The Daleks in Manhattan

Dear Gary—

The Daleks in Manhattan is a rollicking good adventure. It is no Talons of Weng-Chiang, a classic Doctor Who backstage period piece also featuring a pig man, but it is fun all the same. It is unfortunate that many of the American accents put on by the actors are sub-par; some of the extras especially really shouldn’t speak; however Solomon’s is passable and Tallulah is such an exaggerated character to begin with that it is forgivable in her.

The story is set up nicely with the brief glimpse into the ill-fated romance of Laszlo and Tallulah before Laszlo is attacked by the pig man. Romance, humor, horror. Add mystery once the Doctor and Martha arrive to delve into the strange disappearances in Hooverville and you have a genre packed episode in the making. Who needs Daleks?

But the Daleks are promised in our title and so they too come along for the ride even though they seem a little forced and out of place. I have no problem going from the musical comedy bits in the theater to the depression era pathos in Hooverville to the horror in the sewers; however the Daleks playing at Empire State builders is jarring. “Explain. Explain.” just doesn’t have the same ring to it as “Exterminate. Exterminate.” Dealing with an unhappy labor force is not exactly the Daleks’ forte.

It doesn’t help that their front man Diagoras is not convincing as a powerful mogul in charge of the most important construction project in New York City at the time; he is middle management material at best. Having said that, the slightly philosophical discussion between a Dalek and Diagoras as they look out over the city is chilling. “My planet is gone,” the Dalek muses, “destroyed in a great war. Yet versions of this city stand throughout history. The human race always continues.” The Cult of Skaro, created to imagine; that is a horror that if treated right could make for a complex and intriguing narrative.

There are flashes of what could have been as the four remaining Daleks debate the merits of their Final Experiment. “Daleks are supreme; humans are weak,” one Dalek argues. Dalek Sec counters with, “But there are millions of humans and only four of us. If we are supreme, why are we not victorious?” Sec’s solution flies in the face of the Dalek mantra of racial purity, and the insurrection that is brewing amongst his fellow Cult members is darkly ominous.

Except that Sec’s Final Experiment is ludicrous and the philosophical debates and Dalek rebellions are not the focus of our story but merely window dressing. Instead we get pig slaves. The pig slaves are fabulous, but they are completely nonsensical. Depth of storytelling is sacrificed for action and genre sampling. And that’s OK because the action and the genre sampling are entertaining enough.

Solomon is the heart of Hooverville and he does a nice job of establishing the desperation of the place, even if it is shaky in historical detail. I have to remind myself, Gary, that this is not one of the historical stories of the Hartnell era; we are not here to delve into depression era social dynamics or politics; we are simply here to set up characters to either become fodder for the Dalek/pig slave onslaught or to push along the action.

The Doctor and Martha quickly evaluate the shanty town and its denizens and gain the confidence of its leaders. Volunteering for sewer duty (“I’ll kill you for this”) the two enter the dark, dank world below with Solomon and Frank. Andrew Garfield as Frank is a pleasant addition to the guest cast, even if his character is a little too conveniently perfect. Their discovery and examination of the slimy green jellyfish lends an eerie tone (is it just me, or does Martha seem extremely sensitive to smells?) and their subsequent encounter with pig slaves goes from touching to terrifying in a matter of seconds. The capture and seeming demise of Frank at this point is unexpected and effective.

Bursting out of the tunnels, our three survivors—the Doctor, Martha, and Solomon—run smack into the theater and Tallulah for a bit of a breather. The Doctor has time to examine his gruesome find and Martha and Tallulah can exchange lost and unrequited love stories. I really wish Martha would start using some of her demonstrated intelligence in evaluating her relationship with the Doctor. She made a start at the end of our last story but still seems to be carrying that inane torch. Tallulah, on the other hand, is much more realistic in her approach. “It’s the Depression, sweetie,” she tells Martha. “Your heart might break, but the show goes on. Because if it stops, you starve.”

Tallulah is a stereotype who defies her label. The ditsy blonde showgirl who is brave and determined and loyal and perceptive. The larger than life caricature who is deeply nuanced. She is not repulsed by her half pig half man lover; she does not scream or run away. She responds with sorrow and compassion and pragmatism.

The Daleks in Manhattan is the set-up episode of a two parter. We have gotten to know our characters and exposed our villains. It is now time for the cliffhanger and the big reveal concerning the Dalek’s Final Experiment.

The Doctor, Martha, Laszlo, and an alive and well Frank make their way to the Dalek lab. We have already witnessed the overly ambitious Diagoras being consumed by Sec, now he emerges out of Sec’s casing as a Dalek-human hybrid.

“I am a human Dalek. I am your future.”

It is effective in the moment.

I’ll hold off for now, Gary. A second part is yet to come. The suit wearing tentacle head can have his few minutes of glory.