Dalek

Much better than last week: atmospheric, imaginative and scary. This was also an episode that worked well in the 45 minute format. I've waited 17 years for this, and on balance I wasn't disappointed.

My 'problem' with this episode, however, is its portrayal of the Dalek psychology. If the Daleks are supposed to be fascists - racists, like the Nazis - then that is first and foremost a social doctrine rather than an individual philosophy. So, it was always going to be interesting to see a Dalek in complete isolation. The episode obviously played on this a lot, but I wonder if it exaggerated the importance of genetic engineering as opposed to social philosophy, which I think is more interesting and relevant to our own experience. If you truly believe that something is evil because of its genes, then doesn't that make you a bit of a racist too? Also, the Doctor said the Dalek wanted to exterminate humans simply because they are different, but this misses an opportunity to explore another interesting idea. The Daleks, like all fascists, seek to dominate or exterminate other races because ultimately they feel threatened by them. Extermination is a sort of Bushesque pre-emptive doctrine. This ties in with their self-identification as survivors of a nuclear war. In that sort of social and technological environment you 'have' to adopt totalitarianism and genocide in order to protect your species.

Of course, the Dalek evolving after coming into contact with Rose touched on their genesis as survival - or 'travel' - machines in 'Genesis', and also on their search for the 'Human Factor' in 'Evil', and this was all good. However, it didn't quite ring true in the absence of the social context. The implication was that the Dalek in fact could not evolve - it was damned by its genetics, which is kind of interesting and poignant, but a bit morally suspect.

Other complaint: the Doctor's character. Of course, it was one of the well highlighted ironies of the episode that the Doctor 'would make a good Dalek', and again this is interesting and clever, but do we really want a hero who behaves like a Dalek? Are we happy with the Doctor being prepared to sacrifice his companion (and then try to blame it on someone else)? Are we happy with him being 'emotional' and torturing a creature vindictively, or committing genocide out of hatred and bitterness - oh, Tom, where are your two pieces of wire now? This petulant Doctor - who is becoming more and more like your mate's dysfunctional older brother - couldn't be more removed from McCoy's confronting the Black Dalek at the end of 'Remembrance', when he effectively reasons the Dalek to death - far more Doctoresque.

Having said that, Eccleston's portrayal of this dubious character is admittedly very good.

Finally, as someone who thinks 'Marco Polo' is arguably the best of all Doctor Who stories, I do hope we have another episode set in the past - even if it is a 'pseudo-historical'.