One thing we all know about Daleks is their complete hatred of anything unlike them. This hatred has even extended to other Daleks – for example, stories such as “Remembrance of the Daleks” and “Revolution of the Daleks” have shown Dalek against Dalek purely because of differences in genetics. As a result, they rarely make allies with other races.
So when we do see them working with someone, we’re immediately curious to know the reason why. It’s one thing for a human to be a slave to the Daleks, whether just in body or, as in the case of the Robomen, in mind. But what of those who willingly ally themselves with the most evil race in the universe?
Sometimes, the motivation is extremely simple: power. Characters like Mavic Chen or even the Master have aided the Daleks because they believe it will help them to take over the universe. Sometimes, these types of allies are easier to hate than the Daleks. After all, in the case of the pepper pots, they can’t help their nature. They were created to hate and exterminate anything that isn’t their kind. But any human who sells out their race to obtain more power is worse because they at least had a choice. And in most cases, these people inevitably get their comeuppance by the end. Either they’re killed by the Daleks, or by the people that they’ve betrayed.
The greater good?
But some motivations aren’t always that simple. One of the more interesting allies of the Daleks we’ve seen is the Controller in “Day of the Daleks”. In an alternate future where the Daleks have taken over the Earth after a devastating war, the Daleks still use humans as slaves. Their way of keeping the humans under control? A human face who can speak to the workforce directly.
The Controller has always been one of the more interesting human characters in a Dalek story. Played brilliantly by Aubrey Woods, the Controller is initially introduced as someone completely loyal to the Daleks. However, as the story unfolds, it’s clear that he's not just aiding the Daleks out of a desire for power. Instead, it’s a combination of two other reasons.
The first is the belief that helping the Daleks this way is better for humanity than fighting against them. Watching "Day of the Daleks", it’s easy to see why. The human population in this future is significantly reduced and the only existing fighting force is a small group of guerrillas – a group that is presented as extremist in their methods, although considering the awful future they live in, understandably so. At one point, the Controller outright states that, by helping the Daleks, he’s saved lives in the long run.
Facing fear
But there’s also another reason, one that’s much more basic: fear. While the Controller outwardly states that helping the Daleks is the best option, it’s clear that he doesn’t completely believe that. There is another motivation, one far more basic: survival. He knows that if he doesn’t fully cooperate with the Daleks, he will be replaced and will either become a slave or exterminated.
So it’s satisfying to see that, after meeting the Doctor and knowing him for only a short while, the Controller finally faces his fear and chooses to do the right thing. Helping the Doctor costs the Controller his life, but it’s clear that with his last act of defiance, he knows it’s worth it.
Surprisingly, there haven’t been many allies like this in the TV series. As previously mentioned, we've often seen people ally themselves with the Daleks for simpler reasons, such as power or, in the case of "Remembrance of the Daleks", racism.
But the Controller’s motivation – that of wanting to help the human race survive in the long run – still remains the most interesting. It’s surprising that this form of motivation hasn’t been explored more often, at least on television.
It might be because the Daleks’ appearances in the New Series have generally been extremely high stakes. For example, Series 4 finale “Journey’s End” has the Daleks wanting to destroy the entire multiverse and be the only surviving race in existence. Other than Davros – who created the Daleks – you’d be hard-pressed to find any human who would want to help the Daleks with that.
Dalek Empire
The expanded universe has explored more morally ambiguous motivations, though. Back in 2001, Nicholas Briggs – perhaps best known as the voice of the Daleks in the 21st century – wrote his own Dalek audio spin-off series called Dalek Empire. This series is still a favorite of mine. Taking place over many years, the series focuses on several human characters trying to survive a Dalek invasion.
One of the most interesting characters is Susan Mendes, a prisoner of the Daleks who becomes a symbol of hope. But because that hope is used to inspire human slaves to work harder, it risks making her one of the Daleks’ strongest allies. But she might have a plan of her own…
Mendes's journey is fantastic to listen to. Initially, she's simply a prisoner of the Daleks, someone completely without hope. There's a raw honesty to her character at this point, especially when she admits that she's afraid to die. Initially, she helps the Daleks purely as a means of personal survival, then as a way of working against them from within. But it's an extremely long-term plan, one where she's openly aiding the Daleks for a long time. Mendes is a great character, aided by both Brigg's strong writing and Sarah Mowat's excellent performance, and I'd love to see a character as complicated as this in the TV series.
Human allies of the Daleks are always great to watch, but the reluctant ally is even more interesting. They’re often more complex than your standard villain, and they might be forced to make awful decisions that even they don’t agree with.
We haven’t seen many allies like this in the New Series. At least, not people who willingly helped the Daleks for more complicated reasons. Generally speaking, the allies that we’ve seen have been people trying to obtain more power like Mr. Diagoras in “Daleks in Manhattan”, unknowing robot creations like Bracewell in “Victory of the Daleks”, or even Dalek zombies like those introduced in “Asylum of the Daleks”. But a human ally who helps the Daleks for more complex reasons would be great to watch. When the Daleks do come back, I hope they bring some allies with them – especially reluctant ones.