Fun Fact: the Davros mask originally fitted to Michael Wisher, who played the character in Genesis of the Daleks, was reused here but with a different actor. If you look closely, you can see parts where the prosthetics don't quite fit.
@@Skeezer66 he also created Surivors! You know that show about the virus/plague that savaged the Earth’s population? It was rebooted like 15 years back!
@@stephensheridan1279 I did know! I read about it in a British SciFi/Fantasy magazine decades ago. I think the reboot was on BBCAmerica? With Mike or Max Beasley?
This also marks the beginning of Douglas Adams' role as Script Editor of the show. That book that The Doctor was reading while trapped under that pillar was a dead give away (if you have read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"). Hey, Give Davros a break! He is STILL WAKING UP! He hasn't had his coffee yet!
I always get into fits of laughter whenever I watch the scene of the Doctor putting his hat over the Dalek’s eyestalk and Davros is getting increasingly annoyed at his creation while attempting to instruct it on the Doctor’s precise location! ‘BEHIND YOU’ ‘MALFUNCTION! I CANNOT SEE! MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!’ 🤦♂️🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😆
While it's easily missed, did you catch the moment where, in one scene, Davros was having one of his over-the-top rants, and one of the Daleks somehow (though probably a perfectly timed production mistake or something) gives a funny, subtle little "shrug", or so it looked..? lol
Not the greatest Dalek story by any means but watching as a 14 yo back in 1979 it was certainly entertaining enough! We had the Daleks back after 5 years, the return of Davros, the regeneration of Romana AND the Movellans. So,not ALL bad..😆👍
David Goodson was one of the first autographs I got, along with John Leeson's, so this story has a lot of nostalgia for me. Love the concept of two computers trying to out think each other. It's an interesting concept that can actually play in the real world. And it does play into future Dalek (and Cybermen stories, see Nightmare in Silver). The standoff between the Doctor and Daleks, along with the blind Dalek and Tyson capturing the Movellan ship make this one of my favourite stories. Need more of those action scenes. Along with bringing back the Movellans, properly and not as a cameo like in The Pilot (It was so brief that I can't call it a cameo)
The DVD release of this story has optional updated effects, and on the Season 17 collection set it has an optional audio setting that makes Davros' voice sound more like it does in Genesis. Really added to the story for me.
Like most of the audience, it probably hasn't entered your head that this was (at least when first viewed in Britain) late 1979 and Tom Baker has been doing this gig since late 1974. And yet this is also the period when he seemed to be at his height. That October, the first issue of the now legendary Dr Who Weekly (in whose pages you could later read an adventure that inspired one of this year's anniversary specials) was launched. The brainchild of Marvel UK head Dez Skinn, Tom was persuaded to go on a nationwide tour to promote the comic, which retailed at just 12 shiny UK pence at the time.
Totally agree with Davros not being as threatening here compared to other appearances. As someone who thinks Davros is the best Doctor Who enemy ever, his role here was incredibly lacklustre, not helped by the fact that his physical appearance looks very tatty, David Gooderson's performance not on the same level as Michael Wisher or Julian Bleach, and, despite him being one of the most evil beings in the universe (the Thanos of Doctor Who), he's offered jelly babies within seconds of his return before being pushed about like he's a wheelie-bin!
Not to mention they didn't have a good voice changer for Davros's voice. There's some fan videos where they add that, and there he sounds a lot more like the other davros actors.
Will you be reacting to Shada (the last, only partially completed story of the current season)? There are a few options such as the 1992 VHS edition and the more recent animation.
I rewatched this story on Pluto recently and thought it was pretty good. I feel like it gets unfairly compared to Genesis of the Daleks and Blake's Seven. While it isn't as good as either of those it still holds up pretty well in my opinion.
