Doctor Who - Dalek - "This is Sickness" (2005)

The Dalek commands Rose to give the order (part 2).

[@hotelmario510]

I've always liked the ambiguity of whether the Dalek says "This is not life, this is sickness" because it believes Rose's DNA has made it impure and its hatred has made it want to die, or because it recognises that its own Dalek nature is sick, and the human factor has made it realise that it no longer wishes to live like that.

[@matthewlacey4198]

Oo I've never thought about it that way; the human factor allowing the dalek to see how wrong it's very nature is, that's clever, that

[@dex_reanimacja2582]

Very similiar to highbreed form Ben 10 alien force.... Dwayne McDuffie for sure loved Doctor Who

[@ChristianProtossDragoon]

@@dex_reanimacja2582 Hmm...

[@malphasblackwing420]

Not enough people appreciate how tragic Daleks are Imagine being a normal person and suddenly your entire species falls into warfare and mutation and hateful genocide… Plus every time a Dalek *kinda* sees the light they’re either disgusted by their own mental metamorphosis or they die before they can be of any use to the universe at large

[@Teocis]

The Daleks were born killers and lived their lives as killers, but when his mind woke up and he suddenly became an adult, he realized how terrible the weight of the blood on his hands was, and he decided to commit suicide because he was suffering from guilt. The Doctor saw it. That's why he told the Daleks this wasn't a blessing.

[@luxlisbon7979]

“are you frightened, rose tyler?” “yeah” “so am i”

[@traintrack3761]

“Exterminate.”

[@pettingbears]

Rose didn't want Nine to kill the Dalek and she wanted him to give it a chance to change which is why Ten always gives his enemies a chance and doesn't want to kill them.

[@rockingchairsofpiss1404]

Genius

[@gtaipan7422]

Except the Ten kept on slaughtering half of his foes in the act of cruelty throughout the seasons without a single chance of doing something extremely moral. The entire Dalek fleet, Cybermen, Empress Racnoss' children, and the rest of other aliens. The Ten did countless of horrors which is absolutely unacceptable.

[@pre-debutera6941]

Yeah except the Daleks, there's no redeeming the daleks. Only thing to do with them is kill as many as possible.

[@Solkpjish]

Also Nine gives something else a chance to change in his first episode. Rose may reinforce that idea but it's not something he started doing because of her.

[@IllusivePrime]

@@pre-debutera6941 True, even Metaltron Dalek didn't want to live as it couldn't hand the emotions that Rose gave him. Sadness, pitty etc. You could tell he was upset by the tone of the Dalek's voice as if it was going to cry. It also didn't like that it deviated away from everything that made a Dalek a Dalek.

[@charlieinthe_box]

*When the death of an evil being who's sole purpose in life is hatred and murder makes you cry*

[@Charlie94781]

The kaled mutants in the incubation chamber were genetically altered by Davros to feel aggression

[@richardruff8712]

@@Charlie94781 Ah... You're jumping back to ' Genesis of the Daleks '...

[@borris3768]

Cringe comment

[@christiankrenek7689]

Such a stunning scene. On the one hand, the Dalek DID murder hundreds of people the instant he was released. But seeing this poor, pathetic blob of slime...it’s hard not to feel sympathy for him. The very notion of emotion and kindness were so horrible to him that he would rather die...imagine being a species so programmed to hate that death was considered better than even a twinge of empathy. And even then, the Dalek’s last words indicate that, for all of his weapons and screaming and hatred...he’s just a scared creature, terrified of death and all alone in the universe. This is the kind of complexity that Doctor Who brings. I love it!

[@roro-mm7cc]

im not so sure its just the idea of having empathy that makes it kill itself but rather the experience itself.. if you have killed that many ppl and then suddenly feel remorse and empathy for everything u have done that is gunna be pretty unbearable .. suddenly realising the darkness of its existence. Humans are designed to feel empathy for others as this helps with survival/genetic reproduction... however Daleks are genetically programmed to kill therefore simply dont feel empathy at all they are just given an urge to kill everything... in the same way humans are designed to reproduce we are given a sex drive.. its not really even the Daleks fault its literally just their state of mind they probably dont even realise what they are doing is bad because it is designed to feel good for them... just as having sex/ socialising ect feels good for humans.

