Doctor Who: comments on "Evolution of the Daleks"...

[fajrdrako]

If I don't comment on "Evolution of the Daleks" now, I probably never will - and I want to do so before I see "The Lazarus Experiment". So...

As a newcomer to Doctor Who I never felt I understood the Daleks. They've never seemed scary to me - and yet the Dalek episodes I've seen ("Dalek", "The Parting of the Ways", and "Doomsday") have been among my favourite episodes. But aside from their obsessive imperialistic obsession to exterminate, I couldn't figure them out.

Now I've got it. The thing about the Daleks is, they're thick. They're like the Judoon: Thick, thick, thick. Even the upgraded thinking-independently version of the Daleks were think. Even the Dalek humans and the human Daleks. There isn't anything there besides the obsessive imperialistic obsession, and that's the whole point.

Cool. I can enjoy that. All they every had in their favour was numbers. Like cockroaches. Very like cockroaches, in fact: hard to destroy, fast-moving, living inside tough carapaces, kill one and a dozen appear. I never saw a cockroach with a toilet plunger, but one can imagine.

So the Dalek Sec/Diagoras hybrid wasn't scary, he was pathetic - a single organism insufficient to be either human or Dalek. A creature for compassion, as the Doctor saw. I was less than enchanted with the practicality of his new Dalek race and I wondered why the Doctor cooperated with him even as much as he did, but of course, that put the Doctor in a position to throw a spanner in the works and turn Daleks into Time Lords... which is a scary thought, too.

This explains too why the Doctor thought he could bargain with the Daleks not to kill everyone in Hooverville once they had killed him. They're so suggestible that they could be made to see it as an either/or situation, rather than the reality that they could just kill everyone, starting with the Doctor. Or turn them all into Daleks, which was their plan, and would have the same effect.

So: many interesting themes, but I thought this the weakest story so far this series, which isn't saying much, since the first three were so strong. And what was good about this episode was the discrete scenes that had emotional power, most of them centred on the Doctor himself. Who seemed extraordinarily suicidal this time.

First time through, I had trouble with suspension of disbelief. All those: "Okay, kill me, just kill me," scenes, and the Daleks don't kill him? Then I realized how thick they are, and how the concept of suicide just doesn't happen to a Dalek, and how the Doctor had simply confused them into immobility. And they didn't even learn the first time, even though this is the Cult of Skaro, who are supposed to be the accelerated-learning Daleks, because he did it over and over and they froze each time, despite their urge to kill.

I'm really starting to enjoy Dalek psychology.

I love it when the Doctor is snarky with Daleks. Which is much of the time when he's talking to them. "Boo! Et cetera." I liked the way the Doctor used sound as a weapon - presumably frequencies the Dalek's can't stand? Sonic screwdriver, sonic radio...

There were enough 'angry Doctor' scenes to really, really make me happy. It was fun to see the Doctor doing his scientist thing in the lab - in fact, I thought the best scene in the whole show was when he determined to save Laszlo. "What do I need? A big genetic library. Oh, look, I've got one... The Doctor is in." This sort of epitomizes the Doctor - at least, an important side of him - the optimism, the determination, the humour, the compassion, the opportunism.

Interesting talk about the nature of humanity on several occasions - the cynical and the idealistic. Without favouring either extreme as 'the truth', though the truth in the context of this show is generally closer to idealism than cynicism.

Interesting to see the three stages of Daleks: normal Daleks (if the Cult of Skaro can be described as 'normal'), the hybrid Diagoras, and the human Daleks. The third category seemed extraneous, quite superfluous to the plot, though it was fun to see humans shooting Daleks with Dalek weapons.

I loved it that Martha found the sonic screwdriver the Doctor dropped, and that she knew it was important to him, and teased him in her relief that he was alive. In fact, the scene of the Doctor lying unconscious and wet on the top of the Empire State Building tweaked all my dormant hurt/comfort reactions - those reactions I often claim I don't have, but I'm not kidding anyone. It just takes certain characters and certain situations. This was it.

