Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks - REVIEW - Dalekcember

[@MrTARDIS]

"Ex ex ex ex ex ex ex ex....Ex...ter...minate!" Happy 56th Birthday, Daleks! Be sure to celebrate by liking, commenting and sharing this video to appease the almighty algorithm!!

[@DalekTheSupreme]

I'm wondering if Rory's and especially Amy's behavior in this episode wasn't the result of the Great Intelligence invading the Doctor's timeline and "poisoning every friendship", because the behavior depicted in this episode feels wrong even for Amy.

[@fattestboyslimmer2403]

@@DalekTheSupreme yeah good idea

[@fattestboyslimmer2403]

Happy 56! Also brilliant review !

[@fattestboyslimmer2403]

Be a good boy be a good boy be good dalek! This was a hilarious review brilliant!

[@fattestboyslimmer2403]

Wait she says spyradon like the 7th dr .

[@crimsondynamo615]

Imagine an alternate story, Asylum of the Cybermen. Like those that couldn’t be fully converted either due to lack of resources or they couldn’t properly have their emotions erased. You could have real body horror of different models of Cybermen and the bodies inside are shown to add some real unnerving imagery.

[@crimsondynamo615]

Jack Brennan imagine if we managed to get a Cyberman companion out of it, like how 8 had Kroton and 11 would later get Handles

[@frogoat]

Yes! This would make for a brilliant Cyber-story.

[@derangedtangerine4731]

you literally just described an idea for an episode I thought of ages ago

[@crimsondynamo615]

@@derangedtangerine4731 great minds think a lot

[@tTaseric]

Cybermen are also the most likely to even *have* a Parliament. Daleks are pretty one-minded, and during the rare times where there is inner conflict, they just shoot it out. Cybermen are logical, I do not feel like they would just fight other Cybermen because of a conflicting viewpoint. The Parliament could be designed to help solve treaties between the various factions of Cybermen, perhaps we could finally see how the Parallel and Telosian Cybermen merge into the Cyberiad

[@nightowl8477]

20:27 - Use of the phrase "Doctor Who?" In the show Doctor Who: Classic Era - 15 Davies Era - 5 Moffatt Era - 43

[@defrostedrobot77]

I mean in fairness Doctor Who? was technically connected to a plot arc and it was around the time of the 50th anniversary (and the numbers are gonna be higher because the bits in question had it repeated for the sake of emphasis).

[@nightowl8477]

@@defrostedrobot77 - honestly, the use of the phrase as a story arc is much worse than a cheap one liner. If anything, I think I should add another 10 points on just for it haha

[@mahfuzurchowdhury2765]

Wait, are those official figures? That can't be right, can it?

[@britanimations2002]

Bloody hell, how many times has it been said so far in Chibby's era so far? Don't think it's actually been said at all

[@nifralo2752]

@@hothemeep1219 well hes doing something right at last

[@Drengade]

"Because you just kill them!" *Such failure is a resource, there is much that can be learned from observing the mistakes.* "So it's not a prison. It's a Zoo! Your own past, paraded around as a joke." *Not a joke! A lesson! We observe to learn from our failures. But such volatile components make any experiment dangerous!* "What do you mean?" *The Asylum contains the broken and malfunctioning, but it also contains the insane, the egotistical and the outspoken. Yet now it is cracking! You will save the Daleks, Doctor! For you have observed that one Dalek can start a whole empire! What happens when the Asylum cracks, and those even we considered too unpredictable scatter across time and space?* There you go. Quick draft, but in my opinion, better.

[@tomimpala]

You should write dr who

[@DomoftheDoctor]

Tell you what, you should put yourself forward for the inevitable Target book. Just remember to make the divorce subplot plausible and remove the domestic violence.

[@TheWeepingDalek]

Or the insane daleks are not prisoners. But seeking sanctuary. They are on the planet to escape the empire. (not parliament}

[@nickthepick8043]

I dig it. You got my vote, chief!

[@redjirachi1]

Good fix. Also, I want to say this but if the Asylum inmates are considered insane by the regular Daleks shouldn't they mean they have...more human traits? We know that Daleks are so xenophobic that one of them would rather die than feel compassion. It feels the inmates would behavior in irregular, worryingly human ways. It's like how Dalek Caan was driven insane by seeing time, but a side-effect was realizing that the Daleks are evil. Which is completely normal for everyone else, but to a Dalek that's madness

[@Squid1562]

Have you heard of the tragedy of Asylum of the Daleks? It’s not a story the Whovians would have told you. Asylum is Dalek story that wanted to be the ultimate fan service, but is now hated and despised. It’s ironic, it wanted to be the best but became the worst in the process

[@defrostedrobot77]

It's level of hatred seems more closer to The Last Jedi where some people like it and some people really hate it. It's not necessarily a definitive majority.

[@scaleproductions711]

Is it possible to learn this level of failed fanservice?

[@BH-98]

Scale Productions not from a writing course

[@britanimations2002]

Best comment I have seen all day

[@nifralo2752]

Its no were near the worst its not even thd top 20 worst when you have Revenge of the Cybermen Orphan 55 the idiots lantern the two doctors the doctors daughter delta and the bannermen ect ect

[@edwardreed67]

Wait, surely this story would of worked Better if it were dealing with the Cybermen? It would make sense that the Cybermen would lock up their insane, because they want them to survive. Also, just for shits and giggles, if we are going with this Dalek plot, how cool would it be if Rory had an Insane Dalek friend whose the Special weapons Daleks. And every time Rory tries to talk to it, it just stares at it blankly whilst not saying anything.

