Doctor Who: The Daleks
(7 episodes, s01e05-e11, 1963-1964)
The Daleks is vastly better than the first serial. I simply loved how duplicitous the Doctor was with the fluid link, the tiny little piece of the TARDIS that drives the entire serial. This story can be broken down into two distinct parts, the first of which is the introduction of the Daleks and the escape of the TARDIS crew from their imprisonment. The second is the quest to save the Thals from being destroyed by the Daleks. The first is more engaging than the second and lays the groundwork for the Dalek mythology. What’s inside those metal machines? I’m glad they saved part of that mystery and didn’t try to show it with the show’s minimal budget. The second is still a good story with good characterizations, and while it is important to the overall serial, it does drag a little.
Rating: 4/5 – “Would you care for a jelly baby?”
UP NEXT – Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction
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Creative Criticality 
The second half does tend to drag a little, in particular the trek back to the Dalek city, in particular by Ian and Barbara and the Thals. Overall, this was a great introduction to the Daleks for its time.
The best part about the “non reveal” is Ian’s face as he looks in the Dalek casing. It lets your imagination run away with you. It’s whatever each viewer’s worst imaginable horror is, which I think works better even in this day and age then showing things a lot of the time.
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