#this episode makes me very sad for the Thals

[master-missysversion]

This little speech....literally stopped me in my tracks.

#doctor who #third doctor #planet of the daleks #this episode makes me very sad for the Thals

[rwatchesclassicwho]

R Reviews - The Daleks

So, I enjoyed this more than I expected. Having become a bit sick of the Daleks in modern who, I wasn’t expecting to like their first story so much. But it was actually really good! I could actually understand why children at the time were scared of them – they felt a lot more threatening, somehow.

Part One

The show of the geiger counter rising was quite effective, watching as they all went to get ready and didn’t see it change.

Why does no one ever listen to Susan? No one believes her! They need to listen to her more.

So, one thing I noted – in early seasons of Doctor Who, the Doctor doesn’t usually choose to stay and help. This is also the case here, though at first it seems like it is – the Doctor chooses to sabotage the TARDIS and lie to Ian, Barbara and Susan so he can go to the city.

I like that they actually wait for the next day – they stay in the TARDIS overnight before heading out. It makes sense, but a lot of the time we see the TARDIS group just head out into an adventure, rather than paying attention to whether or not they’d be tired.

At least Susan puts the drugs in the TARDIS, not knowing what it is.

The first appearance of the Dalek is quite well done – you don’t actually see it, you see Barbara’s reaction and the eye stalk.

Part Two

The depiction of the radiation sickness is quite good – you see them all gradually get worse

The Doctor really is quite malicious at this point, isn’t he? He tries to say they should just leave without Barbara and admits his lie to Ian. I mean, you can see why they don’t get along with the Doctor at first. He kidnapped them to start with, and now he keeps lying and threatening. Not exactly friendly.

It was interesting to see the Daleks shoot someone and it have a different effect than the usual murder. Ian getting temporarily paralysed was not what I was expecting. I knew Ian didn’t die, but I wasn’t expecting him to get shot by a Dalek. In modern who, that always means death.

I like that Susan has a big role here! And in the next episode. She has to go and get the anti-radiation drugs! You can see that she’s scared, but she knows they are relying on her and she goes anyway. I love Susan.

Part Three

The ‘mutations’ of the Thals is an interesting idea, though it doesn’t really make a huge amount of sense - they mutated, and then mutated back into human-like forms. 

It’s very clear to viewers who grew up watching modern who that there is no chance of a treaty between the Daleks and the Thals.

Wasn’t expecting the Daleks to just let Susan take the extra box of drugs to the TARDIS group.

I liked the whole idea of covering the eye stalk with mud, using the cloak to stop the static electricity. I know the static electricity thing gets replaced with various other power sources, but I quite like the idea of it and how it worked.

Ian hiding in a Dalek, cool!

Part Four

At least Ian is able to control the Dalek and fool the Daleks at first...though it doesn’t last long. They get into the room with the lift before it’s discovered at least, but then...Ian gets stuck.

Wasn’t expecting them to leave him behind. I mean – they just go and hope he manages to escape in time. It doesn’t really make sense that he manages to, but he’s a main character, so he lives.

...The polysterene rock that happens to be there to throw down the lift is not very believable. I know it’s meant to be a ‘dalek sculpture’ but...it does not look heavy and it seems unlikely it would cause that much damage, especially when the lift is so close to them.

I did feel sorry for the Taals, thinking they were actually being given food and helped. I was surprised only one of them died – their elder, Temmosus.

And here we get the ‘we could help them I guess, but we’re just gonna go because we don’t care’ aspect of the group. The Thals refuse to fight the Daleks because they believe in pacifism. The Doctor and co briefly try to convince them they need to before being like ‘eh, time to go’.

Except of course, Ian left the fluid link behind in the city with the Daleks, so they can’t.

Part Five

I support pacifism. Peace is necessary. It’s vital. But that said, sometimes you do have to fight. When it’s against evil. If a greater harm will happen if you don’t. To defend yourself and others. It’s like punching nazi’s – it’s necessary sometimes. So I do think it was necessary here for the Thals to realise that sometimes violence is necessary.

The Thals agree to help – luckily for them, considering they’d all be killed if they don’t. Not that they know that, but the Daleks are going to kill everyone. This is revealed later in the episode – they are making another neutronic bomb to kill all non-Dalek life, because the Daleks have evolved to need radiation.