Frank wasn't in it as much as I'd hoped he would be, but I enjoyed the bits that featured him. Loved the way he smiled. I was, of course, disappointed that he either didn't get to kiss the Doctor or we didn't get to see it. When I said this to commodified and auriaephiala, the agreed it didn't happen, that he was a nice straight boy. I confess that my thought was, "People and their quaint categories." Not so much that Frank was straight (or otherwise) but that this is irrelevant to the situation....

Anyway, I liked the way that Frank was able to help, to repay the Doctor by finding Laszlo a place to exist. What will happen to Laszlo when he has to leave Hooverville? I wondered if the Doctor shouldn't take him and Tallulah to a planet where pig-faced people would have a better chance in life, but ... no, perhaps the problems of emigration would be too great for them. Let them at least make their lives on familiar turf. I wonder what Laszlo's parents thought.

I enjoyed the friendship between Tallulah and Martha, and the way they got along, even though their life-experiences were very different.

I loved the moment when the Doctor hugged Martha, and then said, "Never waste time with a hug." It's the pattern he's been following with Martha - approach and back off, approach and back off. Is he afraid of his own fondness for her? Afraid to let go of his obsession with Rose? So messed up with his grief and loneliness that he doesn't want to let go of it?

"The only man in the universe who might show you some compasson" - I Think I liked it better when the Doctor said to Mr. Finch, "I used to have so much mercy." But I also like it that he was being contrary: he could not bring himself to kill the last of a species, even if he wouldn't mind dying himself.

Loved the "pig and the showgirl" line.

Comments

[benbenberi.livejournal.com]

I agree, and share most of your reactions.

This is the first of the new Who Dalek episodes that really seems to me to be in dialog with the old Who, specifically with Tom Baker's Genesis of the Daleks. SPOILERS >>>>>


In Genesis we see the precursors of the Daleks (the Kaleds) in their original human form on their home planet of Skaro, the creation of the Daleks as an extrapolation of Kaled evolution (as a result of chemical warfare) by the evil genius Davros, and the murder of Davros as well as the other remaining Kaleds by the awakened Daleks because they aren't up to Dalek standards of racial purity. The parallels with what happens in Evolution are pretty obvious.

Also in Genesis (and more significantly IMO) is the scene where the Doctor has an opportunity to destroy *all* the proto-Dalek embryos, and thereby to prevent the Daleks from ever existing and wreaking destruction across the universe. He agonizes at the moment of destruction, and decides not to -- he does not have the right to commit genocide, even of the Daleks. Not even knowing that letting them live made him responsible for everything they would do.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Yes! An excellent piece of narrative continuity!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for explaining the background in "Genesis". One of the things I love most about Doctor Who is the way we get these moral choices that really aren't simple ones - that really get down to situations where it is possible that the end might justify the means - or not. Even knowing the future to some extent does not make the choices (or the subsequent guilt) any easier for the Doctor.

What would I do, in his place, in "Evolution of the Daleks"? I don't know. Although I think I would never have cooperated with a Dalek at all, on any justification - I can't help admiring the Doctor's choice to take a chance. And in not killing Dalek Caan at the end - well, that's a tricky one too.

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

in the three part audio series (Big finish, as allways debateble canon) it tells of the invention of the Dalek. The planet Skaro got reduced to almost apocalyptic level of pollution by a war between two nations. Davros belonged to one of them and he schemed and manipulated to become head scientist and have all new borns put into a Dalek type cage. The two preoccupations of a Dalek are destruction of others and keeping up numbers of the Daleks themselfs.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Do you remember the title of this Big Finish story?

The planet Skaro got reduced to almost apocalyptic level of pollution by a war between two nations.

Sounds about right! And a lesson to us all.

The two preoccupations of a Dalek are destruction of others and keeping up numbers of the Daleks themselfs.

I guess some things never change.

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

Do you remember the title of this Big Finish story?

certainly, I, Davros (http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/drwho_idavros.shtml/dav101_innocence.shtml)

The scariest Daleks I know feature in a long series called Dalek Empire (http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/drwho_dalekempire/de001.shtml). They are notably less thick and play on human feelings plot and set up the humans against one and other.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Now I have more stuff to save for, and covet. "Dalek Empire" really does sound good.