Trust your viewers Sesska, you're not offending anybody (well, not most anyway) when you feel this is just a "middle of the road" Dalek story. Several points have already been mentioned. Here are a few of mine that (at the time I'm posting this) that have not yet been discussed. I don't mind Gooderson's take on Davros. Given you've seen the revival series, you know a different actor plays him and most like his approach. I feel the lack of "ring modulation" (or at least subdued) hampers his performance. It's such a part of the character that it just seems weird when it's not used. I don't mind the look of the Movellans. Shoot, I rather like the design. Robots looking like beautiful people creates a neat contrast to their warring goals. (I had something of a crush on Susanne Danielle who played the lead female Movellan. She also played the serving girl in 1980's "Flash Gordon".) What bothered me was the stupidly easy method of overpowering them, simply yanking their flashlight (electric torch) power cells. One would think such a mechanism would be housed internally, ir at least be more securely attached and/or defense mechanisms! Funny aside, as you saw, the Doctor pulls the cell from a Movellan and then examines the body learning it's a robot. I found it funny it's has a bust-line and a rich chocolate tone to the skin, but when he rips open the tunic (Naughty, naughty, Doctor!), the chest is flat as a board with beige "skin". But the thing that flusters many fans the most is the casual disregard of 18 years worth of "lore" concerning the Daleks. Here, they are presented as totally robotic, no organic components when a central factor had always been they were degenerative mutants with rabid xenophobia, driving miniature tanks! True, fans have concocted some elaborate head-canon lore to explain away this discrepancy, but it's shocking this was penned by their real life creator, Terry Nation. The idea of two machine factions unable to outwit each other is a neat concept, but one that would have worked better with all new "monsters" rather than shoehorning the Daleks into the scenario.
In Genesis it's implied or at least made clear they have been programmed to be logical and clinical to the point of pure logic. They disregard anything that runs against their programming and they have been programmed like a computer. The Doctor gets the clue when he finds the mutation on the rock. Thinking "left field" is not the Dalek's style...
Huh. The version I saw had a little yellow glow effect when the Movellan used her "Christmas light gun" on Romana. I think most people would agree with you about Davros being less threatening in this story. There's a lot about this Dalek story that seems like all the previous Dalek stories welded together.
I like "Destiny of the Daleks" more than most fans, but I think the big problem is that Terry Nation clearly wrote this story to be serious like most of his work on Doctor Who ("The Chase" being the notable exception) and script editor Douglas Adams rewrote the script to insert his typical slapstick humor. And boy, these two styles didn't mesh well at all...
tbh I think the problem is Nation once again turned out a very half-assed and dull script, leaving the production team with nothing except trying to lighten it up with humour. If Destiny were to be played completely seriously, I can hardly imagine what about it would be worth recommending
If you see slapstick style humor (like The Three Stooges) showing up in this era, it's more likely than not Tom Baker himself being a goofball and very much driving a lot of the stuff beyond the plot in his scenes. Douglas Adams writing style is all about satire and ideas. It can be very silly, but it's never slapstick.
Have always been of the personal opinion that Davros should've only ever been in Genesis of the Daleks and been properly killed off there. This episode reinforces that opinion considerably. At least they used the original mask again.
Don't worry about finding Davros rather unthreatening. This story has a whole different tone and the script editor isn't treating Davros with the same respect as before. Plus it's a whole new actor.
The movellans made a cameo appearance in the series 10 opener episode ‘the pilot’ once again fighting daleks. Does sesska know anything about the upcoming specials? Apart from the return of david tennant?
Think how much better Destiny would have been with Michael Wisher back as Davros. Gooderson just didn't work. The mask didn't fit him as well and the mouth in particular barely moved unlike in Genesis. The voice was much different and when you see Davros move in his chair he is bobbing around like he is sitting in a swimming pool. The Daleks were also in bad disrepair here and if you look carefully you can see them in some scenes literally falling apart and misaligned. Destiny is hardly a bad story but it could have used a bit of polishing up on the final take and a slight toning down on the humor. Also one huge mistake with this story was the silly notion that the Daleks were purely robotic which is silly with the plot being that they came back for Davros to give them some humanity back so as to have an upper hand defeating the Movellans. Also all one need do to defeat a Movellan is to remove the flashlight from their side holster and they are totally immobilized. Pure nonsense
David Gooderson’s performance as Davros is quite underwhelming and I think it’s because he doesn’t put the level of passion into Davros’ emotions that Michael Wisher did. Wisher’s Davros always had a distinct menace and he could do proper scary angry rants, Wisher can play totally unhinged anger. But with Gooderson’s, he just thinks Davros being angry is ranting and shouting a bit. I’m not saying he was a bad actor at all, but he was unsuitable to play the range of emotions that Davros really needed.
