Series 8 Script Analysis: Into the Dalek

Richard Forbes is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Richard Forbes continues his study of Series 8’s leaked post-production scripts. Past articles from this five part series include:

Series 8 Script Analysis: Deep Breath

Reading the post-production script for Into the Dalek can be likened to its titular plot: with each passage, slugline and cut to black, we enter deeper into the story’s inner workings, past the antibodies and down the feeding tubes into the belly of the beast. This is Into the Dalek or should I say, Into Into the Dalek. Erm, scratch that. That’s rubbish.

Into the Dalek

I still remember when I first saw Into the Dalek advertised during its early publicity shots. One of the first images of the episode that I saw struck me as very intriguing; the Doctor stood in a stoic pose, holding out his hand to a Dalek. It felt familiar, it felt larger than life and symbolic like the Creation of Adam, Michelangelo’s great work – the creator breathing life into his creation. Images and publicity can have a profound effect on your perception of an episode, hence why I mention it here because this image in particular was my first sense of what Into the Dalek might be like: deep, philosophical, a compelling moral dialogue on good and evil, life and liberty – a moral rebirth, perhaps? What’s fascinating is if I were to simply gloss over the screenplay in its entirety I’d probably say that my first impression was right. Indeed, I suspect, although I hate assuming I know the author’s thoughts and intentions, that Into the Dalek was always meant to carry such moral weight and challenge its characters to consider what it means to be good. Whether there is such a thing? And just what a good soul entails?

In the place of good philosophy and storytelling, however, I find only cheap allusions to philosophy in Into the Dalek, like the naming of the story’s ship, ‘Aristotle’, mixed in along with the story’s technobabble, loud confrontations, digital matte compositions, moody banter and explosions. What makes Into the Dalek such a hard screenplay to review is that despite its promises of philosophical inquiry, there’s more quips and sirens to overview than conversations and intrigue. We were promised gelato but received vanilla ice cream. Yay ice cream, I suppose.

Nothing wrong with ice cream, but one can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of disappointment at the blandness of Into the Dalek. It feels almost as though its writers were being too cautious and in doing so they’ve provided us with an episode that is full of thought in terms of its action, the cleverness of its banter and its allusions, but light on the heart and soul that propels an episode – that fundamental glue to a story that reminds us that at the center of any story lies an idea so compelling that it excited the author to launch into writing it. I don’t get that sense here. I’m not sure what to be excited about. I’m not sure what compelling, unique questions are being asked with Into the Dalek. When Rusty looks into the Doctor’s soul he saw hatred. When I look into this episode’s soul, I can barely find a pulse.

It’s hard to say who is primarily responsible for this story – the title page on the post-production script says Phil Ford exclusively while later Steven Moffat gave himself co-credit; it appears then that the co-credit was a late decision. Perhaps a reflection of how much editing occurred, then? Or alternatively, the showrunner may have given himself co-credit because he may have written a number of scenes which centered around Danny, a new character for Series 8 which Into the Dalek introduced. These scenes with Danny, which take place at Coal Hill School, are staggered throughout the first half of the episode which helps to shape its unusual, non-linear format – precipitated, first with the Doctor and Clara being separated for the beginning of the episode and second with Danny reflecting on his past conversations with Clara. Staggering the beginning of the episode with flashbacks and flashforwards has the effect of drawing from the flow of the narrative in fact it feels forced here and not necessarily used in a way that contributes to the episode’s overall story. Because when thinks about it, Doctor Who is, oddly enough for a show about time travel, typically told in a linear fashion: the TARDIS lands in some far off land (oddly reminiscent of Cardiff) and a new adventure begins. Whereas with Into the Dalek there’s a spot of ten minutes at the beginning of the episode that does little to add to the central adventure. One use of the flashforward which does work, however, is one of the first scenes with Danny when Clara meets him and asks him out:

They stand there, regarding each other over a gulf of misunderstanding.

DANNY

Anyway. I erm. I’ve left some stuff in my classroom...see you.

CLARA

Yes. See you.

He starts to go.

