Tuesday 2 September 2014

DW 08-02: Into the Dalek

A Guide to Classic Who references in New Who episodes.


The second episode of series 8.  Clara, the Doctor & friends go into a Dalek.

Warning: May contain Spoilers for

"Into The Dalek"


Viewing Order

  • 7-06 - "The Bells of Saint John" (Suggested viewing - reintroduction of character.)
  • 8-01 - "Breath Deep(Suggested viewing - reintroduction of character.)

References

[1ST]  - Things appearing in Doctor Who for the first time.
[NEW] - Stuff seen previously in the New Series.
[OLD] - Things that first appeared in the classic series (or the film.)  Episode List.
[REF] - A reference outside of Doctor Who.

  • [OLD]  Miniaturisation - TARDIS actually materialised at the wrong size and the Doctor, Susan, Barbara & Ian with it in the First Doctor story "Planet of the Giants".  Actually, the idea to shrink the crew was suggested as a story a number of times before it was finally done, including a plan to shrink them before they ever started travelling through time in the original pitch.  In the Fourth Doctor story "The Invisible Enemy" the clones of the Doctor and Leela are shrunk down and enter the Doctor to cure an infection.  Miniaturisation and anti-bodies in robot also appeared in the Eleventh Doctor story "Let's Kill Hitler."
  • [1ST]  Danny Pink - First appearance of this character.
  • [OLD]  A Good Dalek - although not good, in the Second Doctor story, "The Evil of the Daleks," the Doctor gives some Daleks "the Human Factor" causing them to disobey orders and turn on the "pure" Daleks.
  • [REF]  Make a good movie - Like Fantastic Voyage (1966).
  • [NEW] "Why does it recognise me?" - Oswin Oswald removed all memory of the Doctor from the Dalek Pathweb sometime in our future ("Asylum of the Daleks").  The Daleks besieging Trenzalor (also in our future) in "The Time of the Doctor" harvested knowledge of the Doctor from Tasha Lem, but may have all been destroyed.
  • [OLD]  Trionic Radiation - Not previous mentioned but a Trionic Lattice appeared in the Fourth Doctor story "The Talons of Weng-Chiang."
  • [NEW]  Missy returns - See previous episode.
  • [NEW]  Memories - Rusty's memories are from "Dalek" and "The Stolen Earth," and the Doctor's are from "Journey's End."
  • [OLD]  Skaro - the Doctor first visited Skaro in the First Doctor's second story "The Daleks."
  • [NEW]  Dalek bombs - A Dalek first used its "bumps" to self-destruct in "Dalek."

The 10 Rules to Doctor Who.

10.  TARDIS:  The TARDIS is used to travel on a number of trips.  [1]
9.  Meeting Yourself:  No one tries.  [X]
8.  Non-sequiturs:   Yes.  [1]
7.  Serious/Frivolous:  Still not as much as previously, but it's there and more subtle.  [1]
6.  Series Final:  This is not a series final.  [X]
5.  Companion:  Clara, contemporary British female.  (Future spacecraft story).  [1]
4.  Emotionless:  A good Dalek.  That kills others. [1]
3.  Title Spoilers:  Spoilers to the basic plot, revealed pretty early. [1]
2.  The Threat:  The good Dalek turned evil is the major threat in the episode.  It's actually Clara who guesses it first. [0]
1.  Last of It's Kind:  The Doctor is the last of his kind, obviously.  The Dalek is a one-off a kind deviant and is and isn't dangerous [.5]

Score:  6.5/8.


~ DUG.


The Time Crash blog was created to help New Who fans understand Classic Who references - and to know if something isn't a reference but a new idea.  If there's a reference I missed or a subject that you feel needs more explaining, please comment.

2 comments:

  1. Why does it recognise me? I understood this to be more of a reference to the fact that this is a first encounter with a new regeneration. Similar to the fact that the 11th doctor had to say his name in "Victory of the Daleks"

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    Replies
    1. The Daleks are time travellers and know of the Doctor's future incarnations, much like River does. Eleven needed to state his name for the record in "Victory." His identity was already known by the Daleks, it was just a "signature" on the testimony.

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