[@TheMorlun]

Yeah, no. This plot works with none of classic Who villains. And why they would want insane to survive. Insane Cybermen would prove Cybermen failed at their core concept.

[@edwardreed67]

Oberon-V as in, the Cybermen are all about surviving, they would never kill another of their own race, so, in a demented turn of events, to try and fix the “patients” that have been converted, they set up the asylum for that purpose. I understand it’s not necessarily what the 80s Cybermen would do, but it’s more of a 60s/ world enough and time thing.

[@tomimpala]

"Asylum of the Cybermen", I like it! They have way more incentive to keep faulty cybermen living, you're right! And plus their malfunctions can be that their emotions are coming out, and you could have a really cool metaphor for how human beings treat mental health irregularities through what the cybermen do and how the doctor responds to that.

[@ItsButterBean1020]

You could easily have this be what the Cybermen do with rogues Also the Special Weapons Dalek sounds fun as hell

[@lewiskazinsky7334]

@@edwardreed67 “In a demented turn of events.” That’s what the Cybermen really boil down to, a twisted form of altruism that is unfathomable to anything with a conscience, something that was discussed at length in The Tenth Planet. It sounds like your pitch would bring the Cybermen back to their roots as deranged survivalists instead of robotic henchmen. You definitely understand them much better than recent writers.

[@LaurenceGill2000]

The Amy-Rory break up subplot still confuses me to this day. I still don't get why Amy didn't just say to Rory that she couldn't have kids? Like why is she only telling him after they divorced..?

[@MidnightChimey]

I guess they were just too busy taking cheap shots at each other to actually talk about their problems. It totally undermines everything in their relationship up until this point

[@HarbingerOfBattle]

Head Canon! It’s not really Amy and Roary, but versions from an alternate universe where everyone is stupid!

[@britishnerd3919]

"What have they been doing for a whole year?" Dude. They have a Parliament now. They needed to debate first.

[@tomimpala]

Rory was so great. He should have been the main companion imo.

[@josiahcmiller]

Why does Oswins voice not sound like a Dalek when the Doctor is traveling through the asylum? I’m never gonna let this go.!

[@Shades14]

My brother pointed that out when I was watching it. And how on Earth did the Daleks hear the Habanera? Was she somehow broadcasting her mind?

[@Splain]

Am I the only who feels this episode would have been better suited for the cybermen? 😋

[@DalekTheSupreme]

I feel like this episode would have been better suited to further rewrites.

[@britanimations2002]

Well can't really see it working for them, since they to have no fear and wouldn't get the Doctor involved at all. Really it just needed rewrites

[@TheNathanX100]

Darkduck No you aren’t, and you know you aren’t.

[@TheWeepingDalek]

Here's a simple rewrite. The asylum isn't were the empire (not parliament) hind mental daleks. Its were mental daleks go to hide from the empire. Because they are seen as impure so the emperor (not prime minister) wants them destroyed. That explains why the shield can only be turned off on the planet. Its not there to keep mental daleks in. But to keep sane daleks out. That daleks need the doctor because only the tardis can break the through the shield. They keep Amy and Rory hostage on the ship so the doctor complys with them. He is then escorted down by a few guard daleks. But the doctor wants to go down because he is curious of who this woman is stuck on the daleks asylum planet. And daleks have been known to convert humans before (bad wolf parting of the ways).

[@crimsondynamo615]

Yup

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

The thing that killed this episode for me was the whole debacle over Amy and Rory's relationship. Especially since it was broadcast around the time my parents themselves divorced.

well that's sad

[@stuff31]

Yeah, this episode really oversimplifies the whole ordeal and makes it seem like all their problems can be worked out with a nice chat, when irl the two people have probably already tried that and it hasn't worked, and there's no easy way to fix what's been broken.

[@gregorjamesfergusarnott1024]

I read on TV Tropes that apparently that one Dalek that was randomly spinning was supposed to be one from "The Daleks" where they tested the drugs. I also like to think that the Exxilon Dalek in the Asylum was the one that self destructed after losing Sarah Jane in Death To The Daleks.

[@Eddo15878]

Cool

[@NitroIndigo]

Nitpick: Skaro was seen in the opening of the TV Movie.

[@ItsButterBean1020]

And it was remade in the EU

[@britanimations2002]

Ah yes but you see in the TV Movie the Master went back in time to Skaro which is why we were able to see it

[@SGK1206]

Great review. You are honestly my favourite Doctor Who youtuber. One point I would like to add about the terrible "divorse" subplot. Amy treating Rory like shit for no reason is nothing new. She's done this since series 5. And this whole out of nowhere "divorce" as well as the domestic abuse just continues to paint Amy as a completely unlikable character.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

I was really pissed off back in 2012 when they bearly shown the Daleks from the classic series.

[@kiarash608]

Asylum? Let me grab my popcorn. I've waited the whole month for Mr.Tardis to exterminate this again

[@ontos8914]

The idea that the Daleks have a parliament is such a stupid idea when it’s completely out of character for them, its a very cool visual though

[@WSDigitalArtwork]

I never understood why it had to be a human converted into a dalek when it could’ve just been a dalek so insane it thought it was human

[@calumbishop7082]

In fairness they established in the 6th Doctor era that they were willing to convert other beings into Daleks if necessary.

[@defrostedrobot77]

That's a neat idea but given the story arc of S7 if we were gonna have Oswin/Jenna (Louise) Coleman in it it kind of had to be this way.

[@Trev359]

The point was that is was one of the versions of Clara, who was there to help the Doctor. It was part of the mystery of her being the impossible girl and why the Doctor couldn't understand why she died twice. It was part of that season's story arc.

