ANDREW'S
DOCTOR WHO REVIEWS 
This is a super story, dramatic and emotionally deep at the
same time. The surprise appearance of Jenna Coleman as Oswin was kept under
wraps at the time and is a real shock. There is an immediate connection between
Matt and Jenna and she out-acts Amy and Rory at the first outing (sorry if
you’re an Amy and Rory fan).
The Doctor is kidnapped and taken to the Parliament of the
Daleks where he is reunited with Amy and Rory. Surprisingly, the Daleks need
the Doctor’s help. They have a planet where they put what they consider all the
insane Daleks – imagine that, insane Daleks – but its security has been
breached because an Earth spaceship, the Alaska, has crashed through the force
barrier protecting the planet. However, the Daleks – who wish to destroy the
Asylum – cannot because the force barrier is still too strong. They want the
Doctor, Amy and Rory to disconnect the barrier.
The Doctor agrees to do this, but he knows the Daleks will
not allow him time to escape if he deactivates the barrier without an escape
plan. Once on the planet, he makes radio contact with Oswin (Jenna Louise
Coleman) who is one of the crew of the Alaska and persuades her to deactivate
the force field in return for rescuing her.
Leaving Amy and Rory near a teleport, the Doctor makes his
way to Oswin who protects him from the insane Daleks by removing him from their
memory banks. She also disconnects the force field. When the Doctor reaches her
he is horrified to find she has been converted to a Dalek, she has created an
imaginary world into which she has mentally retreated to not have to face the
conversion. Sadly, the Doctor leaves her and as he departs she tells him to run
and to remember her.
The Asylum planet is destroyed and the Doctor, Amy and Rory
escape and the Daleks have forgotten all memories of the Doctor. The Doctor
returns Amy and Rory home.
This is a gripping story, even though not much really
happens, and it kicks off this series of Doctor Who in spectacular style. All
those Daleks, particularly in the Asylum where you see old Daleks from old
stories, make for a hair raising time. The broken, rusting old Daleks slowly
grinding back into life is scary and eerie. I love the premise that even the
Daleks find some of their kind unbalanced and have built an asylum for them!
The fact that they are forced to call on their oldest enemy for help tells us
something about the relationship between the Doctor and his deadliest foes.
Amy and Rory are brought into this story for no really
discernible reason. They don’t contribute a great deal to the plot and the subplot
that they are on the verge of splitting up is dealt with quickly making that
feel unnecessary too.
But this story belongs to Oswin; Jenna Coleman immediately
shows her acting skills and the reveal that she is actually a Dalek already is
chilling. She out acts Amy and Rory from the very first moment you see her (as
cheeky souffle making Oswin) and by the time you start to realise something is
amiss she really hits her stride and you feel her terror as she learns that it
is already too late and the memories of conversion flood back in. The rapport
between her and Matt Smith is immediately apparent and makes you want for more.
Run you clever boy and remember me.
A great start to Matt’s final season as the Doctor.
NEXT UP: DINOSAURS ON A SPACESHIP
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Andrew J. Müller,
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and Shaun Runham
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2022
