This rant is really Part #2 of the first rant where I talk about how epic-ly awesome Dr. Who is. In case you missed it… here was my first rant on Dr. Who.
As I was saying… How epic-ly awesome is Dr. Who!? Before you nod your head and smile saying, “Yep!” I have to point out: I am not watching from 2005 on. I started all the way back in 1963 and am only in Season #2 with the first Doctor portrayed by William Hartnell. And OMG do I love him! I also recording this journey and reviewing each and every treasure along the way, mind you.
I won’t go into how awesome the first Doctor is because I promised I would save that post for when I welcome in the Second Doctor and record my next rant. No… This rant… this rant is reserved for the Daleks.
Recap
Many Whovians insisted I start with 2005 Dr. Who because “the originals suck.” I won’t repeat my 18 minute rant on how I didn’t skip out on the Star Trek originals, I wasn’t about to skip out on the Dr. Who originals. But my girlfriend did say something that perked my curiosity. “If you’re going to start with 2005, I have a YouTube video for you to watch that summarizes everything you missed.”
And my thought was, “If the originals are so important, why not start with those?” So I did. Here we are. And OMG! I do not regret it one bit!
So this is a review of the original episodes! Season 1 and Season 2! Should you watch from the beginning. For those of you who aren’t familiar with my review process, I always provide three reviews in order: The “Tell Me Nothing!” review. The “I don’t mind some spoilers” and the “I’ve already seen it and want to compare my thoughts to yours review.” So here it is! Scroll down to your desired review.
“Tell Me Nothing!” Review
Relax! No spoilers here.
I will simply say, yes! Most definitely worth going back and watching. If you are a fan of 1960’s television and appreciate it for what it was in its day, then do it! So worth the time! Now, I will forewarn you, due to “wiping” 93 episodes are missing. This includes 99% of Season 3. I watched every reconstructed video. Marco Polo was painfully dull (for me) but not bad. The Zarbi story arc that isn’t missing was worse than anything I have seen. It was painful. I was bored with the Crusades arc. Aside from those arcs, it is simply amazing to watch!
They hit their stride by Story Arc #3 with the Aztecs, but the story really takes off with the Daleks… and that is why we are here. The Daleks. If you go back for no other reason. Go back for the Daleks. What I watched last night, I looked at my husband and said, “How can anyone watch 2005 and on without seeing this!? They have to watch THIS episode to get any of it!”
If you are hesitant to return to 1963 TV, at least watch the episodes with the Daleks. The special effects are better than Star Trek, but with the same strong plot you find there. With the Zarbi arc… it was still better than watching Lost In Space. I wish I had been watching Star Trek with that arc.
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Warning! Spoilers below!
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Scrolling down to avoid spoilers from those who don’t want to see…
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Okay! Spoilers.
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“I don’t mind some spoilers” Review
Thank the gods you don’t mind spoilers because I’m going to die here if I have to keep this in any longer! So, I went back and am literally in the middle of the “Chase” arc! The Daleks! OMG! The Daleks! I’ll use this review to just spill my rant!
I had no idea what the Daleks were when I began Dr. Who a few weeks ago. I did note the exclamation my husband gave when the arc came up. “Oooh! The Daleks!” So I made mental note that I would be seeing a lot of them and made sure I paid attention.
Arc #2 – The Daleks (Second arc of Season #1)
This is the first time you see the weird things that they are. Here is their story. Once upon a time, there were two clans. The Thaleks and the Daleks. Something catastrophic happened—a bomb went off or a meteorite hit their planet… I can’t recall—Either way this catastrophe spilled radiation throughout the planet. The Thaleks went underground until the radiation cleared. But the Daleks stayed above ground and became horribly disfigured due to the radiation. The Daleks were exposed to the radiation for so long, that they not only became immune to it, they required it for survival. But outside the Dalek city where the Thaleks lived in breathable air, the Daleks couldn’t go. So the Daleks created a bomb that would once again add radiation to the planet and kill the Thaleks. Enter… the Doctor.
When the Doctor arrives, his group sides with the Thaleks and they defeat the Daleks. The Doctor and the crew make their escape.
This arc was also made into a movie. After watching the movie version of “The Daleks Invasion of Earth” I decided I couldn’t subject myself to this movie as well. The movie is just a bad remake of the series. Don’t watch the movie. Watch the series. Don’t let the movies be your introduction to Dr. Who. Seriously. They need to remake those movies. Badly.
Arc #10 – The Daleks Invasion of Earth (Second arc of Season #2)
While scouting the universe, the Daleks learn that earth’s magnetic poles are sufficient to turn Earth into a space ship. They invade earth, enslave the humans they don’t kill, and work to place a device at Earth’s core to turn it into a kind of remote control ship that will allow them to move about the galaxy as they please. Enter… the Doctor. The Doctor sides with the Earthlings… Naturally… and defeat the Daleks. The Doctor makes his escape with his crew, leaving behind a more than pissed pack of Daleks.
