Doctor Who: Into the Dalek- REVIEW - Dalekcember

[@MrTARDIS]

"I see into your soul, Doctor. I see beauty. I see divinity. I see hatred!" Be sure to comment, like this video and share it around to appease the almighty algorithm!

[@fattestboyslimmer2403]

This kinda defines the 12 dr as you said "I see Beauty I see divinity.... I see hatred!!!!" Its a meh story but .. yeah your right wasted talent for some bits ............. I just agree with you.

[@calumbishop7082]

Its kinda weird looking at this episode now with the concept of 'Twice upon a Time'. On one hand its appropriate. Its meant to be a bookend, in Capaldi's second outing (and indeed Series 8 in general) the Twelfth Doctor is meant to be this more alien figure who sometimes comes across as cold and manipulative. By his regeneration story, this Doctor has become a much more lighthearted figure (he once came riding out on a battle tank playing the electric guitar, which we will get to) so to have the Dalek who shamed him at the start of his run for being hateful, and bringing able to prove that Dalek wrong, is not the worst idea. On the other hand, OFF ALL the Capaldi stories to reference, you reference one that is firmly in his bottom 10 (in my opinion).

[@ImperialGamer5]

Here are my favorite Dalek designs from the season 9 opener (when you review it): Special Weapons Dalek, New Skaro and Solar-Powered Warrior Daleks w/ sky blue shoulder sections, New Emperor Guards w/ blue shoulder sections, and the Red and Gold Supreme.

[@T2266]

I must say I disagree about the Doctor's disappointment when when he realized Rusty got his new found hatred for the Daleks again, I saw that as he was hoping the Dalek could have possibility for more than just hate.

[@SoundsSarcastic234]

Series 8 is incredibly flawed, but I also kinda love it, and think it’s Capaldi’s best season and one of the better seasons of the Moffat era. I love the balls on Moffat to create two main characters who are both unlikable sociopaths. I like the idea of a Doctor and companion who hate one another, but are still drawn to the other because of their shared psychosis. IMO there is nothing wrong with this in theory. You just need to have a straight man to call the two out occasionally and have them develop. There are two problems, however. One is that the straight man character is Danny Pink. The most boring, forgettable character in NuWho. Every line this man says is cliched-worried-spouse dialogue to the max. And the most interesting thing about him - his time as a soldier - is brushed aside. The other problem is Clara Oswald already being an established character with a nice, if generic, personality. Having her suddenly start acting terrible is jarring as hell. I also really like Capaldi’s blunt, utilitarian Doctor; both because of how Capaldi plays him and because it’s a nice change of pace from the looney tunes character that was series 7 Matt Smith. I think the change even makes sense in-universe. Think about it: By this point, the Doctor’s been told repeatedly that he is a dangerous being who is too irresponsible to be left alone. He has had assassins after him, been put in a box and been actually murdered at one point. Of course this would cause him to go through a massive identity and moral crisis culminating in his next regeneration coming across like an old-testament style god-like being, passively laying judgement on all he meets. It’s just the show’s episodic-format kinda results in this characterisation feeling inconsistent and poorly resolved.

[@dalekbumps]

I always interpreted this episode as the Doctor trying to emphasise the difference between a truly 'good' Dalek and a Dalek that simply wants to kill other Daleks. The scene at the end where Rusty destroys all the other Daleks is sad for the Doctor because, although Rusty has destroyed the Daleks and 'saved the day' in that sense, he looked into the Doctor's soul and all he gained from that experience was the desire to destroy Daleks. The Doctor wanted Rusty to be more than just a killer, he hoped Rusty could be a Dalek with conscience, but in the end all Rusty really turned out to be was an even more hateful Dalek.

[@MrTARDIS]

I think that is what the story was going for. However that execution falters due to Good Rusty at the start of the episode being the same as "Good" Rusty at the end.

[@dalekbumps]

@@MrTARDIS That's an interesting interpretation, because for me that's exactly what I like about this episode. All of the efforts of the Doctor and the other characters, whether they believe in a good Dalek or not, ultimate culminate in the Dalek being exactly the same as it was at the start, all that really changes is that the Doctor learns that his hatred of the Daleks is a more defining character trait in him than he previously thought

[@thelinedrive]

@@MrTARDISI feel you miss the obvious here. The Doctor isn’t reacting here because Rusty just went back to being Dalek hating rusty. It’s the combination of the hope for change the doctor tries to inspire failing in something he allowed himself to believe and the fact Rusty’s return to what he was at the start of the episode is a judgment of Capaldi’s doctor’s character at a time he is struggling with his own identity. That’s really the entire theme of the Capaldi run. Wondering if he is truly good, going through a midlife crisis and learning to accept himself to be an example to people like Missy down the line. Even when regenerates in a moment of what he perceives as his greatest failure twice upon a time circles back to this as sort of a concluding statement for the doctor to allow himself to regenerate and accept that yes he is a force for good in the universe despite his failures.

[@dalekbumps]

@@thelinedrive well said. I think one of the fundamental aspects of this episode that people miss is that the Doctor is not acting rationally here, at all. He's driven by a bizarre combination of hope and hatred and he really doesn't know what to do with that feeling. It's like Clara says "We're gonna die in here... and there's a part of you that's pleased. The Daleks are evil after all, the Doctor is right!" Like a lot of the Capaldi era, we see a side to the Doctor's relationship with the Daleks that we don't often get to see - how similar they are. And not in a 'now that he's killed lots of Time Lords, we can do a Dalek / Doctor episode' - this episode takes a big risk by bringing the Doctor down to the Daleks' level. It's a lot like Hell Bent in that way - it won't click with everyone, especially people who worship the character regardless of their flaws. This episode isn't a re-tread of 'Dalek', like many say. The two stories are exact opposites.

