Asylum of the Daleks (TV story): Difference between revisions
From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
→Plot
No edit summary Tag: sourceedit |
(→Plot) |
||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
|clip2 = Run, you clever boy! - Doctor Who - Asylum of the Daleks - BBC | |clip2 = Run, you clever boy! - Doctor Who - Asylum of the Daleks - BBC | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the first episode of the [[series 7 (Doctor Who)|seventh series]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' produced by [[BBC Wales]]. [[Steven Moffat]]'s first script to feature the [[Dalek]]s as the main adversaries, it also served to launch the beginning of the series' major plot strands: the end of [[Amy Pond|Amy]] and [[Rory Williams|Rory]]'s travels in [[the TARDIS]] and the beginning of the mystery surrounding [[Clara Oswald]]'s identity. The episode also saw Rory and Amy's love challenged, following on from ''[[Pond Life (webcast)|Pond Life]]'', with the issue being resolved by the end of the story. | '''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the first episode of the [[series 7 (Doctor Who)|seventh series]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' produced by [[BBC Wales]]. [[Steven Moffat]]'s first script to feature the [[Dalek]]s as the main adversaries, it also served to launch the beginning of the series' major plot strands: the end of [[Amy Pond|Amy]] and [[Rory Williams|Rory]]'s travels in [[the TARDIS]] and the beginning of the mystery surrounding [[Clara Oswald]]'s identity. The episode also saw Rory and Amy's love challenged, following on from ''[[Pond Life (webcast)|Pond Life]]'', with the issue being resolved by the end of the story. This story also had [[Asylum of the Daleks Prequel (webcast)|an online prequel]]. | ||
Importantly, it introduced audiences to Oswald as "[[soufflé]] girl", a moniker that would ultimately gain greater resonance in [[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|the series finale]]. Indeed, from the production team's perspective, the episode marked a major victory in Moffat's war on spoilers, in that the surprise of [[Jenna-Louise Coleman]]'s appearance was preserved for the vast majority of the global audience. Despite several advanced screenings, no major leaks about her presence were known to have occurred in press reports or on social media. It was also an important episode for fans of Dalek design, in that several models of Dalek stretching all the way back to the 1960s were seen in the story — if only briefly. | Importantly, it introduced audiences to Oswald as "[[soufflé]] girl", a moniker that would ultimately gain greater resonance in [[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|the series finale]]. Indeed, from the production team's perspective, the episode marked a major victory in Moffat's war on spoilers, in that the surprise of [[Jenna-Louise Coleman]]'s appearance was preserved for the vast majority of the global audience. Despite several advanced screenings, no major leaks about her presence were known to have occurred in press reports or on social media. It was also an important episode for fans of Dalek design, in that several models of Dalek stretching all the way back to the 1960s were seen in the story — if only briefly. | ||
With respect to the [[BBC Wales]] Dalek designs, it seemed to reverse the ''[[Victory of the Daleks]]''{{'}} implication that the "colour-coded Daleks" would destroy any remaining bronze, [[RTD]]-era Daleks as inferior. Instead, the RTD Daleks were clearly shown to be numerically superior to the colour-coded version, and both were shown to be working together in a Moffat-introduced Dalek governmental structure called the "[[Parliament of the Daleks]]". The episode also re-introduced [[Skaro]] on television for the first time since the [[Doctor Who (TV story)|1996 TV movie]], showing it in a state of heavy ruin. | With respect to the [[BBC Wales]] Dalek designs, it seemed to reverse the ''[[Victory of the Daleks]]''{{'}} implication that the "colour-coded Daleks" would destroy any remaining bronze, [[RTD]]-era Daleks as inferior. Instead, the RTD Daleks were clearly shown to be numerically superior to the colour-coded version, and both were shown to be working together in a Moffat-introduced Dalek governmental structure called the "[[Parliament of the Daleks]]". The episode also re-introduced [[Skaro]] on television for the first time since the [[Doctor Who (TV story)|1996 TV movie]], showing it in a state of heavy ruin. However, it appears that the Doctor visited Skaro prior to [[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|''Remembrance of the Daleks'']], as he is later surprised by the fact Skaro exists in ''[[The Magician's Apprentice]]''. | ||
