Ep. 6 The Survivors

As a countdown to the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who I and my wife will be watching an episode a day until we are caught up to whatever the Beeb has planned. This is a record of my initial reaction to each day's episode published with minimal editing and crappy synopsis.

"Yes, but how do they use their intelligence; what form does it take?"

   Well the shitake hits the fan early in this one.  Barbara is still missing and the others discover that the reason that they are feeling like warmed over goat manure is because they've been walking in a nuclear winter wonderland.
   The Doctor wants to run back to the Ship before he ends up dead as a result of his own arrogance.  Ian reminds him that they need to find some mercury or that the TARDIS isn't going anywhere.  The Doctor confesses that he faked the damage to the fluid link.
   That doesn't go over well.  The Doctor tries to get them to go back, but Ian and Susan refuse to go until they find Barbara.  The Doctor is willing to cut bait on the handsome history teacher until Ian reminds him that he won't get far without the fluid link that he palmed.
   So far the Doctor has been a dick in the first episode (he kidnaps Ian and Barbara,) the third (attempted murder of the injured Za,) the fifth (lies to get his way) and this one.  He gets better, honest.
   The time travelers no sooner discover that they are dying when they are captured by the Daleks.  Ian makes a brave, but doomed attempt to escape and gets hit by the never-seen-again "paralyze" setting of Dalek weapons.
   They are reunited with Barbara.  There is a palpable look of concern on her face when she sees Ian being supported by Susan and the Doctor.  Ian and Barbara are one of the biggest ships of the classic series.  That look is the first sign of Barbian that I've noticed in this rewatch.
   The Doctor is interrogated by the Daleks who assume that he and his companions are Thals.  The scene is visually interesting.  The Doctor is forced to stay in a spotlight in the center of the room while the Daleks mill around him and ask questions.  The Daleks seem more articulate than they are in most other stories that they feature in, but that may be the euphoria of my new project coloring my perceptions.
   The Doctor strikes a deal with the Daleks to send one of the travelers back to the TARDIS to pick up the mysterious vials that they discovered last episode.  The Doctor is betting that they are anti-radiation drugs.
   He also discovers that the race that lives outside the city are the Thals.  According to the Daleks they are horribly mutated and started the Neutron war that fubared Skaro in the first place.
   The Doctor and Barbara are too sick with radiation poisoning to make the trip.  Ian insists that he should go, but he's only able to walk two feet before going down like Dick Van Dyke over an ottoman.  Susan becomes the only choice.
   As an aside I'd like to point out that the series didn't have much time for anything.  The actors got the scripts days before they went to film.  This led to a LOT of fluffed lines.  Unless the scene was completely ruined by the fluff it would make it to broadcast.  There was an especially fun one in this episode.  The Doctor talks about going back to the Ship for "radiation gloves.. uh drug."
   Susan makes it back to the TARDIS.  She is scared shitless, but she makes it, gets the drugs and heads back to the Dalek city.
   But will she be back in time to save the others?
   Next up: The Escape.