Just saw Power of the Daleks...some thoughts
They say 'Power of the Daleks' is the 'Holy Grail' of lost Doctor Who stories, and after watching the animated reconstruction I have to say I wholeheartedly agree and then some!
Not only is this a crucial moment in Doctor Who's history, being the original post-regeneration story, but its a truly great piece of 60's television in its own right.
Here are some of my thoughts on this legendary story-
-The regeneration (or rather 'renewal') itself is handled with a certain psychological complexity and narrative subtlety far ahead of its time. In some ways, it established the template for future regenerations - the Doctor's temporary disorientation; the companion's fear, confusion and denial; comparisons with the previous 'real' Doctor etc. But there are other ways in which the changeover is quiet different. The opening moments of the serial are played almost like a psychological horror film - the TARDIS ominously operating on its own as though by invisible hands, the eerie white light partially engulfing the Doctor as his features change, the new Doctor's unpredictable and seemingly sinister demeanor (I once read that Troughton played the Doctor as Hyde to Hartnell's Jekyll - watching this, I say its a spot-on description!), the genuine terror and confusion of his companions, and the hints that the Doctor might be suffering some manner of dissociative identity disorder. WE may know in hindsight that everything turns out okay, but viewers in 1966 could be forgiven for genuienly fearing for the safety of Ben and Polly from this strange, almost terrifying, little figure.
-The story itself plays out as a mix of sci-fi and horror, a common enough genre hybrid for Doctor Who, but no where near as 'sanitized' as later serials are. There's a sense of dread throughout as we observe the machinations at the colony, the diabolical plans, and the growing inevitability that this will all end with the Daleks wiping everyone out just as the Doctor predicted. The serial is LOADED with atmosphere and the eerie soundtrack is a MAJOR contributor to that.
-Speaking of the Daleks - I think this might just be the most terrifying I've ever seen them. They're not Nazi metaphors or generic space monsters in this one - they are truly the stuff of nightmares in the most raw and visceral manner. Seeing about a million Daleks emerging from giant spaceships and lay waste to Earth is NOTHING compared to the horror of seeing a few of them wander down a corridor, gunning down EVERY human in sight with casual deliberation - worse still, with the knowledge that their human victims are only SLIGHTLY better than them morally. The Doctor's fear of the Daleks has never been as palpable as it is here.
-Thematically speaking too, the story is pretty rich. Human greed and ambition, the inevitable conflicts that arise from politics, the dangers of unrestrained scientific temper, and the horrifying outcome of 'making a deal with the Devil' are all very much in evidence. 'Power' is far too sophisticated by far for a 60's children's television programme, in a good way!
-Troughton's performance is brilliant of course, as it would have to be to ensure the longevity of not only his own tenure, but the show as a whole. Troughton's Doctor is a little darker, a little more mysterious than we're accustomed to seeing. He's a lot like Hartnell's Doctor was in the earliest serials, albeit younger. You'd almost think that all the warmth and character development the Doctor went though in his previous life have been undone. In fact, I'd venture to say that Capaldi's performance in his debut episode was somewhat inspired by Troughton's performance here (and Colin Baker's debut seems to be almost a parody of Troughton's debut).
On the whole, truly a ravishing slice of Doctor Who history!
Formerly sn939