Narrative Web
S12E11
Tragic
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Genesis of the Daleks Part 1

When the Time Lords foresee the Daleks' rise to galactic dominance, they send the Doctor, Sarah, and Harry back to Skaro to prevent their creation or alter their genetic development, forcing them to navigate a brutal war and confront Davros, the twisted scientist behind the Daleks.

The Time Lords, concerned about the Daleks' potential to dominate the universe, intercept the Fourth Doctor and his companions, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan, and send them to Skaro during a bitter war between the Kaleds and the Thals. The Doctor and his companions find themselves in the middle of a war of attrition fought with a mix of primitive and advanced weaponry, a war that has ravaged the planet and created mutated beings known as Mutos who live in the wastelands.

After landing on Skaro, the Doctor, Sarah, and Harry are quickly caught in the crossfire and encounter soldiers from both sides. They are eventually captured by the Kaleds and taken to their command center. There, they meet General Ravon, who is struggling to maintain his war effort with dwindling resources. The Doctor uses his wit and ingenuity to escape with Harry, taking Ravon hostage. Meanwhile, Sarah becomes separated from the Doctor and Harry, wandering through the war-torn landscape.

As the Doctor and Harry attempt to find their way back to the TARDIS, they are pursued by Kaled security forces led by Nyder, a ruthless and ambitious officer. They soon realize that the war is not what it seems. The Kaleds are not fighting for survival but for the advancement of a twisted ideology centered around racial purity and the elimination of all "imperfects," including the Mutos. Nyder, loyal to Davros, is focused on securing equipment and supplies for Davros' secret bunker.

Sarah encounters the Mutos and discovers their tragic origins as victims of chemical warfare. She also stumbles upon Davros' hidden bunker, where she witnesses the horrifying birth of the Daleks. Davros, a crippled and fanatical Kaled scientist, has genetically engineered the Daleks from the Kaled race, stripping them of all emotions except hatred and a desire to exterminate.

Captured again, the Doctor and Harry are taken to Davros' bunker as well; the Doctor confronts Davros about his dangerous ambitions. Davros sees the Daleks as the ultimate form of life, programmed for total domination. The Doctor is horrified by Davros' creation and recognizes the immense threat the Daleks pose to the universe.

As the story unfolds (in later episodes), the Doctor must decide whether he has the right to destroy the Daleks and prevent their genesis, or if he should allow them to exist and face the consequences. His actions will determine the fate of Skaro and the future of the universe.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

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