Revelation of the Daleks

Dear Gary—

Revelation of the Daleks borrows several elements of recent serials that didn’t quite work and has combined them beautifully into a well crafted whole: a multitude of characters, all with their own agenda; the returning foe; the destruction of an antagonist that turns out to be just a decoy; and the mercenary. At the center of all of this action is Davros, sitting in the deeps of the catacombs under Tranquil Repose like a spider in his web as his prey draw ever nearer; and watching over the action in a detached and bizarre way is the DJ, providing running commentary for our various story strands.

DJ: “The maiden in distress is a-coming this way.”

The maiden in distress is of course Peri, but she and the Doctor take their time arriving. Usually with so many subplots in a story someone gets the short end of the stick. In this case all of the guest roles are well rounded and for the most part superbly acted and if anyone gets overlooked it is the Doctor and Peri. However, even though minimally utilized, they are skillfully utilized. For the entire first episode they don’t even reach the scene of the action, but this allows for a more in-depth view of their relationship. While still griping at one another, they also share some touching moments, most notably when the Doctor comforts Peri after she kills the mutant. There is also a dash of humor, and while the Doctor needling Peri for her weight is rather cruel, it is hilarious when she gets her own back, calling him Porky in the delightfully amusing scene as they clamor over the wall.

Davros: “Excellent. My lure has worked.”

Davros is also noting the progress of the Doctor and Peri as they approach Tranquil Repose on the way to pay their respects to the recently departed Professor Arthur Stenglos. I’m not really sure why Davros wants to drag the Doctor in at this point. He can only be motivated by revenge and blinded by hubris. For a wanted man, hunted on every front, he does seem to keep a high profile. Even the alias of the Great Healer isn’t going to fool many while his Daleks roam freely about Necros and Kara’s factory.

Davros: “Get me Kara.”

Davros has enough on his hands with Kara to worry about the Doctor. Kara the fawning, two-faced pawn of Davros, along with her  ‘secretary’ Vogel (“they’re like a double act”), is tired of Davros siphoning off all of the profits from their Soylent Green type factory.

DJ: “Hey there, you guys, we have you-know-what in the building. Looks like somebody could be in for a sudden defrosting.”

Meanwhile Natasha and Grigory sneak through the halls of Tranquil Repose in search of the body of Natasha’s father, the same Professor Stenglos the Doctor has come for. These two body snatchers bicker more than the Doctor and Peri, if that’s possible, but they are on a serious mission. With rebel factions on the loose in addition to Kara’s double dealings, Davros really should have reconsidered his Doctor trap.

Davros: “Inform Takis there are body snatchers in the catacombs.”

Takis and his sidekick Lilt carry out Davros’ orders, maintaining security at Tranquil Repose, but they too chafe under his control. Davros really has his hands full.

Davros: “You are a fool, Jobel. I have offered you immortality, but you are content to play with the bodies of the dead.

And then there is Jobel, yet another worry for Davros. Jobel, the pathetically vain chief embalmer just asking for a sexual harassment suit to be filed against him. Jobel is quietly whispering on the side with the disgruntled Takis and Lilt.

Davros: “Have that woman brought to me.”

The long suffering Tasambeker, receiving the brunt of Jobel’s casual cruelty but inexplicably loving him all the same, is ripe for Davros’ machinations. Too bad the character is so thoroughly unlikeable. If any person deserves our sympathy at Tranquil Repose it is Tasambeker; but she is too unsympathetic to merit a second thought. The story really misses out on some major plot depth here.

DJ: “Now listen, you guys. I don’t wish to alarm you but there’s some pretty weird things going on out there. “

Natasha has found her father. The people protein Davros is manufacturing from the recently departed is only a side line to make money for his real venture—turning dead heads into Daleks. What the story lost in subtlety with Tasambeker it gains back with the equally unlikeable but greatly more sympathetic Natasha as she discovers her Dalek daddy and struggles with her decision of patricide. It is a heart rending and atmospheric scene; one of the highlights of the serial.

DJ: “As you know we have snatchers in the complex, but it gets even creepier when the word is that the snatchers have been out-snatched. So, if any of you guys are able, lock yourselves in your caskets now. Snap down those bolts, otherwise you could find yourselves on the outside going who knows where!”

Natasha and the gin swilling doctor Grigory are taken captive by Takis and Lilt. These characters seem to have run their course. Natasha served her purpose by killing her father. Takis and Lilt already know that Tranquil Repose no longer serves the purpose for which it was built; all they are interested in is finding out about the body snatching accomplices to keep the truth from being revealed, and since this is a plot point that is rapidly petering out there seems little reason for the scene. Their idea of torturing Grigory by forcing him to drink what little remains in his flask is laughable, but no more so than Grigory’s lolling tongue drunk act.

Davros: “Suddenly everyone sees and knows too much!”

I am amazed that it has taken Davros so long to realize or care that all of the cameras placed about are broadcasting to more than just him. And I am equally amazed that the general populace don’t guard their tongues more knowing that everything they say is being monitored.

Davros: “It seems my agents were correct. Kara has employed assassins.”

