002. "The Daleks" part 1

that last post for "An Unearthly Child" was a bit much for me. From here on out I'll probably post one episode at a time so that I don't get back-logged or have huge gaps in posting. I'm aiming for once a week if possible. So here's part one of the seven-part second serial, "The Daleks".

002. "The Daleks" Part 1: The Dead Planet (December 21, 1963)

Before diving in I want to point out that this episode contains a handful of flubbed lines. This isn't meant as a criticism, mind you, as each performer handles it like a pro. But some of these are, well, hilarious. At one point the Doctor refers to Ian Chesterton as Chesterfield, which I thought was an on point way of illustrating the Doctor's disinterest in poor old Ian. However, the next scene he's back to calling him Chesterton. Oh well. I choose to believe it was deliberate.

It's incredible what some people can do with 24 minutes. "The Dead Planet", part 1 of the seven-part serial "The Daleks", wastes no time getting underway despite a verbatim reiteration of the final moments of the previous episode: the Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara prepare to venture outside the TARDIS to explore their new location when the camera pushes in on the radiation meter, letting us know there is some danger that awaits them. But radiation poisoning doesn't seem to be a real issue here, which only plays into this episode when some members of the party start to get exhausted, namely the Doctor.

The second they step outside the TARDIS there is a filter effect to simulate an otherworldly feeling, but this fades after a few seconds.

And with good reason, as this episode will go on to exhibit some truly fabulous miniature set pieces and composite effects shots that are seamlessly integrated into the action.

The four wander around a dead forest filled with ash, sand, and trees petrified into stone. The mystery of the planet immediately makes the Doctor turnt. Science turnt. They venture further for more clues. Eventually they make their way to a cliff overlooking an incredible model city. The composite shot is breathtaking, or maybe I just have a thing for miniatures and models.

The Doctor's demand to go see the city is tempered by Ian and Barbara's new resolve to save the Doctor from himself, because if he dies then they're really fucked. But before they head back to the TARDIS they get a few more gorgeous panoramas:

But what makes these images so captivating is how they figure into the episode's magnificent visual storytelling. While there is a basic science fiction-y plot of a strange planet filled with bizarre looking flora and fauna, the entire expedition is in reality a smooth vehicle for some serious character work. Building on the contentious relationships established in the previous serial, we now get to see the four figures interact with each other in more intimate ways: Ian and Barbara resume the familiarity that opened the very first episode, Ian and the Doctor attempt to tolerate each other, and Barbara has a moment with Susan. They're all making peace with their new stranded reality. This isn't a typical "reset" where the new adventure simply stands alone, but rather it keeps moving forward, pushing the characters by showing how they adapt to new situations.

The slow pacing of this episode allows for some needed breathing room that builds up the characters, gives us nice whimsical moments, and fleshes out the TARDIS:

Ian and Barbara eat science food.

Even in the fourth dimension you can pick up scrambled porn.

Despite my complete admiration for this episode I do have one complaint. On the way back to the TARDIS Susan is touched by some off-screen stranger. We all see it. We know it happened. Terrified, she races back to the group to inform them, but in a classic Doctor move, he dismisses it as nonsense. Now, lest we forget, in "The Forrest of Fear", Barbara had a similar moment where she saw an off-screen beast and the Doctor flatly told her she was wrong. But the beast was real and almost killed them. After that you'd think the Doctor would start taking these claims more seriously. I get this rejection helps build suspense, but it also seems like an inherent contradiction on the part of the Doctor. Remember his whole racist crack about the simplicity of the Red Indian? That whole comment was predicated upon the Doctor's irritation that Ian and Barbara don't believe anything that they can't see for themselves. But the Doctor refuses to believe anything that a woman says. I guess it's a legitimate character flaw and not a plot hole.

"You're a woman. Would you mind talking some sense into Susan?"

What's more, is when they return to the TARDIS they find a metal case containing some capsules. No one says anything, you know, like "oh wow Susan you're not full of shit. Clearly we're not alone on this planet that we literally know nothing about."

Anyway, when the team tries to leave the planet some part malfunctions and becomes a straight up mcguffin to get the four back outside of the TARDIS. But everything in this show pulls double-duty and this moment, more than mere techno-babble, provides some further humanizing of the Doctor by showing that he's a bit of a schyster: clearly he manufactured the problem just so he could explore the space city. Take that Ian.

 "Craned it. I guess we'll have to take the Jag."

This brings them back to that gorgeous miniature set piece:

Have you ever just stood and stared at it? Marveled at its beauty?

Once at the city Ian has the ingenious plan that they all split up to look for mercury (the substance needed to refill the empty part). Apparently on other planets that shit is just laying around. They do some exploring, but we only follow Barbara who slowly gets lost in a German expressionist nightmare.

We cut back to the group reconvening, wondering about Barbara. Again we get to see the Doctor as a frail humanoid, weak and exhausted.

"No one cares that you own an iWatch, Ian."

In a brilliantly tense sequence of parallel editing we cut back to Barbara, who's becoming increasingly panicked as it slowly dawns on her that she is being trapped. This tension was carefully built through emphasizing only Barbara's excursion; no need to waste time seeing what the other three looked at.

The episode ends with a wonderfully composed shot evocative of Michael Powell's masterpiece, Peeping Tom (1960). Which is also, for those who care, the first (partial) appearance of the iconic Daleks.

Daleks love a good snuff film.

By the end this proves another brilliant opener to a serial. It's the balance that the writers and director achieve that make it such good television. The fantastical elements are anchored by characters that are just mysterious enough to keep us hooked. No one here is merely a cipher; a stand-in for some point of view. Well, actually they probably are, but they're so well paced and written that they appear to be good characters first, plot devices second. This episode moves from breathing room to swiftly percolating tension without once stumbling along the way. I can't wait to finally meet the Daleks everyone keeps going on about.