Doctor Who review: The Evil of the Daleks is still one of the greatest ever Dalek stories
By James Aggas
With the Emperor being such a major figure in Dalek Empire, we look at his original appearance in the classic Doctor Who serial, The Evil of the Daleks.
The Evil of the Daleks is an absolutely classic Doctor Who story, for so many reasons. It’s got a brilliant story by David Whitaker, it’s extremely psychologically driven, and it’s a major story for the Doctor’s deadliest enemies. In short, it’s up there with Power, Genesis and Remembrance of the Daleks as one of the greatest Dalek stories ever.
Unfortunately, it’s also a slightly overlooked story, too. And there’s a key reason for this: missing episodes. Like far too many Sixties serials – particularly those starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor – most of the episodes in this story have been wiped out. Out of seven episodes, only the second one survives. It’s a real tragedy, particularly as there’s a great deal that this serial relies on visually.
This is especially true of the first half of the story, which takes place at a house in Victorian England. Primarily because the Daleks are there. It’s simple, but it does stand out, especially at this point in the show’s history.
The Daleks – with their incredibly alien designs – look out of place in any historical setting. But this seems to be especially true for Evil. Their presence at an old Victorian home really does stand out. It’s a contrast that works brilliantly well for the story.
Then there are the final two episodes, which mainly take place on the Daleks’ home world of Skaro. We meet the Emperor for the first time and, even more exciting, we witness a truly epic battle at the very end, as a Dalek war breaks out across Skaro. It’s a huge moment, one that sadly hasn’t truly survived. The closest we have is behind-the-scenes footage.
The Time War not only added a great deal of mythology to the series, but also helped in explaining away the While the Emperor had a life in various comics and audios outside of the TV series, he didn’t appear again on-screen until 2005’s The Parting of the Ways.
(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.
Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)
Strong chracterization
Of course, there’s far more than just visuals that make The Evil of the Daleks such a brilliant story. Along with Terry Nation, David Whitaker was one of the Daleks’ very best writers, as this story proves.
This is partially because he knows how to use them. Throughout this story, the Daleks are ruthless, evil and very clever. Their pursuit of something called “the Human Factor” is focused on a great deal in this serial, and how they work to achieve their goals is both chilling and impressive.
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But it’s not just the Daleks themselves that make the story work. Whitaker fills the story with some truly brilliant and fleshed-out characters. There’s Theodore Maxtible, a man desperate for knowledge that only the Daleks have, and he’s willing to do anything to get it. There’s Edward Waterfield, a considerably more innocent and well-intentioned man who’s forced into a difficult position when the Daleks kidnap his daughter. And there’s Kemel, a man who has no lines, but still comes across as highly likable due to the quick friendship the character forms with Jamie, and the sweet bond he has with Victoria.
But it’s not just the guest characters that Whitaker writes well for. The Evil of the Daleks features the Second Doctor and Jamie at their very best, particularly as they’re placed on entirely opposite sides at some points. The Doctor is reluctant to help the Daleks in any way, but he knows that, to keep everyone safe, he has to do what they say.
Patrick Troughton’s Doctor is quite possibly at his most serious here, treating the threat very, very seriously. As a result, you take him seriously too, as he struggles to use his intelligence and some very devious methods to fight the Daleks.
But it’s Jamie who really shines in this one. Usually completely loyal to the Doctor, he doesn’t know what to make of him in this story, and virtually loses complete trust in his friend. When he’s tested by the Daleks, we see his bravery and his heroism, but also his gentleness, too. Jamie has always been a favorite companion of mine, and The Evil of the Daleks gives many great reasons why.
It’s a real tragedy that this story is mostly missing. Along with Whitaker’s previous Dalek serial, The Power of the Daleks, this is another easy classic. This was meant to finish off the Daleks for good, and while it didn’t achieve that, it did make a fantastic story for the Daleks, one that gave them a break for five years. An essential Sixties story that every Whovian needs to check out.
Next. How this post-credits cliffhanger brilliantly sets up a major Dalek story. dark
Is The Evil of the Daleks one of your favorite Dalek stories? Do you think it was a strong end to their Sixties era? What do you enjoy most about the story? Let us know in the comments below.