The second story of Peter Capaldi's debut season, Into the Dalek, written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat gives us the Twelfth Doctor's first encounter with the Daleks. He first met them over 50 years ago during the second story from the First Doctor (in the second episode of The Daleks, The Survivors). Again, like Deep Breath, this new episode feels like classic Doctor Who, the pace is spot on, though the story did have almost too many similarities to 2005’s, Dalek, such as the “You are a good Dalek…” line which is almost identical to “You would make a good Dalek.”
All of the visually awesome scenes we viewed on screen really don’t feel so epic when read in script form.
A nightmare of cosmic Armageddon - planets torn apart, exposed cores burning; others with atmospheres ablaze. From behind one of these burning worlds - a small 31st Century two-man fighter WASP CRAFT suddenly bursts into view and hurtles across space.
Now that sounds pretty cool, but it doesn’t have quite the effect that it does on screen. You don’t see the explosions in the script, no fire, just words. But on the upside, your imagination gets to run wild imagining what “Armageddon” looks like. My vision of a WASP fighter was hugely different to what they actually looked like on screen.
One of the problems with reading a script that requires a lot of special effects is that sometimes the scenes can feel a little ridiculous, i.e,
The Dalek ship FIRES on the fleeing WASP!
When I read those words, I envisioned a massive Dalek battle cruiser attacking a wasp - a little too comedic for the new tone of the show.
As WASP explodes! That one just doesn’t do the on screen result justice. Anyone who’s seen the DVD extra “Oh Mummy!” on The Pyramids of Mars DVD knows what that looks like. But the end result is pretty cool.
One of the better things in the episode that is even more effective on screen than in the script is the awkward tension between Clara and Danny. It’s almost uncomfortable in a good way.
This is without a doubt one of the best scenes in the episode,
THE DOCTOR
You'll probably feel a bit sick. Please don’t be.THE DOCTOR, standing at the controls, looking at her – one hand on the controls, the other holding a little cardboard tray with two cappuccinos.
JOURNEY
Where’s my brother??
THE DOCTOR
Hello. I’m the Doctor.
JOURNEY
He was right beside me, where’s Kai?? How did I get here.
THE DOCTOR
I materialized a time capsule exactly around you and saved your life one second before your ship exploded, but do please keep crying.He places the cappuccinos on the console.
JOURNEY
My brother just died!!
THE DOCTOR
His sister didn’t, you’re very welcome. Put the gun down.
He has stepped towards her. She swings the gun, tracking him.
JOURNEY
Or what?
THE DOCTOR
Or you might shoot me and then where will you be?
JOURNEY
In charge of your vessel.
THE DOCTOR
You’d starve to death trying to find the light switch. Who are you?He’s stepped even closer – she tenses
JOURNEY
I’m Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance. I demand you take me back to my command ship, the Aristotle, which is currently located –
THE DOCTOR
No, hey. Not like that!
JOURNEY
You will return me to my command ship which is currently positioned –
THE DOCTOR
No, not, come, not like that, not like that, get it right!His eyes blazing, his voice like a whiplash.
She hesitates. What’s she doing wrong. Gets it. Holsters her weapon.
JOURNEY
Could you take me back to my ship.Please?
The Doctor: instantly breezy, striding back to his console.
THE DOCTOR
The Aristotle’s the big fella parked in the asteroid belt, yeah?Slams the controls.
JOURNEY
It’s shielded.
THE DOCTOR
More or less.
It reads beautifully and feels very Doctorish. Peter Capaldi nails it and continues to do so throughout the episode. Into The Dalek was way more about the action and less about the dialogue, which was important, but not as important as it was in Deep Breath. They still leave room for some humor, however dark it may be,
Until THE DOCTOR is spat into a chamber waist-high with FOUL SLUDGE. CLARA, JOURNEY and GRETCHEN wait - messy.
CLARA
Urgh!! What is this stuff?
THE DOCTOR
People. Daleks need protein. Occasionally they harvest from their victims. This is a feeding tube.
GRETCHEN
Oh my God!
JOURNEY
Is Ross here?
THE DOCTOR
Top layer, if you want to say a few words.Almost a Tom Baker feel to the dark humor, it makes Capaldi’s Doctor feel more like the Doctor than the last three people to take on the role. The scene where the Doctor is trying to show the Dalek the star being born is similar to the one from Resurrection of the Daleks where the Doctor is talking to Davros. The Creator agrees that the Daleks should have emotion, but only to make them more efficient killers. The same thing happens here, the Dalek sees beauty in the form of a star’s birth, but see’s the Doctor’s hatred of the Dalek's as beauty. The wrong message is revealed.
10:39:55 INT. DALEK. DALEK MUTANT CRADLE - NIGHT
THE DOCTOR releases the cables and drops to his knees, exhausted.
THE DOCTOR
And isn't the universe beautiful?
BATTERED DALEK (OS)
I see beauty.
THE DOCTOR
Yes. Yes, that's good. Hold on to that.
BATTERED DALEK (OS)
I see endless, divine perfection.
THE DOCTOR
Make it a part of you. Remember how you feel right now. Put it inside you and live by it.
BATTERED DALEK
I see into your soul, Doctor. I see beauty. I see divinity. I .... see ... hatred!!
THE DOCTOR
... hatred.
BATTERED DALEK
I see your hatred of the Daleks and it is good.
THE DOCTOR
No! You must have seen more - there must be more than that! Please!
BATTERED DALEK
Death to the Daleks! Death to the Daleks!! Death to the Daleks!!
THE DOCTOR
No! No, there's more than that. There must be more than that!! Please!
BATTERED DALEK (OS)
Daleks are...10:40:56 INT. ARISTOTLE. CORRIDOR - NIGHT
CUT TO:
The BATTERED DALEK moves off with new determination -
BATTERED DALEK
... evil. Dalek must be exsterminated!CUT TO:
10:41:01 EXT. ARISTOTLE. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE LAB 2- NIGHT
DALEKS - concentrating ENERGY BEAMS on the door.
BATTERED DALEK
Daleks are evil.Even after a lot of work throughout the episode, the Doctor fails yet again at rising above the Daleks. The Doctor isn’t so perfect a being as we’ve been shown for the last eight years, in the Twelfth Doctor we’re getting the ability to make the wrong choice again. Wrong outcomes are okay, no more “Everybody lives, Rose…” garbage.
We get a lot of conflict in our favorite character, and that’s what I enjoy about a good Doctor Who. I think that we forget that, even for him, it’s okay to not get everything right. He is flawed and that makes for more interesting and entertaining stories. As ever, it all starts with the scripts.
Andrew Jero lives in Iowa and has a very strong love of both Red Dwarf and Doctor Who. He enjoys acting and writing plays, television scripts, and short stories. Follow Andrew on Twitter.
