Remembrance of the Daleks [TV/1988.10.5 ~ 10.26]

★★★★☆

  Brilliant action, brilliant practical effects and design, brilliant story and brilliant performances, plus a sneak peek at what the script editor and his crew were thinking of doing at the time... yes, it's time I tackled fan favourite serial Remembrance of the Daleks, and unsurprisingly, I absolutely love it. I have done so ever since I first watched it all those years ago, and I still do now. 

  Sylvester McCoy is utterly confident in the role (it helps that this script has no scene where he has to outright shout), Sophie Aldred continually proves that she's one of the best actors in the show to have played the Doctor's companion (and her skills would only improve with every coming serial), and the continuing Dalek civil war reaches a peak as they come face-to-face in 1963 London. Andrew Morgan obviously had a whale of a time shooting this; the pyrotechnics are impressive full stop, and the Dalek props are beautifully made. Remembrance's story also allows for a closer examination of these pepperpots as racial purists/fascists (and the story's laden with social commentary in general, with references to slave labour, the 'no coloureds' sign, Mike's racist rhetoric), with the civil war taking on new meanings for this allegory of racism and for its result being the "destruction" of Skaro, one of the major triggers of the Last Great Time War. Add on top of all this that Andrew Cartmel and the boys were cooking up the Cartmel Masterplan, to suggest (and eventually reveal) the Doctor's origins beyond the confines of An Unearthly Child and discover his more foundational role in Time Lord society. There's really only the one line that suggests this (since the other one, the one the Doctor says to Davros, was left on the cutting room floor before transmission), but it's still another chewy, tasty layer of this already jam-packed four-parter.

  The point I'm trying to make is, Remembrance of the Daleks is a remarkable serial whichever way you look at it. From a production standpoint, it's absolutely marvellous; you would never in a million years guess, with all its impressive sets and giant spaceships and shiny Daleks and their explosions, that this was a dying show on its last legs. From the perspective of Ben Aaronovitch's script, it's written with such intelligence and care, with fantastic characterisations of the Doctor, Ace and the Countermeasures group, and a great deep dive in to the racism in London, 1963 and the alien minds of Skaro, as well as the power within us to fight against it. I've come around to Keff McCulloch's explosive score as well, a perfect scene-setter for this heart-racing, rich serial. Call this a multi-million dollar budget blockbuster with philosophy papers strapped around its waist; it's truly remarkable.