CLARA

(CONT’D)

Are you going to the thing? Tonight, the leaving thing, for Cathy?

On Danny –

DANNY

Um –

CUT TO:

10:08:24 INT. COAL HILL SCHOOL. DANNY’S CLASSROOM – FLASHFORWARD – DAY

The classroom now empty. It’s a few minutes later – DANNY in his coat, is alone, despairing at himself, at how wrongly he played that.

DANNY

Yes! I wasn’t going, but I am now, because you are going to be there, and suddenly it seems like the best idea ever.

CUT TO:

10:08:40 INT. COAL HILL SCHOOL. STAFF ROOM – DAY

Back to the previous moment.

DANNY

No, I’m not.

CLARA

Oh, Okay. Nevermind.

DANNY

Good night.

Danny heading for the door.

CLARA

Change your mind.

Danny, turning, almost startled.

DANNY

Excuse me?

CLARA

I’m going, I’ll give you a lift. Why not?

On Danny:

DANNY (OS)

Actually, now that you mention it...

CUT TO:

10:08:54 INT. COAL HILL SCHOOL. DANNY’S CLASSROOM – FLASHFORWARD – DAY

DANNY still in agonised reflection.

DANNY

...seems like the best plan ever, thank you

Here the use of a flashforward feels like a novel device for storytelling. Danny has made a mistake, several mistakes and the best way to show such mistakes for what they are, mistakes, may just be to do as Into the Dalek has and show, not the mistake as it happens (at least not at first) but the response – that face of regret which the screenplay so accurately describes. Otherwise a mistake may not be obvious; for example a casual observer to Danny Pink’s cold, serious delivery may not have picked up on the fact that Danny was probably screaming internally as he said ‘No, I’m not’ – especially when Danny is a new character, who isn’t necessarily earmarked as Clara’s love interest (although he totally was) and the question that Clara asks is harmless and casual enough. The flashforwards here build up the comedy, the internal conflict that Danny is facing and ultimately sells the scene. It’s also important to note how the screenplay chose in technical terms to announce a flashforward; I’ve seen several methods before, but using the scene heading like Into the Dalek does is a discreet method which doesn’t draw from the flow of the script although for other purposes, ‘flashforward’ might not be descriptive enough. A more precise indication of time might be necessary in those cases. Here though this script keeps things simple and again, like the Deep Breath script, expresses time in term of moments – a simple ‘back to the previous moment’ is all that is needed.

The next use of a ‘flash’ is far less successful in my opinion. Essentially it’s a flashback which caps off the terrific meeting between the Doctor and Clara and serves as the audience’s vehicle for learning what it is the Doctor has in store for Clara without us having to listen to the Doctor actually list off this week’s adventure.

The Doctor slamming the levers, like he’s reluctant to answer. Then:

On his face, haunted.

THE DOCTOR

Into darkness.

CUT TO:

10:11:35 INT. ARISTOTLE. NANO-SCALE SURGICAL LAB – FLASHBACK – NIGHT

Back with THE DOCTOR; the BATTERED DALEK. MORGAN and JOURNEY look on – the exact moment we left.

BATTERED DALEK

Doc-tor....

THE DOCTOR

How do you know who I am?

MORGAN

He doesn’t. We promised him medical assistance.

BATTERED DALEK

Are you my doctor?

JOURNEY

We found it floating in space.

MORGAN

We thought it was deactivated. So we tried to disassemble it.

THE DOCTOR

You didn’t realize there was a living creature inside.

JOURNEY

Not ’til it started screaming.

BATTERED DALEK

Help me.

THE DOCTOR

Why would I do that? Why would any living creature ever help you?

BATTERED DALEK

Daleks will die.

THE DOCTOR

Die all you like, not my problem.

BATTERED DALEK

Daleks must be destroyed.

THE DOCTOR

Daleks must be de- ... what did you say?

BATTERED DALEK

All Daleks must die. I will destroy the Daleks. Destroy the Daleks! DESTROY THE DALEKS!!

