This is a twice a week feature (Wednesdays and Fridays) where Christa of Hooked on Books and myself will be watching and discussing all of the reboot of Doctor Who. Posts will contain spoilers for that episode and ones before it, so you may want to watch the episode before reading. I hope you’ll join us in enjoying this fantastic show, and don’t forget to check out Christa’s post (with past posts over here) as well! Allons-y!
Evolution of the Daleks by Helen Raynor
The Gamma Ray is coming, and if the Dalek race is to survive in its new form, it will need the Doctor’s help.
I enjoyed this episode much more than the previous. I guess the first episode was all the build-up, which means this episode is one long climax. That has its own faults. Too many things, too much action, and you get to the point where your just…tired. As much as the secondary characters are great, I don’t know if this episode does as good a job at balancing the action with the close-ups on individuality that I generally love in Doctor Who.
I do love the interaction between the Doctor and the Daleks in this episode. It shows us how much the Doctor has changed since he was Nine. How much Rose has made him change. You can still see some of that old Nine anger lurking in his eyes, but he’s able to control himself better, and when the time comes he’s even able to show compassion to the last Dalek. That is something Nine wasn’t able to do.
This episode also made me realize why I had disliked Martha so much the first time around, and I have to blame the writers for this one because they turned her into some sort of lovesick girl who can’t see that the Doctor just isn’t interested in her that way. It’s frustrating because before the Doctor came along Martha was fine. She was more than fine. She wasn’t like Rose who lived a purposeless life. She wasn’t like Donna who felt unappreciated and like a nobody. She was training to be a doctor. She had purpose and drive. And now all she has is the Doctor, and I hate it. I hate that this is what they made her. She is so much better than that. She could be so much more than that. It may be one of the most degrading, stupidest story arcs New Who has ever given a character.
Favourite Quotes
“At heart this species is so very dalek.” – Dalek Sec
“Observe humanity: for all their flaws they have such courage.” – Dalek Sec
Final Notes
- the Doctor really seems to have a death wish this episode
- when did Gamma rays become a lightning bolt?
- you’d think the Doctor would be used to genocide by now. He committed it himself like five episodes ago.
coffeeandwizards 
You’re right about Martha. She’s totally pining after the Doctor even though (from where I stand) he’s never given her a reason too. He’s all be clear about his feelings towards Rose. But I will say in this episode she is pretty kick ass. So definite points for electrocuting all the pig slaves
Yeah, points for the pigs, but I don’t understand how she knew there was going to be a lightning bolt…
I like Martha the most out of ten’s 3 companions, after her time with the Doctor she still had a life and a future to go back to. She had a life that she could be build. I didn’t like that she became love sick over the Doctor because she is pretty kick ass.
I think it’s rare for someone to prefer Martha to Rose and Donna. I agree that she is the most together of the companions. I don’t think we can completely ignore the love sick thing though. As much as I hate it, it is a part of her canon character.
Everything that you said here about Martha is exactly how I feel, you’ve just articulated it so much better, lol. It’s probably why I also like Martha much better in her Torchwood epidoses (and end of Season 4) than I do when she was actually a companion.
I enjoyed her episodes in Torchwood as well. I like that she is still involved with the who protection of the Earth thing. It sucks because I doubt Moffatt will ever let us see her again because he just ignores everything that RTD created.