Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Tegan]

I'm afraid I was a bit disappointed with the starts of this episode.

For one thing, the Human-Dalek Sek sounded like Mayor Quimby from the Simpsons, and he was a most unconvincing 'monster'. The tentacles around his head looked like they were being manipulated by a nine year old.

He never seemed like he had any of the usual Dalek delusions of grandeur. It was as if he knew he was going to be a failure from the start.

The speech from Solomon was never going to sway the Daleks, so there was no tension there.

However, once the other three Daleks took over from Dalek Sek, things picked up and the episode improved.

I liked the question from Tallulah about "Gammon Radiation" (Gammon is the French for pork), and a few other one liners, and the look on the pig-man's face in the lift. You could just hear him saying "How slow is this lift!?"

Over all I can't go better than an average for EotD.

[dave]

This was pretty disappointing I thought, and didn't provide any real answers as to why they were doing the human/dalek experiment, unless I just missed it.

Human Sec seemed like a real wimp, actually. Hardly any dalek there at all. No wonder the others went their own way, considering how Sec was behaving.

That 'emergency temporal shift' is becoming somewhat annoying. Seems like, no matter what happens, at least one dalek will always escape. I just don't know what sort of future story involving one dalek is going to turn out like...

Some nice scenes of the daleks flying about killing stuff, which was good, but the rest of it, particularly the conclusion, just didn't make sense. I mean, a solar flare causing a lightning bolt/ a lightning bolt carrying all that gamma radiation? The Doctor's DNA got mixed up how exactly? I thought the solar flare/lightning bolt just provided power to the system, and find it highly unlikely that there'd be any DNA transfer possible...but then again, it is DW. I always seem to have these issues with the new series stories.

In the end, I gave it an 'average'.

[Tegan]

[meglos]

I thoght it was a little bit slow paced and a slight dissapoinment after the first episode . It was still enjoyable though and David Tennant was brilliant as always.

[FredDag]

I could see a few faults with the story but I still enjoyed it as a whole. For me the story got a lot better once episode 2 was bolted on to it.

Only thing that really annoyed me was the Dalek escaping in the end. I hope they lose that ability be the next Dalek story. I really enjoyed the human type Dalek, who was showing signs of kindness and stuff but still didn't give a toss that he killed all those people to put the Dalek DNA in.

At one stage I actually thought the lightening bolt was going to kill the Doctor, I thought Russle had pulled a suprise on us and kept that fact that David Tennant was leaving mid way through season 3 and he was gonna drop dead and regenerate in this story, but no he recovered.

There was lots of hands on my mouth parts to this story, so yep, I enjoyed it. Not the best Dalek story out of the new lot, more a average story out of a lot of high quality episodes.

[Greg]

Beginnings are often better than endings because, until you have to tie them off, plot threads could go anywhere at all...

So, I wasn't that surprised that I enjoyed Evolution of the Daleks less that the earlier half. The plot was rather more cliched than the first half, with any number of the parts being simple retreads of things we've seen before (Dalek Sec may as well have been Davros, the pig-slaves may as well have been Ogrons or even robomen, except that the genetically modified humans were more like robomen...). The pig-slaves weren't explained, and I'm uncertain why the Daleks created them given their short lifespans.

There's already been a comment wondering how the gamma radiation of the solar flare was carried by lightning, but even more mystifying is how the Doctor's DNA got into the mix. The Dalek technology plainly required the DNA to be in a fluid form - and, even if it didn't, how does gamma radiation transfer a chemical like DNA through cables designed to carry energy? And why was it required? Surely having the humans overcoming the Dalek mindset, with some verbal encouragement from the Doctor, would have carried a positive message about humanity being survivors than one which says 'humanity is easily overcome - but thank goodness for Time Lord DNA'!

And I understand that this Doctor is brash, but he put himself in a situation of almost certain death three times! Twice by Dalek, and once by lightning/gamma radiation. Bit too keen to move on to his next life, given there was no good reason for him to assume he'd survive each one of these near-death experiences.

Positives? The period setting still looked great - the production values of this two parter were very impressive (as, if fact, this series overall so far has been). The acting was good, though some of the lines were naff. The goodies won in a way that should be generally appealing to a wide range of viewers, which is always a positive for the show's survival.

I gave this one the lowest rating for the series so far, which is average.

[Hiruma]

I must admit I didn't enjoy this episode that much. Like the person stated before me, its hard to live up to the hype in part 2 of a 2 parter. I did like the Dalek Insurrection which carried on from the last episode.

Some shots were good, The Dalek from the front hurtling through the sewer Corridors were good. Dalek Sec in new form was quite interesting. It was obvious he was gonna die though.

One question I did puzzle over was

A) What happened to Dalek Sec's black casing? It just disappeared
B) The ray guns the Human Daleks were using? I assume the Doctor must of destroyed them (and perhaps true of part A above)

Next weeks episode looks nice and confined (my favorite type of Dr Who episode). I guess we are all now looking for any view glimpse and clue of the master.

One final final point . Im getting a little over the every new companion must be a romantic interest deal.

[SharazJek]

[dave]

I like that idea, SJ, but can't see it happening. The Cult of Skaro, as I understand it, are supposed to be the imaginative ones, whereas the Dalek from 'Dalek' was a soldier, who needed orders. So I doubt they are one and the same.

[obsecration]

After part one I was disappointed with this effort!

[obsecration]

[dave]

Obsecration, that's why, with an 'emergency temporal shift', that Dalek might be Dalek Karn. He/it could've wound up anywhen. I just doubt that's the case for the reasons mentioned earlier.

[Ohica]

I did not enjoy the second episode as much as the first. It was still good though. I am quite amazed that the Doctor survived the lightening. Afterall, he really should be toast.

[Commander]

[montypython]

[Davros]

I wasn't a big fan of this one either, leave the Dalek the way they are ...and as evil as possible!

[Greg]

[kangamac]

Overall, another good episode.

The relationship between the show girl and the mutant still did not get in the way of the main plot - too much. Also, it was nice to see that there were a few very interesting and likeable characters in the episode. I was beginning to grow tired of guest casts I simply did not care for.

And once again, if they can recreate New York from the 1930's so effectively - why can't they make he same effort with a few more alien planets? Certainly New New York looked effective - and that supposedly was an alien world...

And at least this episode had a decent title. It actually sounded like the title of a DW story from the old days...

[Theta Sigma]

Finished with my DVD viewing of Evolution of the Daleks this morning. The commentary was by David Tennant, Nick Briggs and visual effects supervisor Barney Curnow. Very funny when Briggs introduced himself as Tom Baker! Later on when Tennant mentioned that Miranda Raison (Tallulah) is in Spooks, Curnow says that he likes the way that Tennant in his Scots voice says Spooks!

[mudcrab]

I think this 2 parter was ok, but not nearly as good as most of ther other episodes we have seen across the 4 years of the new series.