This arc was also made into a movie. I watched the movie too. Don’t watch the movie. It was a 1960’s James Bond film set to inappropriately timed 1960’s surfer music. As characters sneak about, you will listen to energetic beach music. Within the first two minutes, the movie contradicts two basic rules of Dr. Who. Don’t watch the movie. It is only a bad remake on the series. They put all their money into the sets and Peter Crushing.
This next Dalek arc requires the viewing of a non-Dalek arc for it to make sense.
Arc #15 – The Space Museum (Second Season)
This arc is highly fascinating. It was this arc that had me hopping, biting my nails, and shrieking, “This is so frickin’ cool!” and “It’s a time wedgie! They’re in a time wedgie!” The Doctor gives his explanation and I said, “Yes! That’s what I said, Doctor. You’re in a time wedgie!” So fascinating! So they pick up this “thing” from the Space Museum and take off on their next adventure. Not only is it amazing science fiction at its best, but it is as in-depth and philosophical as some of the Star Trek episodes were. You will not regret watching this arc. And… here is the best part… it is filled with Dalek foreshadowing! The most important Dalek line comes from the last episode of this arc.
On to Arc #16!
Arc #16 – The Chase (Second Season)
And here is where I left off last night! Basically, in events foreshadowed in Arc #15, it is no surprise that we sneak a peak into the Dalek’s world where they declare, “We will follow our enemies through all time and exterminate them.” The Daleks build their own TARDIS—I was adamant that they should have modeled it after the Police Box—and so begins The Chase that many viewers see today with the 9th doctor and on! No wonder, the 11th Doctor said, “I hate the Daleks!” in the one 5 minute scene I watched. After 40 years, these tin cans of mal-formed aliens are still chasing him! And this arc tells you why!
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Warning! Spoilers below!
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Scrolling down to avoid spoilers from those who don’t want to see…
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Okay! Spoilers.
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“I’ve already seen it and want to compare” Review
Am I the only one here who is DYING to get my hands on a life-sized Dalek, fly to England, and set my Dalek up in front of a police box? I am loving this show and am crazy to hear what you think? I’ll forever say how disappointed I am at so many people telling me to skip the originals. I can’t get back on the soapbox though. What I want to discuss with you fellow Whovian is what your thoughts are on this Doctor? I caught snippets of the 9th Doctor and watched 5 minutes of the 11th Doctor. I caught Matt Smith and went, “I love him. I have no idea who he is, but I love him.” Like Star Trek, I knew I was going to be a Whovian before seeing a single episode.
Here. For you, I present… my Pinterest Board, “Dr. Who.”
Follow Angela B. Chrysler’s board Dr. Who on Pinterest.
After Thought…
I began Season 3 last night (21 January 2016) knowing 98%… 99% of the episodes had been wiped out. It was time I ask the ultimate question: Do I sit down and watch a season filled with Dr. Who Reconstructions, or do I skip Season 3? One answer was very clear to me though. If I was going to skip Season 3, I had to at least watch the episodes with the Daleks. I’ll quote myself. OMG! Yes, I skipped the Recons. I pulled up Wikipedia and searched every description of every episode of Season 3 for one word: Dalek.
Now I noticed awhile ago that if Terry Nation—wait. You don’t know who Terry Nation was? Terry Nation is the creator of the Dales! But more than that. He was a damn good writer! Any episodes written by Terry Nation were guaranteed to be great episodes.
Last night, I came to one gem. The gem. The big one among Whovians. “The Mission to the Unknown.”
My advice here is simple. If you haven’t watched it, watch it now—Here is the link—because spoilers are coming. Before you critic the animation, I want to point out a few things. First, this film was erased. Only the recordings remain. It took a dedicated fan to animate this. For free. As a hobby. Second. This episode to date, is the most important of all Dalek episodes… So far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC0rOrVCA8Q
And now, as promised… the spoilers.
The Daleks unite the 7 rulers of the galaxy. Holy plot Iron Man who is better than Batman! I mean!! OMG!! I have no idea what happens later. Reminder. I have only seen Dr. Who episodes from Season #1 and Season #2. Nothing else. Nothing new. I don’t know what comes next, but I am certain this episode is huge!! So tonight, I begin the arc, “The Daleks’ Master Plan.”
Here is the list I pulled from Wikipedia. These are all the episodes written by Terry Nation. Give yourself a treat. If you watch no other episodes from the classic Dr. Who, watch what Terry Nation wrote. These episodes here.
| The Daleks’ Master Plan “The Nightmare Begins”† “Day of Armageddon” “Devil’s Planet”† “The Traitors”† “Counter Plot” “Coronas of the Sun”† “The Feast of Steven”† “Volcano”† “Golden Death”† “Escape Switch” “The Abandoned Planet”† “Destruction of Time”† |
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