Doctor Who: 6 Biggest Dalek Disappointments Of The New Series
When pepperpots go wrong.
Who doesn’t love the Daleks? The hateful, death-hungry pepperpots have been an iconic fixture of the show since their first appearance way back in 1963. In fact, if it hadn’t been for their immediate popularity, Doctor Who probably wouldn’t have blown up like it did and would be a television curiosity from a bygone decade instead of the global phenomenon it is today. Even now, Daleks are one of the most loved aliens to appear in the Whoniverse and frequently top fan polls.
That’s not to say they’re always used well, though.
The Daleks get used so often that they can become stale, and fans can get tired of them appearing so frequently when the Whoniverse has infinite possibilities for exciting new species and adventures. As a result - and to keep them in the show because Who without Daleks might not feel like Who at all – the creative team behind the show come up with new ideas to reinvigorate the menaces from Skaro. Not all of these ideas work as well as they could, and some fall flat and fail to make a positive impact on audiences.
With that in mind, here are 6 of the most disappointing Dalek moments from the new series, examining just why they were such a let-down for the fans. "Exterminate" indeed.
6. Their Defeat In Journey's End
The Daleks have been the enemy that have faced the Doctor the most, which has had the side effect of making them the enemies defeated the most. Some of these defeats were better than others, however, and their defeat in Journey’s End was in the latter category.
The Daleks and their creator Davros have created a bomb to destroy all of reality and leave the ultimate extermination in their wake when their defeat comes at the hands of Donna Noble. Having temporarily acquired the abilities and intellect of a Time Lord (it's a long story!), she defeats them by rendering them useless with a few levers. Which would only be a bit of an anti-climax normally. However, these levers happen to be kept in a room described as the Daleks' prison, which suggests that they’ve been foolish enough to allow their prisoners close access to their weaknesses. From a race genetically created to be geniuses, that’s incredibly underwhelming.
This defeat also causes them to start spinning around and flailing as they’re pushed away by the Doctor’s companions - basically becoming spinning tops - some of whom even start up casual, relaxed conversations while shoving the most evil creatures in the universe into each other. It makes them seem completely comical and wrecks their threat level, something they didn’t start to get back until the Series 5 finale.