CUT TO:

10:12:31 INT. TARDIS – DAY

CLARA stares at THE DOCTOR. He’s slamming the controls, they’re in flight.

Certainly as the old adage goes, showing is better than telling; the intent of this flashback is good: to show what it is that has the Doctor catching Clara up to speed instead of telling us indirectly with a dull conservation, ‘so I meant this Dalek and get this, you’re never going to believe this, it’s frightfully moral, yeah I know, groovy, right!?’ This flashback however makes me question the entire set-up of Into the Dalek having the two mains have to play catch-up distracts from a good story. Into the Dalek’s problem is that its main narrative is so inoffensive however that the scenes which detract from its story are the most interesting of the lot: Clara and Danny’s flirting feels fresh and fun, the Doctor’s tough questions for Clara suggests a man still unsure of himself and Missy’s cameo? A breezy intermissions from the tough, doom and gloom of Into the Dalek for some tea.

There’s the sound of gunfire from below. And then a terrible scream from Gretchen.

FADE TO WHITE:

10:34:08 INT. TEA ROOM – DAY

FADE IN

Close on GRETCHEN’s eyes, screwed tight shut, like she’s in agony.

Then a puzzled frown. Something’s wrong! Nothing’s happening, everything’s quiet.

Still in her combat gear, she’s now sitting in a tea room, at a window over-looking a beautiful city (it could be any one) and a spectacular sunset.

There’s a woman in the next chair – MISSY – and she’s pouring some tea for them both.

MISSY

Hello. I’m Missy. Welcome to heaven. Would you like some tea?

CUT TO:

This departure from the action is made with a simple ‘Fade In’ as a transition. The gentle fade is accentuated in the screenplay with the calmness it articulates (‘nothing’s happening, everything’s quiet) and the mystery, the ‘what!?’ factor it raises – teasing audiences with a ‘tight’ reveal that first shows only Gretchen’s eyes before the bigger reveal. This scene plays out on paper just as it does on screen; its obvious quirkiness and the element of surprise is all there. Now, we had seen Missy before, although who is was still unknown; Gretchen, however, was first introduced in Into the Dalek and killed almost immediately as she was named:

GRETCHEN

(Turns her gaze on the Doctor)

One question then. Is this worth it.

THE DOCTOR

If I can turn one Dalek, I can turn all of them. I can save the future.

Gretchen: moment of decision.

GRETCHEN

Gretchen Alison Carlisle. Do something good and name it after me.

He goes to her, takes her hands for a moment.

THE DOCTOR

I will do something amazing – I promise.

And that’s all she gets. He turns and he goes.

GRETCHEN

Damn well better.

And Gretchen fires upwards – the grappler flying, carrying the carbonite rope.

I have to admit I love how the screenplay describes the Doctor’s interest, or lack of interest in Gretchen’s offer to sacrifice her life – it’s all kind of a ‘take it or leave it’ affair. Sadly, Gretchen was devoted about as much interest from the story’s writers as the Doctor shows. A typical red shirt, really. Receiving a bit more attention from the writers (but not much) is Journey Blue, Into the Dalek’s heroine, or shall we say blue shirt? Bah. Nonetheless, Journey is introduced to us in the screenplay with but a brief introduction on the first page.

10:00:04 INT. JOURNEY’S WASP – NIGHT

JOURNEY BLUE, early 20s, at the controls. Desperate, but clinging to her training – around her panels are burning, ALARMS howling, the cockpit lit by RED EMERGENCY LIGHT. Beside her, bloodied, burned and barely alive – her brother, KAI.

Determined, young, fit. There’s not much there to add, sadly. Journey Blue largely exists to help the Doctor and Clara; she flies past the stages of grief as she loses friends and family, left, right and centre, only pausing on her grief enough to test the Doctor’s patience and show us how relentlessly unsympathetic this new Doctor could be (or pretend not to be, rather?). I think audiences were supposed to admire Journey Blue’s toughness. We’re supposed to admire the cynical, no-nonsense attitudes of characters like Journey Blue or Kill the Moon’s Lundvik, right? I’m not so sure I do; in some ways, I found Journey’s cool, tough approach to death made me uneasy about her characterization – more grating as a personality than endearing. With a scene like the following, Clara asks a simple, friendly question and Journey’s aggressive response is supposed to show her tough exterior, presumably, but points for me towards a hollow interior.