[@Charlie94781]

The first kaled mutants grown in the bunker were stripped of emotion without their consent

[@borris3768]

NERD ALERT HAHA

[@user-uw4qv6md4g]

"Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?" always makes me cry seriously

[@lagerku.3137]

Especially the following line: _"So am I."_

[@Momo_Minomo]

And this, THIS is why the Doctor needed Rose so damn much, why he loved her so damn much. She picked up all those jagged little pieces the Time War and all his loses had shattered and put them back together with compassion and love. She taught him how to hope and be kind, again. Later on River taught him how to find joy in life, again, as well but Rose taught him that life was worth living, and living kindly, in the first place. The two loves of his life.

[@longanddeadly]

But whos picture did he have on hes table?

[@aoife1501]

longanddeadly river,because she had just died

[@SamuelBlack84]

If only someone could heal my broken and tormented soul. It's a warzone littered with oceans of blood and rotting flesh

[@Xerock]

And after the Doctor was healed, what would Rose be, but a reminder?

[@Momo_Minomo]

@@longanddeadly For some reason KZbin never alerted me to this responses so, late or no, I'll go ahead and answer. I'm not sure why people seem to think there's some kind of competition on who the Doctor loves more between River and Rose. Anyone who has ever lost someone they loved can tell you that finding someone new doesn't replace them in your heart, they just take up a different space in it. After losing River he keeps a picture of her on his desk and still carries the diary as comfort. Rose's room is now a little shrine to her after he lost her that he goes to when he just needs to be alone. He additionally wears roses frequently, most notably on Ten's tie and Eleven's double Albert chain. Both women's legacy is carried on in the Doctor's endless compassion and sense of fun and chaos.

[@bonniestar4707]

I think I know why the Dalek ordered Rose to order it to die. It felt empathy and it had killed many people, and the feeling of what it had done was too much. That is why it felt like sickness to the Dalek. It would rather die than live with all that pain and darkness. It also does not want to be different and would rather die than change to be like Rose.

[@aaronbuffalo7769]

it was the last in the universe 'or so we thought' but it was changing, that fear of losing not only your race but your own identity, it tortured it.

[@jamieolberding7731]

@@aaronbuffalo7769 Yeah, this Dalek had a very VERY SAD and tragic story even if he was responsible for killing lots of innocent people just because he was created to follow orders and kill without question and hesitation. But it's a good thing he eventually sought redemption when he first met Rose Tyler who was the only Human to show compassion for the Dalek who was being tortured by Van Statten and his people, even if the Dalek tricked her into touching him so that he could escape and get his vengeance on Van Statten (who he hates even more than the Doctor).

[@IllusivePrime]

Like the Doctor said to the Dalek; Rose did more than regenerate you, you've absorbed her DNA...you're mutating. Mutating into a Dalek with fear, and regret with the deaths it caused. Emotions that it absorbed from Rose when normally Daleks have been engineered and conditioned to have only one emotion, absolute pure hatred for everything that isn't Dalek. In this scene the Dalek too wanted to feel the sun on it's skin and by the sound of the voice it was growing a foundness for Rose and sadness.

[@bonniestar4707]

@@IllusivePrime I agree. I think it wanted to experience the simple pleasure of feeling the sunlight before it exterminated itself.

[@borris3768]

​@jamieolberdinnog7731 no fucking shit

[@MrRonald327]

I guess human emotions are contagious.

[@rwalper]

Think the Dalek had that feeling too.

[@digimonalvatrax2738]

Humans suck that much it chose death

[@szabm3179]

This scene is excelent. Christopher Eccleston did a really great job, and Nick Briggs is the best voice for the Daleks.

[@TheSkully343]

Beautifully written scene. Why is it that fantastic writers like Rob Shearman only do the one story where we have to suffer from Mark bloody Gatiss returning every year? As an angsty Tenth Doctor would say "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" *Smashes table* This episode is probably the finest hour of the New Series as far as I'm concerned. In fact part of me kinda wishes that this would've been the last vestige of the Classic Series being extrapolated to make room for some newer monsters. Bigger divide between Classic and NuWho yes, but one that I feel would've been a great way to pass the torch so to speak given this episode's subtext of how Doctor Who was going to survive in the new era.

[@delpheus7658]

this was the first episode I saw. it got my hopes up. this episode was fucking epic and fantastically written and filmed. then I saw the episode with the fart monsters. every episode I saw after this was nothing remotely similar... they were all trash... I couldn't comprehend how one episode was so amazing but the rest of it was garbage.

[@roro-mm7cc]

@@delpheus7658 there are plenty of other great stories in series 1.. empty child/doctor dances, fathers day, bad wolf/parting of the ways. The only really 'bad' one was the slitheen but I kinda still enjoy it for nostalgia reasons.