== Synopsis == | == Synopsis == | ||
| Line 39: | Line 39: | ||
== Plot == | == Plot == | ||
On [[Skaro]], a woman called [[Darla von Karlsen|Darla]] | On [[Skaro]], a woman called [[Darla von Karlsen|Darla]] tells of a story about a man who fought the Daleks. However, [[The Wedding of River Song (TV story)|the universe now believes him to be dead]]; Darla hopes the rumours are wrong and that this man will come to save them. Inside a huge statue of a Dalek, she is surprised by the the [[Eleventh Doctor]], who asks why she has called him. Darla explains that her daughter is in a Dalek [[prison camp]], and she wants him to rescue her. The Doctor questions as to why Darla is not in the camp, to which she says was because she escaped. | ||
On [[Earth]], [[Amy Pond]] is posing for the [[camera]] when her [[Secretary (Asylum of the Daleks)|secretary]] tells her that her husband wants to see her. She remarks that she doesn't ''have'' a husband any more. She walks in to a make-up room, where [[Rory Williams|Rory]] asks her to sign the [[divorce]] papers, joking that Amy was just "pouting at a camera". Once she has signed the papers, he leaves as Amy's make-up artist, [[Cassandra (Asylum of the Daleks)|Cassandra]], enters. However, it turns out she is also a Dalek puppet, and she [[teleport]]s Amy away. Meanwhile, Rory gets on a [[bus]], but the [[Bus Driver (Asylum of the Daleks)|bus driver]] turns out to be yet another puppet, who in turn teleports Rory to the Daleks. | However, the Doctor points out NO-ONE does, before touching her face. He pulls his hand back in shock, noting she's cold. Darla wonders why that's a problem. The Doctor tells her that this is a trap, and she doesn't even know it. She asks what's a trap, to which the Doctor tells her; she's the trap and doesn't know it. At that moment, Darla convulses and sprouts a Dalek eye-stalk from her forehead; she's [[Dalek puppet|sleeper agent of the Daleks]]. With a gunstick from her palm, she knocks out the Doctor as a [[Dalek saucer]] arrives to collect the Time Lord. | ||
[[File:Cassandra Asylum of the Daleks.jpg|thumb|200x200px|A [[Dalek puppet]]]] | |||
On [[Earth]] [[2012]], [[Amy Pond]] is posing for the [[camera]] when her [[Secretary (Asylum of the Daleks)|secretary]] tells her that her husband wants to see her. She remarks that she doesn't ''have'' a husband any more. She walks in to a make-up room, where [[Rory Williams|Rory]] asks her to sign the [[divorce]] papers, joking that Amy was just "pouting at a camera". Once she has signed the papers, he leaves as Amy's make-up artist, [[Cassandra (Asylum of the Daleks)|Cassandra]], enters. However, it turns out she is also a Dalek puppet, and she [[teleport]]s Amy away. Meanwhile, Rory gets on a [[bus]], but the [[Bus Driver (Asylum of the Daleks)|bus driver]] turns out to be yet another puppet, who in turn teleports Rory to the Daleks. | |||
He wakes up in a cell with Amy, and looks through a small window to see they are in space, with an armada of Dalek saucers accompanying them. They are then taken to the [[Parliament of the Daleks]], where the Doctor says it's finally [[Christmas]] for | He wakes up in a cell with Amy, and looks through a small window to see they are in space, with an armada of Dalek saucers accompanying them. Rory wonders how much trouble they're in; the Doctor is escorted in by Daleks, saying "On a scale of 1 to 10, Mr. Pond? 11." They are then taken to the [[Parliament of the Daleks]], where Amy tells Rory everything the Doctor is thinking based on his movements; he's even figured out the two of them are having problems because they are not close to each other. As the Daleks seemed stunned, the Doctor says it's finally [[Christmas]] for them because they managed to capture their greatest enemy. Much to the Time Lord's surprise, the assembled Daleks ''don't'' try to exterminate him. Wondering for what other reason they could have captured him, the Doctor is met with a surprise; the Daleks want the Doctor to ''save'' them, to which he replies, "Well, this is new." | ||
