout the run. Which is to be expected when you're making this bold of an experiment. But, because these errors occur during a time when fans are in one of their ultra-critical moods, the baby often gets thrown out with the bathwater. One or two bad choices gets the entire story dismissed as being "badly-written". Which, to me, is quite silly.
There are, in fact, equally-bad sins committed against the show during the famous Golden Age of Hinchcliff that are completely glossed over by fans. But when a similar mistake is made under JNT's Watch, the story becomes "absolute drivel". Look, for example, at the Cop-Out Cliffhanger Resolution during Genesis of the Daleks versus the one in Mark of the Rani. Fans will go on endlessly about George Stephenson's sudden surprise appearance in the reprise. Whereas I, oftentimes, feel like I'm the only one that ever rants about the impossible structural design of the scaffholding Sarah Jane falls from! Genesis, however, still gets heralded as a Classic. Whereas a lot of fans don't have very nice things to say about Mark. Even though both tales have their fair share of problems. In fact, I'd go so far to say that the "Alleged Classic" has more negatives in it than the 80s Pryodonian Class Reunion does (how's that for heresey?!).
Anyhow, I've gone on endlessly about Season 22 for a reason. Admittedly, it might be flawed, in places. But, as it reaches its conclusion, it produces Revelation of the Daleks. And, as we get to this adventure, all the kinks of the new formula have been properly hammered out. Revelation is a masterpiece that shows that the whole idea of Season 22, after a bit of trial-and-error, works magnificently.
PART ONE IS SOOO DIFFERENT!
Admittedly, as you watch the first episode of Revelation of the Daleks, you can almost agree with those fans who feel the show has strayed too far from what it's meant to be.
Firstly, it's called Doctor Who. Which leads you to believe that the Doctor is pretty central to any plot. But he and Peri spend the entire first part just trying to find a way into Tranquil Repose. They don't start actually interacting with any of the characters that we've been watching inside the complex until after the Cliffhanger.
Secondly, the story is called Revelation of the Daleks. Which would lead one to believe that there would be some Daleks in it. We actually only see a Dalek in the foreground for one shot. It does a brief security check on Lilt and Takis. Otherwise, we occasionally see a Dalek in the background in Davros' underground headquarters. They get a brief line of dialogue here and there. But, for the most part, they are pretty absent from the story during its first episode.
We do get a bit of Davros here and there. However, his presence is also pretty scant.
What Episode One mainly focuses on is the supporting cast. A motley collection of dark and bizarre characters that seem to be doing the main job of propelling the plot along to some kind of climax. We definitely get the impression that Big Things will be happening in Part Two. We can feel the slow burn building. But it's very strange. The progression doesn't seem to involve any of the titular characters. But, rather, a series of eccentric personalities that Saward has created exclusively for this adventure.
I could almost have a problem with this if it wasn't for the fact that all the secondary roles created for this tale are immensely engaging. They are all interesting. But some are a bit "straighter" and not quite as colorful. Other personas, however, like Jobel and Orcini are an absolute joy to watch every moment they're onscreen. They, pretty much, steal the show.
I know I should be more upset about the conspicuous absence of Daleks and Time Lords - but I'm not. The supporting cast has been so brilliantly written and portrayed that I just can't bring myself to care!
SOME SIGNIFICANT DALEK STUFF IN PART ONE
While the Daleks aren't particularly visible during the first half of the story, there are still some interesting developments that occur with them.
Firstly, we are seeing the ultimate fruition of what I like to call "Sly Davros", He was always a bit slick, of course. Even in his very first story, he does a pretty good job of manipulating both the Thals and his own people to achieve the results he wants. But, throughout most of his early days, most of Davros' tactics are still rather "slegehammeresque". He's only a little more subtle than his creations.
In Revelation, he's almost like a spider in a web. Pulling various threads to achieve his desired results. He lures the Doctor into an elaborate trap. He eliminates traitors by exploiting the affections that others have for them. He even builds up a successful intergalactic business!
Davros has learnt some legitimate social engineering. It's like he got a degree in psychology sometime after he found that escape pod in Resurrection of the Daleks! From this point onward, we would continue to see him as being far more coy and manipulative. But the trait first develops in this adventure. And it is quite fascinating to see this new side to him.
And then, of course, there's that scene with Arthur Stengos and his daughter. This might just be the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in the history of the show. The visual effect is impressive enough. With his weird metal teeth and pulsating forehead. But the real horror is in the actual performance. The way he keeps fluctuating between his conditioning and begging his daughter to kill him is so brutal it actually scars you a bit. Natasha's anguish as she accepts what she must do also really adds to the moment. This is all gorgeously done. So much so, that it has been indelibly stamped upon my memory. This just might be Dalek Horror at its absolute scariest.