[@Eddo15878]

Hey good to see dalek bumps on the channel

[@britanimations2002]

Give the writers credit, the Doc did regenerate and this is the first time a Dalek is seeing this new Doctor, of course the Doctor would be confused why Rusty knew him

[@SamyulDavis]

Also the "we're small" line is fine, and would be the natural thought process of somebody not used to being shrunk down. Also i'm not sure if Trilbee is ignoring the potential of Rusty to make a more entertaining video or if he missed the stakes of the story. Of course there's disappointment that Rusty's options are still rooted in hate. Could it have been made clearer what the team's goal in the Dalek actually was? Absolutely, in fact- they seem to be playing it by ear, but the Dalek only let them in because he thought he was going to get fixed. That does not mean that was their actual goal. The other criticisms are bang on.

[@britanimations2002]

@@SamyulDavis If their goal was to destroy the Dalek from the very beginning, why humour it? Why wait until a Doctor turned up? Why go inside it? Why not just destroy it from outside of the creature? By fixing one plot hole it just creates more so while I like your way of thinking, it doesn't quite work

[@frazzlesreviews5379]

DAVIS are you suggesting that Mr TARDIS deliberately ignores the potential of an actually badly written character for the sake of entertainment. Christ you just really don’t like other people’s opinions do you?

[@kaledmasterme]

In case no one else says this, in the original version of the story, Rusty teleports on board the dalek ship and self destruct taking the Daleks with him. Its even in the leaked rough cut of the episode. The change was made last minute with adr for capaldi saying goodbye.

[@N3RDYG0GGLES]

YOU HAVE NO IDEA how thankful I am that you pointed out what I’ve been saying all along - THERE HAVE BEEN GOOD DALEKS! It pissed me off that not only was Dalek Sec in particular being totally forgotten again, but all of them were because Moffat didn’t seem to want to acknowledge almost ANY past canon in order to pretend his ideas were all 100% original!

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

I too think Evil of the Daleks, Dalek, and even Evolution of the Daleks handled the ‘good’ Dalek idea right, And Evolution made Dalek Sec more human than a Dalek/Human hybrid.

[@russelltietjen4407]

In fairness to the bit in the classroom where the kid asks if Danny ever shot someone who wasn't a soldier, I remember quite a few kids at my secondary school who absolutely would ask a messed up question like that. Though it's worth noting that said school was ranked as one of the worst in the UK a few years ago.

[@AaronBallvideos]

I really like this story tbh, capaldi is brill his dark personality is great, it makes the daleks scary, granted theside characters aren’t great but the idea and story is good and rusty is a good character :)

[@defrostedrobot77]

As far as I see it the entire point behind The Doctor being disappointed in Rusty just going for the whole killing Daleks thing is that its motivated by hatred. Whereas prior to this Rusty was motivated by the something a bit more more existential than just hatred. Obviously, this isn't something the Doc appreciates because it indicates to him that deep down he might a bit of a messed up core. Of course, Clara points out to him at the end that even if he's not necessarily a good man, he does try to be, which is ultimately the important thing.

[@th3d3storoy3r]

Goddamn, that bit where you say "You mad bastard" in that Dalek voice made me chuckle XD

[@iKillerZombie]

6:36 That one seems simple to me, this is the 12th Doctor’s first encounter with the Daleks, they obviously wouldn’t recognise his new incarnation yet

[@MrTARDIS]

Daleks being able to recognise the Doctor despite regenerating (apart from 3 and 6 for some reason) is an established trademark of the Daleks.

[@iKillerZombie]

MrTARDISreviews DOOMSDAY: “This male registers as enemy” “Identify him” “Alright then, if you really want to know, that’s the Doctor” RESOLUTION: “I’m not human, have a scan” “Who are you? Identify!” “Oh mate, I’m the Doctor, ring any bells?”

[@MrTARDIS]

@@iKillerZombie, yeah in Doomsday they registered him. And in Resolution, the Dalek was out of its casing. Maybe the Dalek Tank is how the Doctor can be identified.

[@iKillerZombie]

MrTARDISreviews By that logic, the fact that Rusty is damaged in this episode could prevent him from recognising the Doctor Also, in Dalek, it didn’t start trying to shoot the Doctor until he said “I’ve come to help, I’m the Doctor”

[@Adam-nb6im]

@@MrTARDIS Was it not just that one small group of Dalek's in The Time of the Doctor who got their memories restored? Doesn't mean every Dalek across the universe got it restored too.

[@mahfuzurchowdhury2765]

I think the Doctor is so conflicted right at the end because Rusty didn't turn "good" by wanting to kill all Daleks through a malfunction this time. This time, Rusty grew it's hatred from the Doctor himself. That's why the Doctor is so conflicted as it again is pushing the idea of if the Doctor really is a "good man".

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

12:30 I think the line ‘You would make a good Dalek!’ is a lot more powerful.

[@gallohalt]

was only powerful for me during "dalek" its been trotted out multiple times but ive never felt it made as much sense then when eccleston was screaming at a dalek to kill itself

[@DomoftheDoctor]

It’s a story like this where you can tell Moffat FORGOT to leave at the end of Series 7. Literally, he has said that he was so busy at the time that he literally forgot to hand in his resignation. A lot of the time in Series 8 and 9, things just feel tired. It’s ironic then that Series 10 felt so refreshing, as that was also a product of Moffat staying longer than expected. Then he had to stay on for the Christmas Special, and... yeah.

[@tritonk1759]

Series 10 was legit brilliant, Moffat was on track to leaving on a high... until 'Twice Upon a Time' as you said...

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

@@tritonk1759it’s said when we al know the Doctor falls was ament to be his last episode

[@tritonk1759]

@@nathanielfarkas4431 Yup, but the BBC had a Christmas Day time slot that they just HAD to fill...

