Dalek Empire I
Invasion of the Daleks
Back in the early days of Big Finish, when they only had a handful of ranges being produced, when the main Doctor Who range was only twenty-one releases old and they had barely finished being released on cassette tape, they made their first attempt at a Doctor Who range without the Doctor. This came in the form of Dalek Empire, with the titular enemies of the Doctor as the main focus. This first instalment, Invasion of the Daleks, does exactly what it says on the tin, setting up what is to come in spectacular fashion.
Beginning on Vega VI, the story follows Suz and Alby; two inhabitants of the planet before an enormous invasion fleet of Daleks arrive. In terms of pace, the events move along at just the right speed, easy enough to understand but not to slow to be boring. This series does in minutes what Cyberman did in hours, getting straight into the arrival of the enemy way before it gets dull. There is just enough time for you to glimpse life on Vega VI, get to know this universe we are being flung into, just before it is ripped apart by the arrival of the tin pot menace.
And what a menace they are. Dalek Empire does what Doctor Who, up until that point had been completely unable to do for me, make the Daleks scary. Years before Bad Wolf showed fleets of them attacking space satellites, Invasion paints these images into your head so clearly that they are more fearsome than they have ever been. Removing the trundling, lurching props that so ruined the imagery on TV means that these creatures become the floating death machines that they deserve to be. In my opinion, the classic series never got it quite right, even when the script or serial was brilliant, budget constraints or technological setbacks always meant that the Daleks were just tin pots that bumped over the ground instead of hovering or were constantly being beaten. Perhaps the lack of the Doctor here means their threats are justified, we know that these people are on their own against a devastating enemy, and that makes it all the more frightening.
As for the characters this series is set against, Nicholas Briggs begins their portrayal in a strong fashion. Suz is instantly likable; the questionable fact of her betrayal to the slaves later on in the episode makes her seem even more human than many other Dalek captives we have seen before. Her brief meetings with the Dalek Supreme show a side to her that is both strong and pitiful at the same time. We all know, by the end of the drama, her reasons for doing it are honourable, but her methods leave a lot to be desired. This is what makes up the sum of the seasons; it isn’t about Humanity and its war against an insurmountable enemy, but Suz’s inner struggle inside, the fight between good and evil, survival and betrayal. In many ways this is what makes DE such a success, in my mind at least. She is not evil at heart, but, ultimately she is more so than the Daleks.
In fact, the only problem I really have with this episode is the theme tune, or rather the collection of noises that try to be a theme tune. I have to be honest, it is awful, but they do make up for it in Dalek War in great style. In all, it is only a tiny gripe, and doesn't ruin the story, but it would sound better with the later tune by a long way.
And so, Invasion of the Daleks sets up the listener for what is an astonishing piece of audio, and so much more. With the introduction of an amazing character in Susan Mendez, and more which will be developed throughout the season, Kalendorf and Alby, both of whom I will speak of as they grow, just the characters could be enough to warrant their own series. However, Brigg’s real achievement has to be the Daleks. The man who could make them the creatures they deserved to be surely has to be among the greatest writers in the shows history. With these four seasons under his belt, the devastating events of Lucie Miller/To the Death and Dark Eyes under his belt, surely it is about time Steven Moffat got him writing at TV episode.
Beginning on Vega VI, the story follows Suz and Alby; two inhabitants of the planet before an enormous invasion fleet of Daleks arrive. In terms of pace, the events move along at just the right speed, easy enough to understand but not to slow to be boring. This series does in minutes what Cyberman did in hours, getting straight into the arrival of the enemy way before it gets dull. There is just enough time for you to glimpse life on Vega VI, get to know this universe we are being flung into, just before it is ripped apart by the arrival of the tin pot menace.
And what a menace they are. Dalek Empire does what Doctor Who, up until that point had been completely unable to do for me, make the Daleks scary. Years before Bad Wolf showed fleets of them attacking space satellites, Invasion paints these images into your head so clearly that they are more fearsome than they have ever been. Removing the trundling, lurching props that so ruined the imagery on TV means that these creatures become the floating death machines that they deserve to be. In my opinion, the classic series never got it quite right, even when the script or serial was brilliant, budget constraints or technological setbacks always meant that the Daleks were just tin pots that bumped over the ground instead of hovering or were constantly being beaten. Perhaps the lack of the Doctor here means their threats are justified, we know that these people are on their own against a devastating enemy, and that makes it all the more frightening.
As for the characters this series is set against, Nicholas Briggs begins their portrayal in a strong fashion. Suz is instantly likable; the questionable fact of her betrayal to the slaves later on in the episode makes her seem even more human than many other Dalek captives we have seen before. Her brief meetings with the Dalek Supreme show a side to her that is both strong and pitiful at the same time. We all know, by the end of the drama, her reasons for doing it are honourable, but her methods leave a lot to be desired. This is what makes up the sum of the seasons; it isn’t about Humanity and its war against an insurmountable enemy, but Suz’s inner struggle inside, the fight between good and evil, survival and betrayal. In many ways this is what makes DE such a success, in my mind at least. She is not evil at heart, but, ultimately she is more so than the Daleks.
In fact, the only problem I really have with this episode is the theme tune, or rather the collection of noises that try to be a theme tune. I have to be honest, it is awful, but they do make up for it in Dalek War in great style. In all, it is only a tiny gripe, and doesn't ruin the story, but it would sound better with the later tune by a long way.
And so, Invasion of the Daleks sets up the listener for what is an astonishing piece of audio, and so much more. With the introduction of an amazing character in Susan Mendez, and more which will be developed throughout the season, Kalendorf and Alby, both of whom I will speak of as they grow, just the characters could be enough to warrant their own series. However, Brigg’s real achievement has to be the Daleks. The man who could make them the creatures they deserved to be surely has to be among the greatest writers in the shows history. With these four seasons under his belt, the devastating events of Lucie Miller/To the Death and Dark Eyes under his belt, surely it is about time Steven Moffat got him writing at TV episode.