This isn't the same Davros, in many ways. Just seeing him return after centuries (in Who time) was a treat though. As we know from NewWho, he's still rolling around. After years of no Daleks, this was a treat. The menacing Davros will be back! The Movellans? Nah.
A new actor, David Gooderson, had taken over the role of Davros here and it does effect his impact. It's not even that Gooderson isn't a good actor, but the chair, mask etc were all custom made for Michael Wisher and didn't fit Gooderson properly so the mask doesn't look as good and he wobbles when he moves. And they didn't recreate the vocal effect from Genesis, so he does wind up seeming like this weird little ranting man rather than a malevolent force like before.
I don't hate Destiny but it is by far the weakest Dalek story in the classic run. People dump on The Chase which also treated them like jokes but that at least had a touching companion departure and the kickass Daleks vs Mechanoid battle. For me Destiny fails because - Terry Nation's writing is at its most derivative and while Douglas Adams' humour can work wonders (see the very next story) it feels jarring and unsuited here. Too much silliness. - Davros is a shell of his past glory. David Gooderson isn't horrendous in the role but he lacks a tenth of Michael Wisher's presence and he's saddled by his predecessor's ill-fitting mask which doesn't help. And as someone who's hot off listening to Big Finish's 'Davros' and the I, Davros series and experiencing how great Davros can be, this portrayal is just pathetic. "Poor Davros" indeed. - The Movellans. Cool idea but unable to take seriously with those outfits. The Mechanoids may have been hard to understand but they had a much cooler design and felt far more like the Daleks' match. The Daleks are oddly written as logic-driven robots here too for some reason. - The production quality. It's whiplash comparing the bland quarries and crummily-acted executions here to the atmospheric wastelands and brutal exterminations of Genesis. Redeeming qualities are the charm of the two leads, Romana's outfit mimicking the Doctor's and the rad Dalek bomber jacket look.
TBH, this is nowhere near my least favourite. I would personally consider The Chase, Death to the Daleks, and Resurrection of the Daleks to be considerably worse than this.
@@Georgie_R Making a Doctor Who story that's intentionally stupid and ridiculous kind of spits in the face of the entire reason I find classic Who so appealing. Plus, so much of it is just a giant waste of time (you can skip episodes 3 and 4 completely and miss basically nothing), and a lot of the "comedy" is less "funny" and more "ungodly irritating".
I call it a mid range story..... enough to keep me engaged. It lacks the power of Genesis and a certain actor is badly missed..... Compared to what we get in later years it's a masterpiece.....
@@Georgie_R To be fair has any post Genesis story bar Colin Baker's one even come close to matching Genesis.... I've seen every Dalek story to date (including the ones that no longer exist on their original transmissions) and Genesis really does sit head and shoulders above them all. Day of the Daleks (the new version) and Remembrance are the only other two that grip me in any way.
Not the worst Dalek story. Better than Death to the Daleks or an upcoming one. All a matter of personal taste. I think it suffers most being the next one after Genesis and the change of actors for Davros, two things out of the control for the script
There's nothing intrinsically wrong with David Gooderson, but the show at this time is not really too concerned about how convincing everything looks and feels. The best thing about the story really is that Director Ken Grieve is doing something with the cameras a lot of the time. You get the low shots and the early steady-cam passes that make a lot of the series around it seem rather static. In fact it's really the props (and, to a large degree, the Movellans) who are static! Even the extras can't bring themselves to fall down without a wry smile.
Davros isn't threatening after Genesis of the Daleks - because that story is the only one where he's genuinely and undisputed leader of the Daleks - everything after he's their tool (as shown here & in his New Who appearance), or leading only one Dalek sub-faction (most of the rest of his appearances in Classic Who).
I never understand why so many American reactors always seem to struggle with the pronunciation of "Davros"... I've watched episodes of "Friends" and the vowel sounds required to pronounce the name "Ross" never causes the same issues.
