Writer: David Whitaker
Original Broadcast Date: 20 May 1967 - 1 July 1967
"The Hybrid is not half Dalek. Nothing is half Dalek. The Daleks would never allow that!"These words uttered 48 years and 10 Doctors after The Evil of the Daleks seemed to be inspired by this fantastic and high-staked finale, because this is the story behind how the Doctor found that out.
The story picks off from where The Faceless Ones left us: the Doctor and Jamie, now without Ben and Polly, stuck in 1966, with the TARDIS having been stolen. Their search for the time machine leads them into the hands of Mr. Waterfield, an antique shop owner who seems to stick out like a sore thumb in the swinging '60s. The antiques that aren't so antique and the victorian-dressed Mr Waterfield prove the be the least of the Doctor's issues after he discovers a plot, devised by his worse enemies: the Daleks!
Like most stories in the fourth season, The Evil of the Daleks is missing... mostly. The second episode of this seven-parter remains the only existing episode (to our knowledge), and you can be glad of that, as it is is full of intrigue and mystery, which can't quite be captured on audio.
The story dips slightly in quality by the fifth part, but is back up again, reaching new heights by the sixth episode. What the fifth episode does lack in substantial progression, it (partly) makes up for with an intriguing investigation into what sets humans and Daleks apart. This idea's further exploration is promised, and unlike most Doctor Who episodes with interesting undertones, delivers, which leads into the clever conclusion.
Regular readers may remember my disappointment in the under-usage of Jamie in previous stories such as The Moonbase and The Highlanders, and I'm glad to say Jamie finally got time in the spotlight, given some great scenes in which he stood up to the Doctor. Just as when Barbara did the same in The Edge of Destruction, this stand lead to their friendship seeing new proximity, as the odd pair form a brilliant and entertaining duo.
The Evil of the Daleks, originally planned to be the final ever appearance of the Daleks, would have provided a lovely bow-out for everyone's favourite pepper-pot mutants, but thank god they didn't, because by the end of this glorious seven-parter I just wanted more of them!
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