Doctor Who 1x06 "Dalek" rewatch-review
As I've stated elsewhere, once I finished season two of New Who, I was going to rewatch and review what I call my "Her Name was Rose" collection (click here for the full list of episodes).
( On with 'Dalek' now ... Spoilers for 'The Long Game' and vague references here and there to Daleks. That's about it this time around. )
( On with 'Dalek' now ... Spoilers for 'The Long Game' and vague references here and there to Daleks. That's about it this time around. )
Oh, this is just brilliant. As I was reading this, I was just nodding my head in agreement. I want to kick myself for not consciously catching that enough to acknowledge because it's so perfect, so true. But, I suppose I'll offer that as a compliment to you that I was so engrossed in the scene and the story that it fit so organically, it didn't even stand out. But, yeah, brilliant.
... it was originally a longer discussion, which got cut down to a single line. I once thought that worked - now I'm not so sure.
I love the line (as do many in the fandom), but it's intriguing to know that there was a longer discussion there. Hmm ...
The stuff in the lift? The Doctor has met a Dalek. Everything has changed. The world could end. Even worse, from his point of view, everything he has sacrificed counts for nothing. He doesn't give a stuff about Van Statten. He's too angry for that. He'll do or say anything at this point to get that Dalek destroyed, and he couldn't care less about subtlety. I stand by the scene, actually, though I can understand your difficulties with it.
And THIS is why I wanted your take on it because that just made it all make perfect sense. Absolutely perfect. I wasn't putting myself in the Doctor's shoes enough.
Thank you again so much. I've adored -- you have no idea how much!! -- reading the insight from the actual writer about my specific questions. This is like a dream come true for me, I love breaking down episodes/movies that I love and to actually get feedback on my thoughts. My birthday's in two days ... this is a GREAT present!
Bottom-line, this was an absolutely fabulous episode overall, and I'm thankful for that too. I love this show!!!!
(Now, I'm just gonna try and imagine how this could have been Black Comedy. Hah!)
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If I'm honest I think you nailed the problems with those scenes - you really shouldn't *need* the writer to pop along four years later and explain what he'd intended! My fear always writing Dalek was that it was going to be too clunky with the exposition. It was the first story of the new series which had a returning monster, and I tried hard (a bit too hard!) to cut to the chase and not boggle people with points of continuity. But I think the problem is that you end up getting a bit overexcited as a writer - you want to put in everything except the kitchen sink! And you have to simplify. (In the audio version of the story, for example, the imprisoned Dalek gets inside the companion's head through conversation, and gets infected only in a metaphorical sense. In a 45 minute episode which needs to get to the running around, you rely on magic DNA handprints to do what you'd rather spend the running time of the story doing psychologically. And so bits you *think* work because you know where the Doctor's head is, or Rose's head, or even the Dalek's head (dome? eyestalk base?), can end up looking a bit clumsy.
I learned an awful lot writing Dalek, I think. I hope...! It's by no means my favourite story of the year, even though I feel proud of it because it's my strange mutant baby.
The black comedy approach really didn't work too well. Funnily enough, in the mid draft where we lost the Dalek, and instead I substituted the then unnammed Toclafane (who would later come back in season three anyway), I got the chance to indulge it a bit more. But it was just one of the necessary casualties of the process. The BBC had to remind me what the story's selling point was - it was this Dalek killing people! And although I tried to build up characters like Van Statten and the guards et al in what were quite quirky ways, any scene that wasn't about that Dalek or tied in to the emotional journeys of Rose and the Doctor had to be seen as irrelevant. (My biggest regret about the story is that the supporting characters come across as such bland ciphers now - but that Dalek took up all the screen time. Van Statten isn't a villain, he's a macguffin!)
Many happy returns, and have a great birthday! And do feel free to keep in touch.
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Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that. I loved Goddard, and the female soldier who had the one big scene was quite, quite memorable. Not bland at all. (And, of course, the snarky military guy who told the Doctor he could take out the tin robot.) Adam and Van Statten weren't bland, stock characters either. For me, personally, I just wasn't overly impressed with the acting.
Many happy returns, and have a great birthday! And do feel free to keep in touch.
Thank you! :)
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*big hugs and fruity alcoholic things*
If I could, I'd totally move Swancon to London - now about those instantaneous transportors we were discussing :)
I found your insight beautiful and interesting, especially now that it's a few years later. Seeing everyone else's comments as well makes for a great deal of food for thought.
*much love*
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It was a pleasure reading about your point of view on this. I found this very beneficial and I really feel like I understand the episode better now.
Also, I'm fangirling like crazy right now, because AN ACTUAL DOCTOR WHO WRITER IS ON LIVEJOURNAL AND COMMENTED A POST ABOUT DOCTOR WHO.
I'm sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.
So, again, thanks for taking the time to explain all of this. It was very helpful and SO COOL.
Thanks a lot,
Rachel
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