PART 2 of 2
Written by Helen Raynor
Directed by James Strong
“Dalek Caan…your entire species has been wiped out, and now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only you. Right now, you’re facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion because I’ve just seen one genocide, I won’t cause another. Caan, let me help you. What do you say?”
The weakest episode of the season, by far…but if this is as weak as the season gets, we’re in great shape. It’s full of substance, but the impressive-yet-awkward style actually gets in the way. In short…it’s amazing to watch, but it leaves behind a bit of an empty-stomach feeling.
The set pieces are extraordinary. The night-time skyline shots of New York, the underground Dalek base, the skirmish in Hooverville (the Doctor’s attempt at self-sacrifice is almost terrifying!), and the final confrontation in the theatre…there’s no denying that James Strong can turn television episodes into epic, movie-sized adventures that don’t let up. There’s always something to watch in Evolution of Daleks, and it certainly keeps the adrenaline pumping.
The philosophy of the episode is equally extraordinary: a new race of Daleks, ready to throw away everything that made them the evil, conquering plague of the universe…and turn them into a race looking for peace & closure — complete with a lovely repudiation of Davros’ philosophy behind their creation, way back in Genesis of the Daleks. The result of Dalek Sec’s transformation is a Doctor suddenly finding himself helping his greatest enemy…while the remaining Daleks whisper and conspire amongst themselves in dark corners. They even trade surreptitious glances with each other! It’s an episode that dares to threaten the status quo of the Daleks’ place in the Doctor Who universe…and it almost succeeds.
Unfortunately, the remaining elements of the episode conspire to render this magnificent potential a bit of an empty shell…and my friend James’ review points out many of these problems. Why set the story in 1930 New York, aside from its potential to be pretty? What’s the logic behind the pig slaves? Sure, they’re well designed and rather nasty…but other than that? Dalek Sec almost manages to transcend his inherently silly appearnce…but not quite. Samuel’s Deep Blue Sea moment manages to be both impressive AND ludicrours, and many of the other character elements seem tired. Another Dalek temporal shift? A DNA lightning transfer? Laszlo’s & Tallulah’s weird future in Hooverville? More post-Rose angst? They’re just trying too hard.
In the end, it’s all bangs and flahses…and they are AMAZING, to say the least. But a much tighter (even braver?) script would have done justice to the amazing visuals…far more than what the audience eventually receives. Evolution of the Daleks is never boring, not for a moment…but it IS less than the sum of its parts.
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