The | The Parliament saucer brings them to a planet the Daleks call the [[Dalek Asylum|Asylum]], a place that the Doctor has heard of only in legend. It's a place where the Daleks dispose of those of their kind who go wrong: the insane, the battle-scarred and the uncontrollable. The Doctor learns, to his disgust, that the Daleks didn't destroy their insane brethren because they find "Divine Hatred" to be beautiful. The whole planet is automated and surrounded by an impenetrable shield, but the Daleks have detected a signal of unknown origin on the planet. The Daleks never considered tracing it back and trying to communicate with the source. The Doctor traces the signal to a woman called [[Oswin Oswald]], who has been hiding out on the remains of the crashed [[starliner]] ''[[Alaska (spaceship)|Alaska]]'' for a year. | ||
[[File:Gravity beam.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor and the Ponds are fired at the Asylum.]] | [[File:Gravity beam.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor and the Ponds are fired at the Asylum.]] | ||
The Doctor realises that when the ''Alaska'' crashed, it ruptured the planet's shield, leading to the risk of the inmates escaping. A planet's worth of insane Daleks roaming free is something that scares even the Daleks, who captured the Doctor to deal with the threat. The Daleks explain they kidnapped Amy and Rory because their records show he is always accompanied by companions. Because the shield is still strong enough to resist an assault from orbit, the Doctor and his companions will be sent down to the planet to deactivate the shield so the planet can be "cleansed" (of all life). The three are given [[Dalek bracelet|protective bracelets]] so they will not be affected by the "Nanocloud" that surrounds the planet, and are unceremoniously sent down the [[gravity beam]]. | The Doctor realises that when the ''Alaska'' crashed, it ruptured the planet's shield, leading to the risk of the inmates escaping. A planet's worth of insane Daleks roaming free is something that scares even the Daleks, who captured the Doctor to deal with the threat. The Daleks explain they kidnapped Amy and Rory because their records show he is always accompanied by companions. Because the shield is still strong enough to resist an assault from orbit, the Doctor and his companions will be sent down to the planet to deactivate the shield so the planet can be "cleansed" (of all life). The three are given [[Dalek bracelet|protective bracelets]] so they will not be affected by the "Nanocloud" that surrounds the planet, and are unceremoniously sent down the [[gravity beam]]. | ||
Amy is the first to come to after landing, and sees a [[Harvey (Asylum of the Daleks)|man in a white coat]] approaching her. Panicking, she runs away, with him chasing after her. The Doctor is next to come to, finding a Dalek eye watching him; Oswin has discovered visitors. Speaking to her via the [[radio]], the Doctor decides to look for Amy and Rory first. Eventually, he and Amy run into each other, and the man, Harvey, reveals that he was a crew member of the ''Alaska''. They decide to find Rory first. The Doctor tracks the reading coming to a hole in the ground; Rory is below them, in the actual facility. Because they cannot get to Rory at the moment, the Doctor and Amy decide to help Harvey. | Amy is the first to come to after landing, and sees a [[Harvey (Asylum of the Daleks)|man in a white coat]] approaching her. Panicking, she runs away, with him chasing after her. The Doctor is next to come to, finding a Dalek eye watching him; Oswin has discovered visitors. Speaking to her via the [[radio]], the Doctor decides to look for Amy and Rory first. Eventually, he and Amy run into each other, and the man, Harvey, reveals that he was a crew member of the ''Alaska''. They decide to find Rory first. The Doctor tracks the reading coming to a hole in the ground; Rory is below them, in the actual facility; it seems the roof gave in when Rory landed. Because they cannot get to Rory at the moment, the Doctor and Amy decide to help Harvey. | ||