CLARA

I just met a soldier called Pink.

JOURNEY

Lucky fella.

CLARA

Lucky?

JOURNEY

From the way you smile.

A beat on Clara – again?

CLARA

So er, who makes you smile? Or is no-one up to the job?

JOURNEY

My brother. But he burned to death a couple of hours ago, so he’s really letting me down today. Excuse me!

She moves away, briskly. GRETCHEN gives her arm a squeeze as she goes.

In many ways, I found that Journey Blue’s attitude undermined her believability as a character – it also felt inconsistent with the death of Ross resulting in more resistance from her than the death of her own brother; her scorn towards the Doctor’s nonchalance towards their death is well noted.

JOURNEY

Is Ross here?

THE DOCTOR

Top layer, if you want to say a few words.

And Journey, explodes! Grabs the Doctor, slams him against the wall.

JOURNEY

A man has just died, you will not talk like that.

THE DOCTOR

A lot of people have died, everything in here is dead, and do you know why that’s good?

JOURNEY

There is nothing good about that!!

THE DOCTOR

Nothing is alive in here – so logically this has to be the weakest spot in the Dalek’s internal security. Nobody guards the dead.

On Journey, registering that. The Doctor, pushing past her now.

THE DOCTOR

(CONT’D)

Mortuaries and larders – always the easiest to break out of. Oh, I’ve lived a life! Tell Uncle Stupid we’re in. Arr..

He’s waded over to the far wall – there’s a huge BOLT in the wall.

THE DOCTOR

(CONT’D)

Bolt hole!!

He sonics. And it starts to turn.

Journey glowers after him – finds herself on the receiving end of a sympathetic stare from Clara.

Her characterization here, blowing up on the Doctor, makes me question whether Journey Blue as a character simply serves a purpose for Into the Dalek as a foil to the Doctor’s lack of compassion, yet confusingly Journey’s role as a foil only extends for as long as the Doctor is in the room, after that she’s just as hard-nosed as the rest of the crew in the episode.

One character who I did enjoy, however, was the episode’s titular Dalek, Rusty. Check out how the screenplay introduced him to us:

BATTERED DALEK (OS)

Doctor?

Its voice trembles through every surface. It’s not quite the Dalek voice we know. Somehow more organic, and yet recognizable. And there’s a LIGHTING EFFECT with every word.

The Doctor: snapping out of it.

Described here in the script only as a ‘BATTERED DALEK’, Rusty is the episode’s patient and oddly enough, its setting too.

Nick Briggs did a superb job at realizing the image that this script suggests – that warm, cleaner yet recognizable feel is captured here to perfection with Into the Dalek and reminds me of similar performances he’s given in 2005’s Dalek and The Stolen Earth’s Dalek Caan, where, free from their metal cage, the Dalek’s voice has been more organic in nature than ever.

Of course Into the Dalek also introduced us to Series 8’s Danny Pink, as discussed earlier; it’s fascinating to see just how little this screenplay works towards describing him – no doubt giving the casting department quite a lot of freedom to pursue different options with Clara’s newest boytoy.

We hear feet stamping to attention. Panning down to:

DANNY PINK. Late twenties, a strapping big lad, handsome.

DANNY

(CONT’D)

Look at you lot! I have never seen such a miserable bunch! What are you – children??

Young, handsome, big. Not much to go by, is it eh? In the screenplay’s defense, it does make some notes later on for Danny which does give us some insight into various aspects of his personality.

For example, the screenplay shows Danny is orderly…

FLEMING

Okay. Have you ever killed anyone who wasn’t a soldier?

Danny is clearing stuff from his desk, putting things in order (as he always does) but this question causes for him to freeze momentarily. Just sort of stop.

Not surprising perhaps for a veteran, someone used to order and regimented, routine life. But the screenplay also suggests that Danny is very serious.