[@Jordan3DS]

Agreed, I thought that was the direction it was going in. They set up an entire asylum planet for insane Daleks... only to not take advantage of that premise for the twist.

[@tTaseric]

6:45 Based on a recent Chris Chibnall interview in a con, someone asked if the story or title of 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship' came first. Chibnall replied that Moffat told him "Go make an episode about dinosaurs on a spaceship" (or something along those lines). So it seems you weren't far off, and it definitely wouldn't surprise me if the same was true for Asylum and Angels.

[@TyrannoNoddy]

- To be fair the Dalek Parliament was a Russel T Davies idea - Didn't earlier stories have Dalek-human conversion tho? But yeah... this story sucks, especially the Amy and Rory is stuff.

[@jplegend98]

Yeah they can convert certain other species of they are desperate due to the dalek factor. But it's a last resort.

[@tTaseric]

Doing my semi-yearly rewatch of Dalekcember, and I think I've found the absolute worst part of this episode. Why does the Doctor even do what the Daleks say? For the story to work, we must assume the forcefield gives complete immunity from the Dalek fleet, so why didn't he use this opportunity to perhaps treat these Daleks and at least try and teach them the errors of their ways, or even just turn them against their Dalek captors. The Daleks (fascist allegories) want to commit genocide against the disabled. They ask the Doctor nicely to help them do this... and he just agrees? The story ends with the Daleks succeeding in their plan, not knowing the cost of it, and the Doctor just calls it a day and the heroic music starts blaring. Does he take advantage of this to destroy the Dalek fleet? perhaps even investigate further into the pathweb? No. He doesn't. On the Asylum, the Daleks' fear and hatred of these 'insane' Daleks is constantly justified and validated. The ones with PTSD are treated like animals that need to be caged up. I see what they're going for, they are Daleks after all, but the story doesn't even view it with any sort of critical viewpoint. It just says, "The fascists were right to build their prison camp and we should help them blow it and all the people inside up because the prisoners are evil too" What were they possibly thinking when writing any of this?

[@robotx9285]

I wouldn't be surpised if Asylum was a first draft, the entire story is half baked, an absolute themeatic mess that doesn’t work as a booknote to series 6, a sequel to Victory of The Daleks, nor as an anniversary espisode for the daleks as a whole.

[@ropecrewman36]

This might be one of my absolute favorite openings to an episode. My jaw legitimately dropped when the Daleks said "save us." Pity the rest of the story didn't deliver.

[@blueThumbnail]

If the Daleks have a parliament, do they use first past the post voting and that's why they're so fascist?

[@FatSnorlax]

Brilliantly underrated comment.

[@SunniestAutumn]

Moffat really said: "Kinkster rights!" with Clara, didn't he

[@DalekTheSupreme]

Even as someone who loves the Eleventh Doctor's run and has enjoyed Steven Moffat's writing... that line about Oswin's "phase" is disgusting and even in 2012 Moffat should have known better.

[@alexthemtaandr211weatherfa2]

What

[@Lia-uf1ir]

Forgive me for sounding dumb, but what kinks or fetishes are we referring to that Moffat reveals through writing?

[@SirDanFilmsUnltd]

@@Lia-uf1ir Donny mommies, slapping and super short skirts seem to be high up on his list, judging by his work. Not that there’s anything wrong with those kinks, of course - it’s just noticeable when they keep popping up.

[@stuff31]

​@@Lia-uf1irbeing dommed by strong women, mainly. He also seems to like women with long legs in short skirts as well.

[@Nasser851000]

*Watching another review for asylum of the daleks* Well, here we go again...

[@tombrearley-smith5777]

“Ah shit, here we go again.” - Carl “CJ” Johnson

[@ClaireWritesSometimes]

To Moffat: When you are desperate to create a myth arc but just make it up as you go along instead of plotting it out in advance

[@rtex2020]

This may have been the first review of yours that I saw (not the Dalekcember, but the original review). It really helped me understand why I never felt that excited about the episode. Really learned to appreciate your in-depth look at stuff. Thanks for this review!

[@theshinystunfisk3179]

Great videos, amazing quality and really well done. I’ve been binging all of your Dalek videos and I’ve been really enjoying them. Keep up the good work!

[@matthewduncan8523]

I’m still convinced this was a cyberman story where every time cyberman was in it they just changed the word to dalek and started recording

[@hothemeep1219]

Hmm...no Asylum just can't work with the cybermen

[@somebodysomeone8685]

How they could have fixed the plot : Have the Dalek Asylum be a place where they put Daleks whose memories contain information too strategically important for them to be destroyed.

[@jampox101]

I’m so glad that somebody actually understands that women slapping or assaulting men for comedic purposes isn’t funny! It’s never funny full stop, whether it’s a man or woman getting hit.

[@thedeadlydoctorsthief3695]

All I have to say is I'm not the only person left who watches red dwarf

[@Trev359]

I think there are a lot of us who still watch it.

[@britanimations2002]

Why wouldn't anyone keep watching it? Because it's amazing

[@crimsondynamo615]

I cannot believe it! I simply cannot b-

[@DeBanked]

Theres 3 of you now, congrats

[@nigeldepledge3790]

OK, so the premise is more full of holes than a very holey thing; the story ignores canon, continuity and logic; the characterisation is awful; and the dialogue is rather contrived in places. But the lighting and camera work are mostly very good . . . and Jenna Coleman as Oswin is kinda cute.

[@Flipface4]

You know? As a kid I really like this episode.... Because all I remembered was the Rory moment and the Oswin reveal. I'm watching this review and thinking "what the hell? How did I like this??"