[[File:Harvey_forgot_about_dying.jpg|thumb|Harvey remembers that he died.]] | [[File:Harvey_forgot_about_dying.jpg|thumb|Harvey remembers that he died.]] | ||
| Line 57: | Line 59: | ||
[[File:Failure_to_COM-U-NI-CATE.jpg|thumb|left|Rory tries to placate an insane Dalek.]] | [[File:Failure_to_COM-U-NI-CATE.jpg|thumb|left|Rory tries to placate an insane Dalek.]] | ||
Elsewhere, Rory awakes to find himself underground. Oswin contacts him and leads Rory through the facility, where several deactivated Daleks litter the halls. Rory accidentally trips on a piece of metal, making a loud noise that awakens one of the severely rusted Daleks. Oddly, it repeats "Eggs..." over and over again, making Rory think it wants the orbs that have fallen out of its casing; Rory offers an orb to the Dalek in confusion. However, the Dalek's voice finally manages to unscramble; it's been trying to say "Exterminate." Rory runs through the room and locks himself in the teleport room on the other side. After Oswin makes flirty jokes, she tells Rory that she'll guide the Doctor and Amy to him. | Elsewhere, Rory awakes to find himself underground. Oswin contacts him and leads Rory through the facility, where several deactivated Daleks litter the halls. Rory accidentally trips on a piece of metal, making a loud noise that awakens one of the severely rusted Daleks. Oddly, it repeats "Eggs..." over and over again, making Rory think it wants the orbs that have fallen out of its casing; Rory offers an orb to the Dalek in confusion. However, the Dalek's voice finally manages to unscramble; it's been trying to say "Exterminate." Rory runs through the room and locks himself in the teleport room on the other side. After Oswin makes flirty jokes, she tells Rory that she'll guide the Doctor and Amy to him. | ||
In the tunnels below the ship, Amy questions the Doctor about what will happen to her. The Doctor explains the Nanocloud will erase her memories, "replace her love with hate", and transform her into a Dalek puppet. Memory is the first thing to be affected, and worse, it's already begun; he's explained this to her four times already. The Doctor encourages Amy to embrace fear to keep herself human; Daleks don't feel fear. They head for the exit, but upon hearing the Daleks outside the teleport room yelling "Exterminate", they're forced back. The Doctor asks Oswin how many Daleks ahead of them as Amy walks off; she sees people in the room ahead. However, the Doctor, having noticed her, informs Amy her perception is now being affected; she's looking at Daleks. | In the tunnels below the ship, Amy questions the Doctor about what will happen to her. The Doctor explains the Nanocloud will erase her memories, "replace her love with hate", and transform her into a Dalek puppet. Memory is the first thing to be affected, and worse, it's already begun; he's explained this to her four times already. The Doctor encourages Amy to embrace fear to keep herself human; Daleks don't feel fear. They head for the exit, but upon hearing the Daleks outside the teleport room yelling "Exterminate", they're forced back. The Doctor asks Oswin how many Daleks ahead of them as Amy walks off; she sees people in the room ahead. However, the Doctor, having noticed her, informs Amy her perception is now being affected; she's looking at Daleks. [[File:Drunk_Dalek_goggles.jpg|thumb|Amy's hallucination of the Daleks.]] | ||
A Dalek advances on them, identifying the Doctor. However, once the Doctor taunts the decaying Dalek for having a damaged death ray beyond use, it simply activates its self-destruct program in the hopes of taking him with it. The Doctor takes the dome of the Dalek and begins sonicing it's casing. It says self-destruct cannot be countermanded. Smirking, the Doctor says he wasn't trying to stop the self-destruct, he was just looking for the reverse switch. And with that, the Dalek is sent screaming back into the room, where it explodes in a crowd of Daleks. | |||