CLARA

What, teaching them how to shoot people?

She means it lightly, but Danny, being Danny, takes it seriously.

His eyes flick briefly to the Guardian newspaper she has rolled up in her hand.

DANNY

There’s a bit more to modern soldiering than just shooting people. I like to think there’s a moral dimension.

CLARA

What you shoot people and cry about it afterwards?

Got to love how the screenplay even describes which newspaper Clara reads; of course, it’s got to be the Guardian – labour supporting schoolteacher, no surprise there – but it made me wonder if perhaps there was a political dimension to the scene which I missed while watching it on screen with Danny using Clara’s newspaper to size Clara’s political leanings up before launching into his own spirited defense of contemporary military values. Just in general, I felt as though these kinds of notes gave me a better insight into what Moffat’s intentions were for Danny. For example, the screenplay suggests Danny is just serious, but here and in Listen and other episodes while watching his performance onscreen, I was more under the impression that Danny was moody, swinging quickly to anger, with a chip on his shoulder and an almost manipulative approach to quelling his natural mistrust of Clara and others.

Honestly when most fans think of Into the Dalek though, they probably think:

CUT TO:

10:26:44 INT. ARISTOTLE. NANO-SCALE SURGICAL LAB – NIGHT

Explosion in the lab!

CUT TO:

And they wouldn’t be far off. Quite a number of scenes from the screenplay followed that kind of high octave, pyro-heavy action to a tee. But with a science fiction thriller comes new worlds, new environments – alien hospitals, Dalek interiors – which have to be depicted in the screenplay through only a few words. These locations thus pose a major challenge to writers who have to consider what, say a Dalek memory bank might look like. Beyond simple scene headings, Into the Dalek gives us some very creative descriptions for its exotic alien locales.

CLARA (OS)

Oh my God.

10:17:14 A jaw-dropping sight, like standing on the ledge of an impossibly tall building looking down on an alien city of lights and cables and circuits and mechanics built into the walls of a cylindrical chasm that falls away, and is lost to sight in tendrils of vapour far below...

THE DOCTOR (OS)

Behold, the belly of the beast.

Here, for example, the main characters have first entered into the Dalek, finding themselves in a canyon of electronics filled with vapour. Personally to me, the description sounds like the backstage of a rock concert: wires and towering amps, buzzing electronics and clouds of dry ice. But the key here is describing these unworldly environments with a familiar point of reference, but with enough embellishment to capture the sublime, extraordinary world that Doctor Who is taking you to this week.

Sometimes this real world point of reference might be an analogy.

10:35:10 INT. DALEK. DALEK MUTANT CRADLE – NIGHT

THE DOCTOR squeezes between PIPES and fights his way between a MASS OF TUBING like a man breaking through a forest to finally find himself on a ledge and –

Looking into the huge eye of the DALEK MUTANT.

THE DOCTOR

Rusty! Well, here we are. Eye to eye!

Or a clever cultural reference…

10:36:24 INT. DALEK. INSIDE CORTEX VAULT / CRANIAL LEDGE – NIGHT

It’s cramped, thick cables everywhere, as CLARA climbs into a claustrophobic tunnel – the size of the traditional Die Hard air duct, it’s the reverse of the light bars visible on the cranial ledge.

CLARA

I’m in the cortex!

I guess a ‘Yippie-Kai-Yay’ is in order? Following this trend, another staple of science fiction, slo-mo, also made an appearance in the screenplay if you were wondering.

10:16:11 INT. DALEK. VISUAL CORTEX TUNNEL – NIGHT

THE DOCTOR and CLARA have emerged through the lens into the visual cortex tunnel – progressing in slo-mo and the cortex bends and distorts their image.

DISSOLVE TO:

10:16:38 INT. DALEK. VISUAL CORTEX TUNNEL – NIGHT

CLARA (OS)

That was weird.

THE DOCTOR (OS)

You’ve seen nothing yet.

THE DOCTOR and CLARA lead the PARTY along the low and cramped tunnel – lights pulse in waves along its length.

