By: Anton Massopust III
“I think this is the end – the final end!” Patrick Troughton – the Second Doctor
The Time Lord returns to DVD in this lost episode and probably one of the best written Dalek stories by David Whitaker. The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Jamie (Frazer Hines) pick up right where the Faceless Ones ends – in pursuit of the TARDIS. The Doctor and Jamie find a man who has taken the TARDIS. He is Edward Waterfield (John Baley) mysteriously from the Victorian era, and he has an antique shop. He seems to have antiques from the Victorian era that are in perfect condition. Either he is a fraud, or he has access to a time machine. Using deduction, the Doctor figures out that Waterfield is the person who stole the Tardis. The Doctor and Jamie go a little bit early to keep the appointment at the antique shop, but all this is a trap and Waterfield is really working for the Daleks. Waterfield captures the Doctor, Jamie and takes his own time machine (which was given to him by the Daleks) and sends the TARDIS back to 1866 London. He tells the Doctor why he and a scientist named Theodore Maxtible (Marius Goring) explain to the Doctor that Waterfield’s daughter, Victoria (Deborah Watling) is being held prisoner by the Daleks. The Daleks want the human factor which they determine is the reason they lose battles to humans and other aliens. The Daleks believe that this will give them ultimate power. The Doctor tells the Daleks that the human factor is: “Courage, loyalty, friendship, understanding, compassion,” things the Daleks don’t have. The Daleks brains are logical, and they have only one emotion – hate – to destroy and exterminate.
The Daleks warn everyone that they are in their power and control. They want the Doctor’s assistant, Jamie in a test so they can find out what the human factor is. The Daleks force Jamie into a test to rescue Victoria and Jamie makes friends with a Turkish wrestler. The Doctor allows Jamie to take this test which went on without him knowing it. After the test is over, and Jamie rescued Victoria, the Doctor develops positronic brains for a group of dormant Daleks. But Maxtible has his own intentions. He wants the Daleks to give him the secret of alchemy so that he become rich and one of the most powerful men on Earth.
Everyone goes to Skaro – the second time we had visited the Daleks war torn world. It is revealed that the Doctor is not from Earth, but from another planet. The Doctor is confronted by the Emperor Dalek who wants them to take the Daleks who came with him and give them the Dalek Factor – the power to exterminate and kill and be loyal to the Dalek Emperor. The human factor allows the Daleks to question: “Why?” It turns out the human factor is stronger. The Daleks had machinery to turn people into Daleks, so the Doctor reverses it and turns the Daleks into people. Now, a war breaks out between the two Dalek factions and the only survivors were the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria who go on their next adventure.
This was supposed to be the last Dalek story, but the villains were still immensely popular, so they brought them back, but not until the Jon Pertwee era in: “Day of the Daleks”.
In this big 7-part story, you can watch it three different ways: in brand animation in black-and-white and color, and if you really want to, you can watch it with original pictures and the soundtrack in the background. You also get an audiobook from BBC worldwide read by The Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker. This is one of the best Dalek stories ever. It’s a bit long here and there and drags a bit, but back then, there was more time in each episode. When you get to the end, you really are drawn in. The extras are excellent. It’s a great thing to add to your growing Doctor Who collection.
