'Doctor Who, Destiny of the Daleks' (1979)


This weekend was the last of the Summer Holidays which meant that I didn't have a lot of time, or energy, to watch anything new when I got home each night. That was ok though, I've got a few 'Doctor Who' DVDs that have been lurking on the shelf for ages and were ripe for a re-watch. It had literally been years since I last watched 'Destiny of the Daleks' (it got played to death when my eldest daughter was tiny and wouldn't eat if it wasn't on...) so I figured it was time to give it another go. So I did and I thought I'd revisit the review I wrote, for another blog that I ran, way back then. So I did and I realised that my opinion hadn't really changed since that review so...

I don't normally do this but it's been a hell of a weekend etc... What I thought I'd do is post my old review (which is almost nine years old now, bloody hell...) with a few minor changes, mostly taking out the bits about my daughter refusing to eat and so on ;o) Next weekend, we'll see about getting back to normal but for now, here are some thoughts on 'Destiny of the Daleks' (a bit of a favourite of mine, the first story I remember watching as a kid)...

The Doctor and Romana have returned, quite by chance, to the Dalek home planet of Skaro; now a radioactive ruin. That hasn't stopped others visiting though. Who are the Movellans and why are the Daleks so intent on burrowing deep into their old city? The answer lies deep underground and when it wakes up... The Doctor is going to have to make a hard decision all over again.

The thing about old Dr Who (and I'm talking forty two years old in this instant) is that when it inevitably starts to look dated... Well, it really starts to look dated... You have a Davros who can't control where he is going (I had to laugh when he rebounded off the wall...), Daleks with wobbly heads and it all taking place in that same quarry where all 'alien' adventures seemed to take place. Seriously; what was it with that quarry? Even the Doctor remarks that it all seems familiar (I'm putting that quip down to Douglas Adams being at the helm of the story). In this respect, I watched 'Destiny of the Daleks' and couldn't help but wince at the reality of a story that had taken on a different form, in my head, over the years.

Luckily though, there is still plenty to recommend this tale including a lot of stuff that I would never have picked up on the last time I saw 'Destiny'. Well, I was four years old at the time ;o)

The plot itself is interesting enough but ultimately limited. After all, when you have two races trapped in a logical impasse there's only so far you can take that (although the Daleks are intuitive enough to come to Skaro in the first place)... Having said that though, I did enjoy watching the Doctor play 'Stone, Paper, Scissors' with the Movellans. I think this incarnation of the Doctor is a poor winner :o) What is also interesting is watching the Doctor slowly realise that the Movellan's are potentially just as bad as the Daleks (and how this affects his plans going forwards). This Doctor is not as care free as he appears and is not to be messed with.

It's also worth noting Romana's regeneration, at the start of episode one, and how this is managed (with options explored before a choice is made). I think that people who have an issue with the current Doctor could do a lot worse than rewatch this episode and realise that this is all stuff that has been around for years. Definitely worth bearing in mind.

There are also some really dark elements to 'Destiny' that help you get past the dated production. The Daleks are as evil as ever, of course, but take things up a notch by exterminating prisoners during a standoff with the Doctor. The introduction of Dalek suicide bombers also gives you a real insight into their mindset as well as their creator Davros. The Daleks hate the rest of the galaxy so much that they are prepared to destroy themselves to give their comrades an edge. Davros is more than prepared to give the orders.

The Doctor also has his dark side either, more than prepared to kill his enemies (perhaps in order to make up for past decisions?) This is a side that you don't normally see (the Doctor being more of a pacifist usually) and this adds another edge to a tale that is edgier than it at first appears.

'Destiny of the Daleks' might well have you laughing out loud for reasons that have nothing to do with the plot but give it a chance, there is some interesting stuff going on here that makes it worth the watch.

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