Fabula
Object
Object

Single Dalek (Doorway Obstruction, Kembel Control Centre)

Individual Dalek unit physically positioned in the doorway outside the Dalek Control Centre, serving as a temporary barrier until forcibly moved by the Doctor. Distinct from Dalek groups or forces due to its singular, localized role in the narrative.
1 appearances

Purpose

Pursue and eliminate intruders like the Doctor during operations on Kembel

Significance

Doctor traps it to delay Dalek forces, buying time to reverse time destructor damage and rescue Sara. Action forces Daleks into escalated pursuit, shifting evasion to confrontation and risking control centre systems.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments
S3E21 · Destruction of Time
Doctor traps Dalek in control room

The Dalek in the doorway serves as both an obstacle and a tool in the Doctor's escape. Its tank-like form blocks the threshold of the control room, but the Doctor repurposes it as a living barrier by shoving it backward into the chamber. The Dalek's resistance—its servos whining as it is forced inward—creates a critical delay, allowing the Doctor to jam the door mechanism. Its malfunction triggers the Daleks' security lockdown, escalating their pursuit but also buying the Doctor precious time. The Dalek's role here is purely functional: it is neither a conscious participant nor a willing accomplice, but its physical presence is exploited to disrupt Dalek operations.

Before: Positioned in the doorway of the Dalek Control Centre, acting as a sentry and blocking the Doctor's potential escape route. Fully operational and in communication with the Black Dalek.
After: Forced into the control room, its systems disrupted by the Doctor's interference. Contact with the Black Dalek is broken, and it becomes part of the security fault that triggers the lockdown. Its operational status is compromised, and it is now trapped inside the control room.
View full event