The screenplay is describing that wonderful shot of Clara and the Doctor as they entered through the Dalek stalk, caught in a kind of alien fluid. The decision to make the scene in slo-mo is an inspired and helps to add to the wonder and intrigue of entering into a Dalek for the first time. Whatever your expectations are of what the inside of a Dalek might look like, watery-gravity-defying corridors probably weren’t what you were expecting – and exceeding expectations is always a good thing. God knows an hour of the Doctor and Clara stuck in what looked like an abandoned Cardiff hospital wouldn’t have impressed me as a setting (looking at you, The Invasion of Time).

The writer’s bag of tricks continues with the episode’s pivotal confrontation between the Doctor and Rusty – a confrontation which in many ways is more of an intervention between a physician and his patient.

10:36:35 INT. DALEK. DALEK MUTANT CRADLE – NIGHT

And behind the Doctor – as if projected onto a cinema screen: a MONTAGE – planets exploding, victims being exterminated.

THE DOCTOR

Oh, look – your memories! I’m about to give some back to you.

The use of a montage in this scene reminds me of classic Kubrick science fiction like A Clockwork Orange; zooming through dramatic images that give us insight into the mind of a Dalek. Experiences of birth, life and murder. Other scenes showed what the insides of a Dalek’s stomach might look like, but this scene might be as close as we’ll ever get to seeing what the mind of a Dalek is like. The way that the screenplay notes a montage appears is also, like the flashforwards and flashbacks, a very simple way to request a montage in a script – at least more casual than I’m familiar with. Usually scripts I’ve seen in the past will detail the images and scenes within a montage more thoroughly and formally, while this script, I think gives the director more flexibility to fill the segment with whatever dramatic images they might find appropriate for this particular montage.

As for my favourite scene with regards to Into the Dalek, I’m drawn towards a small scene between Clara and the Doctor; as the Doctor has given up hope, Clara begins to talk the Doctor into calming down and thinking through the problem rationally – giving him that spark of inspiration to solve the episode’s pivotal problem: Rusty and his ugly genetic inheritance of hatred.

CLARA

One question!

On CLARA: she’s taking command of the room.

JOURNEY (OS)

No time.

CLARA

Why did we come here today? What was the point?(Rounds on the DOCTOR) You thought there was a good Dalek. What difference would one good Dalek make?

THE DOCTOR

All the difference in the universe – but it’s impossible.

CLARA

Is that a fact? Is that really what we learned today? Think about it – is that what we learned???

It’s a sublime moment where Clara shines as a companion in a subtle way; you see the schoolteacher in Clara – where it might have been hard to imagine the girl from The Day of the Doctor being the ‘cool’ motorbike-riding teacher of Coal Hill School – now you might have had an easier time envisioning ‘Ms. Oswald’ at the front of the class asking in a pointed manner just what it is that the class had learned. Her Socratic method pays off here with the Last of the Time Lords; he eventually does comes around, putting the pieces together with a deeper, proper diagnosis for the situation. I love how when she takes ‘control of the room’ as the screenplay notes, the camera direction focuses towards her too; she becomes the hero’s grounding, the moral authority and does all of this, not with a lecture but a series of indirect questions which poke our beloved hero along to finding what it is he was too blind to see.

Steven Moffat recently spoke on Clara and the Doctor’s relationship in Series 9, describing a future scene in Series 9’s ‘Episode 5’ as a short scene where Clara talks to a visibly upset Doctor and convinces him that there is hope – according to him it sums up their relationship and I couldn’t agree more, especially when I thought of this scene from Into the Dalek, which from the sounds of things is a similar kind of scene. Clara here talks the Doctor from emotional defeat to a remarkable turnaround.

Unfortunately, most of Into the Dalek is not about these kind of quieter, dynamic scenes; most of Into the Dalek features more ‘clever’ back and forth banter. Take for example when the Doctor and Colonel Blue first meet.

THE DOCTOR

Dry your eyes, Journey Blue – crying is for civilians. It’s how we communicate with you lot.

He strides out. Journey follows, bemused.

