Doctor Who-The Chase

                             For anyone keeping score there were several first and second Doctor stories involving the Daleks that did not survive. This by the way is one of only three first doctor era stories involving the Daleks that has survived. Where at first the Daleks were probably considered as little more than bit characters for their debut,they quickly evolved into characters around whom rather epic stories were built around. This was one such story. In fact it was even quite a bit grander in scope than the previous Dalek story. Also as with the previous story this is an important historical story in the sense it also presents an exit for companions,in this case Ian and Barbara. 


                             In the beginning the doctor is trying to perfect a time-space viewer,sort of a television into history. After viewing into the doings of Abraham Lincoln and Shakespeare,Barbara catches notice of a group of Daleks on the prowl. The TARDIS had arrived in a mysterious desert planet and is now the "enemy time machine" to the Daleks. When Ian and Vicki go to investigate an underground tunnel they are menaced by creatures called Mire beasts. They have basically enslaved the humanoid natives called the Aridians,helpless creatures who soon come under orders from the Daleks as well to hand the doctor and his companions over to them as prisoners in return for the Aridian's safety from the Mire beasts. 


                                  After managing to escape to the TARDIS a chase through time ensues. First to mid 1960's New York where both the TARDIS crew and the Daleks confuse a befuddled tourist. After this a journey to what turns out to be a mid 1990's haunted house even the doctor believes is real. And from there, Barbara is almost taken in as a stowaway on the ill fated sailing ship Mary Celeste. The end up on the planet Mechanus and,after being menaced by giant fungi find themselves prisoners of the Mechanoids,spheroid robots who according to fellow prisoner Steven Taylor were sent by Earth to excavate the planet for human colonization. In the end the Mechanoids fight a losing battle with the Daleks,on both ends and while Taylor makes a noble sacrifice the doctor and his companions find themselves in possession of the Dalek's TARDIS. Ian and Barbara cease an opportunity to use it to return them home,much to the Doctors reluctance. In the end he and Vicki are sent out to wander time and space together.


                                   This represents some important firsts for Doctor Who. As presented in this six part serial,the Daleks are depicted as cunning and manipulative as well as hostile,even going so far as to fashion a robot Doctor who winds up dueling with the real one to his own end. They are not above using clever tricks to get their way in these episodes. The departure of Ian and Barbara at first has a different and profound effect on the Doctor than Susan Foreman's exit a year earlier. The Doctor is quite vocally disappointed at their wishes to depart him and needs prodding to help them do so. Upon viewing their return the Doctor,usually portrayed in this incarnation as mildly self involved,actually shows strong emotional attachment towards Ian and Barbara,vocally claiming to "miss them". Overall this serial represents an important evolutionary step in the series and the lead character himself