[@Eddo15878]

I personally think asylum of the daleks isn’t canon. it adds nothing to the lore, nothings resolved and it’s all reversed the next time we see the daleks. We never see the asylum again

[@defrostedrobot77]

I would make the argument that the reason Daleks have killed other Daleks in the past is because they were impure or incompetent. Neither technically applies here but I guess it's enough of a stretch. The Daleks have tried to kill The Doctor yes, but the way the question is answered implies that SUBCONCIOUSLY they couldn't bother to go through with it. And either way it's more of a means to mess with The Doctor anyway. What have the Daleks been doing in a year? I dunno? Literally anything? Lot of stuff can get backlogged (especially when time travel is involved). It's not like the Doctor hasn't put stuff off in the past. I think on Amy's part her reasoning is that she herself feels like Rory deserves to have a chance to have some biological kids like he wanted (while they are cool with River it's not necessarily gonna be the same) and her own insecurity over the issue may have clouded her judgement and made some questionable decisions. It's admittedly something they probably could have had a conversation about but it's not too unbelievable that their own stubbornness or personal issues would get in the way of that. I'm willing to agree that the subplot has got some issues but I don't think it's completely unworkable. Human conversion is something that's been shown in the likes of Revelation of the Daleks and to some other extents in Parting of the Ways so I don't really see it as that out of left field, especially if we have a bunch of unstable Daleks up to it. I don't think wiping The Doctor from the mind of the Daleks is necessarily a cure for metal instability and trauma. As much as you went into this review lambasting Moffat for indirectly making light of domestic abuse or sexuality that's not necessarily great either. Within this episode it's doubtful that would be a long term solution (especially given the Daleks will eventually get memories of the Doctor back).

[@Eddo15878]

I forgot this was a dalek story when the divorce subplot was introduced

[@Thomas_of_the_forest]

As Count Dooku would say, "I've been looking forward to this..."

[@BH-98]

Thomas Quill “my reviewing powers have doubled since the last time we met Moffat”

[@alexpotts6520]

So, I feel like I'm much closer to the guys who gave this episode a Hugo award than the majority of opinion down here. This is a fun episode with some great set pieces. The divorce subplot is the bigger issue with me. It fits very thematically within the episode, but isn't so great in the context of Amy and Rory's character arcs. (Which is typical of Moffat, he is better at telling stories which last 45 minutes than the more serialized narratives in the show.) I don't think it is enough to ruin the episode, though. And I like the fact that, for once, the Doctor's intervention saves their marriage, rather than him getting in the way (without even wanting to) as he has pretty much constantly for the last two seasons.

[@nightowl8477]

14:25 did they raise River? In The Wedding of River Song, Amy says to forgetavle evil eyepatch lady "you took my baby from me," "and hurt her. And now she's all grown up and she's fine. But I'll never see my baby again." Tbf, the River timeline is so complicated, I wouldn't be surprised if Steven accidentally wrote in a line about Rory and Amy raising River at some point.

[@defrostedrobot77]

I think it's worth keeping in mind that the line "you got to raise me after all" is from River (or Mels) herself so there might be a bit of skewed perspective there. Moffat has apparently admitted that he does feel he dropped the ball a bit when it came to the fallout of Amy/Rory having their baby stolen for what that's worth. Though I get that the whole situation would be weird in the first place since Amy wasn't even aware she was pregnant for sure until around the time River was born due to the whole Ganger thing.

[@defrostedrobot77]

@ I couldn't give you specifics I'm afraid. You might be able to Google it.

[@dodobirdfisher4697]

Come to think of it, wouldn’t it make a lot more sense if the insane Daleks were the Paradigm Daleks? Or perhaps the insane Daleks would be the old bronze ones and the Parliament would be the Paradigms? Either way would make a lot more sense and would actually fit into the continuity.

[@tomimpala]

15:47 I mean let's be fair, there's a difference between "domestic violence" and the more familiar, broader kind of physicality between types of couples. Like to immediately jump to "this is domestic abuse" really cheapens what it actually is. Yes, it's humour from maybe a bygone era of "the wife gets fed up with the husband and slaps him on the arm with one of her slippers", but please don't take that and make it into "domestic abuse". The Doctor and Rory aren't lying to their friends about where they got their black eyes from, this actually really upsets me that you would be so glib and flippant about something so serious. I get your intent, but sometimes people's sensitivity for these issues makes the discussion a thousand times worse, more complicated, and strawmanned than it needs to be. Just be careful, is all I'm saying. You're also ignoring this was probably Moffat carrying over the "The Doctor says something that could be an innuendo about someone's daughter and gets slapped by the mum" gag. Again, Moffat doesn't stick the landing here, but jumping to call comedic misfires like this examples of domestic abuse? It's offensively glib for something so serious.

[@ftumschk]

Agreed, and a cheeky old lady (June Whitfield) pinching David Tennant's arse isn't abuse either.

[@FerretLG1]

So then it’s comedy when it’s women on men. Would it be the same if we saw Rory giving Amy a slap?

[@meropetied]

Interesting points, but yeah, that wasn't spousal abuse.

[@tomimpala]

@@FerretLG1 Mate, I never said that.

[@tomimpala]

@@FerretLG1 And you're missing the point of the comment.