The tentacle creature in the water looked quite good!

Part Six

A fair number of Thals die on this journey. To be expected, I suppose – though ‘miraculously’, the main ones survive.

Beaming light to block images is quite an interesting idea, I like that they use that to get into the city.

The Daleks decide that waiting 23 days to kill everyone is too long, so decide to blow up their nuclear reactors to create radiation instead.

The scene of them jumping across was quite well done, I thought. It’s sad that Antodus doesn’t manage it, leading into the next episode.

Part Seven

Antodus dying was quite sad for me. I mean he’d just been pleading with the others to go back, that they’ll all get killed – and then he cuts the rope, causing himself to fall whilst Ian lives. He dies to save Ian, despite having just argued that they shouldn’t be helping the travellers.

The story as a whole feels quite fast paced – it doesn’t really drag, as some later stories do. It works well, and the tension builds enough that you are quite relieved when they do succeed.

I did like the romance between Barbara and Ganatus. I mean there wasn’t much, but I liked it anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The tension built well, the Daleks were actually threatening, and it was really well done. The design of the Daleks was great (thanks Ray Cusick), and it honestly made me actually view the Daleks as something to fear. I can finally understand why kids were hiding behind sofas!

For a score, I’d say maybe 8/10. Really enjoyable.

#R reviews #classic doctor who #First Doctor #The Daleks #Ian Chesteron #Barbara Wright #Susan Foreman

[bookdragonlibrary]

First Tuesday YJ appreciation

1-3 ; 4-6 ; 7-9 ; 10-13 ; 14-16 ; 17 ; 18 ; 19 ; 20 ; 21 ; 22 ; 23 ; 24-26

—————————— Influence

- The half part of Justice League who is in space. 

- The victims of the battle were Thanagarians against the parademons. No idea for the first but the last one sounds like the ennemis in the JL films, both animated and real. 

- Apokoliptans kakash are parademons. Kakash is an insult. I took it :) 

- Lieutenant Thal is Hawkwoman and Captain Hol is Hawkman. 

- Apokolips stole Nth metal, a rare material from Thanagan. What does Darkseid whant to do with it? 

- “Earthlings biosigns” the metaslaves :( Now Aliens see Earth as a threat... 

- Commander Talak is pretty deft or blind, or stubborn for not understanding it or he took a bribe for Apokolips? 

- “We should send our Hawk fleet to put Earth on quarantaine.” As it happened in the first JL series? Will Earth have to fight Hawk and Darkseid at the same time? 

- Guy gives me life xD He’s like an adult Bart! He found a new lead to save the metateens! 

- (So much information in 3min!)

- Tara, Violet and Forager are cute with their burrito. 

-Don’t talk about Wally! :’( “Today’s the day” ok, now I’m crying... Aquaman cheer me up! 

- I’m sure James Gordon still worked with Batman secretly, right? 

- Of course, Granny accused Dakar Marlowe of this debacle... who’s dead and can’t tell the truth. “New and improved technology” the same problem but more difficult to shut down... Great. And they will still give found the MHYC. 

- Garfield just did like his brother-in-law and lost his shirt :D “I know what you are, Gretchen.” That was a stupid move, Gar...

- Mogo, the sentient Green Lantern planet, exists in YJ verse. 

- Did Guy just sing about his ass? Kakash!

- Now they’re on the Team I want them to interact with the others. OMG Violet is NB!! Brion is a supportive boyfriend as always! They’re so cute when they’re embarassed! And Tara is smiling at them! 

- “I’m really thrilled you discovered who you are inside” Believe me, M’gann went there before, with her color skin insecurities.

- The Hall of Justice is still in ruins? :( The UN has a satellite near the Watchtower? It’s to spy on them? “Who watches the Watchmen?” Seriously? 

- Now, Lena Luthor, Lex’s sister, runs LexCorp. Is she secretly working with him? LexCorp is also giving fonds to the MHYC? That can’t be good news...

- Gretchen is torturing poor Barda :( Is she controled too? Or just brainwashed? So Granny works directly for Darkseid, is she part of the Light to spy on Earthlings? 