[@herbivarsawus4359]

The callousness of the Doctor in this one really did put me off 12 early on.

[@ishaandw]

Yeah, it really did put me off too. It was a vast difference to Matt Smith but it really works for his character progression overall

[@BrainComm487]

Another great review with a lot of valid points. And again, I think the highlight here is Nick Briggs. His acting and vocal range, even with Dalek voice modulation, can make even the most contrived and poorly-written dialogue sound compelling.

[@jordan89124]

Man, you really have a 'kill anything bad mentality' during these reviews... "You would make a good Dalek"

[@RiainRamblez]

Into The Dalek- AKA Doctor Who does Fantastic Voyage again.

[@Howyaduing]

First time in the new series

[@T2266]

I hated this episode then, I hate it now, the olny good part of it is justwatered down version of "Dalek", and the idea of how the inside of the Dalek "travel machine" works is just missing the point of the Daleks. They are Daleks not the cybermen.

[@ItsButterBean1020]

To be fair it kind of makes sense that Davros would install something like that to maintain there behaviour

[@LeftytheGansterGremlin]

The fight at the end was cool though.

[@FatSnorlax]

I totally forgot that Into the Dalek was next haha

[@ChannelPup]

THANK YOU for that point about Clara straight up assaulting the Doctor. It was so backwards every time they treated a Clara slap as like an endearing moment.

[@nifralo2752]

The thing about the Moffat era dalek episods is that they keep adding new stuff only for it to be forgotten next time.

[@TheSchemer1]

12:59 Tenth Doctor was a bit like that, especially glaringly in Sontaran Stratagem/Poison Sky

[@katecastreviews4639]

I thought the radiation leak inside the casing that was messing with it's brain was why Rusty didn't recognize the Doctor. Also it's been a while since I've seen the episode, but if I remember right, Rusty mentioned he saw the star to the Doctor while he was still "sick", and maybe the Doctor was hoping that would be enough for Rusty to remain good even after they fixed the leak. It's Evolution of the Daleks again. He helps Rusty because he so desperately wants to believe that this monsterous race can be reformed. That glimmer of potential that maybe they'll be less suffering at the hands of the Daleks. Which is why it's so upsetting to him when Rusty looks into him, and the biggest thing he takes away from the Doctor's mind, is his hatred. Yeah it's not unusual for something good like Rusty to want to destroy such evil, but the Doctor didn't want that to be, all it learned from this experience. You know? And given what Rusty is up to when we see him again, that seems to be the case. But that was just my takeaway. As for the soldiers? I don't know. I wasn't the biggest fan of them either Also your additional dialogue for Rusty's departure was really funny!

[@MrDarthT]

The reason why they were fixing Rusty in the first place is because the damage was killing them AS WELL as making them good. But the soldiers didn't know that the two things were connected. So they were hoping to stop Rusty from dying. But in doing so, they accidentally made Rusty bad again. Rusty does hate the Daleks at both the beginning and the end, but does so for different reasons. At first, they hated the Daleks because of seeing the beauty in the universe, but at the end, they hate for the sake of hating. On top of that, Rusty is also merely parroting The Doctor's hatred. There was something pure about Rusty's motives at the beginning. But at the end, they're just another Dalek. Except now they have a different set of enemies.

[@IronSalamander8]

Not a huge fan of this one. Don't hate it, but it's not very good. I really don't like Danny Pink much at all, part of it is how he's written and part of it is how the actor plays him. His timing and delivery just come off badly. And Clara is an obnoxious companion, even before the nightmare that is Hell Bent. Still at least the miniaturization is better than it was in The Invisible Enemy. Edit: The soldier thing was super obnoxious at this time period. I didn't like Danny Pink but the way the Doctor treated him was also grating. One of his best friends is the Brigadier for Pete's sake.

[@nickthepick8043]

I couldn't agree more. I know it's a year late, but I wanted to give my two cents. I like what they were attempting with Danny, but I agree with everything else you said. Clara was a Bitch the whole time, I hated how the show interpreted Military Personnel in a bad light, and I really don't get why the Doctor Questioned his morality so much. Just a quick note on the whole military thing, The reason why the Doctor gladly worked with the Brig and UNIT in the past was the same reason why Batman works with the GCPD under Gordon. It's because they knew they were working alongside with responsible people whom had a sense of decency. Secondly, I never understood why the series tries so hard to make it seem like wiping out the Daleks or Cybermen was a bad thing. These species clearly have no intention or capacity to change their ways, and the universe is literally better off without them. The Doctor is not unjustified for doing that.

[@nickthepick8043]

@@nickbrough8335 I like your line of thinking! I agree with a lot of what you said, and I thank you for presenting it the way you did. I must also note that my opinion has changed a bit on the subject matter however in the past 3 weeks conveniently. It was after rewatching Remembrance of the Daleks. I was a young teenager when I first watched it. Only now do I have a more profound appreciation of the story it was trying to tell, not just cool Dalek action(Which I am always down for, in my opinion). After watching that story, I now know the REAL importance as to why the Doctor is so hesitant to pull that genocide-trigger. It's because he's thinking of the cause & effect of his choices. I always knew this was the case, but the light had been shed properly to me after playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II. What I'm trying to say is for all the Doctor knows, by eradicating the Daleks by his hand, all those races in the galaxy wouldn't have united together against the common enemy. More to the point, better to deal with the Devil you know then the Devil you don't. I believe that the Daleks and Cybermen deserve extinction, but it can't always be by the Doctor's hands. We have to take control of our own destiny and fix the problem ourselves as a group to fix things permanently. After all, time can in fact be changed by non-time lords. Otherwise, than the Parallel Cybus Earth wouldn't exist. Davros would say that conflict is the nature of the universe, but again, that's just Davros. That's the only side of things he'll ever look into. And finally, we have to consider that the Doctor is a unique Time Lord. He actually cares for the little guys in the universe, this is mostly due to his experiences with non-Gallifreyans and his need for travelling and exploration. Time Lords on the other hand, while they have a profound understanding of how time travel should work and how it should be used, they're still very self-directed and isolated from the problems of the universe, instead of subtly and carefully making the universe a better place.