[@TheMoonHut]

Amazing how this episode manages to feel misogynistic and misandristic at the same time. I really remember this episode being better, kind of a disappointment to come back to it expecting an engaging twisty story only to find something that falls apart narratively at the slightest prodding

[@leejones8582]

It is amazing how exhausted Rory and Amy became in 2 years

[@katecastreviews4639]

I'm not the biggest fan of this episode, but I actually really liked the idea of the Daleks memories of the Doctor being erased. You make a good point in how it hurts this particular story, but this is such a big deal that could have had interesting stories behind it. And i was immensely disappointed when they were back to normal with their memories in Time of the Doctor, because i was really looking forward to where this was gonna go. I feel like there was a plan, but due to how Season 7 was broken up to fill up two years instead of one, that when Moffat wrote this ending, he thought he'd have Matt Smith for a season longer then he did, and had other plans before Time of the Doctor came. But that's just a theory. Also part of me feels like Into the Dalek was a remnant of this idea of a Dalek not knowing the Doctor, but that's for next time.

[@jonathanwebster7091]

As regards “why would the Daleks have a parliament”…you must remember, most, if not all, fascist regimes keep around a rubber-stamp parliament (with no power), for example, Nazi Germany still had the Reichstag (stripped off all its power, stuffed full of Nazi functionaries, and was joked about by the German public as the "teuerste Gesangsverein Deutschlands" (the most expensive singing club in Germany) due to frequent singing of the national anthem during sessions. Other similar regimes, like Mussolini’s Italy, and Franco’s Spain; also had similar rubber-stamp parliaments. So the Daleks having one actually makes more sense, not less; if we take them as the Nazi allegory they are (and were always intended to be).

[@robotx9285]

Im gonns assume the Paradigm Daleks simply created the Parliament inorder to not be exterminated for their failures. Why esle would the Daleks need such a goverment?

[@mediakira6621]

I woukd have changed the divorce reason to be that Amy keeps waiting for the Doctor and Rory just wants to move on

[@bbsj86]

Immediately makes the characterisation make much more sense

[@mediakira6621]

@@bbsj86 exactly.like expand on Rory and the Doctor after he made Rory choose which Amy to save in “girl who waited”. Imagine if Rory revealed the doctor was willing to let a Amy die and Amy threw him out in disbelief.

[@sethstrattan7380]

That is also a great idea I would also have it be a small d plot slowly threading into Angels take Manhattan.

[@tomimpala]

I forgot how bored Moffat is of human drama vs rtd who lives in it. I love em both, but RTD does feel more adult for that. Moffat has a tendency to strip things down to parody, sketch comedy level, a bit like Rian Johnson really, where he takes the cliches of things and makes them into a comedic commentary of themselves.

[@russelltietjen4407]

I thought that cough was leading somewhere... I guess it's thematic with Moffat stories drawing attention to things, making you think that they're going to go somewhere, only to either open the Mystery Box to find it empty or forgetting there was a box in the first place. Oh, so clever!

[@derangedtangerine4731]

7:30 the red dwarf reference made me cackle like an idiot

[@johnrobinson3382]

Damn, forgot how bad this story was. I think it's clear that Moffat didn't share Russell T Davies' obvious love of the Daleks.

[@vuvuxelloss]

I've just found your channel and I've been bingeing for the last 3 days

[@thetardislegilimens]

I may have a solution to the whole ‘how is Oswin talking to the others as a human and where did the Carmen music come from’ plothole - Oswin sees herself as human after her conversion, and as such, her mind created the ‘crashed ship’ setting. However, Oswin was also very easily able to access the Dalek Pathweb and interface with Dalek technology. So, perhaps her thoughts are being transmitted through the Pathweb as she sees herself, hence the human voice and music, because the Daleks talk through neural interfacing with technology - they don’t have proper vocal cords, and require the tech to speak - Oswin’s casing talks like a proper Dalek because that’s just how they all talk, but the rest of the technology sends her human thoughts because it doesn’t have that limitation.

[@JimAlgar]

By sheer chance I'm watching this on 21st December 2021, having added it to my Watch Later list weeks ago... I had to check the upload date to ensure there were no timey-wimey shenanigans going on!

[@nifralo2752]

5:27 not nesseserily. If there is a dalek emperor dose that mean there has to be a dalek empress and a dalek prince/ss?

[@robertjorg6645]

Daleks don't destroy each other? Then i must have seen many, many transmat rays. With exploded Dalek hulls as replacement.

[@ftumschk]

The Dalek here says that they don't want to destroy the "divine hatred" embodied in the insane Daleks on the asylum planet. That's not quite the same as saying that they wouldn't shoot down any Daleks under any circumstances.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Let’s see here.. Continuity errors, Amy and Rory’s Bullshit divorce subplot, Less classic Daleks and more revived Daleks, A Red Dwarf reference, The Daleks forgetting who the Doctor is, Great plot twist but another plot hole, Daleks saying Eggs but was actually trying to say exterminate, And finally the self destruction in all hope for Steven Moffat writing a Dalek story, Yep that just made my day. :D

[@22dallas1]

You deserve so much more subscribers and views

[@nifralo2752]

15:51 didn't Jackie slap 9? And Rose said "oh my god you're gay" when someone elses mother had never done that to him before.

[@MrTARDIS]

The Jackie one works in context because A) Jackie and 9 are not domestic partners. B) Jackie thinks 9 has kidnapped her daughter who has been missing for an entire year.

[@nifralo2752]

@@MrTARDIS I guess that makes sense. I do believe Martha's mum did the same.

[@DalekTheSupreme]

Happy 56th birthday to the Daleks! Honestly, when this story came out, I got sucked into the cinematic look and feel, and I was really happy that my favorite Doctor would face off against my favorite monster for the beginning of what is technically the "anniversary" season. However... I feel like it's aged more poorly for me than Victory of the Daleks, because I still like Victory of the Daleks in spite of its failings. I do find some ideas and dialogue interesting, and I am all about the way it explores the relationship between the Doctor and the Daleks, but it is dragged down by inconsistencies within its own continuity and the terrible way the relationship between Amy and Rory is portrayed. I love Amy and Rory, but this episode highlights Amy's worst qualities and doesn't do Rory any favors. EDIT: These days, I think Asylum of the Daleks might be one of the few Eleventh Doctor stories I actually dislike.