- Desaad, we saw him in season 1 and at the end of season 2. 

- “It wasn’t torture, it was discipline.” Sure, all abusers say that...

- Did Victor sense Violet’s text because he’s connected to her as Father and Motherbox or just connected to technology in general? Victor seems so embarassed :( 

- Helga feeling useless just to lay her hands on Victor? Nobody sees that? 

- Tara is working with Slade as she’s recording Dr Jace’s words. Is she against her and not the Team for once? 

- Heil? Now Darkseid is the new Hitler. Or it’s Granny? 

- Barda is brainwashed. 

- Still no sound in space, the battle is pretty cool :) 

- So clever to punch the wall at the same time than the missile to cover. 

- Section 16. 

- “Sommon the Furies!” Will we see Scandal’s girlfriend? 

“Stay whelmed.” Did Superman picked that directly from Dick or from Conner? 

- Missing 8 from Markovia. Aren’t they 6 now or were they other teens? Who is the blue skin boy and why does this girl have a drawing on her forehead? Magical tatoo like Atlanteans? 

- All the stolen materials served to build this machine. What does it do? 

- Whoa, the Furies can go hand to hand with the big hitter of the JL! 

- Granny is definitely a sadistic... she attackes her own team slaves. Not surprising. 

- What is it doing? They look like they disapear like Wally. Will it the one who’ll bring him back? 

- Being saved by their “ennemies” maybe will turn the Furies into good. 

- Of course, Superman, the only man, is the one who succeeded to go out... Even Superman can’t breathe in outter space?

- Garfield is not happy with Granny... 

- Wolf and Bioship again!

—————————— Leverage

- Four 16 in 30 sec, a record! 

- It’s the alien animal from season 2! 

- The producer knows Granny can “ruin” a person. So she’s not as sweet as she want us to believe even in her civies...

- Auntie Mouse, this nickname is so cute! Lian is so cute!

- “They always said recon only. It never turned out that way.” I’m pretty sure the first team told him their mission as bedtime stories xD 

- Markovia should be in East Europe if it was under Sovietic Union’s influence during the cold war. Maybe Vlatava is also in Central Europe or in East Europe. 

- ED! I love his teasing and sarcasm xD 

- Is the blonde girl the same they save in the gladiatory in episode 13? 

- Did he just say crash? He must hang out with the Team pretty often and took from Virgil who took it from Bart xD 

What did he call Nathaniel Newt? Wait, did he mean Neut like Neutron? Why would Nath even wants to be called that? Did he know what he did in Bart’s timeline by the way? 

- Inhibitor collars? Are they produced by Granny?

- Polar suits like in the trailer! 

- So the green aura can also make illusions and make you invisible? 

- Lieutenant Dimitri Plushkin and Colonel Olga Ilyich as Red soldiers/Red Brigade. Area 52. Is that an easter egg for Area 51? Did the Russians took inspiration from Blue’s armor? 

- Why the JL is presented as American while it has Aliens as members, Atlanteans and Amazones? --’ It should be presented as an international alliance to protect the Earth and protect humankind, not just the USA... (thank you for the imperialism...)

- Here are Captain Boomerang, Monsieur Mallah and Black Manta. 

- “Did anyone tell them?” xD 

- The Russian armor look like the ones from a video game, what’s its name again? Blue VS Red? 

- “What the what now?” xD 

- Artemis just burned BM with words! 

- Siblings teamwork! 

- The Red transformation was really painful to watch, even with just sounds... Not a magical girl transformation you want to watch every episode... 

- “Little Sheila” is that an Australian expression? The only Sheila I know in the show is Tye’s mom but I doubt CB knows her.

- This face it’s was Vertigo’s minion. And Violet is gory again è.é Why is she pink instead of violet? It’s to protect her as she’s healing? What does the pink color do by the way? 

- “Halo, Boom Tube” uuuuh was not your goal to not look like bad guys in flee? But to make a diplomatic conversation with the Russians? 

- Did CB just made a Looser sign? “They should not be underestimated”. BM learnt his lesson in S2E19 :) So the bad guys and... I assume is Amanda Waller know the JL has a young covert cop unite, crash... 

