N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
For the second time in their three Third Doctor appearances, the Daleks seem superfluous to proceedings with the well-realised Exxilons and all the Erich von Däniken stuff about alien influences on human progress being far more interesting than the ineffectual salt-shakers we see here.
“Aye, well, this is the bit you’re not going to like. “
Galloway, Death to the Daleks: Part Two
As it’s a Terry Nation script the first episode once again contains his trademark atmospheric stuff and, despite its familiarity, is pretty good for it. And Carey Blyton’s score is fairly interesting too even if his Dalek theme is perhaps not quite as effective as his Silurian motif.
Although Sarah’s capture and the sacrifice scenes are tense and the trip through the Exxilon city’s puzzles is an unusual way to spend an episode, sadly Death to the Daleks doesn’t really add up to anything particularly memorable, which might well account for it being another of member of my Doctor Who amnesia club. It also has perhaps the oddest set of cliffhangers in Doctor Who history, with the ‘Stop, don’t move’ that-there-tiling-is-different sting being the strangest of the lot.
Death to the Daleks is also a fairly lousy title – a battle-cry that the tepid onscreen action doesn’t warrant or justify and one that also ruins the first episode’s surprise reveal.
That said, I just about preferred it to last season’s Planet of the Daleks. And I did find myself wondering if Jill Tarrant was any relation to Del (of Blake’s 7 fame).
But anyhoo, three years in and that’s almost three Doctors down. It’s a return trip to Peladon up next to kick off the fourth year of marathon blogging!
"Dad says this story used to be called The Exxilons. I prefer that title because it doesn't spoil it."
"The part where the Doctor and the Exxilon are in the city reminds me of Heaven Sent – the 12th Doctor story – in Death to the Daleks they are being chased by Daleks and in Heaven Sent the Doctor is also chased by an alien."
"It's funny when the Doctor says about the destroyed city 'Now the universe is down to six hundred and ninety nine wonders' after earlier saying that it was one of the seven hundred wonders of the universe."
Son of UT Rating: 8/10
