The Evil Of The Daleks (1967) Review

"Alright, Doc, get to work! I want that Human Factor on my desk at 3 PM, pronto!"

The Evil Of The Daleks is one of the best Dalek stories I have ever seen. The variety of awesomeness keeps it constantly fresh and exciting, the characters are complex and it's got an epic feel to it.

PLOT

The Doctor and Jamie are kidnapped by the Daleks to Victorian ages via a mirror-based time machine so that they can create indomitable Human Daleks(Davros is hitting his head against the wall). Eventually, it turns out that the Doctor's experiment has allowed them to discover the Dalek factor instead. However, the Doctor's machinations lead to an army of Human Daleks who wreak havoc on Skaro.

CHARACTERS

Patrick Troughton gets to display the Second Doctor's intelligence in constantly making multilayered schemes against the Daleks. This leads Jamie to distrust him and at one point, threaten to leave. It's Steven all over again.
In fact, much of the story has the Doctor apparently work together with the Daleks(a historical sight) to isolate the Human Factor from Jamie.

Edward Waterfield is a cowardly, but well-meaning character who hates his new "obey the Daleks!" job and merely does it out of a genuine love towards his daughter, Victoria. Ultimately, he dies saving the Doctor during the Skaro carnage.

Maxtible at first appears to be an Albus Dumbledore-esque guy, but soon is revealed to be in complete cahoots with the Daleks to obtain the secret of the Philosopher's Stone and lies and manipulates everyone he meets to his own ends. A wonderfully gentle performance that transforms into an evil Ebenezer Scrooge-like one.

Victoria Waterfield, the new companion is unimpressive. She's just a damsel in distress. Heck, the quiet, but wonderfully communicative and sweet Kemel would've been a much better companion(but no, he gets completely randomly killed off).

And then there are the Daleks themselves. They are one of the most menacing pepperpots ever in this story. At any time the characters try to talk, they scream "silence!", immediately commanding your attention and keeping the characters on their toes(try and talk with these guys, 11). At one memorable point, they threaten to force feed Victoria. Creepy stuff.
And the human Daleks even manage to be complex. If this story were written nowadays, the human Daleks would be a show off of everything we do good. But the human Daleks here do kill and get blown up. Humans are not immune to evil and these are still Daleks, after all(although incredibly cute ones). I love the Doctor's interactions with them and how they kinda act like his kids. "Dizzy Daleks! Dizzy Daleks!"

NOTES

*The Doctor's recorder makes a triumphant reappearance. He concentrates by playing a slightly somber tune in a cell.

*How did the radiation on Skaro not affect the Doctor and co?

*This is the first story since The Massacre Of St. Bartholomew's Eve to feature the Doctor traveling with only one companion.

*Why does the Dalek factor only work on humans?

*All the best Dalek stories seem to include the Dalek Emperor. Well, except maybe Remembrance.

*How did the TARDIS get outside the Emperor's room?

*Why didn't the Daleks just exterminate the Human Daleks? And if they did, how did the Daleks start questioning orders before they became Human Daleks?

*Considering that humanity has always defeated the Daleks, why does the Doctor not hypothesise that the Human Factor will do the same during his work?

*Why does the Doctor think this is the Daleks' final end when that happens in The Daleks? Is the lone Dalek at the end suppose to signify that they will never leave their city again? If that's so, it ties up their story arc neatly, though still goes against some dialogue from the first story.

*And it also finally explains the Dalek history. Leaving aside the Thals' POV, the Daleks developed space travel, became conquerors of time and space and that's when all their classic stories take place in. Then this happens and that leads into their first story where they die. All that is changed in the Time War of course. But ignoring the Thals, it works!

*How did the Doctor and Jamie move the cabinet time machine if it was merely a door to a giant room with mirrors? If it was a Dalek time machine, when and how did it get a Chameleon circuit? If it was Maxtible's, how did it become bigger on the inside?

*Why doesn't Maxtible just go forwards in time until he finds his alchemy secret?

*What was the point of Terrell in the story? His entire existence seems to be mere padding.

*The Emperor Dalek is very impressive. But how does the Doctor know of its existence?

*How do the Daleks know of Jamie? They never meet in any other story.

*How did the Daleks know exactly when and where the Doctor was going to be?

*If this really is a prequel to their first story(like the First Doctor suggested all other Dalek stories were) how did the Daleks forget the Doctor?

*Who else wants an "Alpha, Beta, Omega" spin-off?

*Why Omega and not Gamma?

*Patrick Troughton as a Dalek was brilliant.

*I might be mistaken, but Skaro's background sounds were from the first story. I like that. It's a shame they didn't reuse the door opening sounds that they snuck into, like three other stories, at least one of them from the Troughton era.

*David Whittaker's my favourite Classic Who writer at the moment.

BEST LINE

"We will obey, but not without questioning!"

CONCLUSION

A simply fantastic outing from nearly everyone involved. The Daleks at their finest and the best Classic season finale yet. Onto the thankfully much more existent Season 5.