After
a less than impressive cliffhanger the story starts with the regulars trying to
get out of the city. The first bit of tension comes when the Doctor, Susan and
Barbara are trying to get Ian out of the empty Dalek. They can’t get it open
and this is whilst the daleks are trying to burn their way through the door.
The first thing they try to do is to move Ian into the lift but we learn that
they can magnetise the floor. The next few moments are quite good as there is
the possibility that the Daleks will get through before he can get the latch
open. There is some noticeable special effects in this episode. The effect of
the regulars in the lift is rather well done.
I
described the Thals as naïve but to be fair they are more desperate that naïve because
they are desperate for food. They are reluctant to get involved in any fighting
which is quite nice but when its against something as cruel and twisted as the
Daleks then it effectively means that they have no hope. Ian summed it up best
when he thought the reason why the Daleks were the way they were was because of
dislike for the unlike.
It’s
very much an ensemble piece this episode because no one really stands out in any
way. Susan does go a bit like a child when she shrieks that they should go back
down the lift to get Ian. She seems to take a step back after the previous
episode. It was good when she tried to create a diversion for fearing that the
Daleks would rumble their plan. William Russell gets to be a hero again as he
decides to go and warn the Thals however it’s a bit unfortunate he leaves it
for as long as he does before warning them. Jacqueline Hill puts in a perfectly
fine performance but doesn’t really have much to do. It’s a shame really but
The
scene where the Daleks are waiting for the Thals is actually my favourite part
of the entire episode. It’s so well done as the directing makes it more
dramatic along with the music. You are instantly aware of what’s about to happen
and the impending inevitability of what will happen makes for a great scene.
Christopher Barry returns to the directing chair for this episode and it shows
as at one point the camera is behind a Dalek that seems to be looking out behind
the wall which is seeing the Thals wonder into the room.
The
security in the city isn’t very good as the regulars can run about without
encountering a single Dalek. There have been four or five Daleks on screen yet
no attempt has been made to make it seem like there are many more. As for the
Daleks themselves they don’t feature as much as they have previously as the
action takes place between the regulars and the Thals. After learning a bit
about their history and talking the Thals into fighting the Daleks they decide
to leave but they realise that Ian doesn’t have the fluid link and it’s still
in the city.
The
cliffhanger for this episode was much better than the previous two. There is a
real sense of dredd knowing that they will have to go back into the city and
the attempt to try and get the Thals fighting will have more importance in
future episodes. The episode was another one where there is an awful lot of
sitting down or walking from one place to another. The title was very apt and
related very well to the episode. It’s only the section where Ian is in the
Dalek and they are trying to get out of the city that really seemed any good
but it wasn’t a terrible episode as we learnt a bit more about the history of
Skaro.
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