[@rondemkiw4492]

This story has astonishing similarities to the 1950s science fiction movie THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE. Submarine crewmen explore a flying saucer occupied by giant cyclops, entering via the "eye", crewman gets incinerated by internal defence system, etc. Both stories are science fictional re-interpretations of Ulysses in the cave of the cyclops. Also there was the episode of Irwin Allen's LOST IN SPACE, "A Trip Through The Robot".

[@goneswimming7346]

I think all of the Pre Bill Potts companions and their parents have all had at least one scene hitting the doctor played for laughs with the exception of Rose Tyler. Jackie slapped 9 in the world war 3 episode, Donna slapped ten in the runaway bride, Amy in the season five opening, Martha in human nature, Rory in the series 5 closing episodes etc. it was a bad running gag and I’m glad they don’t do it anymore, just like the gag where all the NuWho doctors pre Capadli kissed their companions even if it didn’t make sense for the character or context

[@DalekTheSupreme]

Into the Dalek is one of a handful of Series 8 episodes I actually kind of liked. It wasn't great, and did no favors to the Doctor or Clara as characters, but I liked the story of the Doctor trying to turn a Dalek good, but when it looks inside his soul, it sees hatred. I even think that giving payoff to Rusty was one of the few things I actually liked about Twice Upon a Time. That said, I get your criticisms. Having the female companions constantly slapping the Doctor isn't funny (I can think of two instances where I kind of understood where they were coming from, and neither time was it played for laughs), the Doctor's sudden hatred of soldiers doesn't make sense after Day of the Doctor, and the Doctor's reaction at the end makes no sense. I find it a mostly enjoyable watch, but it is where a lot of problems with the Twelfth Doctor's character and his first season became evident to me.

[@PatRex11]

Gotta admit, I was surprised when the notification came up for your review of this instead of Witch's Familiar. I straight up forgot this story existed...

[@thetardislegilimens]

I liked Into the Dalek. Sure, there were some...odd parts, but I still think it holds up.

[@crimsondynamo615]

“A good Dalek?” “There’s no such thing.” Purposefully ignores the three good Daleks he personally named and gave the human factor. Eight later found those three and they had a colony of good Daleks on a planet. How would Eight feel about that comment?

[@eccremocarpusscaber5159]

Wasn’t that a simulation he was in?

[@darlig.ulv.bakhjerne]

Sorry mr TARDIS but I couldn't disagree more, usually when i disagree with you on your reviews its just a matter of you having a different opinion and i respect that, but in this case i think it's just poor research and not much thought gone into the episode you're reviewing. the Doctor shows Rusty his entire psyche, essentially granting the Dalek access to his soul and higher thoughts to try to persuade it that the universe is a thing of beauty worth protecting. When Rusty starts taking about seeing 'endless perfection' in the Doctor's mind, the Doctor thinks he's onto something, and convinces Rusty to live by that new philosophy But instead of seeing the beauty of the universe like the Doctor intended, all Rusty sees is the Doctor's deep-rooted hatred of the Daleks, which he adopts for his own. What follows is, practically speaking, a scene in which Rusty 'saves the day' - he kills all the Daleks, preventing them from killing the Humans, and agrees to call them off so he can leave with them to continue his crusade But for the Doctor, this is devastating - as Rusty says, "victory is yours, but it does not please you" - he won, sure, but in order to do so it was revealed to him that he has an intense, deeply buried hatred, a prejudice that he has tried very hard to ignore, but it's now been dredged up and brought squirming into the light - without his hate, chances are all the humans would be dead. Rusty's line about the Doctor being a 'good Dalek' is elaborated on intensely within the episode - just before he says it. The entire episode is the elaboration, we witness the Doctor being ruthless, pragmatic, and even hateful - all qualities which the Daleks admire. The only difference is that he tries to be good, hence him being a 'Good Dalek'. This is a complete mirror opposite of the situation we see in 'Dalek'. In that story, the Dalek is making a passing jab at the Doctor, illustrating how his angry rant about how the Dalek race is filth that should be wiped out. It stings, but it's a passing thing - the Doctor in that moment, and in that incarnation specifically, is very angry and hateful, to the extent that he could pass for a Dalek at his worst moments. In Into the Dalek, however, Rusty isn't saying 'good Dalek' as in 'you'd be good at being a Dalek', he's saying 'good Dalek' as in 'a Dalek that chooses to be good'. That's why it hits the Doctor so hard, why he has nothing to say afterwards, because Rusty literally saw into his mind and came to that conclusion based on an assessment of his character and psyche, rather than just a passing remark reacting to a bad moment he had made by the Metaltron in 'Dalek'. This links back to the entire overarching theme of Series 8 of Doctor Who, which is the Doctor getting to grips with himself and trying to figure out who he is. It's why Clara's final line in the episode about not knowing whether or not he is a good man is so important - she says "I think you try to be, and I think that's probably the point" The whole point of the episode is that being 'good' isn't about the kind of person you are, it's about the kinds of choices you make at the critical moment. There are lots of points throughout Into the Dalek where characters are given similar choices - Danny choosing to go out with Clara instead of wallowing in self-pity, Journey choosing not to blow the Dalek up and instead putting her faith in the Doctor, the Doctor choosing to abandon his pride and hubris and listen to Clara's teachings, Rusty choosing to abandon Dalek dogma and take a new path (even if it is an equally murderous one). And this brings another angle to the final talk between Rusty and the Doctor in this episode - "A victory would have been a good Dalek", "I am not a good Dalek - you are a good Dalek", basically concluding that the true victory for the Doctor was overcoming his self-doubt and embracing the man he is, which he finally recognises in Death in Heaven with his "I am an Idiot" speech. That episode even quotes Into the Dalek at that point as a direct reference to this fact, yet so many people either can't see it or choose not to. Series 8 is woefully underrated for that reason - "You can't see me, can you? You look at me, and you can't see me."