[@stevenrobertgill7306]

Yeah, I feel like they saw how well this episode was received & decided "hey people really love the daleks let's do it again & bring back other classic monsters while we're at it". I know RTD has always claimed the idea was to slowly bring back classic monsters as the show gained a foothold with a younger audience after it's absense, but i think it's more a case of him adjusting plans to go with the flow & pretending it was the plan all along. I honestly think there was a lot more winging during his tenure than he'd ever care to admit.

[@SB-sg4em]

@@roro-mm7cc The Slitheen episode gets too much flack in my opinion. I was a kid when I first watched it and liked it fine. I can see kids now enjoying it too. It's definitely one of the weakest episodes of NuWho but it's not atrocious.

[@mystery4561]

Was mark gatiss that bad of a writer?

[@DarthVader-il2cy]

This sums up the Doctor and Rose's alignments perfectly. Ninth Doctor: Lawful Neutral "That thing killed hundreds of people! I've got to do this!" Rose: Neutral Good "It's the sunlight, that's all it wants."

[@Ladterchannel]

Plot twist: it killed hundreds of people just to get sunlight

[@dONALDBLOOD]

One of the most powerful scenes in the New Doctor Who series. Eccleston was a great Doctor.

[@cardhouseproductions9538]

Probably one of the saddest moments of Doctor Who

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

I agree. It's really tragic.

[@JudgeBane]

It's interesting how this episode started with the Doctor utterly hellbent on killing this Dalek (and happily torturing it), but at the end he feels pity for it and can't bring himself to do it. It shows that even as dark and angry as the Ninth Doctor could be, he was still capable of mercy.

[@nicholascerillo4000]

Question: Did the Dalek destroy itself because it was disgusted by its newly gained empathy, or because it had become disgusted with being a dalek, thanks to its newly gained empathy allowing it to recognize what it meant to BE a dalek? (Edit) Okay thanks for the likes, but I’d prefer answers. Anyone?

[@ThirrinDiamond]

Good Q, i like to think its the latter but thats just me

[@Dinahhh]

I like to think it was both With that internal contradiction of disgust and guilt proving too much for it to reckon with perhaps. Kinda reminds me of that phrase in The Parting of the Ways, “Die as a human, or live as a Dalek?”

[@Iknowhowbadthisnameis8828]

Think about it this way: daleks are genetigally engineered to hate everything that isn't a dalek. Humans have evolved and survived by cooperating, thus we need empathy to continue as an species. This dalek has absorbed part of a human's DNA to survive. Empathy and hate are clashing in his mind, he has realized what he has done, but his hate makes him get disgusted at what he has become. This two things together are giving him such a Big headache and such level of existential crisis he'd rather die

[@axjagfilms]

I think the Dalek just didn’t get to participate in the Splatoon 3 Testfire.

[@redjirachi1]

If it gained sympathy towards Rose from her, I think it might've also gained shame. No wonder it sought death

[@JackCecilio24]

ONE OF MY FAVORITE DALEK MOMENTS OF ALL TIME!

[@Gangerworld]

Man what a scene! This whole episode was just fantastic! (No pun intended). Just brilliantly written and performed by everyone. Wish there were even more episodes like this.

[@werdsonscreenmakeuangry]

Easily the best Dalek episode from the entire show in it's entire gigantic run, and they'll never make a better one.

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

A tragic ending to a beautiful story.

[@GreenApple968]

I never thought that I would feel sorry for a Dalek. ☹

[@anicjan4654]

This episode blured the line between what makes a dalek a dalek in many ways. We are left wondering if this is a byproduct of their way of viewing things, that purity matter most so contamination inspires hatred in it change. If this disgust of its non-dalek emotions is something fundamental to its biology, to it's very being or if this dalek simply couldn't cope with the burden of emotions. Did it feel guilt...or did it judge that living in a universe without it's own kind was a truly disgusting prospect not worth struggling through. Now that it could feel hope, did it feel the loss of it now that it, the last dalek, has been fundamentally contaminated and ruined. Or did it truly realize the agony of those it exterminated and grew to despite its own existence. Did this dalek...a being who believes that the purer the dalek the higher it was among all things non-dalek feel utter despair. Did it view the idea of living an existence with non-daleks as a man would view being the last human in a world of profane, backwards, mocking mimics of sentient animals and bugs. A divine amongst scum and decide that such a world is not worth enduring. Who knows. I like to think it's a mixture of all of them. I like most is that this episode showed how fundamentally alien a dalek is to...well...almost everything really.

