10 Doctor Who Episodes That PISSED People Off
4. Dalek
The Ninth Doctor's first on-screen encounter with a Dalek was polarising, as it was felt at the time that this new, more emotional monster was a far cry from the deadly creatures of previous years. This was of course before the reveal of Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways, when the Daleks were very much back to form.
Here, however, this lone Dalek has been tortured by Henry Van Statten, crying out for rescue throughout the stars. The TARDIS picks up on the signal and homes in, only for the Time Lord to come up against his greatest foe. While the depiction of the Dalek itself was the subject of much ire, Eccleston is on peak form as he shows just how he really feels about his nemesis.
The scene that really divided audiences is the Dalek's final fate, electing to sacrifice itself after seeking a moment in the sun. To be fair, it was a little left of centre to have this being of pure rage and destruction seeking comfort, no matter the scenario. While the point of the episode was to show how damaged the Doctor has become after the Time War, it did unfortunately serve to diminish the threat of the Daleks overall - at least for a few episodes.