[@rtex2020]

Thanks for this series of reviews! I had such high hopes going into the Peter Capaldi era, and was SO let down by the Doctor in this story. His utter, callous disregard for the lives of others really put me off, and I don't think I ever recovered.

[@matthewjh138]

This was originally going to be one off the Adventure games

[@nickthepick8043]

Interesting! I still have them on my Steam Account, before BBC took them off.

[@legobi_wan_kenobi]

Okay I'll say it again since my original comment has 'mysteriously disappeared' - this review is painful to watch. - Why doesn't the Dalek recognise the Doctor? er... because he's regenerated? yknow, that thing that happens every so often in the show where the main character changes his face? - Why is this Dalek being good any different from other examples? Because in the other examples you cited, Daleks were mixed with Human DNA. They were impure. This Dalek isn't, which makes it a unique case - a Dalek that appears to have turned good due to a mechanical malfunction that the soldiers want to recreate in other Daleks. - Why does the Doctor think fixing the damage to the Dalek will keep it good? He doesn't. The plan wasn't to fix the Dalek - the plan was to find out what broke it so that they can attempt to recreate the same effect on other Daleks. This is all explained in dialogue earlier in the episode. - The Doctor needs to fix the damage either way to save their lives - the radiation reaches a critical level so it's a choice between dying in the Dalek or fixing it and hoping the change to its personality is permanent. Again, this is explained in the preceding scene. - The scene where Clara slaps the Doctor isn't meant to be funny - why would you think it's supposed to be funny? The Doctor goes rogue and fixes the Dalek, and is able to prove it wasn't good at all, it was simply ill. Clara slaps the Doctor because she recognises that he's secretly smugly pleased that the Dalek didn't turn good on its own. She literally states this right after hitting him. - And as for the significance of the distinction between Rusty being 'good' at the beginning compared to Rusty being 'good' at the end - I'm honestly lost for words. I get that you were watching lots of episodes in a short space of time to make these reviews but even so... At the beginning of the story, Rusty is an enigma, a Dalek that seemingly witnessed the birth of a star, realised the futility of the Dalek cause, and pledged to rid the universe of them. At the end of the story, Rusty looks into the Doctor's soul - which the Doctor hopes will make him see the beauty of the universe that the Doctor sees - and all Rusty sees is the Doctor's hatred of the Daleks. He becomes the most hateful Dalek in the universe - a Dalek that is truly alone, borderline insane (by Dalek standards), and ruthlessly murderous. And that happens because of what Rusty saw in the Doctor. To say that "nothing's changed" implies to me that you completely missed the point of the episode - Rusty at the end of the story is not a 'good Dalek'. He's just a Dalek who hates other Daleks more than he hates non-Daleks. As the Doctor says, that's not a victory. And even worse - through Rusty, the Doctor sees a reflection of himself from the Time War, from the Siege of Trenzalore, and from all his previous battles with the Daleks - a ruthless strategist with demons and prejudices who has chosen to be good, rather than an innately 'good man' as he wants to see himself. He is the good Dalek, not Rusty.

[@darlig.ulv.bakhjerne]

Thank you! Glad somebody gets it. Don't forget that the whole thing about Clara reminding the Doctor to treat the situation as a learning opportunity rather than a battle. He seems ready to give up until she asks him if that's really all they learned - it starts the theme of her reminding him to be a Doctor not a Warrior, sowing the seeds of their final adventure together in Face the Raven in Series 9. Into the Dalek is a gem of a Dalek story, easily the best Moffat-era Dalek story. I love how it slips so many dialogue and visual references to classic Dalek stories too. The Colonel thinks the Doctor is a duplicate, and the attack scene is basically an updated version of what we see in Resurrection of the Daleks. Also I'm so glad they brought back "seek, locate, destroy!" - Terry Nation would have been proud.

[@Squid1562]

Where’s the clips from the episode? I just hear white noise

[@BH-98]

Aside from Danny’s introduction, Clara slapping the Doctor & some of the story arc links, I enjoy this episode. I like the exploration inside the Dalek casing, the action scenes, Capaldi is really good & even though it’s very similar to Dalek, it doesn’t make it bad. Plus it’s the superior story to the next one. So I have to disagree with this review

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

I will admit this is way too early to show a Dalek story in the 12th Doctor’s run in the show.

[@calumbishop7082]

I think it was meant to be a reference to how Hartnell's second story (and by extension Doctor Who's second story) was a Dalek story. It just fails.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Calum Bishop Yeah but to Dr Who’s credit the only reason that was included was because the production team didn’t had a good start.

[@DalekTheSupreme]

I don't think the problem was with the placement. The Eleventh Doctor faced the Daleks three episodes in, and of all the criticisms lobbed against Victory of the Daleks, the way the Doctor is depicted is not one that I've heard.

[@swazzlebock]

"You mad bastard." hahahahahahaha!

[@steve.wassall06]

3:01 Peter literally sounds like Malcolm Tucker

[@NitroIndigo]

The antibodies are eyeballs? What is this, Solatorobo?

