*End-of-serial spoilers.*
A classic, for all kinds of reasons. Nowadays, when the Daleks have been done every which way into the ground, it can be hard to remember, but there was a time when they were still relatively new. After their instantly iconic debut in series 1, this was only their second appearance on the show, in an eerie serial that I’m sure had many a young British child hiding behind the sofa in 1964.
When the TARDIS lands in London, Ian and Barbara think for a moment that they’ve made it home. But they quickly realize that this isn’t their London. It’s a future version of their city, one in which the Daleks have taken over and humanity is scrambling like rats to get away. They, the First Doctor, and Susan join up with a group of human rebels who haven’t lost their fighting spirit.
Post-apocalyptic/dystopian type stuff has been popular for many years, but for me, there’s always something a little extra-creepy about stories from that genre that come out of this era. Even though the serial is set in a London of the future, it was made in 1964, a year that wasn’t so far removed from WWII, the Blitz, and fears of a Nazi invasion into England. 1964 was also when the Cold War was in full swing, and there was a particular air of fear and paranoia crackling in the air. I can only imagine what it felt like to watch this story live, seeing ranks of Daleks crossing the Thames against the backdrop of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
In addition to all sorts of creepy imagery, we get plenty of what makes for a great story like this. There’s a hard-scrabble human resistance movement with dedicated fighters who don’t always agree on the best way to advance the cause, enslaved “Robo Men” whose minds have been taken over by the Daleks, and unscrupulous survivors who do what they need to do to stay alive. It’s a pretty dark story, in a way that feels well-earned.
Amid all that, our heroes definitely stick out a bit from the outset. As in any Who story of this, they’re just dropping into a conflict that’s been raging for some time, and they’re not as war-weary or beaten-down as some of the humans they encounter. That can make them come across at times as naïve or overly sanguine, but they’re also people who have experience with the Daleks and know a thing or two about going up against them. As such, while they’re initially seen by the rebels as tagalongs or liabilities, it doesn’t take long for them to prove themselves useful.
To that end, there’s some pretty good stuff here for team TARDIS. It’s an especially great serial for Barbara, who gets to display toughness/bravery and smarts in equal measure. Meanwhile, we get some determination and derring-do from Ian and a good helping of wisdom and technical knowhow from the Doctor. Susan doesn’t get to physically contribute as much (the show paints her so much as “the kid” that she rarely gets to really show off her abilities,) but it’s still a significant story for her.
Yep, this is the first major character exit of the entire series, and it’s a doozy. The ending scene between Susan and the Doctor is a classic, with the Doctor realizing that Susan will give up something she greatly desires for the sake of staying with him. He forces her hand, getting her to see (in a pretty tough-love way) that it’s okay to let him go. Top-notch work here from William Hartnell and Carole Ann Ford, and their goodbye is wonderfully shot.
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