- The US government doesn’t like a competitor as they wanted to eliminate the Rocket Red Brigade and steal their tech for their own. Cold War is back again! 

- So she makes them obey with chocks and a promised blown head just like in the film right? She’s quite the same sadistic woman than Granny but it’s ok because she works with the “good guys” understaood (US) governement... She’s even ready to sacrifice US teenagers (well except for Brion and Tara, but you got my point.) Do you realise US governement is worst than the Russian one? Yes, the Red armor seems painful but at least they’re volunteers soldiers and not formal criminals used and tortured like in Guantanamo :( I mean Waller’s ways are the exact ones than Granny’s except Waller isn’t hypocrite about it. 

- Ed is so great as a peer counselor, big bro Ed time! She’s the French speaker Black girl we saw in episode 13 right?

- The team is between two fires... 

- Brion plays the mole game xD 

- Artemis is hurt! But why the laser never made wounds while Halo was gory again with a boomerang?

- Here’s Windfall! She sounds like a character in She-Ra right? 

- Livewire is the protective butch girlfriend, isn’t she? 

- Wendy is panicking because she realises she hurt someone? And she aspiring the air because she’s hyperventilating or something? “I’m a monster, a monster” Shh, baby girl it’s alright :( 

- Big Bro Ed is hurt too :( (emotionnaly I mean) So heartbreaking :(

- They made Belle Reve like the Alcatraz in San Francisco right? 

- Kaldur, the only Atlantean who can burn you with words! 

- Why does Kaldur ask about Terra specifically? Does he know something? Or it’s because she’s new? 

- Here’s Amanda Waller... Is Kaldur more worried about his father’s escape or his father being tortured? Does he know that by the way? or understood it with “very persuasive sticks and “extremely expendable”? Do you remember when we thought hopefully bad guys escaped from the Stagg op and will safely stay in Belle Reve while they were in the same condition and working for Waller? Do you imagine Livewire and Mist nearly suffer that too? :( 

- Suicide Squad and Force X, they said it! 

- “We all have secrets to keep.” Does he talk about the big secret with Batman and the others? *Artemis nods* You know he can’t see you? 

- Dr Jace finally has her lab in Dakota city with... Hardwire? (I love his eyes!) All characters from Static Shock’s show/creator come from Dakota? Vic, how could you accept to be the rat lab from a stranger, possibly evil, and not from your father? :( 

- Oh no, Wendy now wears a collar :( And Ed looks so sad about himself :(

- Dr Jace isn’t here only for testing Vic, but Violet too :( Wait... What does that look mean???

- Brion is such a caring and lovely boyfriend :3 

- We still don’t know what CB meant by “proposition”... Did he want to make her turn into a bad guy or something? 

- So it wasn’t a coincidence, but she opened it because of a bribe. What did they promise to her? offer to her? did she know it was for an assassination? Now Violet has a secret from her boyfriend about her past. She is Artemis’ mentee after all...

- Brucely! Where is your plushie? :( 

—————————— Illusion of Control

- Aaaw! Bart hugs everyone like in season 2! :3 Ed is there and WAIT! Was that a kiss? *check again* I don’t know what this is supposed to be but it’s something right? And Ed is smiling at him!!

- Supermartian house! Forager moves his horns, so cute! Those scenes remind me of season 1! But Vic is still depressed and lonely :( 

- Artemis, Will, what are those looks? Paula, stop making assumptions... 

- Brion and Tara are there two! 

- Dr Jace is not happy with what she found... Nothing good, guys! 

- Ed’s smile again! I love it!

- OMG Jaime is so bad drawn this season... What happened to him? 

- Gardita? Dudes, YJ fans can find better ship names that this, forget Gardita... 

- “What didn’t you tell they’re coming?” Maybe because Jaime wanted to make a surprise for you maybe? 

