N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
The Dalek dialogue is as dull and repetitive as ever and David Gooderson is no Michael Wisher (although, to be fair, who is!), but there’s still a lot to enjoy in Destiny of the Daleks.
“For a place that looked dead, there’s a lot going on.”
Romana, Destiny of the Daleks: Episode One
And yes, early in Episode One Romana’s regeneration scene doesn’t make it completely clear what’s going on. Does this mean Time Lords can control their appearance as they are regenerating? (Was that ‘Tenth Doctor … The Christmas Invasion … Journey’s End‘, I heard you cough?)
But, as I suggested in my last post, Romana shares the Doctor’s sense of style – even, it seems, down to the long coat, scarf and boots.
I rather like the exchange they have somewhat confirming my feeling that even if the Doctor is ‘no fashion expert’, he certainly thinks about how he throws his wardrobe together (at least since his third incarnation).
DOCTOR
Ah, but it’s nice to get them right, though, isn’t it.
“I’m a very dangerous fellow when I don’t know what I’m doing.”
The Doctor, Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Four
This being a Terry Nation story, we have a couple of episodes of moody build-up, enhanced by some dynamic direction, especially on location. (Yes, it’s a quarry, but this is a desolate Skaro after all.)
The sound design is excellent too. I believe it’s a deliberate re-use of the atmospheric Tristram Cary score from the Daleks’ original appearance; it certainly enhances things greatly here.
I’m not so sure I like the idea that the Daleks have become fully robotic and, as it’s a while before the Daleks return after this, is it a concept that is quietly forgotten in later serials? I genuinely can’t remember. Given the battered-looking state of some of the Dalek travel machines, they were probably overdue a rest and a refit after this. (On the other hand perhaps they would look this decrepit after years of searching for Davros?)
Although it’s rather a sad thing to notice, it is nice to see a multi-racial cast for once, especially amongst the Movellans. The Movellans, as a creation, are interestingly bland (if such a thing is possible), even if they are flummoxed by Rock-Paper-Scissors. Incidentally, I love those scenes but genuinely fear the Movellans might have exploded if the Doctor and Romana had thrown in The Lizard-Spock Expansion.
Although it might feel like the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Daleks at times, Destiny of the Daleks was waaaayyy better than I remembered. Whilst it’s not up to the standard of the Fourth Doctor’s previous encounter with his oldest foes, at least as far as sequels go, it’s no Highlander II either.
"For some reason in this story, they went back to calling the episodes 'Episode' instead of keeping them as 'Part'".
"I have one question – since Romana chose her new body does that mean her previous body counted as a regeneration (say if Romana 1 is Romana’s first regeneration, would Romana 2 be regeneration 1 or 2)?" [Or is it more, given the number of bodies she tries? – UT]
"So in this story it teaches you about war – war of living things = unpredictable winner, robot war = draw."
Son of UT Rating: 8/10
