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RTD Retrospective #6: Dalek Story

Favorite Dalek Story?

  • Total voters
    53
Stevil2001

Stevil2001

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Results from last round: Favorite Cyberman Story?

61%: Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
21%: The Next Doctor
18%: Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel

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When it comes to monsters, I've saved the best for last, and we've got the ultimate lineup right here: what's your favorite Dalek story of the new series? I think the choice is obvious, but I'm often surprised...
 
As a Dalek story, and especially as a reintroduction, I think "Dalek" is the best, so I've voted for that. The later ones are often great stories in general, better overall (and then there's "Evolution of the Daleks"), but the need to come up with a new spin on them every time (religious zealot Emperor, smack-talking Cult of Skaro, low-powered schemers, return of Davros) makes the Daleks themselves more entertaining but less threatening. After you've seen one Dalek become the ultimate killing machine, a million of them is a nice visual but not much else.
 
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I voted for "Dalek" for making one of sci-fi's corniest monsters into something nearly credible.

"The Parting of the Ways" and "Doomsday" were both better episodes, though.
 
Dalek wins, hands down. It's arguably the best episode of the new series. You should have made this a runners-up poll.
 
"Dalek" is absolutely incredible, and by far the best Dalek story told in Davies' era -- indeed, one of the best Dalek stories ever told in Doctor Who's entire history.

"The Parting of the Ways" and "Doomsday" come in just about neck-and-neck at second place, with each story having its strengths and weaknesses (and both having first parts that are considerably weaker than the conclusions), but "Doomsday" wins out because of the Cult of Skaro, which is actually a legitimately cool idea that was squandered in its follow-up, and Davies' propensity for increasingly ludicrous season finales hadn't yet become ridiculous at that point. I'm in the minority, though, in that I'm not a huge fan of the Dalek / Cybermen smack-talking sequence, though.

"Pig Men" / "No, Seriously, Fucking Pig Men Part II" and "The Stolen Earth" / "Donna's Dance Party" can both go fuck right off, though, outside of Julian Bleach's fantastic Davros.
 
Brendan Moody said:
As a Dalek story, and especially as a reintroduction, I think "Dalek" is the best, so I've voted for that. The later ones are often great stories in general, better overall (and then there's "Evolution of the Daleks"), but the need to come up with a new spin on them every time (religious zealot Emperor, smack-talking Cult of Skaro, low-powered schemers, return of Davros) makes the Daleks themselves more entertaining but less threatening. After you've seen one Dalek become the ultimate killing machine, a million of them is a nice visual but not much else.
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Kelso said:
I voted for "Dalek" for making one of sci-fi's corniest monsters into something nearly credible.

"The Parting of the Ways" and "Doomsday" were both better episodes, though.
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Both of these quotes essentially sum up my thoughts on the issue. "Doomsday" is the best of these episodes, but "Dalek" is the best as a Dalek story.

I think the worst thing that ever happened to the New Series Daleks was the loss of Joe Ahearne as the director. No one else has even quite gotten them to exude that same sense of inscrutable alien-ness. Plus, the way later directors make them wobble their eyestalks when they talk is just lame (and redundant).
Turbo said:
Dalek wins, hands down. It's arguably the best episode of the new series. You should have made this a runners-up poll.
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I almost gave everyone two votes. But then I didn't-- I want to see some smackdown!
 
"Dalek" by a mile. Not only is it the best Dalek story of the new series, it's one of the best Dalek stories of all Doctor Who (up there with Power of the Daleks, Genesis of the Daleks, and Remembrance of the Daleks).
 
captcalhoun said:
S4's finale. it's all about the spectacle, the return of Davros and the heart-breaking loss of Donna for me.
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Wouldn't say it's great for the Daleks though. They're portrayed as the ultimate idiots because they not only have a console that can blow them all up, but they leave it in the basement. Plot convenient much?

Anyway, Dalek for me.
 
Definitely a vote for "Dalek" here. It had a great conflict.

"Journey's End" comes second, but not so much because of the Daleks.
 
The Waters of Mars? ;)

Nah another vote for Dalek. Whilst I've never thought it was quite as brilliant as some do(like many NuWho episodes 45 minutes isn't quite long enough) it is a great episode and the best Dalek episode.

I would make the point that 1 Dalek is scarier than a million, but a million Daleks is cool, and let's face it, it isn't like 4 Daleks were overly scary in Daleks in Manhatten/Evolution of the Daleks.
 
"I am the Doctor and you are a DAAAAAAALEKKKKK."

Oh right. Wrong series.

"All right then. If you want orders, follow this one. Kill yourself."
"The Daleks must survive!"
"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job, and make the Daleks extinct? Rid the universe of your filth! Why don't you just die?"
"You would make a good Dalek."
 
I voted The Parting of the Ways only for the sheer epic nature and the return of the Emperor Dalek. Only the really bad reason-for-the-regeneration ruins the episode. And, personally, I think Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways should've swapped episode titles, but that's me.

Dalek is just as good, but the single Dalek doesn't allow for it to talk to another Dalek, which was a cool part about the original series. Plus, I still don't buy Dalek suicides.

Doomsday was good but the whole army-is-destroyed-in-one-go ending is dumb. Same for Journey's End (Rose's antics in Parting were allowable... to a degree). Daleks in Manhatten I didn't mind up until the last 2 minutes when ol' six-penis-head emerges from Dalek Sec...
 
Dalek made me a fan of the show, so I voted for that. There's a lot I love about the Daleks in the series one finale, but it mostly has to do with the reveal. The execution was only so-so (I liked the Rose moments, I guess). The second series finale was only worthwhile for the dialog of Dalek v. Cybermen. Never saw Daleks in Manhattan. Stolen Earth was OK, but they lost their impact as time went on.
 
Steve Mollmann said:
I think the worst thing that ever happened to the New Series Daleks was the loss of Joe Ahearne as the director. No one else has even quite gotten them to exude that same sense of inscrutable alien-ness. Plus, the way later directors make them wobble their eyestalks when they talk is just lame (and redundant).
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The thing that really weirds me out is that in "Dalek" the Dalek has to turn his head back around the other way when the Doctor walks behind him, like a human would, but in "Doomsday," one of the Daleks tracks the Doctor the whole way in a similar situation, spinning his head all the way around without stopping.
 
It was tough to decide between "Dalek" & "The Parting of the Ways", but I chose the latter. "Dalek" is unquestionably great, but I love the scale of the season 1 finale and the epicness of the Dalek presence.
 
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