Genesis of the Daleks - Episode 3

Right so it’s clear the freeze framing the last shot is a great way of ending an episode. It won’t work every time but on this occasion it works. The fact that she doesn’t fall very far might seem like a cop out to many but I think that it was perhaps the best way that they could got around it.

It’s nearly five minutes before the Doctor and Harry enter the episode and it shows that Terry Nation saw Sarah’s plight far more dramatic than that of the Doctor and Harry. Harry’s first big thing in this episode is to be almost eaten by a clam which shows that Nation doesn’t really like to write for Harry and would much rather get back to Sarah and Davros. Sarah continues to be working on the rocket. She really did draw the short straw in this story when it came to job. Despite a spirited attempt at escaping she doesn’t really get to do a great deal. She even seems to have become somewhat dimmer during the previous episodes when she doesn’t realise until long after that they will die when the rocket launches. Considering she was suppose to be an intelligent person, she did seem a little bit dim.

I like the partnership (if you can call it that) of Davros and Nyder. They work well together and there is one moment when Nyder has a look on his face that seems like he is doubting what Davros is saying. I think that Davros shows why he’s such a good villain when he goes to the Thals and gives them a way of attacking the Kaled dome. I think that Michael Wisher owns this episode as Davros is really strong as he tries to show that his plans aren’t as sinister as they seem to be.

I haven’t commented on it for a couple of episodes but I think that Tom Baker has been superb since ‘Robot’ finished. When he’s given some good stuff to do then he shows that he’s just as good as the actors who have played the Doctor before him. I’m not saying that he’s better than William Hartnell but the stories have worked really well. I think that despite the occasional iffy episode, Elisabeth Sladen is still a very good companion and whilst I don’t like the fact that the character has been watered down, Sladen’s performance allows her to be more than the writing sometimes allows. Sadly Ian Marter is never going to be one of the greatest companions and I think he is a bit of a spare part and the calamity that befalls him at the beginning of the episode is just one example of this.

The cliffhanger occurs at the rocket and it’s the second episode in a row that this happens which pretty much sums up the problems with this episode. All the progression has happened has done so with Davros and the supporting characters. The Doctor and Harry just seem to have circled around a bit with Sarah staying where started. I am hoping that the next episode will be more active because I could do with a bit more running around corridors.