[@IllusivePrime]

So sad. The music just fits in so well with the scene as well. Can't wait for Russel to come back and put his master work like this back into the show.

[@princessofhmv3647]

“I am the last of the Daleks” yeah about that

[@graxon29]

Ah, season 1 of Dr Who, when the writing was so good, they made us feel sorry for a Dalek

[@seneryy]

In "Die as a human or live as a dalek" he chooses "Die as a dalek"

[@Louisa.Bowman23]

Christopher Eccleston himself told me that this was one of his favourite episodes.

[@nathanrussell-raby5460]

Hands down, the best Dalek episode.

[@Teocis]

Rose taught the Doctor forgiveness and mercy... that her love would melt his wounds and cause him to fall deeply in love with her.

[@ashyamivelitii1305]

I wonder what might have happened if She didn't order it to die. Would it live as a Companion and slowly learn the meaning of life and how wonderful everything is? I mean sure you remember all you have killed and hated but then they could start anew and be a good boi octopus *cris in corner in wanting a cute dalek*

[@JudgeBane]

I doubt the Doctor would have accepted it as a companion, and it's entirely possible it would have gone on another murder-spree.

[@ashyamivelitii1305]

@@JudgeBane I know ; w ; Which is why cute dalek gud boi would never happen xDD

[@androidaxolotl8311]

Except for Rusty...

[@alexanderasher8037]

There's probably a fanfic of that out there somewhere

[@Charlie94781]

The dalek could have become a reformed ally

[@ThirrinDiamond]

After all it has done,,,, getting empathy makes you feel all the pain you caused, i dont think any brain can handle that

[@joshuagraham1598]

It speaks a lot to the abominations that Davros created that the few times we’ve seen Daleks “reform” they either want to kill all the other or kill themselves.

[@johnb1150]

Well acted by Billie too, the revulsion mixed with sadness on her face when the dalek calls it sickness, some things in series 1 were never really repeated as well ever again, Into the dalek tries to replicate it but its not quite as emotional.

[@ebty4969]

No I would say imto the Dalek was completely different. Rusty still hated everything and was ready to slaughter daleks, because he took after the doctor’s divine hatred of the daleks

[@puppycatsbee]

rose may not be a favourite of mine, but there's no doubt that she's absolutely FANTASTIC in this episode :D maybe i would've liked her more if we had gotten more moments like this.

[@vickyselembasualdo8617]

“he’s not the one pointing the gun at me” gag of the century

[@RedRory19]

The first time I ever saw this… I cried for the Dalek… 😢

[@shrewman]

this is so emotional and always will be

[@junkim2789]

you can't expect this kind of moment anymore. just stupid same old shit over and over in Doctor Who now

[@andrewmwells9606]

I remember this being talked about on my way into school that Monday, how the Dalek blew itself up. It`s so weird how a show like this makes you feel sorry for one of the more hateful creatures to have lived

[@FritzyFreak]

Man he really just did Alt F4

[@capricorn878]

Miss this good writing

[@richardruff8712]

Wow... From 1:00 to 1:27 has got to be the BEST EVER few seconds in the entire history of Dr Who... I have seen Dr Who from the first ever episode ( the day after the Kennedy shooting ) and to finally see the Kaled mutant was absolutely amazing... Superb...

[@R.K.994]

Oh absolutely!

[@Leaf.358]

Amy lee you saved me how does the sunlight feel a beautiful rose With rain drops on the petals You always be my white rose Gray white flowers

[@vanillaconk]

Chris and Billie were amazing in this scene.

[@matthewmason7792]

Honestly… this scene made me realise just how much of a victim the Daleks themselves were. Yes Daleks are psychotic, hateful beings bred to kill and destroy anything that aren’t them… but they really don’t know or have the capacity to know any better. Their origins were that of a species wanting to survive a war that was making both sides extinct. Forcing the Daleks themselves to change into… this… mutilated and mutated freaks trapped within a metal shell and brainwashed into becoming the perfect killing machine. This Dalek and every Dalek before and after don’t know any better than to hate and kill and maim and conquer because they were made like that by some psycho eugenicist that managed to weaponise a desperate era to then weaponise his own people. The moment the creature was given a chance to really, truly think for itself it wanted to be free and feel the sunlight. It felt emotions and darkness… maybe even guilt. Some people speculate that the reason it wanted to die there was because it was able to process and feel guilty for all the death and destruction it did instead of being human. It found itself sickening. Everything it done, everything it stood for was disgusting to it. It didn’t want to live like that. To become like Rose so it could deal with the lifetime of guilt and suffering it caused because it was too brainwashed and programmed to do nothing else but killing. It’s a monster and it knew that now. It’s an interesting concept honestly. Pretty much a theory and overthinking but very interesting to think about.