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

if you are choosing I would go for the Dalek Empire series. I was slightly disappointed by I, Davros. Yes it was scary, yes, it did give me insight in Dalek and yes it was a well told tale with some rounded character. But nevertheless, it was like all stories of psychopaths (and Davros is most certainly portrayed as a psychopath, and being one in comparison to a surrounding culture of bloodthirsty hate a scheming politicians is telling). But it was a bit 'the Hannibal Lector of Davros'. And the story was centered almost exclusively on him.
The Dalek empire has more voices, of people trying to make the right choice in hard circumstances, of despair, of greed and selfishness, of misguided attempts to do the right thing, of fear and bravery. All sorts of stuff.

I have to confess, I have not the money, do download them. Maybe I will have money one day

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

it was a bit 'the Hannibal Lector of Davros'

Ee, that is a scary thought!

Yes, sounds as if I'd like "Dalek Empire" better. I can't afford any of them right now, but I'm making a list of priorities. And (thanks to you) I have a bit of a pash for Bernice Summerfield now!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

What will happen to Laszlo when he has to leave Hooverville? I wondered if the Doctor shouldn't take him and Tallulah to a planet where pig-faced people would have a better chance in life, but ... no, perhaps the problems of emigration would be too great for them. Let them at least make their lives on familiar turf. I wonder what Laszlo's parents thought.

They could have a great stage career on vaudeville! Can you imagine if he learns to be a stage magician, with Tallulah as his assistant? Or a song-and-dance comedy act? (A tap-dancing pig would be fantastic!)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

They could have a great stage career on vaudeville!

I can just see it!

Or a song-and-dance comedy act? (A tap-dancing pig would be fantastic!)

I'd pay to see it.

Sadly, though, the days of Vaudeville were numbered and I'm not sure how many stage shows there have been for pigs since the 1930s. I hope Laszlo and Tallulah found their niche. The pig and the showgirl... Maybe they got their own comedy TV show when the 50s came along.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Yes, or in the movies!
(Actually, I can see them in a Lucy type TV sitcom…)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Just what I was thinking - "I Love Tallulah".

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

"My husband's such a pig about the house!" would be a recurring phrase…

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

LOL - yes! But he'd always be the straight one and she'd always be the goofy one with the wild ideas.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Exactly! He's the very, very normal one!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And she's in show business, where everyone is a little strange - and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

The character moments were great, but I think I'm definenately experiencing Dalek fatigue. I need some new villains for a while. Also, I don't think Ten was playing them. I think he just suicidally snapped, and it was reasonable. He may have a different personality, but the PTSD is stll there.

Btw, Lazarus is listed, but hasn't come through as of this post, so just be patient:
http://www.tv-links.co.uk/show.do/1/26

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't think Ten was playing them. I think he just suicidally snapped

I agree. First time I watched, I thought he was playing them. Second time... and on reflection... No, I think the Doctor is that suicidal.

I saw Lazarus. Will comment a.s.a.p. - if and when I think of something to say. Right now I'm mostly just going 'squee'.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

To understand the Daleks, you need to watch Genesis of the Daleks, their origin ep., available on YouTube or DVD.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

With I will. Some time.

[atheneunknown.livejournal.com]

I think the Doctor genuinly had a moment where he WANTED to die. And not have the responsiblity of fixing it all. Of loosing everything to the Daleks over and over again.

I think it actually started in the Sewer, when he saw them, and said that line about how he always loses everything, and they just keep coming back.

By the time he offered himself up for extermination, his mind had temporarily broken at least at an emotional level.

And then he remembered, when Martha asked 'what about us?'.

I loved that sequence wholly.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think the Doctor genuinly had a moment where he WANTED to die.

I was thinking about that on my way to work, and I think I want to make a separate post about the Doctor, Death, and the thematic nature of suicide in the series.

it actually started in the Sewer, when he saw them, and said that line about how he always loses everything, and they just keep coming back.

I think it has to do with his relationship with the Daleks - once he came face to face with them again he would have similar reactions.

I loved that sequence wholly.

So do I.