The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Previous: Planet of Giants
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Wow. We even get a chilling old-school sci-fi title scene!
Let's see: a young man in ragged clothes rips off a control device and drowns himself in a river. I say, is this an apocalyptic future?
The "It is Forbidden to Dump Bodies Into the River" sign in the background is probably an even better tip-off.
And there's the TARDIS! With one of the windows about to fall inwards!
Two windows, actually. And Susan seems to be the only one not happy right now.
"Here we are standing by the Thames, and we've been here quite a while. How long now? 1/4 of an hour? 20 minutes?" More like 5, actually.
Yikes. When did One start being so dickish towards Susan?
"You mean these people have invented some form of personal communication?" Ah yes, this was before cell phones, wasn't it...
Wait, Ian just kicked a door down and suddenly he's dangling from steel framework? HOW did that happen?
I think this is the first time I've seen Barbara in a solo extended chase scene. Her hair is basically EXPLODING.
FLYING SAUCER. Seriously, were alien ships any OTHER shape in the '50s and '60s?
"She says she can cook."
"Can you?"
*nod*
"And what do YOU do?"
"I eat."
"When I give the word, turn and dive in the water." I wouldn't do that. You were JUST talking about the epic pollution.
Um, oh yeah, and also MOTHERFUCKING AQUA-DALEKS.
"O-BEY. US. OR. DIE."
"Die? And who are you to condemn us to death, hmm?"
The Doctor: > the Daleks since ever.
"WE. ARE THE MASTERS. OF EARTH. WE. ARE THE MASTERS. OF EARTH. WE. ARE THE MASTERS. OF EARTH." You know, it almost sounds SMUG.
Now it sounds like the Dalek voice is more of a forced monotone with less electronic modification. Strange...
So apparently the plot excuse given to explain the Daleks presence after last time is that that story was a million years in the future.
"What's so different about the Daleks? Oh I see! You mean the metal disks on their backs!" I was wondering if someone was going to see that.
"KILL! HIM!" They STILL haven't started yelling "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" yet. Feh.
So one of the resistance fighters is describing the collapse of Earth and One just stands there...smiling.
"What is it that the Daleks want on Earth?"
"I don't know."
You wanna know something about the Daleks and how...you know...they're DALEKS?
Oh wow. I think that Dalek just HUMMED TWO NOTES TO ITSELF before speaking into the radio. Guess they have some music sense after all...
"YOU WILL BE FED. AND. WA-TERED. WORK. IS. NEEDED. FROM YOU. BUT THE DA-LEKS. OFFER. YOU. LIFE." And a sense of mercy? MERCY?!? Oh wait...
Ah yes, the old disguise-yourself-as-an-enemy-drone ploy. Let's see how well it works this time.
Hey guys, you wanna know something about a Dalek and how it's standing in the background probably hearing every word you say about escaping?
"YOU. WILL. BE. RO-BO-TIZED." And now it's suddenly turned into the SatAM Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon?
Of course we can't actually SHOW you the explosions...
That is the smallest chess set I've ever seen. But more importantly, DOCTOOOOOOOR.
Well, it looks like Susan's leg is now completely better for some reason.
Oh wow. When Ian and Barbara saw each other from across the battlefield, I almost thought we were going to have a Stolen Earth moment.
That black Dalek almost sounds like K-9. For serious.
So now ALL FOUR of them are separated? I'm interested to see where this thread is going.
Then again, I have a funny feeling that at least two of them are going to meet up again sometime in the next 5 minutes or so.
So I wonder if that's the young rebel that Susan winds up getting attached to.
"I've never felt that there was any time OR place that I belonged to...I've never had any real identity..."
"One day, you will."
Awww...
Okay, so I was off by a couple minutes, but it looks like One and Susan are about to be reunited again.
Wow. Barbara really gets to do a lot of running in this story, doesn't she?
So they keep showing these decals everywhere that say "VETOED" but they still haven't explained what they're supposed to be for.
Oh, that was actually great timing on my part: they JUST explained what the decals were for.
The guy in the wheelchair is going to face the Daleks head-on in the middle of the street. This man is truly hardcore.
Did anyone else notice that when David came back, Susan had more labored breathing and was fidgeting with her shirt buttons?
TIME BOMB.
"We'll have to leave the old man here for a while." Ah yes. Comicshots did say that Hartnell took a break during this episode, didn't they?
Random question: they keep talking about going to Bedfordshire; do any of my British watchers know of any major significance of that area?
Airborne trolley cars? So NATURALLY they can only show us the shadows and not the real things.
"Pick. up. the implements. and. walk. a-head. of me." Oh sure, put possibly dangerous tools in their hands before you leave. That's smart.
Also, I really have to ask, HOW in the LIVING HELL has Ian kept his suit SO IMPECCABLY SPOTLESS after all they've been through this story?
So I saw that decal on the truck that said "Borough of Faling" and I thought it said "Borough of Failing" and I was very confused.
Wait. Barbara's at the wheel of a truck. I think I know where this thread is going.
"There's a whole bunch of them ahead of us! I'm going through."
Barbara. Just hit a Dalek. With a truck. #epicmotherfreakingwin
"I wasn't shooting at the man. These sewers are full of alligators." *GASP* THEY'RE IN NEW YORK.
"A new start, rebuilding a planet from the very beginning, it's a wonderful idea!"
"Well, you could always help!"
"Yes!"
LOOK FORESHADOWING.
A load creepy roar and...SWEET HOLY MOTHERJESUS WHAT IS THAT THING.
"I want to go to London."
"Why die there?"
"I don't intend to die anywhere."
Um Ian, badass as that was, you may want to rethink your logic.