[@Julian_H]

Still the best dalek episode

[@axjagfilms]

3:38 *Kids when they have to clean the house:*

[@CalebHowlett]

Shut up! I am busy crying!

[@badwolf9956]

Back when this show was good.

[@liamtaylor3576]

Just one thing that confuses me... the Daleks are meant to survive this one even said it in this episode. So why is it possible for a Dalek to kill itself? It just seems strange that they would have this feature

[@christiankrenek7689]

Maybe for just this kind of situation? It seems like absorbing DNA is something the Daleks automatically do. Maybe it’s a built-in failsafe in case they accidentally brush up against a “lesser” (read: anything other than Dalek) species. Or, since the Daleks unquestioningly follow orders, maybe the self-destruct was built in (by Davros or some other force) on the offchance that some Daleks were deemed “impure”; if a Dalek commander issued the order, the follower Dalek would obey immediately. Just a guess!

[@Gangerworld]

Or it just used its weapons against itself. Like how a firearm's purpose isn't for the user to kill himself but it can be used by the user for that purpose.

[@AFanOfCinema]

Liam Taylor Suicide bomb in an extreme case scenario?

[@Retsonine]

The Daleks as a species are meant to survive; individual Daleks are usually considered expendable.

[@mannofdober873]

As the Dalek said, it wasn't life, it was sickness. The worst thing for a Dalek is to become non-Dalek.

[@minitini76]

The only time i cried for a dalek !

[@barbb841]

All I know is that every time I see this scene, it takes me a little bit longer to come back to from it.

[@ireneor7979]

The word for this episode: sickness . Doctor , get mad and torture and sick dalek later kill himself

[@dirdib69]

It struck me that the Dalek destroyed itself in a way that would not harm anyone else - that had to be a deliberate choice. To think that the Daleks originated in what were essentially human beings, and were warped into what they became by Davros' ambitions.

[@brigspearman2171]

Every time I dream it’s so dark my life is pointless

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

I almost felt sorry for it

[@kernowarty]

Just came across this clip after watching or rather suffering the Cutie Doctor and it made me realise how RTD has destroyed a once brilliant series. RIP Doctor Who.

[@QueenShireen]

Ok this is strange, not long ago I read a fanfic about a Dalek becoming friendly, and it had this begining. Exactly. I was not sure any of it was from a real episode. This is interesting.

[@Leaf.358]

It hurts to feel😢

[@superjoepizza7561]

The Music from The Impossible Planet & The Satan Pit

[@diobutjonathanjoestar8367]

This came before those two

[@NotoriousRex786]

Whose cutting onions :'(

[@Pauljosephherring2]

The one time you feel sorry for a dalek

[@fionapithouse9010]

Honestly it is sad to hear a dalek whant to self destruct yes they are killing machines but this is the olny time that I am aware of where a dalek genuinely feels empathy and fear it's a whole new way of looking at them and gives you a diffrent perspective of them almost luke there misunderstood it's a shame that they diddnt play more with this it's my opinion so feel free to disagree with it

[@alchemistfightinggunupstv5991]

This dalek is literally just lucy from elfen lied literally

[@Leaf.358]

Looks like the dialect got to transfer thru through time instead

[@jamesdrury8548]

What would 10 do in this situation

[@craigpricecz7751]

am i the only one who thinks the relationship between rose and the dalek in this episode is alot like the relationship between Karen Page and The Punisher(frank castle) in Daredevil Season 2???

[@dawritersroom01]

Not really, because Frank would have been capable of feeling emotion the entire time. The Dalek couldn't until it met Rose, and when it started to feel it opted to kill itself

[@NebKrahe]

Well, the gun pointing thing also killed hundreds of people

[@digimonalvatrax2738]

I wish it lived to do better things

[@AssassinIsAfk]

back when Daleks where Daleks aka racial killing machines who hated everything and everyone that wasnt them and not stupid saying shit like daleks learn, daleks are patient ect ect

[@halkras]

Came from dragon ball R&R episode 8 3:38

[@Amp1771]

Darth Vader