You might be interested in Dr Geoff Lindsey's video on (almost) exactly this topic. In the US, a word like 'cosmos' will tend to be pronounced 'cosMOSE', whereas in the UK it would be 'cosMOSS'. th-cam.com/video/eFDvAK8Z-Jc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Hx9pdCq8Pvyo9Hhx
Yeah this is probably one of the least popular Dalek stories, especially in the classic series, so it being middle of the road for you is understandable. Personally it's near the bottom of the Dalek stories for me, just kinda bland which is a shame for it being the story to bring back Davros.
This season starts off so strong with Destiny and City. Shame the season continues after that. Nightmare is fun, I guess, but the rest of the season is forgettable. Great reaction, though.
So yeah bit of a ropey story as I said before. As for Davros in this story, Michael Wisher who played Davros in Genesis wasn’t available to play the character so Davros is played by David Gooderson. Honestly he’s Davros is very generic villain, he doesn’t have the same energy that Michael had. Which is a shame because Davros is my favourite Doctor Who villain of all time.
I would not have minded Destiny of the Daleks, had Davros not come back he IMO ruined the concept of the Daleks and the Daleks worked better lead by a supreme Dalek or even a emperor Dalek.
No your right I absolutely agree with you Davros isn't as sinister or threatening in this one, this is Davros played by David Goodersen as original actor Michael Wisher wasn't available at the time also the Davros mask he wore as originally worn by Wisher felt very uncomfortable and tight for Goodersen's face which could also be the reason. Alot of people don't like this story sure it's not epic or great but it's alot of entertaining fun.
Ah yes, the humble beginnings of the Dalek battle computer. Shame they never revisited it properly in the reboot, the closest them getting resulting in possibly the worst dalek story there has been imho! This Davros was a different actor from Genesis of the Dalaks. I was never a fan of this actor's portrayal of Davros, probably why this was the only one he did!
Good assessment of the story. It’s perfectly adequate, but no more. As Davros, David Gooderson is so inferior to Michael Wisher in Genesis that it’s hardly the same character. The Movellans are a really interesting creation who deserved some more stories
So much fan consensus this is one of the weakest -- or the weakest, really -- of Davros stories. And of course, it's not just the writing. The previous actor and then the next one after this one are both much better. And so is the one from 00s-10s Who. Tom Baker just feels utterly unthreatened too this time. In Genesis, he was quite disturbed and impressed by Davros.
I concur, a mediocre Dalek story at best. It's a different actor playing Davros in this one, which may be one reason you find him less compelling this time out. It also undermines the story for me that the Daleks have been struggling to defeat the Movellans, while the humans beat them in a couple of seconds by (essentially) taking out their batteries.
How many times do you have to hear the name correctly pronounced as "Dav-ross" before you stop calling him "Dav-rose"? This seems to be a Canadian/'American thing. Stop using this transatlantic abomination. The name is clearly pronounced every time he's on screen, yet you do the same thing on every reaction, "Davrose this, Davrose that". It's pronounced DAV-ROSS. Always.
Fun Fact: the Davros mask originally fitted to Michael Wisher, who played the character in Genesis of the Daleks, was reused here but with a different actor. If you look closely, you can see parts where the prosthetics don't quite fit.
This is honestly one of my favourite Dalek stories. I just adore the vibe of it.
Fun fact: this is Terry Nation’s (creator of the Daleks) last Doctor Who story! All subsequent Dalek stories were written by other writers!
And it was significantly rewritten by Douglas Adams
@@matheusflores619 And I suspect Genesis was rewritten big time by Robert Holmes. Has his trademarks all over it.
This might be around the time he was starting work on Blake's Seven, he was probably bored with Daleks.
@@Skeezer66 he also created Surivors! You know that show about the virus/plague that savaged the Earth’s population? It was rebooted like 15 years back!
@@stephensheridan1279 I did know! I read about it in a British SciFi/Fantasy magazine decades ago. I think the reboot was on BBCAmerica? With Mike or Max Beasley?
Tom is now full madcap wisecracker mode as Four 😁
This story is good! It introduces us to Romana Mk II! and Davros/Daleks are Back!
Next story...OMG..IT'S SOOOO GOOD!!! ....One of the BEST EVER!!!!
