PART 1 of 2
Written by Helen Raynor
Directed by James Strong
“They always survive, while I lose everything.”
Some random thoughts on Daleks in Manhattan: a beautiful – if strange – episode:
(1) The Daleks have never been more fascinating than they are in this story. They mutter to themselves, they argue, they ruminate – they’ve become rather desperate philosophers. Much of this can be put down to the fact that they’re the Cult of Skaro (specially bred to imagine, after all), but it’s still very powerful to watch Daleks contemplating the human ability to adapt and survive in reflection to our own views on the Daleks’ indomitability over the eons. This is territory that goes far beyond anything Terry Nation ever considered for his creations…
(2) It’s the episode of the revival that feels most like an episode of the original run: a slow build up of plot and suspense; a series of character introductions, the Daleks revealed from the beginning to be in the thick of things…and a cliffhanger that cements the impression that we’ve only come to part 2 of an old 4-part Doctor Who story. In some respects, it’s like slipping into a warm, comforting bath…but it’s also rather at odds with its stable-mates. Especially with the frantic, lightning-quick stories that precede it in this season…
(3) The settings contribute to this schizophrenic feeling of classic Who colliding with new Who: the gorgeous blue-screen work with the city-scapes and the Empire State building (thanks to some strategic stateside filming), contrasting with the claustrophobic nature of the sewers and the gaudiness of the stage. It’s as if director James Strong woke up from a dream where The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Revelation of the Daleks had a love child…and he decided to put it on screen. He even throws in a Dalek alert siren from 1979’s Destiny of the Daleks…just for kicks!
(4) Great off-Broadway song! 
(5) The accents were the best fake American accents ever in Doctor Who…even Tallulah wasn’t unbearable. You want unbearable? Watch Captain Hopper in The Tomb of the Cybermen and ask yourself “what the hell were they thinking?!?”
(6) The cliffhanger reveal of the human Dalek Sec is…well…hmmmm. Ok, it’s not exactly what you’d call an easily defensible creature (“Brain and brain, what is brain!”). It’s not exactly a creature you can take very seriously with Diagoras’ voice coming out of its mouth. And yet…for all it’s ridiculousness and outrageous appearance, it manages to provoke an equal amount of revulsion. I honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or scream…
I think I’m going to partially withhold judgement. It’s not the most original or interesting script of the season, but the actors and the director certainly milk it for all it’s worth. On it’s own merits, without seeing the conclusion, I’m leaning between a 7 and an 8…but I think there’s enough enjoyment and intrigue present that I can comfortably settle on a rating of…
8
