S25E1
Tragic with strands of resilient hope
Written by Ben Aaronovitch
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Remembrance of the Daleks Part 1

The Doctor and Ace travel back to 1963 London, where they encounter a Dalek, a deadly alien creature, and must stop it from conquering Earth.

The Doctor and Ace, his companion, travel back in time to 1963 London, where they encounter a Dalek, a highly advanced and deadly alien creature. The Dalek is part of an invasion force from the planet Skaro, which was once home to the Kaled people. The Doctor, an expert on Daleks, knows that they are trying to collect the Hand of Omega, a powerful device that could give them control over the universe. The Doctor and Ace team up with British military forces, led by Group Captain Gilmore, to stop the Daleks. They face numerous challenges, including navigating the complexities of 1960s technology and society, while also dealing with the Daleks' ruthless tactics. As the story unfolds, the Doctor and Ace discover that the Daleks are not just mindless killers, but are also driven by a desire for survival and conquest. The Doctor's ultimate goal is to prevent the Daleks from achieving their objectives and to protect humanity.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

35
Act 1

The narrative opens with the Doctor and Ace arriving in 1963 London, specifically near Coal Hill School, where they immediately notice an unusual black van emitting a strange hum. The Doctor, sensing something amiss, sends Ace to a nearby cafe while he investigates the sophisticated aerial on the van. Inside the cafe, Ace struggles with the archaic currency system and encounters Mike, a local. Meanwhile, the Doctor examines residual burn marks in the school playground, indicating an alien landing. He then infiltrates the black van, meeting Professor Rachel Jensen, who is monitoring magnetic fluctuations. Their conversation is interrupted by a distress call from Group Captain Gilmore, reporting an attack at Totters Lane. The Doctor, Ace, Rachel, and Mike rush to the junkyard, finding a scene of military chaos and a dead soldier, Matthews, killed by an unknown energy weapon. The Doctor quickly identifies the weapon's alien origin, a "death ray," but Gilmore, a skeptical military officer, dismisses his warnings. Despite the Doctor's insistence that they face something non-human, Gilmore orders his men to attack a lean-to shed where the threat is believed to be contained. The soldiers' rifle-grenades obliterate the shed, but a heavily armored, "oversized pepperpot" creature, a Dalek, emerges unharmed, demonstrating its imperviousness to conventional weaponry and killing more soldiers, thus establishing the overwhelming and immediate danger.

Act 2

Following the Dalek's impervious emergence, the Doctor quickly devises a plan, requesting Ace's Nitro Nine explosives. He lures the Dalek, distracting it by revealing his identity as its "mortal enemy," and then detonates the explosives, successfully destroying the creature. In the aftermath, the Doctor and Ace commandeer the military van, with the Doctor explaining the Daleks' origins as mutated Kaleds from Skaro, created by Davros, and their relentless quest for universal conquest. He reveals their current objective is not Earth's subjugation, but the retrieval of the powerful "Hand of Omega," which the Doctor had previously left behind in 1963. Concurrently, Group Captain Gilmore organizes reinforcements and orders an investigation into the Dalek remains, while Rachel Jensen and Allison discuss the Doctor's mysterious knowledge and potential alien nature. A suspicious character, Mr. Ratcliffe, offers military assistance to Gilmore, but is later revealed to be working for a Dalek-controlled entity, secretly recovering the destroyed Dalek's remains and reporting on the Doctor's movements. The Doctor and Ace return to Coal Hill School, gaining access from the Headmaster under the pretense of investigating a "great evil." In the school's science lab, the Doctor confirms the Daleks are pursuing him for the Hand of Omega. Their search leads them to the school cellar, where they discover an advanced transmat platform. As another Dalek begins to materialize, the Doctor, recognizing the danger, manipulates the transmat's controls, causing the incoming Dalek to de-phase and self-destruct. However, the Doctor deduces that a Dalek operator must be nearby to repair the system. The Headmaster then emerges, betraying the Doctor and Ace by knocking Ace unconscious and bolting the cellar door, trapping the Doctor and leaving them vulnerable to the unseen Dalek operator.