The Daleks have been icons of British TV for over fifty years. Facing off against the timelord known as The Doctor, these teapot alien cyborgs have screamed their ways across all of time and space. With a legacy as long as they have, it’s no wonder that they would have a multitude of episodes.
While their popularity among fans might ebb and flow, they are still an essential part of this series. Obviously, their appearances over the years might not always satisfy, but more often than not, their stories are some of the best of the series. Here are their ten best over the years.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
This serial was a huge leap in terms of scope for the series. This was the first episode that saw The Daleks land on Earth, making for some instantly iconic moments. The Dalek’s parading down Westminster Bridge remains a hallmark of the classic series.
The serial as a whole is a bit lacking at times though, spread a bit thin by the abundance of episodes. But there is still a lot to love about it. Apart from the classic moment on Westminster Bridge, the departure of Susan from the TARDIS crew remains a template for companion departures to this day.
The Daleks
The first appearance of The Daleks still holds up today as one of the best. The TARDIS gang appears on the dead planet of Skaro, where every element of the environment is primed and ready to kill. The deadliest denizens of all of Skaro though are none other than the master race: The Daleks.
The first episode to feature these little pepperpots is fairly standard science fiction, with this small band of humans fighting back against evil aliens. But for their first episode, the formulaic element works. The biggest highlights are just the groundwork laid here, and the fascist allusions made to the Dalek philosophy.
The Stolen Earth/Parting of the Ways
Series Four saw the return of Davros, creator of The Daleks and nemesis to The Doctor. This mad scientist had yet to appear in a revival story until this point, but his reappearance was worth the wait. Julian Bleach took on the mantle of Davros here, injecting him with the perfect maniacal energy.
The story itself might go a bit overboard at times, and The Daleks themselves feel more like tools to a greater villain, but it all serves their mythos. The episode feels like a celebration of the Russel T Davies era in the best way possible, with The Doctor and all his friends facing off against on the of the greatest evils.
Remembrance of the Daleks
The eighties were a tough time for the series, with budget cuts and threats of cancellation hanging over the heads of the writers and stars. But, the work done in Remembrance of The Daleks proved the potential of the creatives on staff.
This has to be one of Sylvester McCoy’s best episodes, with him injecting a bit of darkness and mystery to the character that had been lacking before. Ace also seemed to be coming into her own, with Sophie Aldred toning down the textbook rebellious teen bit. It bodes well for the small amount of time the series had left.
The Chase
This has to remain one of the oddest Dalek episodes to date, but that’s what makes it so great. Unlike the bonkers concepts of an episode like Daleks in Manhattan, this episode took out of the box ideas and made them work. Jumping from setting to setting, the story is one of the more simple but fun of the classic era.
The basic concept is that The Doctor and his companions have a run-in with The Daleks, and attempt to escape. What follows is a series of jumps from location to location. The Doctor and The Daleks appear in a futuristic haunted house, the Empire State Building, and the Mary Celeste.
Resolution
How do you take a concept that is over 50 years old, and try to make it fresh? Chris Chibnall took the familiarity of The Daleks and injected them with much needed new energy. The episode has a strange balance of scope, with a story reaching around the globe yet a singular threat.
Chibnall uses influences from the 70s’ and 80s’ science fiction horror to add a creepy body horror element to these classic monsters. The brand new look might have been jarring to some, but if offered something new for a single story, and was far more digestible than that of Victory of the Daleks.
Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways
The finale of the first series of the revival was one that really brought back The Daleks in a big way. The Dalek Empire in all their horrific glory had returned and with them a brand new emperor. The added narrative of the Time War injected a brand new pathos between these villains and The Doctor.
After a series trying to come out of the dark of the war, The Doctor was faced with the enemy he lost everything to destroy. Instead of falling to darkness, he falls to his friends. The episode is a bombastic and emotional end to the first series of the revival and remains one of the better finales of the series thus far.
The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar
This two-part series nine opener really carries the full weight of the show’s history. The entire relationship between Davros, The Daleks, and The Doctor can be felt in every moment, and influences from the show’s past are used perfectly.
The episodes pay homage to The Daleks and Genesis of the Daleks in exciting ways, expanding the visual look of Skaro and The Daleks and the emotional arc of The Doctor. Every moment between Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach is electric. It’s like watching a master class in science fiction performance.
Dalek
The first Dalek story of the revival and also the best. Still, after more than fifteen years, not a single revival story has been able to blow this simple one out of the water (in terms of Dalek episodes). The Doctor and Rose appear in an underground facility, one that’s collecting alien artifacts.
There is another timeline where this would’ve been the one and only Dalek story. It perfectly confronts the legacy of these alien villains and settles it once and for all. That being said, the episode deftly balances emotional intensity with great actions. It’s short and sweet, without the need for multiple follow-ups.
Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks remains the single greatest Dalek story ever made. Featuring the greatest Doctor, arguably the greatest companions, and some of the best villains, this Dalek story injected some of the best moral musings ever seen in the series.
Faced with the opportunity, The Doctor could prevent the creation of The Daleks from ever happening. But, instead, he hesitates, asking himself if he has the right to commit genocide. It’s one of the more haunting and powerful moments of the entire series.
