Here’s where Terry Nation realizes he has to wrap things up.Ganatus’ brother sacrifices himself to save Ian, Ganatus and Alydon’s teams arrive at the Dalek city just in time to stop them from irradiating the atmosphere. There’s a...fight? scene (the sight of Thals bopping Daleks with the equivalent of a baseball bat and jumping on top of these Nazi Pepperpots is kinda funny) that ends with the Doctor being Stone Cold Mean in his refusing to help the Daleks survive. The Thals celebrate, the Doctor declines an invitation to stay because he belongs amongst the stars, the crew Vroops off and then something happens that leads us into our next cliffhanger.
Hartnell really gets the best moments in this half hour. The moment when the last dying Dalek pleads for his help, only for him to say, icily, “Even if I wanted to, I would not know how” is so effective precisely because we still don’t know what the Doctor’s game is. I actively like this kind of Doctor, who isn’t positively 100% Good N’ Virtuous. It might be one of the reason I ultimately soured on Tennant....while the first few episodes of his run promised a Time Lord who gave ‘no second chances,’ he softened almost immediately and kept being forced into a Romantic Angle with his companions until Donna.* The moments where he declines his invitation to stay with the Thals as their advisor could be seen as genuinely warm...or teasing, given his suggestion he’ll return to live with their grandchildren and the way he ends it with a half-Hootyowl Chuckle. Even though we get some character moments with the rest of the crew (okay, Susan literally trips and falls to show off the cloak Dyoni gave her, but still...), this is Hartnell’s show.
As someone who was taken with Ganatus’ Crushing on Barbara, we do get a resolution to that, as he says his goodbyes and gets Jacqueline Hill to plant a kiss straight on his lips. Good for you, Ganatus!
We’re still at the point where each of the serials ends with the lead in to the next. I personally think the ‘everyone fall down and go boom’ moment is a little underwhelming, but there you go.
As I’ve said before, this is a landmark, essential serial, the serial which literally assured Doctor Who would survive. You need to watch this serial if you want to understand the mystique of the whole shebang.
Coming up: The first 'alternate universe,' another prequel and....The Edge of Destruction!
* Donna Noble is one of the Best Companions Ever, and the Best NuWho Companion. This is a hill I will die on.
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