Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Constipation Nation! Exterminate!

What does the Second Season have in common with the First Season of Doctor Who? The second serial is about Daleks! Whoo! Well, I hope we get some explanations on how they survived the Thals, how they got space travel, and if they have any pepper in there. This serial aired between November 21 and December 26, 1964. You know, I think that means we might get a nice Christmas message in the mix! This is also supposed to be Susan Foreman's last serial as a Companion.

I can't say I'm sorry to see her go because she rather gets on my nerves. However, being as she's the Doctor's granddaughter, I have to wonder how that's going to play out and if we'll have to see a moody, stern, grouchy old genius. If he doesn't get decently upset, I'll begin to think that Susan Foreman might have been hypnotized to think the Doctor is her grandfather when he's really her abductor.

Let's go see!

Three Hours Later...

Well, that was interesting...

So, before the Daleks were destroyed last season, they could travel through space, apparently.

In the year 2158 AD, the Daleks used this space-faring ability to invade Earth.

So, that means the Daleks on the planet Skarro in the original series might not even be the only Daleks because... some could've used that nifty space travel to be anywhere else when the planet was nuked by the Thals.

That or... this episode is just an incredible waste of time... or the episode The Daleks was an incredible waste of time.

On the other hand... Susan is GONE! No more crying and screaming and getting captured and such. Now we just have Barbara to do all that stuff, but sometimes she comes up with clever plans and does some pretty crazy things herself.

So... Let's see if I can't sum up the plot. The Doctor and company land on Earth, but they don't know when. Susan climbs on top of a bridge to have a better look around. She falls off and the bridge falls over onto the TARDIS so they can't get back in it. Isn't that convenient? How many times have they been blocked from re-entrance to the TARDIS now?

Ian and the Doctor go off to a factory to try to find a way to get something to free the TARDIS. While Barbara and Susan stay by the TARDIS and the Thames because Susan twisted her ankle in the fall. I'd like to call her an idiot,but climbing up to have a look around an empty wasteland of Earth is probably something I would've done, I regret to say.

Well, Barbara and Susan are captured/rescued by members of The Resistance, a group of people fighting Daleks who have managed to take over Earth. Have I mentioned it's some time after 2164? When the Doctor and Ian return, they're captured by Daleks and Robomen, humans who have been turned into completely subservient slaves.

In breaking out of their cell, the Doctor, a man called Craddock and Ian prove they are smart enough to be converted into Robomen. The Doctor is to be converted first, but that's when the Resistance strikes  stopping the conversion process. The bombs, created by a member of the Resistance called Dortmun, affect humans and Daleks. Most of the attackers are killed.

The Daleks retreat to their ships and take off for their operations in Bedfordshire where they're digging a tunnel to the Earth's molten core. They've got this plan to drain the core and put a ship in the middle so they can fly the Earth around like a space ship. Yeah... Why didn't they do that to their own planet?

Well, Ian was on the ship and he hangs out around Bedfordshire, avoiding Daleks and trying to figure out what they're doing.

The Doctor was rescued and he and his rescuers Susan, David (Susan's new love interest), Baker and Tyler head for Bedfordshire too because it looks like it's the Daleks' main base of operations. Barbara wasn't included in the attack, she stayed home with Resistance members Jenny and Dalton where she decides the Doctor is probably headed to Bedfordshire and she decides to head there too with Jenny.

She would've gone with Dalton, but Dalton gave her the formula for the bombs and then went out and committed suicide by Dalek to keep them from finding Barbara and Jenny.

When they all meet in Bedfordshire, they stop the Daleks by programing the Robomen to kill the Daleks. Ian already stopped the bomb that was supposed to destroy the Earth's core. So instead the bomb creates a volcano in England. All the humans talk about rebuilding and Susan is divided between her love of David and wish to rebuild... and her wish to travel and stay with her grandfather.

The Doctor makes the decision for her by closing the TARDIS doors to her and saying good-bye to her on the TARDIS speakers. Susan goes off to start a life with David where she can get in danger in new and normal ways.

Did I like this episode? I think they made it rather obvious with the plotholes that the Daleks weren't supposed to have a second episode. I'm actually kind of disappointed they became a reoccurring villain. Then again, I'm pretty sure many fans feel that way over time.

On the other hand... NO MORE SUSAN!!! WHOO HOO!!!

Next Episode: The Rescue... and a new companion named Vicki? Oh crap...