Dalek

From the moment where Christopher Ecclestone gives his “Earth Spinning” speech in 'Rose', I fell in love with this new series. After the very enjoyable Aliens of LondonWorld War Three, 'Dalek' redefines one of Doctor Who's great enemies for a 21st Century mainstream audience.

Firstly, thank you thank you thank you to RTD and Rob Shearman for inserting a reference to the Cyberman (my number-one favourite Doctor Who villain). It clearly shows that this series is deeply respectful of its history. There are so many elements that come together to make this episode an absolute classic. The first, is the apparently out-of-character motivations of the protaganists. We've always held the Doctor to be a paragon of virtue, a hero that we can all look up to. But like Picard in Star Trek: First Contact, his seething raging, almost racially-motivated-but-justified hatred of the Daleks is electrifying to see. But the most shocking element of this episode is the Dalek itself. Even as a child, I've never taken the Daleks all that seriously as deadly adversaries, even after they were able to climb stairs.

Until now.

Every single element that made the Daleks a laughing stock has been given a horrifying new function. Each new sequence demonstrating the Dalek's abilities was nothing short of stupendous. The use of the sucker arm, the swivelling torso. But the one moment that truly made me fear the Daleks for the very first time in my life, was the Dalek's malevolent use of the sprinkler system. This wasn't just a green blob in polybonded carbonate armour, but a cold-blooded killing machine that should be feared by every sentient being in the universe.

Those elements alone would've made this episode memorable. But what elevated this episode to a classic was Rob Shearman's brilliant characterisation of the Dalek, brought to life by Nicholas Brigg's powerful voicework. During the suspenseful moment when the Dalek is threatening to kill Van Straten, I found myself (much to my surprise) cheering it on. When the Dalek chooses to exterminate itself, I was almost close to tears. Will wonders never cease?

And we at last learn who the two main protaganists were during the last great Time War. It's also increasingly clear that the Doctor had a great hand in ending this conflict, but at the expense of his own people. Each episode of this new series thus far has dealt with the consequences of the Doctor's fateful decision. The Autons invade Earth because their protein planets were destroyed during the war. Jabe discovers the last of the Time Lords, and pays for that revelation with her life. The Gelth lose their corporeal bodies, and as a result invade Earth. The Slitheen take advantage of an economic slump after the end of the Time War, to sell the planet for radioactive waste. And the Dalek falls through time, to become the last of his race.

In summary, this episode is one of the most stupendous redefining moment in Doctor Who's illustrious history. After watching the rather-good-but-remade-for-Americans Hitchhikers Guide, it's a huge relief to see a series that manages to update an old classic for a new audience. Not only does it force us to revaluate an old foe, it will cement this current series place in the international psyche. A true, genuine, honest-to-god classic that ranks as one of the single greatest moments of televison ever produced. In my heart of hearts, I do not believe that this episode will ever be topped. Of course, RTD and co. will probably prove me wrong.

Doctor Who is back. And it's better than ever.