[@ohmydinosare]

Hooray, I'm all caught up again

[@nifralo2752]

Did you get it Rusty the Dalek=Russle T Davis cause Moffat is running around RTD's machine fixing it making it better.

[@zoewells3160]

RTD and Moffat are friends. Moffat did absolutely NOT see himself like that, like he was "fixing" RTD's "mistakes". The two men have great respect for each other, actually. You can dislike Moffat but making these unfounded assertions about his mindset is just horrible, really. Anyway you just got that from Hbomberguy, didn't you?

[@Eddo15878]

Maybe the Dalek didn’t get its memory back as it was still in space during Time of the Doctor

[@rennythespaceguy7285]

I'd assume the Doctor's shock at Rusty recognising him is a carry over from when Eleven was meant to stay on for series 8 as TotD wouldn't have been the 2013 Christmas special then

[@legobi_wan_kenobi]

no it's a carry-over from the fact that the Doctor just regenerated - seems pretty obvious really

[@rennythespaceguy7285]

@@legobi_wan_kenobi No, I get that's what it is now, but Into the Dalek is known to have been originally planned for Smith and the show rarely bothers to introduce the new incarnation to the daleks, usually they just know already. It works now but isn't something they'd usually comment on

[@legobi_wan_kenobi]

@@rennythespaceguy7285 Into the Dalek wasn't meant for Smith - had Smith chosen to stay on for another series, Time of the Doctor would have been spread across an entire series, which would have been Series 8. But when he announced his departure, the original plan for Series 8 was truncated into a single episode and they started from scratch with Capaldi

[@rennythespaceguy7285]

@@legobi_wan_kenobi That's an urban myth actually, totd never was going to be the whole season, obviously trenzalore would be a factor, and likely be given more time than it got but it's never been stated to have been the whole season, the only thing we know about the structure of the season is according to moffat it would center on eleven getting 'meaner'

[@legobi_wan_kenobi]

@@rennythespaceguy7285 that's the point though - the ideas for the original series 8 were compressed and the end result became Time of the Doctor. It's not that Moffat had everything planned out and had to cut down the stories, it's more like a vague idea he had for Series 8 which then had to be radically altered. Into the Dalek was written by Phil Ford anyway, so there's no way this line is a carry-over from an idea for the previous series as Ford wouldn't have had anything to do with that

[@dark_knight_-tb4qd]

I don't think Steven knew what to do with the Daleks at all. Even the next episode was dedicated more to Davros and made implications that harms their role in the series.

[@Nasser851000]

So is this a double story review?

[@drewsherod6567]

...I agree with you on almost every episode I've ever seen you review. But why didn't you like Twice Upon A Time?

[@Dray1]

16K is a sin for a channel like this. I’ve watched you since around the late Matt Smith reviews and you really deserve more subs for how good you are. Keep it up 👍🏻

[@IsaacWhittakerDakin]

Personally I feel this is the best Dalek story of the Moffat era. I like how it adds to the Doctor's arc of figuring out who he is for series 8, is he a good dalek? A good man? Someone who dislikes soldiers? A man who leaves his friends to work out their own future? The man who stops the monsters or an idiot? I love series 8's darker tone and I will defend the Capaldi era to my death.

[@BH-98]

Tbf the choices are; 2 episodes (victory/into) that are decent but inferior versions of 2 of the best Dalek episodes (power/Dalek) 2 stories written by Moffat (asylum/witches familiar) where the Daleks are completely undermined. & then a bunch of cameo appearances

[@IsaacWhittakerDakin]

@@BH-98 Very true, RTD made them a force to be reckoned with, Moffat just made them another named obstacle.

[@DalekTheSupreme]

I feel Victory of the Daleks edges out Into the Dalek because I admire its intentions more and I don't mind the Progenitor Daleks. Into the Dalek is just a little too mean spirited in my opinion.

[@BH-98]

Bumblebee-127 for me they’re on the same level of quality. Though I do vastly prefer the tone of series 5 over 8

[@IsaacWhittakerDakin]

@@BH-98 I really like both the fairy tale tone and the darker tone of series 5 and 8 I think they work cos they feel fresh with a new Doctor.

[@PHOENIXGUNDAM]

I think you missed something else on the plot point of the dalek seeing the doctors hatred, this also implies that Daleks were not programmed by Davros to hate everything that is not like themselves but to simply Hate EVERYTHING and to simply follow the most hate even if it's suicidal making that small point even MORE Convoluted. Anyway another nice review trilbee keep it up.

[@darren223]

Originally at the end of Into the dalek Rusty was supposed to board the Dalek ship and self destruct.

[@pjgs4933]

Always liked this one but I appreciate your analysis. Really good direction and cinematography. Murray Gold’s score is very good too.

[@TheRealKaiProton]

I think they missed a huge opportunity with Rusty, and with Oswin the Dalek, they could of had a Dalek companion, anyway still they could of have more with Rusty, like letting him take that as a name, and have more interaction with the Doctor..

[@flutterflyer849]

I keep forgetting this episode even exists.

[@tomimpala]

7:00 He regenerated

[@WalrusisintheMatrix]

12:10 I mean if you want to accuse Clara of enlightened centrism you should take a closer look at the Chibnall era. (In Resolution the doctor literally calls the dalek a refugee.)

[@jamie210690]

I dont remember that. what was the quote and was it before she knew it was a hostile?

[@zoewells3160]

Also you could make this exact same point about Dalek. If you were being disingenuous, of course. In fact, Jubilee, which Dalek is based on, almost has that exact line word for word. The point of the line is supposed to be that Daleks aren't actually good analogies for Fascism because they're just silly robot men, basically. It's kinda a meta thing. Deconstructive and all that. Went right over MRTardis' head, of course, because Moffat wrote it so he made no effort to engage with it.