The Doctor then wonders how Oswin is not being affected by the Nanocloud, and learns that she used her genius to create a shield to block it. Leaving Amy and Rory behind, the Doctor sets out to find Oswin, as she refuses to turn off the shield until they come to rescue her. Rory offers to give Amy his bracelet to keep her human longer; he claims it would take longer for the Nanocloud to transform him into a puppet. He reasons since it transforms love into hate, he would last longer because he always loved her more than she loved him, referencing the 2000 years he spent protecting her inside the [[Pandorica]] as an [[Rory Williams (Auton)|Auton]]. As they argue, it's revealed Amy has been left sterile because of something [[the Silence]] did to her at [[Demons Run]]; while Rory thought Amy suddenly left him, in truth, she knew he had always wanted children, so Amy "gave him up" so he had a better chance at having them with someone else, saying her sacrifice in doing so was far greater than his two-thousand year vigil. They then realise the Doctor put his bracelet on Amy while she was out cold; being immune to the Nanocloud to begin with, he'd tricked them into working out their relationship problems. | Rory hears the explosion and leaves the teleport room to find several charred Dalek casings. Wondering who killed all the Daleks, Rory sees the Doctor carrying an unconscious Amy. With a smile, the Doctor rhetorically asks Rory, "Who do you think?" Once in the teleport room, the Doctor explains the situation to Rory, and discovers the teleport has enough power to get them back to the Dalek ship in orbit once the force field is down. Oswin points out that hostility — something Amy displayed by slapping Rory — is the first sign the conversion is becoming permanent. Amy jokes "Someone's obviously never been to [[Scotland]]," implying she's normally hostile. Accepting this, Oswin asks to be taken along, but the Doctor questions her about how she keeps getting the ingredients for her [[soufflé]]s. His companions tell him to put the matter aside; they need to leave the planet before they lose Amy for good. | ||
The Doctor then wonders how Oswin is not being affected by the Nanocloud, and learns that she used her genius to create a shield to block it. Leaving Amy and Rory behind, the Doctor sets out to find Oswin, as she refuses to turn off the shield until they come to rescue her. Rory offers to give Amy his bracelet to keep her human longer; he claims it would take longer for the Nanocloud to transform him into a puppet. He reasons since it transforms love into hate, he would last longer because he always loved her more than she loved him, referencing the 2000 years he spent protecting her inside the [[Pandorica]] as an [[Rory Williams (Auton)|Auton]]. As they argue, it's revealed Amy has been left [[sterile]] because of something [[the Silence]] did to her at [[Demons Run]]; while Rory thought Amy suddenly left him, in truth, she knew he had always wanted children, so Amy "gave him up" so he had a better chance at having them with someone else, saying her sacrifice in doing so was far greater than his two-thousand year vigil. They then realise the Doctor put his bracelet on Amy while she was out cold; being immune to the Nanocloud to begin with, he'd tricked them into working out their relationship problems. | |||
In the meantime, the Doctor reaches "Intensive Care"; it houses Daleks defeated in battles with his [[First Doctor|first]], [[Second Doctor|second]], and [[Third Doctor|third]] incarnations. Once the Doctor mentions they "survived" him, the Daleks (missing their guns) come back to life and corner him against the door leading to Oswin, intending to enact revenge. The Doctor yells for help, as the Daleks close in on him with their suckers. Luckily, Oswin hacks into [[Pathweb]] (the Daleks' shared information centre), and erases all data on him, effectively making them forget the Doctor. The deranged Daleks quietly go back to their cells and go back to "sleep". | |||
[[File:DalekOswyn.jpg|thumb|left|Oswin is revealed to be a Dalek.]] | [[File:DalekOswyn.jpg|thumb|left|Oswin is revealed to be a Dalek.]] | ||
The Doctor says it's impossible to hack the Pathweb; even he couldn't. Oswin invites him to meet the person who did. However, once the Doctor enters her room he tells her that they have a problem; however, Oswin thinks he is simply right outside her room. The Doctor tells Oswin that it's not real;' this prompts her to ask where she is. | |||
