Doctor Who: Five Old Episodes To Pair With The First Five Episodes Of Season 8

One good episode deserves another...

By David Wharton | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

IntoDalekEpisode 2: “Into the Dalek”

Official synopsis:

A Dalek fleet surrounds a lone rebel ship, and only the Doctor can help them now… with the Doctor facing his greatest enemy, he needs Clara by his side. Confronted with a decision that could change the Daleks forever he is forced to examine his conscience. Will he find the answer to the question, am I a good man?

DalekPair It With: “Dalek”

If there’s one single Doctor Who villain who has been done to death, it’s the Daleks. No matter how many times the Doctor slaps down their evil schemes, or even thinks he’s EX-TER-MINATE-ed their entire race, the nasty screaming pepper mills of the galaxy just keep on coming back. That being the case, it’s refreshing when a Who writer comes up with a Dalek story that’s about more than just their plans to kill everything that isn’t a Dalek. One of the most interesting narrative possibilities for this sort of story is one which forces the Doctor to question his feelings about his long-time enemy. Much like Kirk’s hatred of the Klingons, the Daleks have more than earned the wrath of the Oncoming Storm, and let’s face it, you can’t exactly reason with a Dalek either. They live to exterminate, preferably while shouting. But what if that wasn’t the way it had to be?

In “Dalek,” the Ninth Doctor, still bearing fresh scars from the between the Time Lords and Daleks, runs across something he never thought he’d see again…a motherfreakin’ Dalek, alive and well. Okay, maybe not well: it’s being held captive by a rich, arrogant prick who enjoys collective extraterrestrial artifacts, and he considers the Dalek the crown jewel of his collection. As such, he ignores the Doctor’s repeated requests to kill the damn thing already…and that decision leads to exactly the sort of carnage you’d expect. But in the midst of this, there’s a curve ball: the Dalek is given a jump start after physical contact with Rose (not that kind, you pervert), and that contact has led to some unexpected changes in the violence-loving creature. Rose’s DNA has allowed it to see beyond the usual Dalek mandate of systematic genocide…but unfortunately the Dalek is disgusted by that change and winds up self-destructing.

How will the nature of the Daleks be questioned in “Inside the Dalek”? You’ll have to wait until next weekend to find out.


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