April 19/2010 :: Doctor Who 5x03

Day 87
Mood: School started again...how do you think I feel?
Weather: It's spring baby!
Quote of the Episode: "KBO: Keep Buggering On"

So, Doctor Who episode 3 from season 5. "Victory of the Daleks" was its name and that means we saw the return of the Doctor's long standing foe...the Daleks.

Ye be warned that spoilers be following.


I enjoyed the pacing of this episode. Having the Daleks working for humans was so unsettling for me so it was nice that it didn't take long for their true plans to be revealed. I don't like games and I wasn't too fond to see them pretending to be something they're not.

The setting was WWII England, a setting we've seen before in the first season with Doctor 9 and Rose Tyler. However they were viewing it through the eyes of the poor abandoned children during the Blitz and here we're focusing on the War Cabinet during the same time period. I saw the barrage balloons and couldn't help envisioning Rose hanging off of one and having good ol' Captain Jack come and save her.

Having the Doctor on their ship was also fun. That jammy dodger trick had me very, very amused. The Doctor threatened the Daleks with a self-destruct button but he was truly waving about a biscuit...the Daleks weren't the wiser for quite some time.

In this episode new Daleks were revealed, a great hail back to the original Daleks from the classic series. Boxy, smaller knobs and bright colours. Never thought I'd see a bright yellow Dalek. Not the most menacing you'd think...but a Dalek can pull anything off. They're just that intimidating.

Taste the rainbow!

The final twist of the episode sent me with chills though. Amy should know who the Daleks are. They've invaded the Earth on two other occasions in the series. They were there at Canary Warf...though I admit maybe they didn't get up to her little town. But in series four they stole the entire Earth. Everyone saw them. Everyone knew that they were there. But Amy doesn't remember...

Why?

I suppose we'll find out.

A few new characters this episode. First we had Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister. He had quite the chin I have to admit but he was fun. He had quite the personality but he was a tad pushy. I understood it though. He wants to win the war with the Nazis desperately. I can understand that feeling when things feel so desperate.


My favourite character of the episode was the scientist, Bracewell, who believed he had invented the Daleks. Turns out he was an android who had been created by them. The dynamics of his performance were riveting. Imagine finding out your whole life is a lie? Though in the end we found that his life was not a lie, that this was merely a hiccup and he shouldn't doubt his own human existence. It was very touching.

Bracewell on the left.

As usual there were parts of the episode that confused me and took away from the overall experience. First of all I want to know how the three original Daleks survived after the events of the Doctor/Donna at the end of series 4. The Doctor clone destroyed all of them, dissolved the entire fleet. How did 3 escape that? It wasn't explained. I know for convenience sake we must continue to revive the Daleks but still...I'm disappointed.

The next issue I have is with character development. I adore the character of Amy Pond, absolutely adore her resourcefulness and her innovations. She's quite the little genius. I know that, as the companion, she provides the human side to the equation and is supposed to pick up on human emotions better than the Doctor. But this is the second time in a row that the Doctor has utterly failed in realizing something and it ends up being Amy saving the day.

In the last episode she was the one to realize the Star Whale had volunteered to save the Starship UK. In this episode she realized the proper way to convince Bracewell of his own humanity.

It's not that I have a problem with the companion being the hero. I love it when it happens. I love having Martha save the Doctor in 42 or having Rose fly in to save the Doctor in the Pilot. I love those moments but they shouldn't be the norm...they should be the deviation, the one every so often. It makes me wonder if this Doctor can actually handle himself at all. That's twice now that he's failed to be the hero...

And he should be the hero.


Let's hope that, when the Stone Angels return, he has the heroic moment I'm waiting for.

But overall a strong episode with lots of enjoyable moments.

:: Julianne ::