JOURNEY exiting the TARDIS, joining THE DOCTOR – they’re in a huge hangar bay with Wasps; other craft bearing MEDICAL INSIGNIA.

Journey, exiting, taking it in.

JOURNEY

It’s smaller on the outside.

THE DOCTOR

Yeah – it’s a bit more exciting when you go the other way. (Looking around) This isn’t a battleship. Medical insignia – it’s a hospital.

MORGAN

We don’t need hospitals now.

They turn to see:

Big doors have rolled open – standing just inside, a tall tough man in his fifties – COLONEL MORGAN BLUE, flanked by armed SOLDIERS.

MORGAN

(CONT’D)

The Daleks don’t leave any wounded. And we don’t take any prisoners.

Instantly, the soldiers surround the Doctor, levelling their rifles at him.

THE DOCTOR

I saved your little friend here, if that’s in any way relevant to mention.

JOURNEY

That’s true, sir. He did.

Morgan turns to look at the Doctor – appraising, cold.

MORGAN

Thank you.

THE DOCTOR

You’re welcome. I wish I could’ve done more.

MORGAN

Then you should have.

THE DOCTOR

Okay –

MORGAN

But...you did saved Journey and for that I am personally grateful.

THE DOCTOR

Well –

MORGAN

However, the security on this base is absolute, so we’re still going to kill you.

THE DOCTOR

Oh, it’s a roller coaster with you, isn’t it?

MORGAN

(Steps back from the Doctor)

Shoot him, bag him and throw him outside.

Guns raised, the Doctor slammed against the wall.

Certainly the banter is clever – there’s some great lines there. ‘It’s how we communicate with you lot,’ in my mind invokes every New York Times front page with a picture of crying civilians. ‘Then you should have,’ is totally unexpected and barking mad with snark. ‘We’re still going to have to kill you,’ is a gas and ‘it’s a rollercoaster with you,’ would be a knee-slapper if it wasn’t reused from The Time of the Doctor just as the ‘smaller on the outside’ gag was reused from The Snowmen but the idea that the TARDIS is more interesting from the outside in, as opposed to the inside out was entertaining.

Although at its heart, I can’t help but feel as though the banter lacks an emotional center – why are they all nearly biting each other’s heads off with snark the moment they see each other? Is it simply distrust of another? For the Doctor, a prejudice against soldiers. For Colonel Blue, a wartime distrust of outsiders. Perhaps, but it all feels a bit much, too fast and worse, neither the prejudice nor the mistrust is really ever resolved, it’s just an excuse to have the characters interact unsympathetically to another.

However, the screenplay does suggest that prejudice may be a central theme of Into the Dalek; as with many production notes, the screenplay gives a few insights into why the Doctor resists the idea of a ‘good Dalek’:

BATTERED DALEK (OS)

Exterminate! Exterminate!

On the Doctor – frowning, what does she mean? He’s slow – centuries of prejudice getting in the way.

Earlier, Clara explicitly accused the Doctor of prejudice, too.

CLARA

A good Dalek?

THE DOCTOR

There’s no such thing.

CLARA

That’s a bit inflexible, not like you. I’d almost say prejudiced.

The Doctor looks up at her, a flash of anger – those blazing eyes –

– then seems to consciously control himself. Suppress the anger.

THE DOCTOR

... Do I pay you? I should give you a raise.

Perhaps then, Into the Dalek might be thought as a companion piece to Deep Breath. Deep Breath considers the prejudices of society while Into the Dalek considers the prejudice of the Doctor – hardened and convinced after centuries of watching Daleks kill innocents, the Doctor resists the idea of a good Dalek and is blinded by his own hatred of them. Either way though, I found Into the Dalek, while a fun screenplay to look through, not nearly as compelling as a screenplay as Deep Breath. Into the Dalek is clever but intellectually shallow. All of the wit is there but none of the charm. Not every episode needs to be deep and philosophical but what action we received with Into the Dalek was littered with clichés and not nearly as fun as it could be without its needless moodiness.

The post Series 8 Script Analysis: Into the Dalek appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.