N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

Ah yes, the IKEA Daleks!

To be honest, I didn’t mind them at the time and don’t dislike them now, even though they do look a bit hunched-over compared to the classic Raymond Cusick design. I also remember having fun with my son and daughter playing with the Character Building LEGO-like Daleks that came out around the same time.

But I appreciate they are a bit divisive among Doctor Who fans.

As with The Beast Below there’s some nice directorial touches here (Andrew Gunn in the chair again), with a similar extreme close-up / activity in the back of shot thing going on. This time it’s the Doctor in the foreground with the Daleks in the background. There’s also a hint of some 60’s Dalek sound effects to be heard too and another nod to this in the Doctor’s reference to “the final end”.

“Would you care for some tea?””

Bracewell’s Ironside, Victory of the Daleks

I also liked how rattled the Doctor was by the Daleks’ apparent pacificism.

But the spitfires in space dogfight has always been a bit too Star Wars for my liking. (Nothing wrong with Star Wars, o’course.)

And no-one comments on the shortness of Amy’s skirt – which is perhaps 20 years too early to be considered decent. Perhaps there’s a perception filter around her choice of attire?

Still, it all ends on a couple of intriguing mysteries. Amy doesn’t remember the Daleks – and the Doctor is worried about this. And this time there’s a crack on the wall behind the TARDIS.

The thick plottens …