The Sweet Holy Motherjesus thing from earlier has been identified: the Slither. And apparently the lead Dalek keeps it as a pet. Yes. Pet.
Hello. You must be our Rubber Suit Monster for the evening.
"We've barely covered a mile and now we're down in the sewers again." Well One, you seem to be back to your old self again.
I'd really love to make a "ceiling-robomen are watching you masturbate" joke here, but for some reason I don't want to. Oh wait...
"No Tyler, no. I never take lives. Only when my own is immediately threatened." Attaone!
So the Daleks keep these women to make clothes for the slaves? Wow. They're not only tyrannical, but sexist too. #thisshouldntsurpriseme
Seems to me like the earliest Daleks actually have motivations OTHER than EX-TER-MIN-AT-ING everyone ever. Very fascinating...
I think this is the first time in fiction I've seen ear-popping mentioned during a long descent. Thank you, Ian and your sciencyness.
"DO. NOT. TRY. TO. ES-CAPE. OR. YOU. WILL. BE. EX-TER-MIN-A-TED." So that woman sold them out to the Daleks. Bitch.
Um, Ian? What did Larry JUST say about "run while you can"?
"Your grandfather stood up to the journey fantastically well."
"He's a pretty fantastic sort of man."
......*mooch*
*INTERRUPTING ONE*
"Right, right, I can see something's cooking." And now I have to wonder whether or not that was honestly meant as a double entendre.
"Not unless they know how to control the flow of living energy, hmm?" OH MY GOD THE DALEKS ARE JEDI.
Ian just described Barbara as "the tall girl in the blue sweater." I JUST noticed that they almost NEVER mention colors in these stories.
It sounds like Barbara is about to explain the entire rebel operation to the Daleks, which must mean she has something EPIC up her sleeve...
It seems like nearly every time deep drilling on Earth is part of a story, the word "penetration" gets used a LOT. #mindinthegutter
"ONCE THE CORE IS RE-MOVED, WE CAN RE-PLACE IT WITH A POWER SY-STEM THAT WILL EN-ABLE US TO PI-LOT THE PLA-NET ANY-WHERE IN THE U-NI-VERSE."
And I must say, Ian's face is EXCELLENT here.
AND NOW HE'S TRAPPED INSIDE THE DEEP PENETRATION DEVICE.
Looks like the only way he can save the world is to screw around with the wiring on the inside. Good thing it's so well-lit in there...
Here we go, last episode. For some reason, it feels like I've been watching this story a lot longer than just 2 nights.
Wait...WHY the unexpected crotch-shot?? ...oh wait, that's why...
"EX-TER-MIN-ATE HIM! EX-TER-MIN-ATE HIM! EX-TER-MIN-ATE HIM!" FINALLY THEY'VE STARTED SAYING THAT.
You know, I think the Daleks just have REALLY BAD hearing. Otherwise, they'd know the women right in front of them were plotting something.
And this is why history is important, kids: you can use it to fool Daleks into thinking that everyone ever is about to pwn their asses.
Ah, there we go, NOW Ian's jacket is finally split up the back.
"Life's never dull with you around, Doc." Biggest. Understatement. Ever.
"If they succeed, it would mean that they're un...uh...UPSET the entire constellation! We've got to esc...PREVENT it!"
Thank you! Haven't have a good Hartnell Fluff in a while...
Guys. Barbara's Dalek voice. Yes.
HAH! One decided that she was having too much fun with that and pushed her aside to finish the order himself. Nice.
OKAY I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ANGRY MOB HOISTING A DALEK OVER THEIR HEADS BEFORE THAT IS AWESOME
And then, of course, there was a REALLY FUCKING HUGE S'PLOSION.
Awkward conversation between One and Susan is awkward.
I don't seem to remember Susan having a necklace before, but she's fiddling with it now.
Oh wait, that's the TARDIS key.
"Susan, please stay. Please stay here with me."
"I can't stay, David. I don't belong to this time."
"But I love you, Susan..."
"...and I want you to marry me!" ......WAT.
Okay, I'm sorry guys, but can I completely ruin the moment by saying a couple things?
a) I'm not quite sure what he sees in her, since she didn't do much other than scream, and b) THEY PRACTICALLY JUST MET.
"Oh David, I DO love you! I do, I do!" Looks like she's made up her mind...and One's made up his...
Holy crap. I wish I could quote the Doctor's entire speech here. It's so beautiful and perfect. But...okay, you HAVE to read this...
"Listen, Susan, please. I've double-locked the doors so you can't get in. Now move back child, so I can see you. During all the years I've been taking care of you, you in return have been taking care of me."
"Oh grandfather, I belong with you!"
"Not any longer, Susan! You are still my grandchild, and always will be! But now, you're a woman too. You belong somewhere, to have roots of your own. With David, you'll be able to find those roots and live normally like any woman should do. Believe me, my dear, your future belongs with David and not with a silly old buffer like me. One day, I shall come back, yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye, Susan. Goodbye, my dear."
I'm a little misty-eyed right now. Were I not doing this commentary and let the scene run its course, I might be worse than that.
Oh man, forget my quoting. This scene really needs to be seen for real. This is Hartnell in peak form and it is blowing. my. mind.
Aaaaaand the music is kinda ruining it a bit. Goddammit.
"He knew. He knew you could never leave him." Susan even leaves her TARDIS key behind...
Oh wow. I think I've finally found a scene in this show even more INSANELY bittersweet than Rose and 10.5 at the end of Journey's End.
I just remembered that Susan is the first Classic companion whose entire tenure I've completed. I guess I can say this properly too now...
Goodbye, Susan. Goodbye, my dear.
Next: The Rescue