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“The Daleks”, 1963
Part 4: The Ambush
ARRHHHHHHHHGGGGHHH The clawwwww. This is actually quite terrifying. Ian figures out how to operate the dalek suit. He and the companions go down the corridor.
There is a great iron door with a dalek on guard and a lift. The Doctor tells Ian to do as little talking as possible. The guard dalek tells them to stop.
“The council wishes to quest-ion. The. Prison-ers.” says Ian
“I have. Not. Been. Informed.”
Susan starts shouting. This is all part of their plan. Ian-Dalek pretends to prod her. Guard dalek falls for it. This is all quite confusing.
They go to a lift. The music and sci-fi sounds are at a frenzy. The guard-dalek leaves them be. Ian gets out of the dalek suit.
Guard-dalek locks the door and sets off the alarm. Didn’t take him long to figure out he’d been duped. Ian can’t get out of the suit, something is jammed. He’s even a whiny sod when he’s a dalek.
The daleks are now cutting through the door. I’ve just realized how many ideas from this were stolen by Star Wars. The daleks use the R2-D2 style lock systems. I’m sure I saw this scene in one of the Star Wars films with them cutting through a door.
Ian wants to play the hero and sacrifice himself. He urges the others the go on. The Doctor, agrees. “He’s right, let’s move on” Ha ha ha ha. The Doctor, I swear, has a secret plan to kill Ian. He seems to hate Ian. Predictably, plucky Susan does not want to leave without Ian. But they have to leave him. Ian is going to have to style it out and pretend to be a dalek again.
Just as they are about to break in, Ian struggles to get the top off. Why? Are you an idiot Ian? Or do they know of his ruse? How? Is guard-dalek psychic?
Must have been because they break through the door and immediately blast and slice through the dalek suit. But where is Ian?
He’s flown the coup and made it to the lift and back to the others.
They can see daylight and the edge of the petrified jungle. Forrest. Jungle. Barbara can see someone down there. A Thal! They’ve brought drug supplies.
The daleks are royally pissed off at this escape attempt.
“Make no. Attempt. To. Cap-ture. Them. They are to be. Ex-terminated. Ex-terminated. Exterminated! Exterminated!”
Awesome. They are using their famous catchphrase. It’s hard not to like the daleks, they are such royally evil bastards.
The Doctor and co throw a massive rock down the lift shaft. Again, the shot is strange reminiscent of the final scenes of Return of the Jedi.
Hi-fives all round here. The Thals are creeping about outside the city. There’s that pacman door again. Ominous music now. King Temmosus accuses Alydon of being too suspicious.
Temmosus reminds him that they need food. Alydon is worried. Oh my god.
“You must removed yourself from these suspicious Alydon. They are based on fear. And fear breeds hatred. And hatred breeds war.”
And to the DARK SIDE. TO THE DARK SIDE. I swear Lucas has massively ripped off this one episode of Doctor Who from 1963. This is the 4th very strong Star Wars-y echo.
Ian wants The Doctor and the others to go back to the ship so he can do something alone. Susan goes fucking crazy here. Like a rabid animal.
Imagine if Scooby Doo was like this.
Fred: “Let’s split up gang”
Velma: “Noooooooo! I simply won’t leave you alone Fred!! Noooo”
Cue 5 minute argument. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen 4 people argue more than these. I blame Ian personally. He has a manner that gets everyone’s backs up.
Barbara drags Susan off. I’ve somehow missed what Ian’s big task was so I’m a bit confused again.
The Thals have entered the Dalek city. The King calls “Daleks can you hear me? The Thal people wish to live in peace. If this is your plan too” peace civilization peace PEACE future planning together harmony. Yada yada.
“We’ve been waiting for centuries”
They have brought the drugs. Oh so that’s what Ian was doing.
“NO! It’s a trap.”
ACKBAR
“Get out of here”
The daleks start to fire their guns and King Whatshitface gets named. Alydon sneaks in the corner. So cynicism and pessimism is the right way after all eh?
The Doctor is with a female Thal looking at star maps and files, he is fascinated by the records of the planet of Skaro. Ian is back too.
Some wounded Thals return with Alydon. One of them is wimpering. Naturally Alydon must be the new king. “If only I knew why the daleks hated us, we could alter our approach” He says. Good tactics.
Ian notes that the old King appealed very reasonably to them and they responded by shooting him in the face. “They just aren’t human”.
Ian has a theory, an explanation: “it’s a dislike for the unlike”
Alydon is shocked.
“They’re afraid of you because you are different from them, so whatever you do, it doesn’t matter”
No just hold on a second Ian. Where did you pull all this shit from? We simply haven’t seen enough of the Daleks to know if this is true or not.
“You must teach them to respect you. Show them some strength”
Ian!! Where is all this total bollocks coming from?
The peaceful Thals don’t really want to fight. Barbara is shocked that they are contemplating running away. Ian tells him that they can’t keep running, that there are some things worth preserving.
I’ve just realized something else.
Daleks = The empire, storm troopers
Thals = Ewoks
Never mind. Ian continues his lecture. Alydon says there is no question and can be no question of the Thals fighting the Daleks. Why are they such pansies?
Barbara wonders if pacifisms can be a human instinct.
Ian voices his cold skepticism:
“Pacifisms only works when everyone feels the same”
I guess he has a point.
“But are they REALLY pacifists, I mean REALLY so?” presses Barbara, “or is it a belief that’s become a reality because they’ve never had to prove it?”
Exceptional passage of play here. Classic sci-fi ponderings.
The Doctor has historical documents showing the ancient warrior-Thals. After the neutron war they mutated to become the modern-day Gay Lords we know and love.
The Doctor has images of ancient daleks too. “They called them Dalls then” Ahhhhhhhhhhh, so there are Dalls AND Thals.
The Dalls were more scientific, philosophical peoples.
Interesting role reversals at play in this evolutionary story. Ian and Barbara tell The Doctor about their attempts to get the Thals to fight.
“But our fate does not rest with the Thals, surely”, says the Doctor dismissively, “come along, come along”
They return to the TARDIS. “Now give me the fluid link, dear boy, you know we can’t start the ship out it”, demands the Doctor.
Close up on Ian’s face.
The daleks took it from him!!!
NEXT EPISODE: The Expedition
