The Power Of The Daleks (1966) Review

"And so when I arrived on my second visit to Paris, I decided to visit the apothecary..."
"Okay, okay, we believe you're the Doctor, just shut up!"

The Power Of The Daleks boasts one of the best uses of the Daleks in Doctor Who history. As with most six-parters, it's a bit overlong, but that doesn't dampen the effectiveness of what happens.

The TARDIS lands on the planet Vulcan(someone check to see who did it first; both happened in 1966 anyway) where a human colony has just uncovered a capsule containing Daleks in stasis. The somewhat mindfrelled Doctor shows up and infilitrates the colony in the hopes of preventing the Daleks from exterminating everyone. The brilliant twist is that everyone believes the Daleks are their ser-VANTS!

Patrick Troughton is thoroughly refreshing as the Second Doctor with his younger spirit and wit. Unfortunately, he's still working out just how he's playing the character and as a result, mumbles quite a lot. I like the recorder.

Ben and Polly don't do much in the story besides get kidnapped(it's another one of those where the main crew just sit and watch). And alternatively take vacations.

It might be because it's a recon, but the number of guest stars is rather disorienting. The only memorable ones are Lesterson, who is a little OTT, but whose mental breakdown is genius. Then there's Braggen, the bad guy who looks like Peter Cushing(even in photo, he looks good). Janley, who's a lesser bad... erm, girl(someone help)? And finally, the governor who's name I've forgotten. All the others are just empty names.

Anyways, things worsen as the colony's leadership falls apart with Braggen's takeover and subsequent betrayal of the rebels and then the attacking Daleks... in the end, it's nothing but a bloodbath.

NOTES

*So if it was the Doctor's plan to overload the Daleks, what was the point of denying it? And if it wasn't his plan, why order all those guards to their death?

*The cliffhanger to Episode 2, where the Doctor's speech of how evil the Daleks are is constantly interrupted with their screams of: "I AM YOUR SER-VANT!" is brilliant.

*I loved the symbolism of the First Doctor's ring accidentally being dropped.

*Why does the Second Doctor refer to his previous self as "the Doctor" rather than "I"?

*How easy would it have been to make some lie up to justify ordering the Daleks to be melted down? The Doctor didn't have a chance just shouting: "But they're evil!"

*Why didn't the guards just lock Polly up instead of taking her to the Dalek capsule?

*How did the Doctor get the Dalek key or whatever it was to unlock the secret compartment in the capsule?

*Random references to past episodes begins with this story, with a mention of the Doctor's visit to China to meet Marco Polo.

*Also, the very first "EXTERMINATE!" fest.

CONCLUSION

An impressive Dalek story coupled with our new Doctor a good viewing makes.