[@DomoftheDoctor]

Ah, the first review of yours I ever watched. Nostalgia. Haven't seen it since its first broadcast, but remember the sheer frustration I felt over the divorce subplot. I basically forget it happened just so I can continue to like Amy and Rory as a couple.

[@LCBK]

Wait a second, daleks aren’t their casing, where did Oswin’s casing come from. Also where does the material for the eyestalks and gun come from for the human dalek things

[@robotx9285]

Don't think about it, it just doesn't make sense.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

20:46 Oh thank god I never thought you were going to do it, Guess it will have to wait for another episode in S7.

[@maldon3659]

I think I can also Dalek Sec in the Dalek asylum but can't tell because of the dust obscuring the colour

[@somerandomguy2073]

I don't think Dalek Sec is the only dalek who ever had that colour scheme. Probably a different dalek with the same casing.

[@redjirachi1]

Mr Tardis using Dalekcember to make fun of Torys is one of the most based things he's done

[@WikiPeraX]

That missing globe on the Drone Dalek at 0:47 still infuriates me. EDIT: And it’s actually the plunger of the Dalek in the foreground. Still infuriating to work it out.

[@dalekbumps]

That isn't a missing globe, it's the manipulator arm of the bronze Dalek in front, the perspective just makes it look like there's a globe missing

[@WikiPeraX]

Dalek Bumps Well damn. How many years has it taken for me to see that?

[@samool7311]

11:13 this might be the best thing about this entire episode

[@tombrearley-smith5777]

Need I remind you that ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).

[@timaustin2000]

Jesus.

[@tombrearley-smith5777]

Tim Austin It lost to the Game of Thrones episode ‘Blackwater’ (Season 2, Episode 9)

[@shoogamoogaman]

The episode that spawned the review that changed my entire outlook on the show. Seriously, your original review of this episode changed the way I watch Dr Who and I'm now way less forgiving when it comes to terrible writing x'D

[@ClayCampbell]

Should have been “asylum of the cyber man” if you ask me.

[@PatRex11]

What better way to celebrate the daleks' birthday than with all consuming hatred at something fundamentally obscene?

[@MidnightChimey]

In this case I agree with Moffat's daleks. Such hatred is beautiful

[@PatRex11]

@@MidnightChimey Perhaps.. that is why I have never been able to unsub (and also cause even though I originally liked this story, upon rewatch... I don't know how I ever could have)

[@MidnightChimey]

@@PatRex11 Some of it I don't mind so much, it's mainly the divorce subplot I cannot stand. What was Moffat thinking?

[@LegoTardisArchives]

Also how exactly can there by survivors from Kembal? Didnt all life get extinguished on that planet at the end of dalek masterplan?

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

Also, the Daleks did convert humans in Bad Wolf and The Parting Of The Ways.

[@MidnightChimey]

Not forgetting Revelation from the classic series, even if they were later exterminated by the grey daleks

[@ftumschk]

The first converts were the "robomen" in Dalek Invasion Of Earth (apologies if someone's mentioned that already).

[@MidnightChimey]

@@ftumschk They weren't actual daleks though, I think we are referring specifically to full dalek conversion

[@ftumschk]

@@MidnightChimey Indeed, but I see the modern versions as an extension of the original concept of the roboman. It wasn't technologically feasible to embed a working Dalek eyestalk in an actor's forehead in 1964 TV.

[@MidnightChimey]

@@ftumschk True, but neither the robomen nor the eyestalk humans are "full conversions", as in actually putting them inside a Dalek casing. Revelation is the first time to my knowledge we saw that

[@tomimpala]

17:59 lol I used to watch Moffat-era Dr Who all the time and his writing style leaked into mine and I had this very quippy, faux-witty style that also involved Moffat's kinks that weren't mine. I'm so glad I've recognised this and TFS are what I'm been subconsciously copying and gotten my own, less cringe style now haha

[@tTaseric]

The reason the Asylum exists is because the Daleks (apparently) find it offensive to kill other Daleks, but their plan to deal with the potential breach is to... kill all the Daleks? Surely if they were so stubborn to construct an entire facility that spans across, and through, and entire planet just to adhere to this rule, then surely they would have been stubborn enough to just throw Daleks at the planet until it was destroyed? If they have enough firepower to destroy an entire planet in an instant, I'm sure they could overpower a single force-field. The Doctor says 'According to Legend' which implies: A) The Asylum is VERY old, which is proven by the actual interior of the place. B) He knows about this planet. Seeing as this Asylum contains Pre-Time War Daleks, why didn't the Time Lords destroy it during the Time War? Why didn't the Doctor go and look for it after the war? The premise just removes stakes from Series 1-5 Dalek stories because we now know for certain that there was an entire Planet of relatively functional Daleks just chilling. Why didn't the Cult of Skaro go looking for this planet? I'm sure they're smart enough to get in that Force Field and repair enough of the Daleks to build their forces. There is a Paradigm Supreme in this asylum, as well as classic series Daleks. This obviously means that the Daleks used this planet BEFORE the Time War, found it again after, and kept using it instead of purifying it (The entire point of the Paradigm Daleks) The Asylum is cool, but its very existence just raises so many questions with earlier stories.