[@cidersocialism6714]

Whilst 12th Doctor in early series 8 'Capaldi sociopath mode' is fun to watch, I think it cheapens the twist when Rusty looks into his mind and sees hatred. Wouldn't it be more impactful if that happened to, say, the 11th or 13th Doctors? Or even 12 in Series 10? Also the series 8 arc scene where that soldier Gretchen sacrifices herself and shows up with Missy in her afterlife is so poorly implemented in this episode, taking place right after her death and killing the pacing. If that was really necessary throw it in at the end of the episode like in Deep Breath.

[@SamyulDavis]

Will never match up opinions on the Capaldi episodes it seems. No matter, another great video!

[@frazzlesreviews5379]

DAVIS to be fair he has an atrociously inconsistent run of episodes.

[@kiarash608]

Mr.Tardis should voice the Daleks from now on

[@darrendarke]

Whatever you think of this episode, the fact it was directed by Ben Wheatley is stellar. His films are top draw 👌 that's also why Michael Smiley is in it, cause he often shows up in Ben's films.

[@darrendarke]

But yes it is annoying he wasn't given a better episode. Like there are things that could have worked as you have outlined but generally it was unsuccessfully retreading previous ideas. And as much as I like the doctor being logical, I think that The Doctor being so flippant with human life is very undoctor like and is pushed slightly too far here. Like dealing with situations through tact and kindness is kind of his MO.

[@stepheng7325]

Where's time of the doctor? That was also a dalek story

[@MrTARDIS]

I bring it up on December 25th. Don't worry, it's coming :)

[@MrTARDIS]

@@Gunner9422 also December 25th :)

[@midgetwars1]

The whole premise would've been good if they didn't just have the biggest finale in Dr Who history and the season caused and revolve around A GOOD DALEK.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

You hate Twice Upon a Time?! Maybe one day when you get to it we could see the reason why.

[@McEdam]

Great review. I sorta like into the dalek! I hated every scene in the school. But when military stuff gets going I can personally enjoy it. You bring up brilliant points however and I'll compare them to my own thoughts next i view this story.

[@tomimpala]

We see cartoon Mr Bean's eyes in a totally dark room, reaching out trying to find a lightswitch. He grabs something. Mr Bean: Aha! An elderly lady turns on the lights - Mr Bean is actually grabbing one of the woman's breasts. Mr Bean's face recoils in shock as the women hits him with her purse. Trilbee: As you can see, this is physical and sexual assault normalized on a children's program. 9:25 It's cringe, it's a mess with its tone, and it may lead to kids hitting other kids for a laugh, but to call it assault cheapens what assault is. I have no idea why they keep doing this, it is lazy writing and a bit pretentious (as if a slap symbolizes a profound dramatic moment) and it is a bad example to kids, no question about that. They should stop doing it, one to make them think of more creative dramatic sequences, and two because they should send a better message with the show, but let's not go overboard with the type of language we use to describe something. This is really bad, I would cringe seeing that scene, not saying it's okay and it does annoy me, but assault? Mmmmmm...!

[@maldon3659]

To Quote a Dr Who Graphic Novel "the only good Dalek is a dead Dalek".

[@kilo1012]

Nah, a kid would totally ask that question that way. Some kids have no concept of boundaries

[@tomimpala]

10:32 I remember watching this with my dad and my dad laughing out loud as this line and jump in plot haha It is a really funny scene when you think of it like that. Like you could put the Curb Your Enthusiasm music over it after this line and do a montage of the dalek killing as the doctor cries haah I'm serious put the music on in another tab and watch this clip

[@marcroth2844]

"you shoot people and cry about it afterwards" imagine someone laughing at that joke

[@legobi_wan_kenobi]

It's not a joke from the writer or the audience's point of view, it's a joke from Clara's point of view. The whole point of Series 8 is that it establishes how truly alien and strange Clara has become due to the Doctor's influence. "The control freak and the man who must never be controlled"

[@theultimatevideoman1143]

Into the Dalek is much like Series 8 as a whole for me, an ok average and forgettable viewing experience. I haven't watched most of Series 8's episodes since they aired. Series 8 is a minor improvement over Series 7 but that's just that.

[@kilo1012]

Also I'm confused by you saying the doctor's disappointment with Rusty doesn't make sense. The Doctor hates the Daleks, yes, but that isn't his primary motivator. He wants to help people because it's right.

[@randomericthings7506]

I don’t think you understand how evil children can be.

[@andiparker3733]

The best part of this story is that there are none of those awful paradigm Daleks!!

[@tTaseric]

That's honestly a shame though. The problem with the Paradigm Daleks was the awful colour scheme which was fixed by their next appearance. It's strange that they just dropped them completely in just 2 episodes.

[@BadwolfGamer]

Only 2 more stories to go!

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Next Time: Davros returns once again, The Return of a certain female Master ‘Which in my opinion she just doesn’t work’ and the 12th and a hoody.

[@mayotango1317]

Missy is the only thing that works in the Series 8.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Mayo Tango131 Maybe for you, But I just find her too boring.

[@mayotango1317]

@@SegaNintendoGuy64 I find her more menacing that John Simms.

[@ftumschk]

@@mayotango1317 Agreed. John Simm's Master, at least as written by RTD, was too hyper for my liking. He was much better when Steven Moffat wrote for him in S10.

[@ItsButterBean1020]

Honestly she was better in Season 10 with her redemption arc But that’s it

[@mullaoslo]

I thought time of the doctor was next.. The where the main threat at the end of the story

[@DalekTheSupreme]

They were still part of an ensemble villain cast

[@dubliam8064]

Wow! Wingy Media is going to be angry with you. Anyway you act like there is nothing to latch onto. But the Doctors face when the Dalek sees hatred is heartbreaking imo.