- “It’s so nice to see you again.” So crash Perdita often hangs out with the Team :) “I’m a big fan!” She’s so cute! :D

- “I feel like a fifth, sith, seventh wheel.” Poor Virgil :( Wait, that means there are 3 couples here, who are the third one... OMG is Bart and Ed? Ok, make sense after the “kiss” scene. Unexpected, but let’s see their dynamic! :D

- “Where’s the rest of the Team? Like, you know, Cassie?” Virgil misses his BF :)

- Lian is so cute! Did I already hear this mix of songs? In Misplaced, season 1! Why season 3 has so many season 1 vibes? Especially when Wally is still missing :( 

- Violet doesn’t feel good. Probably because of Gabrielle’s action? 

- I love Artemis’ Markovian accent! xD

- “Tara had been through a lot / She doesn’t talk much”. Silent could be a consequence of trauma :( Or is it because she doesn’t want to risk to blow her cover or to get attached to them?

- “It’s so nice that you two include me” Helga, stop, you make things suspicious.

- Aw, Ed has heart eyes while looking at Bart :3 “My friend” Wait, what? Are they still pining for each other? And the rest of the team know and wait for these two to make a move? Because Jaime and Traci seem to know Virgil was talking about them.

- “Watch me terrorise the other drivers.” Ed, the other drivers are mostly your students, don’t terrify them too much xD

- Bart’s smile is so cute! And it’s a genuine one! 

- “You’ll pay for that, peasants!” I love Perdita! So great she can still have fun like a normal teenager!

- “Got to get a girlfriend” *next scene about lonely Victor* Is that a foreshadowing or...? Was I right when I said Vic can be gay in YJ?

- “Forager must help uncrush Victor Stone!” Forager is still cute. Why all the team are so cute? :D

- I love when Ed’s face soften when Perdita says they’re friends :) In Spanish! :D I’m sure Perdita could speak few foreign languages plus English and Spanish :)

- Wendy still wearing an inhibitor collar :( Aw, Perdita is so sweet with her, like they are two normal teen at high school :)

- Of course Bart did eat all the food in ten meters... And I love Ed’s amused face and Bart’s shock when he realises he did eat all the cotton candy xD (I just remember the scene in Teen Titans with Robin and Starfire and cotton candy ^^)

- Livewire brings cotton candy to Mist! :D 

- Ed’s feel down despite all the work he does here. Do you want to create a club with Kaldur? Of course Bart supports him :)

- And Traci nudges Jaime again :( Now I understand why the nudge hurted him in Far Away episode: he has bruises here... Is that the only thing we’re going to see them do as a couple? :( 

- Wait, did Bart say “Maybe I did eat too much cotton candy” or “Baby I did eat too much cotton candy?” Because it’s a lot different!

- Everyone is sick. Uh... Poison? Oh that’s Vertigo’s minion agin. There’s he is. No, Perdita is in danger! But she still has the nerve to punch him! Karabast! :o

- Arg, that should hurt to trip at superspeed :( And hurt to run at superspeed in jeans and not in a frictionless suit :( Of course Ed teleports next to him to see how Bart is :D

- Does Blue has canines that big all the time or it’s an effect on the suit?

- Lonely Vic again :( 

- “I don’t have a Hive, Fred.” Don’t worry, Vic, you’re not the only freak here. Heck you’re talking to an alien! 

- Butterfly Vic :) That would be another common point with Blue! (Yeah, I want them to interact at some point) 

- Vic is still worried for Fred but don’t want to show it :)

- Scarab is back! I missed his snarky and sarcasm comments! And Blue is still tired by his suggestions! xD “Scarab wanted to blow it up, didn’t he?” Traci should see those interactions so often xD But it’s great she accepts Scarab :) Blue’s smile after she succeeded! And it’s me or Scarab sounds jealous? “Dude, you’re the king of overkill” xD

- “It’s good. Could use a little salt” My mom could say something like this xD

- “I’m so thankful to have been included.” Helga, you’re a terrible actress... Am I the only one seeing this? Or all the characters are blind? (Except Jeff, he’s a lost case, he’s in love... Actually why he’s in there with his lover?) Or I’m just overanalysing and YJ is leading me in a wrong path?  

- The way Jace insists on the hero part feels like she’s doing this on purpose... 

-Why Tara and Brion feel so bad? It’s not their fault! Or did they tell something to Jace thinking it was an innocent comment? 

- Well, Jace didn’t apologise for the argument she created so maybe she did this on purpose. Or am I overreading this?