[@hothemeep1219]

To be fair, your questions don't raise plotholes at all. It's just you being a nitpicky classic fan. I mean seriously, these questions are not even meant to exist at the first place 🤣

[@tTaseric]

​@@hothemeep1219 Q) Why does the Aslyum exist? A) Because Daleks don't like to kill other Daleks. Q) What are they going to do with the Asylum? A) Blow it up and kill them all. Sure, the last few points are nitpicks, but the entire plot centres around the point of "Daleks don't like killing Daleks" which is just fucking unbelievably wrong. I have no fucking clue how they could even come up with this. The very next Dalek story literally centres around the fact that a Dalek would just kill the other Daleks if it had opposing morals.

[@hothemeep1219]

@@tTaseric Q) Why does the Asylum exist? A) It's a planet where they lock up all the Daleks that go wrong, the battle-scarred, the insane, the ones even the Daleks can't control. They don't kill them because it would go against their concept of beauty Q)Why did they decide to blow up the planet ? A)The Alaska, a starliner that crashed into the Asylum, has ruptured the planet's force field, thus risking escape of the insane Daleks. To prevent this, the Parliament wishes to destroy the planet remotely. Basically, the Asylum became too dangerous, they have no choice. I mean, it was not difficult lol. Your answers are in the episode itself 🤣

[@tTaseric]

​@@hothemeep1219 They don't kill the Daleks, which ultimately ends up with them choosing them to kill all the Daleks. Is this hypocrisy addressed? No, which is why it's a problem. Also, the Daleks not wanting to kill other Daleks just isn't true at all. Counting just the two Dalek stories prior and following this one, we see at least 12 Daleks killed directly by another Dalek on-screen. Saying, or even just implying that Daleks don't kill another Daleks is just so completely untrue that I think it's a massive plothole in itself. Imagine if they made a Cyberman story where the Cybermen suddenly were very emotional beings with no actual reason, or a Weeping Angel story where they actually can move when observed, or a Zygon story where they just couldn't transform. That's what it's like, because the Daleks being perfectly willing to betray each other is a fundamental part of their characterisation, ESPECIALLY in the modern show. There are only 4 Dalek stories in the revived show where a Dalek doesn't directly kill (or cause the Death) of another Dalek on-screen, and 2 of those episodes are just because there's only 1 Dalek in the story.

[@hothemeep1219]

@@tTaseric there's no hypocrisy. They didn't want to kill those Daleks but they can't let them live anymore because they represent a risk for the Daleks, that's all. The status quo has changed. I think you forgot that the main reason why Daleks killed other Daleks in the past was due to a question of purity/impurity. But in Asylum of the Daleks, all the Daleks are pure, this is totally different and that's why the Daleks didn't want to kill those injured Daleks

[@meropetied]

Great video. Best one yet in Dalekcember, maybe? For all its pace and entertainment aspects anyway. On the other hand I disagreed a ton. Certainly though, Moffat's 50th anniversary "blockbuster season" began here with one of many of its strange overstuffed children. The thing is, I still find it a delight to rewatch most of. It certainly has no sense of how or why a parliament of Daleks should or would be in it. You have finger right on all the weird things. But I find it a wildly entertaining, far less offensive bit of nonsense from Victory of the Daleks (worst Daleks story ever) greatly because its existence is set up intensely deep into already begun proceedings -- yet again, Moffat's play with narrative time in seasons 6 and 7 -- giving us notes on a divorce instead of much of the drama, a poster image of the Daleks parliament and a new Daleks empire, with no clarity at all to how it makes sense. But the Time War and the reset of the universe at the end of season five were good enough explanation for some of these eccentricities of these Daleks. But yes. I want this to be a two-parter (same as Nightmare in Silver, really) so it can get so much more development and to have better explanations. I want the romance to be better developed, so much more about when and where this Dalek parliament exists -- what it is, why it is. But it's all window dressing. The real deal is: Souffle Girl and Doctor Who? -- the two major forwards to the season. Obviously these Daleks aren't Time War Daleks tho... And I love Dalek Oswin. But certainly it's a souffle of an episode that got overcooked. But its parts are so fun to watch. It sets up Impossible Girl nicely for me before Impossible Girl gets an idiotic leaf and falls apart in the last few episodes of the season. And I can easily say that the Rory meets creepy deranged "eggs" Dalek moment and a bit after is some of the best of creepy Who in ages. It's bold and sensational as hell. Does set the tone for Season Seven. But not much sense. It's about the same as the end of Season Six there for that. And (doesn't bother me at all) worst perhaps for Dalekcember, is that while it's got to have Daleks in it, it doesn't make the most of them. It runs from a lot of what's been significant about them before. It just focuses on naming them and showing them. Its real focus is on the three companion characters and their glibly told little stories, bringing one in and two out. The Daleks did not need to be in this. But Seven and its sensationalism gave us both Hide and The Crimson Horror, two biggie favorites of mine. Victory of the Daleks on the other hand, really wanted to be a two parter. But it would probably have been the worst two-parter in Who since Timelash. The meat of it is all either derivative or just utterly terrible.

[@Dat_1_Guy_Ethan]

7:37 since when did the Daleks have a concept of comedy?

[@samuelbarber6177]

This sounds more like a Cybermen story, obviously they'd have a definition of insane, the failure of the emotional inhibitor

[@himynameisben95]

The Daleks killing Daleks thing has generally arisen from "impure" Daleks being eradicated from the gene pool. The Daleks in the asylum are pure.

