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Evolution of the Daleks Format Reviewed: TV Review Evolution of the Daleks is the concluding part of the first multi episode story of series three of the return of Doctor Who to our screens. We left the previous episode with Dalek Sec of the Cult of Skaro having combined himself with a Human to create a Dalek- Human hybrid creature. Set in the American Great Depression in 1930, a colourful period in the history of the most powerful nation on Earth. The Final Experiment is revealed to be one where Dalek Sec is the genetic blueprint for a new race of hybrid creatures. It is then revealed that the Daleks have amassed thousands of Human hosts that have been prepared to accept the Dalek-Human genetic code. The Doctor and posse then escape back to Hooverville where a pitched battle ensues between Humans, Daleks and Pig Slaves. The remaining Daleks are meanwhile conspiring to prevent the hybrid DNA being added to the Human hosts, and betray Dalek Sec, capturing him in the process. The Doctor then goes up to the mast at the top of the Empire state building to try to prevent the Gamma radiation being conducted into the Dalek experiment, eventually hugging the mast when the gamma rays hit therefore adding Time Lord DNA into the mix. When the Human hosts are then armed by the Daleks, they turn on their masters, destroying two of the ramaining three, not before they kill Dalek Sec. One Dalek escapes thouh with yet another 'Emergency Temporal Shift'. Having now wathched this episode twice, I am still undecided as to whether or not I like the overall storyline. There are undoubtedly excellent facets to the story, such as the Daleks 'return to type' as it were by mutinying against Dalek Sec and rebelling against racial impurity. These have real precedents in the history of Dalek stories and hark back to the Imperial-Davros Dalek battles in the 1980's. On the other hand, the whole premise that a Dalek, even one created to be different, would see Humans as the great survivors and want to merge with them is I believe flawed. Consider that the Daleks were described bt Christopher Eccleston's Doctor as the great survivors, they survived the Time War, the Cult of Skaro survived the pull into the void where the Genesis Ark and all Daleks contained within were dispatched, and yet they feel that they should leave their mostly invulnerable casing and combine themselves with Humans? I don't quite buy it. The best performer in this story is Eric Loren, who has graduated from being Mr Diagoras into being the Dalek-Human hybrid Dalek Sec. Throughout, Loren does a good job of merging the Dalek and Human characteristics, and really pulls the role off. Martha takes affirmative action once more, and despite being somewhat underused, does well when she appears. This story is less about the Doctor, but what Tennant does do is relatively calm and measured in performance. Ryan Carnes and Miranda Raison are again the worst performers as Laszlo and Tallulah respectively, but they do not detract too much from the overall look and feel so I shouldn't criticise too much. Having been quite critical of the story so far, I feel I must make some note as to the positive aspects of the story. Firstly, the look and feel of the story is really outstanding. The sets team and the Mill special effects team have done a wonderful job in presenting the story in its best possible light. The action also moves on at a cracking pace, and you do get engrossed in the pace and excitement of the story. These aspects are what save this from being a bad story in my eyes, and make it a really very watchable story if I turn off my cynical head! Overall, Evolution of the Daleks is an eminently waqtchable story that moves on at a really cracking pace, and looks and feels wonderful throughout. The criticisms of whether or not the Daleks should, or would, ever want to abandon their cases and merge with Humans is I think a very valid one, and that will probably make the story endure for less time than if there was a more solid premise to the story. Rating:  |