The Evil of the Daleks Episode 5

The one where the Daleks take the Doctor for a ride...

Jamie is depicted as a real man of action by David Whitaker in this story. Whether he's trying to survive the lethal Crystal Maze-style traps in Maxtible's south wing, pushing Daleks into fireplaces and over balconies, or fighting with Kemel and Terrall, he's very much the "hero" figure. It's probably the first time a male companion has been portrayed this energetically since Ian Chesterton.

But Whitaker doesn't forget that Jamie has feelings too, and the scene where the Scot and the Doctor are reunited reflects that. Jamie feels he's been betrayed by the Doctor, and hasn't forgiven him since their all-out row in episode 3. "You and me, we're finished!" he snaps at the Doctor. "You're just too callous for me." It's reminiscent of similar disagreements yet to come, such as between the Seventh Doctor and Ace in The Curse of Fenric, or the Twelfth Doctor and Clara in Kill the Moon.

Patrick Troughton shines as brightly as ever in this episode, particularly in the scene with Gary Watson's Terrall, where the Doctor gently badgers him to try and find out more about his strange behaviour. He says he's been watching him and is interested in him, and he's noticed that Terrall never eats or drinks. The Doctor then sees that Terrall is full of electricity, indicating some kind of Dalek control. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I really don't understand the role of Terrall in this script. He appears to be a slave of the Daleks, or at least Maxtible, but he doesn't actually do very much. Terrall seems very concerned about Victoria, as if he has a guilty conscience, but there's no evidence he's ever done anything to her before.

By the end of the episode, the control the Daleks have over Terrall is severed by the Doctor and he is sent away from the house to London, with Ruth and Mollie, to recover. I'm glad Mollie gets to safety, but I think the roles of Terrall and Ruth Maxtible in this story are muddled and superfluous. I mean, when she sees Jamie and Terrall sword-fighting, why does Ruth send Mollie to get the Doctor? They've never even met, at least not on screen. Would she not more likely have sent for Waterfield, or even her father? To be honest, I'll be glad to see Terrall and Ruth go, because they were just pointless padding.

We're five-sevenths of the way through this story and at last Deborah Watling gets to act against a fellow human being, as Jamie and Kemel finally find her in the south wing. Watling has spent all of her screen time so far talking to Daleks, so it's nice to see her getting the chance to bounce off real people for once! She still comes across as a little wet though, even for a typically Victorian young girl. Why does she end up slumped unconscious on the floor in the laboratory after escaping from Terrall? Could it be just because she's a big wet lettuce and faints all over the place? I hate it when girls faint all the time, don't you?

Another honourable mention for Peter Hawkins' Dalek voice work here too, as well as the uncredited Roy Skelton. I got chills when Hawkins' Dalek creeps up behind Kemel and then grates: "Tuuuuuurn arouuuund!", while Skelton's gentle, eerie "Obey! Obey!" in Terrall's head is very creepy. So much so, even my dog got spooked when I listen to this episode!

The cliffhanger is an odd one. The Doctor has infected the three Dalek guinea pigs with his Human Factor, a concoction somehow made up of human virtues such as courage, pity, friendship, chivalry and compassion. The Daleks seem rather playful when they noisily spring to life, pushing a chair around between them, and then taking the Doctor for a ride as they glide around the laboratory. It's strange and bemusing, rather than scary or disturbing. I wonder what the audience at the time made of it? Were they suitably intrigued, or did they wonder what a load of claptrap it all was?

First broadcast: June 17th, 1967

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: I'm very fond of the playful scene between Patrick Troughton and Gary Watson, as the Doctor tries to prod the truth out of the troubled Terrall.
The Bad: I'm starting to get the feeling I'm not sure what's going on any more. The Terrall/ Ruth subplot ran into a dead end, and now the Daleks have taken Victoria through the time portal to wherever it is they keep coming from. I'm not sure why, and there's a creeping sensation of "why?" with every passing scene...
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: Episode 6...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Episode 1; Episode 2; Episode 3; Episode 4; Episode 6; Episode 7

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: http://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-evil-of-daleks.html

The Evil of the Daleks is available on BBC soundtrack CD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Original-Television-Soundtrack/dp/0563525975. Episode 2 is the only surviving episode, and can be found on the Lost in Time DVD box set here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Lost-Time-DVD/dp/B0002XOZW4