AND THEN WE GET TO PART TWO
At long last, the Doctor and Peri make their way into Tranquil Repose and actually start getting involved with the plot threads that have been building up throughout the first episode. Interestingly enough, they never become quite that active in the story. Normally, the Doctor dives right into the centre of things, waves his sonic screwdriver at the appropriate things that need fixing and saves the day all on his own. In this instance, he tends to just advise people and nudge them in the right direction (ie: pointing out that the weed plant is a great source of protein that can meet the demand Davros has created). Again, this seems to throw some fans off or even upset them. But after 21 seasons of the Doctor doing more-or-less the same thing in every story, it actually makes for a pleasant change.
The Daleks also start becoming more heavily-involved in Part Two. They get a few quick scenes of apprehending the Doctor and fighting Orcini. They even start getting more dialogue in Davros' lair. But when we get to that great plot twist halfway through the episode, we realize that this story has been way more about the Daleks than we ever realised! There was a whole political intrigue going on among their culture that we weren't aware of.
I love how no explanation is readily given for why the Daleks on Necros have such a different livery. It only suddenly makes sense when the Gunmetal Grey Daleks finally show up. It's so simplistic yet effective. We were even given clues in Resurrection that Davros wanted to create his own faction. Now he's done it. And his original creations are not happy about it. It really is so cool watching them storm the barricades and capture the man who made them. I even love that they're going to put him on trial rather than just execute him on the spot. It's another signpost, of course. By not killing him immediately, we're being given the impression that there is still more to come with the character.
And there is.
There's so much more....
ANOTHER GREAT ENDING
Like Magician's Apprentice/Witch's Familiar a lot of the success of this story hinges upon its resolution. Followers of the Supreme Dalek showing up to disrupt everything was extremely cool. But there was a lot of other great stuff that happens in those last few minutes.
Sixie and Davros finally meeting and having a little confrontation was definitely a high point. This incarnation of the Doctor does one of the best jobs of telling off the baddies. We see it right in his very first story where he brow beats Mestor quite badly in his throne room. Such moments are even more poignant when it's a recurring villain that he's verbally sparring with. Colin, himself, seems to realize that there is a history between these two characters and puts in that much more effort to really create some sparks in the face-off.
But then, things get even more entertaining in Davros' lair. I love all the silent signals the Doctor and Orcini start sending each other as the conversation continues. It's wickedly cool as the Time Lord subtly kicks a weapon over to the Knight of Oberon. I love what's building up, here.
The fight that finally erupts just before Davros is about to unleash his army is great. As if the evil Kaled hadn't lost enough of his body, already! Now, he doesn't have a hand! We also, of course, get the First Place Winner for Worst Pun in the History of Doctor Who (I discussed it, already, in the last entry). And the recurring gag of the Sixth Doctor trying to shake hands with people during inopportune moments reaches its pinnacle!
All of this is a great little thrill ride that made that slow burn during Part One completely worth the wait. In fact, I'd say the pay-off we get from all that build-up was much better than I expected. A fun battle in Davros' lair or the surprise appearance of Gunmetal Grey Daleks would have been more-than-adequately fulfilling. The fact that we got both propels the conclusion of the tale into something truly wondrous to behold!
JUST A FEW MORE REFLECTIONS....
As mentioned in my lengthy intro (it's so hard to get me to shut up once I start talking about the Sixth Doctor!), Revelation of the Daleks is the perfect balance that Season 22 has been trying to achieve throughout its entire run. The dark and cynical tones are pitched perfectly. The violence is disturbing but not overdone. I even love the fact that we veer towards an end-of-story-supporting-cast-slaughterfest but don't quite get there. There are a bit more survivors than usual!
What makes this story even more enjoyable is just how well the Daleks and Davros fit into Saward's bleaker version of the Doctor Who Universe. The single-mindedness of the Daleks make them almost paradoxical as they become more interested in settling an internal dispute rather than engage in their usual campaigns of universal domination. And Davros being so diabolical gets him to seem right at home in this strange galaxy where everyone seems to be out for themselves. There aren't a lot of "good guys" in Season 22. So finishing off the season with some of the worst of the bad guys was a perfect way to end things.
There are many more praises that I could sing for a story like Revelation of the Daleks. It's another excellent directorial effort from Graeme Harper. Alexi Sayle is absolutely brilliant as the DJ. And so on....
But I really am trying to stick to the idea of how good of a Dalek Story it is. So I don't want to divert too much from that theme. But this is an absolutely excellent piece of television that also does a fantastic job of portraying the Daleks and their Creator.
If you're directing a fan of New Who to some Classic tales that they definitely need to check out, then Revelation of the Daleks should absolutely be on the list.
Always feels so good when I can express my Colin Love! What will Number One be? You'll find out soon enough!
Here are the other entries in this category:
Five:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-of-lists-top-five-dalek-stories.html
Four-A:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-of-lists-top-five-dalek-stories_11.html
Four-B:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-of-lists-top-five-favorite-dalek.html
Three:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-of-lists-top-five-dalek-stories_24.html
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