- Please don’t mention Wally again :( So basically Paula is afraid Artemis got killed in a mission (like she was for fake and like Wally?) and try to scare her with a wheelchair? “What will it take to covince you?” Yes, she’s totally scared and don’t know what to say anymore as a wheelchair (or any big wound) and Wally’s death don’t seem enough. “You don’t have to fight crime to help people.” This point is good, look at Ed :)

- “You and Will” Uh... no Paula, you got too far and that’s not your busines here... “Your sister isn’t coming back and Lian needs a mother.” Have to disagree... You should be worried for your daughter because it doesn’t seem by free will and Lian already has two female figures. So don’t force your second daughter in a relationship just for pratical things... Thank you no thank you.

- Ed and Bart are the two pathfinders/advance men (not sure of the accurate term) of the Team! :D 

- I’m impressed Scarab uses metric and Jaime still understands it. They use metric in Mexico, right? That could explain why he’s at ease with both systems (unlike me xD).

- The Team is so clever! Virgil makes connexion that Vertigo doesn’t have those powers; Traci makes the link that what they see is at cause and Gar finds a solution :)

- “What are you made of?” “Sugar and spices and everything nice.” He’s a fan of cartoons for this second reference right? And that reminds me of the scene between Bart and the Terror Twins at Mount Justice. Bart, sweetie, stop punching people stronger than you :(

- I thought the guy was powerless (I mean litterarly), how could he resist a bear’s strenght? 

- Uh, that wasn’t Vertigo’s voice. “Be careful my love.” So Vertigo (or whoever this is) is with their minion? Like a boss and his secretary?

- Perdita going straight for the nuts xD Vertigo killed her father? That’s why she was queen at ten :( She should talk with Brion and Tara, they also know an uncle who killed their parents for the throne...

- It was Psimon, make so much sense! I knew I know this voice! Meaning the other is... Devastation! We know theiy’re together since episode 13.

- “He... She was Devastation!” Jaime would never misgender someone! :)

- I love when the girl saves herself but the boyfriend is still worried for her :) 

- “Are you... Come on!” We feel you, Virgil!

- The Team is still so clever to connect the clues. Of course Big Brother Ed is worried for Wend and the others ^^ (He didn’t name any other kids. Is it because he “failed” her and not the others?)

- Bart and Ed finish each other sentence! :D 

- Bart is so clever he put fire againt ice xD

- No the boom tube, the boys will be kidnap... Oh come on! I theorise for months about this scene! “Don’t want to know where that would lead us;” Bart, I tried to figure it out for months, be kind. 

- “There’s just no pleasing you...” Jaime, be gentle, Scarab is learning, you see?

- After their fight in season 2, it’s good to see Ed openly worries for his father :)

- Gar is so pissed about the covert part since 2 episodes.

- Poor Violet, it’s not her fault :( But Jace is more and more suspicious. Wanting to keep secrets like this... Did she speak German with “Hallo”? “It’s been a long time.” Who is she calling? Jeff? Someone we don’t know?

- It’s Mal and Karen! :D 

- Vic rejoins them and Forager is happy! Vic is smiling! 

- “I’m more a lemonperson myself.” Bart, what are you saying? xD Don’t change! And that goofy smile xD  

- Ed’s soft smile! :D (while looking at him?)

- Virgil, you’re good, you don’t need a girlfriend for that D: But he’s so awkward at flirting it’s so sweet! 

- Did the “hot” comment was necessary? è.é

- Gar is up for something... Going solo behind the Team’s back?

- Forager is eating with/in the bioship:3 Wait did he fart and burp inside of her too?!

#young justice #YJ reviews #watch young justice outsiders #watch young justice

[the-desolated-quill]

Hey! Since it's the 23rd of november, I'm really curious what your top 10 favourite Doctor Who episodes are, from new who or classic who, I'm not picky :)

Oh God! Um... There’s too many! I don’t think I can whittle them down to 10, but I’ll try. Let’s see. What are my absolute favourites?...

I think I’ve mentioned how much I love Doctor Who And The Silurians. It’s such a unique and nuanced stories and the Silurians are great ‘monsters’. If you can look past the rubber latex costumes, it’s amazing. It has a great moral debate at the centre and the ending is truly shocking.