[@tTaseric]

I've seen people theorize that the Parliament was created to make sure the Daleks don't go into another Civil War after the Paradigm Daleks emerged, since they probably would have destroyed any 'Impure' Daleks AKA Time War Daleks

[@N3RDYG0GGLES]

Fab look into this episode even if the episode itself is pretty poor as a Dalek story. You didn’t even get the chance to touch on the sudden use of Dalek human puppets as these sort of servants, that part always caught my interest but I would have killed to actually get some explanation of those. Instead we get a random puppet woman asking for help saving her daughter who is named but never mentioned again, and the occasional talk as if she were a robot only to find out in a later episode that no, they’re not robots. They’re... almost Daleks themselves? And her name was Darla I could’ve cried from laughing

[@himynameisben95]

The "classic Daleks" thing was let down by production issues, but I really like how a few years later they'd make up for it in the Series 9 opener. It is just fanservice that doesn't particularly serve that much of a story purpose, but they look beautiful.

[@monosupreme1]

I'd love to see a remake of this story, it had so much potential (still a flawed concept but it was a decent one)

[@Mowingthefrontlawn]

Despite its flaws, this is actually one of my favorites.

[@pastaguy7053]

What's your favorite Dalek? The one who was voiced by John Bercow.

[@denny8727]

Why not open the series with the doctor and ponds travelling and the tardis gets put in the asylum. No daleks sending them, no pond divorce and a fine story

[@Thrawn1]

oh i love the ending you put on it with the blower LOL

[@IsaacWhittakerDakin]

Seven years later and nothing has changed!

[@Lumibear.]

I thought the point of Rory and Amy going wrong then going right again was that they got along better with the Doctor around, like people who get together during an intense time like a divorce, then get bored when there’s no conflict. And people do go through phases, usually during their youth when they’re hormonal as heck, sensitive af and trying to find their own identity, everybody does it, I was a girly goth in my teens to twenties, but happily we didn’t have social media then.

[@Eddo15878]

The thing is there’s no dalekcember or cybercember videos that really have abuse against men, and i am aware that Mr Tardis does other reviews other than dalek/cybermen stories, but I haven’t seen him review any of said abuse-against-men stories

[@joesSONICBOOM]

I do respect your opinion and I won't judge, even your old review from years ago in 2012. My opinion on this episode have been positive; I like the ideas it has with the parliament scene, the insane inmates, Clara Oswin or Oswald being a Dalek, and the action is good aswell. Years later, I still find this story good but I do understand with your criticisms that do make sense. I do agree that the memory wipeout with the Daleks is unnecessary for Steven to include in the episode and the relationship with the Doctor's companions goes nowhere, but I still find it very entertaining. Maybe the reason why the Daleks said we hate killing our own is that they would only kill impure versions, like Davros's Daleks from Rememberance that links with the Dalek novel being "War of the Daleks" with the Dalek Prime, and the reason why Skaro came back which leads me to believe that the episode kinda follows "War of the Daleks" continuity, which I do remember you review that book years ago before mysteriously disappearing off KZbin for some reason. My rating would be 7/10 and *** out of 5.

[@ftumschk]

Thank God for some positivity at last! Asylum isn't perfect (99.99% of Doctor Who stories aren't), but it's enjoyable enough on its own terms.

[@joesSONICBOOM]

@@ftumschk Agreed.

[@scaleproductions711]

17:07 Out of curiousity, which "smarter people" are you referring to in this context?

[@williamcurry4868]

It bothered me that this was the Rory that waited 2000 years for Amy, and got to agree that Amy and Rory, after that slap, don’t belong anymore, which is a shame as they were a good couple and seemed like a mature relationship.

[@d.s.bernard8907]

It’s been a long time since I’ve rewatched this one, but I remember liking it, mostly because it was nice to look at and the special weapons dalek was in frame once

[@TheWeepingDalek]

My idea one how this story can work. The asylum isn't a prison keeping insane daleks in. It sanctuary keeping the sane daleks out. That why the shield can only be turned off from within the planet. The wall isn't to keep them in. But you out. They need the doctor to use the tardis to break through. This causes slight damage meaning she can not leave right away.

[@TDWTB]

To be fair and not every divorced couple or soon to be divorced couple are going to want to talk to each other like civil individuals. There are plenty of people who do not like each other and would rather hold her emotions inside and actually be civil to them. I mean Amy wasn’t exactly forthcoming with what she was doing with The Doctor, at first. So it’s not entirely out of her character to act like this. I do think you’re being extremely hard on Amy for slapping him because I don’t think it happens as often as you think it does. Even then it’s more of a joke than anything else it’s not meant to make you feel like they’re horrible people to each other as even after Rory supposedly dies Amy is more than willing to let herself suffer the same fate to stay with him. I do not think there is that abusive to each other as you think they are. I’m in agreement though this episode is really not that good aside from the very very awkward pacing, strange governments for the Daleks, Oswin, and lack of old Daleks. If feels like they wanted to hype up the story and claim it was new and special when it really wasn’t

[@mrandrews3616]

When this episode was about to come up me and a couple of my friends were talking excitedly about what would happen seeing all these old Daleks again, and how awesome it would be to have the Special Weapons Dalek back. What did we get? That shit show.

[@TheWilliShow-r4v]

Can someone give me a timestamp on when Mr TARDIS talked about slapping

[@MrDarthT]

Honestly, I still like the "hate=beauty" idea. I just think this story is let down by the Amy/Rory subplot, and the lack of commitment to the main concept, which is crazy Daleks from history. The old Daleks are background set filler. Even the newer Daleks are comatose for most of the story. They should be roaming the asylum in gangs, divided by era, destroying each other for not being "Dalek" enough. The Time War has taught the Daleks to avoid such fragmentation, but they also secretly wish they COULD destroy each other like those in the asylum.