Best series 1 story

For me, it’s a toss up between The Unquiet Dead and The Empty Child. Although particular scenes in TEC frustrate me in retrospect (mainly those awful flirting scenes between Jack and Rose, which just creates a pervasive tonal inconsistency within the story), its highs outweigh the highs of The Unquiet Dead.

Although these are the only two stories from the season I genuinely like. I used to quite like Aliens of London, Dalek and Bad Wolf, though came away disliking them much, much more on a recent re-watch.

Dalek.
Obviously it's NuWho so there are lots of shit stuff, but Eccleston has some good moments in this one, and at least it's based on a good story. (Jubilee)

It can only be Dalek as far as i am concerned.

The Doctor Dances ruined Moffats story - especially the Everybody Lives bit at the end.

Bad Wolf ruined the final two parter for me.

Then again the ending of Dalek was pretty bad aswell ...

True- The Doctor Dances does have a shit ending. Though I’d say that Dalek does too.
Just saw your edited post.
To be honest, the vast majority of series 1 stories have truly crap endings.

Bernard Marx wrote:True- The Doctor Dances does have a shit ending. Though I’d say that Dalek does too.
Just saw your edited post.
To be honest, the vast majority of series 1 stories have truly crap endings.

Yep. I don't like the ending to Dalek. For me the story still works because of how it builds up the Kaled mutant as a creature that ruthlessly cuts thru Van Statten's security like a knife thru butter, the troops totally unable to stop or even slow its advance down. It was invincible and the human adversaries had very little hope.

Thats the bit i remember when i say i like Dalek. The bit at the end when the dalek cries like a baby while sunbathing I just try to forget.

stengos wrote:

Bernard Marx wrote:True- The Doctor Dances does have a shit ending. Though I’d say that Dalek does too.
Just saw your edited post.
To be honest, the vast majority of series 1 stories have truly crap endings.

Yep. I don't like the ending to Dalek. For me the story still works because of how it builds up the Kaled mutant as a creature that ruthlessly cuts thru Van Statten's security like a knife thru butter, the troops totally unable to stop or even slow its advance down. It was invincible and the human adversaries had very little hope.

Thats the bit i remember when i say i like Dalek. The bit at the end when the dalek cries like a baby while sunbathing I just try to forget.

I don’t mind the manner in which the Dalek is showcased killing people swiftly at all. I think my newly acquired dislike for the story is partly to do with how crap so much of the dialogue and characterisation is (alongside that abysmal ending), and how bloody overrated the story is as well. It’s regarded as some sort of masterpiece due to allegedly showcasing the Daleks at their most methodical and scary, though this is bollocks considering that Power Of The Daleks showcases that much more eerily and effectively through actually showing how Daleks adapt to the psychology of humans. I know it’s a missing story, and the animation isn’t great, but it’s infinitely better written and acted.

Hell, I’d call it weaker than basically all of the Classic Dalek stories (with the odd possible exception).

Bernard Marx wrote:

stengos wrote:

Bernard Marx wrote:True- The Doctor Dances does have a shit ending. Though I’d say that Dalek does too.
Just saw your edited post.
To be honest, the vast majority of series 1 stories have truly crap endings.

Yep. I don't like the ending to Dalek. For me the story still works because of how it builds up the Kaled mutant as a creature that ruthlessly cuts thru Van Statten's security like a knife thru butter, the troops totally unable to stop or even slow its advance down. It was invincible and the human adversaries had very little hope.

Thats the bit i remember when i say i like Dalek. The bit at the end when the dalek cries like a baby while sunbathing I just try to forget.

I don’t mind the manner in which the Dalek is showcased killing people swiftly at all. I think my newly acquired dislike for the story is partly to do with how crap so much of the dialogue and characterisation is (alongside that abysmal ending), and how bloody overrated the story is as well. It’s regarded as some sort of masterpiece due to allegedly showcasing the Daleks at their most methodical and scary, though this is bollocks considering that Power Of The Daleks showcases that much more eerily and effectively through actually showing how Daleks adapt to the psychology of humans. I know it’s a missing story, and the animation isn’t great, but it’s infinitely better written and acted.

Hell, I’d call it weaker than basically all of the Classic Dalek stories (with the odd possible exception).

Dont think i was criticising what you thought in my last post. Its my enthusiasm for the story thats drives me in my posts, not a desire to troll other people. But i sometimes forget myself.

With the classic series i sometimes feel the Daleks were used as props to be bashed. In particular Planet where they just get thrown into puddles. Death also seemed to do this. As a result over the years their threat level seemed to get lost. I just think much of what happens in Dalek seemed to restore it somewhat.

I certainly wouldn't compare Dalek to sthg like Power. I wouldnt even compare it to Resurrection but lets not go there as I'd lose ...

Hey- I never saw it that way at all. I was using my own enthusiasm to inform my argument as opposed to a means of retorting against your own. You weren’t trolling me at all!
Besides, sometimes I need a bit of criticism in order to tamper my ego.

I guess you’re right about Planet and Death being a bit crap when it comes to portraying the Daleks, so I’ll give you that. Although I always assumed the 80s Dalek stories restored that menace and threat level beforehand- although I’ve broken down with Tanmann why Resurrection’s script isn’t great, their level of threat seemed revitalised there (I do personally enjoy parts of the story sometimes as well- though I’ve not hesitated in analysing why its script is a bit rubbish, I don’t prefer to let it cloud my personal enjoyment of certain stories- though I guess Resurrection isn’t a particular favourite anyway), and I’d argue that in many ways Revelation is the most philosophically dark Dalek story ever conceived for the original series.

I don’t actually hate Dalek, so to speak. I was just stunned at how much weaker it seemed upon my latest viewing, though I guess that’s more to do with subjective taste rather than objective analysis (I do try to factor in both when discussing a story rather than confuse them and occasionally don’t succeed- I subjectively enjoy certain maligned stories more than other acclaimed ones, though I recognise that in terms of visual direction, consistency in tone or whether the script functions or not, some stories I might like aren’t actually that great, and sometimes examining a story objectively can change my subjective experience of it). Dalek probably does get more things right than I perhaps let on.

And when I refer to it being overrated, I mainly refer to it being overrated by mainstream Who fandom as opposed to fandom as a whole.

Parting of the Ways is quite good. Shame the ending is ridiculously weak.

One thing I'll say for the season.

At least it got us this....



Anyhow I voted Dalek. It brought me the most joy back in the day.

Empty Child by a long way.