I just rewatched most of this two part story and I must say, like a fine wine these episodes do improve over time. Either that or I was so jaded by Victory of the Daleks I found this a much improved story.
The backbone of the story lies with Dalek Sec, who after coming to terms with the complete loss of his people knows they must adapt to survive. The loss of the Genesis Ark, allied with the temporal shift they used to escape Canary Wharf has seriously drained the Cult of Skaro.
The Frankenstein-esque story isn't as bad as I remember it, but there are two parts of the story that are seriously bad:
The Pig Slaves
Why did they have to be pigs? Why not make it as dark as the story hinted at and make them deformed? True experiments gone awry, like Ripley clones 1-7 from Alien Resurrection.
Six-Penis Head Human Dalek Sec
Seeing him emerge from the black Dalek casing was a true jump the shark moment for me. I didn't watch Series 4. I only watched the last of the specials. I've only seen two of the four Series 5 episodes thus broadcast and don't plan on seeing anymore.
So how would I have improved this? Take the story right up to when Sec starts to shake, rattle and roll, but instead of Diagoras emerging, he stays put.
Sec stays as a Dalek in form only, and takes on traits of Diagoras through speech and actions. This would make it even harder for the rest of the Cult to follow his orders. Then Sec is asked to exterminate the Doctor himself but refuses, which is the last straw and the Cult kill him.
Also, bring the slaves into the story earlier, and have the big lightning strike as a means for the Cult to generate a wave and enslave the entire city of New York.
I was a big fan of the Cult of Skaro and was annoyed they killed off 75% of them in their second story.
Lastly, the Doctor seems a little peeved at the Daleks in this story that not once but twice he offers himself for suicide extermination. Just seemed a bit odd. Granted the second time he roughly knew there would be a chance he would survive but it was a little irresponsible of him to do it the first time; Martha would've been stranded in the past!
The backbone of the story lies with Dalek Sec, who after coming to terms with the complete loss of his people knows they must adapt to survive. The loss of the Genesis Ark, allied with the temporal shift they used to escape Canary Wharf has seriously drained the Cult of Skaro.
The Frankenstein-esque story isn't as bad as I remember it, but there are two parts of the story that are seriously bad:
The Pig Slaves
Why did they have to be pigs? Why not make it as dark as the story hinted at and make them deformed? True experiments gone awry, like Ripley clones 1-7 from Alien Resurrection.
Six-Penis Head Human Dalek Sec
Seeing him emerge from the black Dalek casing was a true jump the shark moment for me. I didn't watch Series 4. I only watched the last of the specials. I've only seen two of the four Series 5 episodes thus broadcast and don't plan on seeing anymore.
So how would I have improved this? Take the story right up to when Sec starts to shake, rattle and roll, but instead of Diagoras emerging, he stays put.
Sec stays as a Dalek in form only, and takes on traits of Diagoras through speech and actions. This would make it even harder for the rest of the Cult to follow his orders. Then Sec is asked to exterminate the Doctor himself but refuses, which is the last straw and the Cult kill him.
Also, bring the slaves into the story earlier, and have the big lightning strike as a means for the Cult to generate a wave and enslave the entire city of New York.
I was a big fan of the Cult of Skaro and was annoyed they killed off 75% of them in their second story.
Lastly, the Doctor seems a little peeved at the Daleks in this story that not once but twice he offers himself for suicide extermination. Just seemed a bit odd. Granted the second time he roughly knew there would be a chance he would survive but it was a little irresponsible of him to do it the first time; Martha would've been stranded in the past!