To his infinite sadness, the Doctor informs Oswin that she is a Dalek, to which she denies. However, the Doctor firmly tells her that the room only exists in her imagination. The Doctor explains the rope ladder he used to get into the facility was originally used by her when she was human. Oswin had been captured by the Daleks, and because of her genius, had been fully converted into a Dalek instead of simply made into a puppet. | |||
When Oswin refuses to believe him, the Doctor points out that she wouldn't have been able to get eggs and milk for her soufflés for an entire year because there'd be a limited supply. The shocking truth causes Oswin to remember her exploration of the facility, her capture by the Daleks, and her conversion. Repeating "Eggs", she reverts to a Dalek personality, yelling "Exterminate!" The Doctor yells for Oswin to regain control of herself, which seemingly works as she is next heard crying. In her imaginary room, Oswin cries. Having felt the Dalek's shared opinion of the Doctor, she asks why they hate him so much. The Doctor explains that it's because he always prevents them from achieving large victories. | |||
[[File:80s_Dalek.JPG|thumb|The Doctor runs back to the teleport.]] | [[File:80s_Dalek.JPG|thumb|The Doctor runs back to the teleport.]] | ||
Oswin tells the Doctor that she is lowering the shields, meaning that the Daleks will bombard the planet very soon. The Doctor asks if she's fine with dying, to which Oswin states that she fought the Daleks and died HUMAN. The Doctor thanks Oswin for her help, and - on her oder - runs for his life. Watching the Doctor flee, Oswin says "Run you clever boy, and remember." | |||
[[File:Amy_Rory_asylum_kiss.jpg|thumb|left|Amy and Rory reconcile as the Asylum explodes around them.]] | [[File:Amy_Rory_asylum_kiss.jpg|thumb|left|Amy and Rory reconcile as the Asylum explodes around them.]] | ||
In the teleport room, Rory wonders how long they can wait for the Doctor. Amy says for the rest of their lives and they kiss. The Doctor arrives and tries getting their attention — "for God's sake!" Annoyed that Amy and Rory always pick the worst times to kiss, the Doctor activates the teleport. | In the teleport room, Rory wonders how long they can wait for the Doctor. Amy says for the rest of their lives and they kiss. The Doctor arrives and tries getting their attention — "for God's sake!" Annoyed that Amy and Rory always pick the worst times to kiss, the Doctor activates the teleport as the bombardment finishes. | ||
On the Dalek Parliament ship, the [[Supreme Dalek]] reports that the destruction of the Asylum has been successful. However, the alarm goes off; a teleport from the Asylum has occurred. They consider it an attack, and prepare to defend. The Doctor's voice is heard over the loudspeaker, saying that he is very good with teleports, before leaping out of the TARDIS, calling the Daleks "suckers". They demand that the Doctor identify himself, shocking him; he tells them who he is, only to be met with confusion. The lead [[Dalek puppet]], [[Darla von Karlsen]], asks "[[The Question|Doctor Who?]]", and soon the entire Parliament of Daleks begins repeating it continuously. The Doctor now realises that Oswin deleted him from the entire [[Pathweb]] — not just for the Daleks in Intensive Care, but for their entire species. He marvels at Oswin's accomplishment, and laughs: "You're never going to stop asking." | On the Dalek Parliament ship, the [[Supreme Dalek]] reports that the destruction of the Asylum has been successful. However, the alarm goes off; a teleport from the Asylum has occurred. They consider it an attack, and prepare to defend. The Doctor's voice is heard over the loudspeaker, saying that he is very good with teleports, before leaping out of the TARDIS, calling the Daleks "suckers". They demand that the Doctor identify himself, shocking him; he tells them who he is, only to be met with confusion. The lead [[Dalek puppet]], [[Darla von Karlsen]], asks "[[The Question|Doctor Who?]]", and soon the entire Parliament of Daleks begins repeating it continuously. The Doctor now realises that Oswin deleted him from the entire [[Pathweb]] — not just for the Daleks in Intensive Care, but for their entire species. He marvels at Oswin's accomplishment, and laughs: "You're never going to stop asking." | ||