What else? Let’s jump to New Who. I love The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit (that counts as one story. I’m going to bend the rules if it kills me). I love how it completely revitalises the base under siege narrative, and I love its themes on religion and theology and the root of evil. It also introduces my favourite New Who aliens the Ood, who I’ll always love. They’re just such a great concept.

As much as it pains me to praise Steven Moffat for something, I have to admit I do love Blink. I think it’s the rare occasion where he actually gets it right. It’s a very simple concept, the Weeping Angels are really effective and it just goes to show how you don’t need loads of money or production values to make something good. All you need is a really good idea. It’s just a shame Moffat ended up overusing the Angels to the point where they became convoluted and non-threatening.

I absolutely adore Dalek. Christopher Eccleston is simply electrifying in that and it really builds off of the relationship between the Doctor and the Daleks. We see him in a really vulnerable place that we don’t often get to see and the Dalek itself is shown as really powerful and calculating and merciless. I’ve always had some difficulty in taking the Daleks seriously because often the show doesn’t handle them very well, but this they got it spot on. I was genuinely frightened of it.

Obviously I have to include Genesis Of The Daleks as well. Davros is a great character and I love the way they explore the conflict between the Thals and the Kaleds, as well as the futility of war and how easy it is to slip into right wing modes of thinking when you’re teetering on the brink. It’s a very bleak story, but it ends on a really positive message with the Daleks destroying their own creator. It’s basically saying that while it’s scary how easily Nazi views can spread, ultimately they can never win because their views are so narrow and so single-minded that eventually they will end up imploding and destroying themselves. I think that’s a very comforting thought.

How about Cybermen stories?... I really like The Invasion from the Patrick Troughton era. The Cybermen kind of take a back seat, but we do end up getting the brilliant Tobias Vaughn, who is such a great antagonist. I think it’s a really interesting commentary on the nature of capitalism, consumerism and how pervasive modern technology (at the time) had become. It’s also the first story to introduce UNIT, and I’ve always liked UNIT.

One Cyberman story I absolutely love, and if you haven’t already I highly recommend you get, is Spare Parts. It’s a Big Finish audio drama featuring the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa and is basically Genesis Of The Cybermen. It’s set on Mondas and shows how the Cybermen were created, and what I love about it is how it portrays the Cybermen. They’re not like the Daleks where they want to conquer and destroy. The Cybermen have always been more benevolent foes. They honestly think they’re helping us by converting us and they can’t be reasoned with because they honestly believe they’re not doing anything wrong. That’s what makes them so frightening and Spare Parts captures that really well. i really wish other Cyber stories would take note of that because it always annoys me when they’re turned into Dalek substitutes.

Um... Oh God, there’s so many!... The Curse Of Fenric. I really like that one. It’s really dark. The Haemavores scared the shit out of me. I love what they do with Ace’s character and I also love what they do with the Seventh Doctor. The way he manipulates those around him for his own ends and the whole chess motif, it really shines an unflattering light on what kind of person the Doctor is, and it is frightening.

I love The Aztecs. I’m not usually fond of historical stories, but this was brilliant. Barbara tries to change the course of history, believing that if she can get the Aztecs to abolish human sacrifice, they may be spared destruction at the hands of the Spanish. Unfortunately it doesn’t work out that way and it’s genuinely sad and moving. I especially liked the First Doctor’s interactions with Cameca and how Aztec culture is explored.

One more... um... oh this is so hard! Uuuuuummmmm.... The Curse Of Peladon. Let’s go with that. It’s a fun murder mystery as well as a nice satirical allegory on the conflict between religion and science, and the UK’s decision at the time whether to join the European Economic Community (maybe there’s a chance we’ll get a Peladon sequel after Brexit perhaps...?). It’s also unique because we see the mediocre monsters the Ice Warriors turn over a new leaf, which I thought was interesting. They were suddenly given so much more depth and much more engaging. These warriors trying to make up for past mistakes and return to their glory days through diplomacy. I just wish Doctor Who continued to build on this rather than shove them back into the monster category again.

So there. That’s 10 of my favourite stories. But honestly there’s so much more I could list :)