Just when it seems Davros has all he can handle, Orcini and his loyal squire Bostock show up. Kara has hired Orcini, the noble but excommunicated Knight of the Grand Order of Oberon to assassinate Davros. Kara and Vogel are excellent in their double act, but Orcini and Bostock top them in every way. While the relationship between Kara and Vogel is creepily amusing, that between Orcini and Bostock is touchingly droll.

Davros: “It is all as planned.”

With all of the plots against him, Davros gloats upon the arrival of the Doctor. However, of all the schemes floating about, Davros’ idea of a giant polystyrene depiction of the Doctor falling on the Doctor has to be the lamest.

Davros: “Serve me with your total being and I shall allow you to become a Dalek.”

At last Davros begins to take action against all of the plots. Davros’ recruitment of Tasambeker to take out Jobel has promise, but in the end it too peters out. The dramatic confrontation as Tasambeker tries to warn an oblivious Jobel looses much due to the overblown ranting of the spurned lover.  When Jobel cuts her with, “I would rather run away with my mother than own a fawning little creep like you,” we should feel the full force of the torment of soul along with Tasambeker; instead we can only agree with Jobel’s assessment. And then when the Dalek exterminates the screaming murderer I can only wonder why a Dalek wasn’t dispatched to do the deed to begin with; and I can only mourn that we never get to see and hear a raving Tasambeker Dalek.

DJ: “Is that your real accent?”

The Doctor and Peri have finally made it into Tranquil Repose and Peri meets up with the DJ. Struggling to hide her embarrassment over being exposed, Peri replies to the DJ’s hysterically funny question, “Well I hope so.” Ironically, I don’t find Peri’s annoying voice half as irritating as usual. For starters, her horribly halting delivery seems to have been frozen in its tracks by the cold weather on Necros. There are times where it appears as though her usual stammer is about to rear its ugly head, but then it comes out in more of a silent hesitation as she struggles against the bitter air.

Davros: “You fools! You cannot kill me; I am Davros!”

After a miraculous escape from the double whammy of a virus and an explosion back in Resurrection of the Daleks, (he is rather like the Master in that way—the whole universe knows he is indestructible), Davros survives yet another seemingly impossible situation. His head in a tank act was just that—a puppet act. Surprise! Davros has been hiding behind the curtain all along.

DJ: “This is a highly directional ultrasonic beam of rock and roll.”

Things are really starting to pick up now. Davros’ Daleks are on a rampage.

Davros: “Intriguing. A box of delight or a box of hate.”

Kara, Orcini, Bostock, and the Doctor have all made their way into Davros’ lair where Davros has been lying in wait for them. I am slightly disappointed in Kara; knowing she was dead either way, I would have expected her to coolly allow Orcini to push the final button. However Orcini’s revenge on her is sweet. By the way, Orcini and Bostock seem to be as indestructible as Davros for a time, both taking multiple hits and still popping back up.

DJ: “Hey you guys, this is the broadcast to end all broadcasts.”

The DJ stupidly walks straight into a Dalek barrage and Peri gets yet another poignant moment in our story. She and the DJ develop a sweet acquaintanceship in the brief time they spend together, and Peri is much more human and approachable with him than she ever is with the Doctor.

Davros: “That would have created what I believe is termed consumer resistance.”

Believing himself in control, Davros can take the time to banter with the Doctor and lay bare all of his plans. Building a new army of Daleks, he is feeding the galaxy (but did not “bother to tell anyone they might be eating their own relatives”), allowing them to live until such time as he can take over their planets and convert them.

Davros: “No! Take him! He is the sworn enemy of the Daleks. He is the Doctor."

Davros had one too many plots against him; odds were that one of them would succeed. Takis and Lilt have called in the Kaled Daleks. Interesting that the originals don’t know the Doctor when they have had experience with recognizing new generations, as they did in The Power of the Daleks. And as long as I’m citing that earlier serial, back then the Daleks posed the question, “Why do human beings kill human beings?” Now here they are, Dalek killing Dalek. This civil war aspect of the Daleks is an intriguing chapter in their history. What I find mystifying, though, is that these Daleks have a sense of justice. They do not exterminate Davros, they are taking him “back to Skaro to stand trial for crimes against the Daleks.”

Davros: “That upstart. I could make you all Supreme Daleks. I have the power. You must obey me!”

Davros is wheeled away in full rant. He escapes the explosion that destroys his own manufactured Dalek army and most of Tranquil Repose. Orcini gets his moving and quietly heroic moment as he takes leave of Bostock and pushes that final button on Kara’s bomb. Takis and Lilt alone survive out of our sprawling cast of guest stars, not that they deserve to live any more than the rest. But the Doctor needs someone he can tell his famine busting plan to. The Doctor has had little to do with the outcome of the story. He and Peri could still be outside the walls for all they contributed. But now is his moment—the flowers found growing on Necros can be cultivated; “it’s very similar in food value to the soya bean plant on Earth.” Conveniently Takis is somewhat of a botanist.

I like Revelation of the Daleks. It has its problems, but overall I enjoy the dark humor; it works much better than Vengeance on Varos in that regard. It ends with Peri yet again complaining about their adventures and the Doctor promising to take her someplace fun, but we never get to travel along with them. Doctor Who went into its forced hiatus at this point. Thankfully, Gary, it picked back up again after an extended break; and so, the adventure continues . . .