[@BH-98]

I doubt he's watching these

[@GingerAnimator]

Good acting =/= effective drama.

[@Ks-zv6js]

I know a soldier and people do ask that

[@marionbaggins]

Zawe Ashton, wait THAT Zawe Ashton from Betrayal...Well I haven't rewatched it in 2 years...WOW!!! All I can say is: get her Boyfriend in Doctor Who... Seriously you don't know who he is...Look him up you and you will remember!!!!

[@KnightRaymund]

Yeah I remember not really liking this episode. It was just... nothing. As far as the 'am I a good person' thing, it kinda goes with why he chose this face, I guess, to help people, as he figures out in the Viking episode.

[@ClaireWritesSometimes]

AM I A GOOD MAN CLAAAAAAAAARA? OR AM I A HYYYYYYYBRID?

[@theshadowdirector]

I like Twice Upon a Time... Please don't exterminate!

[@karkatvantas9557]

I find this review to be very surface-level, and your interpretations of the story to be uncharitable at best, and disingenuous at worst. I don't always agree with your opinions, but this is your first review that I've actively disliked.

[@BH-98]

Karkat Vantas yeah I agree. I think this is weakest instalment of dalekcember

[@DuelaDent52]

Karkat Vantas I liked Into the Dalek, but I can think of worse reviews of his.

[@ishaandw]

After researching other reviewers talk about Asylum of the Daleks. I can see where your coming from. His reviews are really surface level in these two and he goes of to many tangents

[@karkatvantas9557]

Ishaan Basu I completely agree with everything he says about Asylum though. It’s the worst episode of new Who ever imo.

[@JackWolf10]

I feel like Into the Dalek's biggest flaw is its lack of a clear goal or stakes. For the first half of the episode we're basically just wandering around inside a Dalek to try and figure out why it's 'good'. It feels kind of aimless, which isn't helped by the uninteresting and cramped interior sets of the Dalek. It's not clear exactly what the humans want with the Dalek, and what they hope to achieve by looking inside it. By the time stakes are introduced, with the Dalek fleet locating and invading the medical ship, it's just a lot of nameless soldier deaths. I really wish there was some kind of urgency, maybe the Dalek is sending out a distress signal and so they need to get inside to stop it? Ultimately I think the episode does just feel like a mish-mash of preexisting ideas, and the exploration of them doesn't do much for me.

[@alskik23]

Finally a review I disagree with (though I did click like)

[@IsaacWhittakerDakin]

I know you criticise the kid for asking Danny if hes killed anyone as unatural, but having worked in a high school you do get stupid questions. Case & Point, at an assembly we had a representative from parliament discussing politics and one of the questions a kid asked was "Why are so many politicians peados?" I wish i was making this up! 😅

[@benw4409]

I'm lukewarm on this story (certainly better than the other Capaldi Dalek story, and most of his other stories TBH) but GOD I hate the opening titles of his run. The worst, sappiest, painful dirge of an excuse of an opening titles. What the hell happened here Murray Gold? Anyway, the story is fine, but it was way way too early to introduce the Daleks into Capaldi's run. And Twice Upon a Time is without a doubt the worst regeneration story. At least Time and the Rani had a plot and didn't feel the need to insult William Hartnell and potentially put people off from checking out his era.

[@rainbowgazelle1218]

Yeah, sorry. I have to disagree with pretty much this whole review. The Doctor's good man dilemma does come to a conclusion at the end of Series 8. The Doctor is disappointed because Rusty's motivations for destroying the daleks come from hatred, just like the regular daleks, and he's worried that inside himself is too much hatred. I think you may have missed the point of some of the scenes and dialogue. Also, Twice Upon A Time is a fantastic episode.

[@loggior.speedweed4345]

I’m getting the strong impression that you have a EXTREME and unhealthy hatred for Steven Moffet.....

[@MrTARDIS]

Not really. I advice you watch my other videos. In particular my 'The Doctor Falls' video.

[@legobi_wan_kenobi]

@@MrTARDIS mate give Into the Dalek another go. This review is dripping with obvious bias and tbh from some of the things you've said in the review it's clear you've missed obvious things or just haven't understood what it's going for

[@Reprodestruxion]

Mmmm Dalek Paella 🥘

[@DuelaDent52]

Aw, I liked this episode... Also, Twice Upon A Time the book is better.

[@steelbarber]

I thought this episode had great moments, but equally had bad moments as well.

[@eatabagovdiks2056]

The micro people stuff was just as it always is. Boring and the scale always changes and it never works. BUT... there are some great things in this. Rusty, The idea of a good dalek\bad doctor. Annnnnd. Humans, like in the old days can kill daleks. Sure their blasters weren't great and they lost the fight. but it was a fight! Daleks were never invincible just way tougher than most things. Ace killed one with a 1963 RPG. It was nice to see a real fight.

[@herbivarsawus4359]

Agreed it's bollocks. And wasn't the idea conceived to sell a video game?

[@BH-98]

Herbi Varsawus from what’ve heard the story idea was for a doctor who video game (probably one of the ones in 2010), but Steven Moffat decided that it would be better off saved for a proper episode

[@stanger121]

Man, Peter Capaldi deserved better.

[@leejones8582]

They could have made him a moody doctor for all his seasons.

[@mikewhiles4635]

Sorry but by now the long slow slide to the current state of Dr Who was well underway. Not so much 'unmissable' telly, it became oh I missed it telly. - Never mind. Before becoming far worse.

[@keithmcwhan8613]

Into the Dalek is just awful .. pure awful ... and phenomenally derivative.

[@cranTagonist]

That Clara is a swell teacher. If you don't understand this week's lesson fast enough she'll hit you right in your fucking face.