The countdown noise of that scene freaks out my dog. I think it's the tink-tink of the countdown rather than the wob-wob noise, though.
This also marks the beginning of Douglas Adams' role as Script Editor of the show. That book that The Doctor was reading while trapped under that pillar was a dead give away (if you have read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"). Hey, Give Davros a break! He is STILL WAKING UP! He hasn't had his coffee yet!
For those who didn't like "Destiny of the Daleks", don't worry, the next story is better.
Much, much better...
never was a fan of the next story. i am in the minority on that i know
I like Destiny of the Daleks
Episode 4 is the only episode from the 70s and 80s not to have a note of incidental music.
I always get into fits of laughter whenever I watch the scene of the Doctor putting his hat over the Dalek’s eyestalk and Davros is getting increasingly annoyed at his creation while attempting to instruct it on the Doctor’s precise location! ‘BEHIND YOU’ ‘MALFUNCTION! I CANNOT SEE! MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!’ 🤦♂️🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😆
While it's easily missed, did you catch the moment where, in one scene, Davros was having one of his over-the-top rants, and one of the Daleks somehow (though probably a perfectly timed production mistake or something) gives a funny, subtle little "shrug", or so it looked..? lol
Not the greatest Dalek story by any means but watching as a 14 yo back in 1979 it was certainly entertaining enough! We had the Daleks back after 5 years, the return of Davros, the regeneration of Romana AND the Movellans. So,not ALL bad..😆👍
David Goodson was one of the first autographs I got, along with John Leeson's, so this story has a lot of nostalgia for me.
Love the concept of two computers trying to out think each other. It's an interesting concept that can actually play in the real world. And it does play into future Dalek (and Cybermen stories, see Nightmare in Silver).
The standoff between the Doctor and Daleks, along with the blind Dalek and Tyson capturing the Movellan ship make this one of my favourite stories. Need more of those action scenes.
Along with bringing back the Movellans, properly and not as a cameo like in The Pilot (It was so brief that I can't call it a cameo)
The DVD release of this story has optional updated effects, and on the Season 17 collection set it has an optional audio setting that makes Davros' voice sound more like it does in Genesis. Really added to the story for me.
Like most of the audience, it probably hasn't entered your head that this was (at least when first viewed in Britain) late 1979 and Tom Baker has been doing this gig since late 1974. And yet this is also the period when he seemed to be at his height. That October, the first issue of the now legendary Dr Who Weekly (in whose pages you could later read an adventure that inspired one of this year's anniversary specials) was launched. The brainchild of Marvel UK head Dez Skinn, Tom was persuaded to go on a nationwide tour to promote the comic, which retailed at just 12 shiny UK pence at the time.
Totally agree with Davros not being as threatening here compared to other appearances. As someone who thinks Davros is the best Doctor Who enemy ever, his role here was incredibly lacklustre, not helped by the fact that his physical appearance looks very tatty, David Gooderson's performance not on the same level as Michael Wisher or Julian Bleach, and, despite him being one of the most evil beings in the universe (the Thanos of Doctor Who), he's offered jelly babies within seconds of his return before being pushed about like he's a wheelie-bin!
Not to mention they didn't have a good voice changer for Davros's voice. There's some fan videos where they add that, and there he sounds a lot more like the other davros actors.
Will you be reacting to Shada (the last, only partially completed story of the current season)? There are a few options such as the 1992 VHS edition and the more recent animation.
I rewatched this story on Pluto recently and thought it was pretty good. I feel like it gets unfairly compared to Genesis of the Daleks and Blake's Seven. While it isn't as good as either of those it still holds up pretty well in my opinion.
Trust your viewers Sesska, you're not offending anybody (well, not most anyway) when you feel this is just a "middle of the road" Dalek story. Several points have already been mentioned. Here are a few of mine that (at the time I'm posting this) that have not yet been discussed.
I don't mind Gooderson's take on Davros. Given you've seen the revival series, you know a different actor plays him and most like his approach. I feel the lack of "ring modulation" (or at least subdued) hampers his performance. It's such a part of the character that it just seems weird when it's not used.
I don't mind the look of the Movellans. Shoot, I rather like the design. Robots looking like beautiful people creates a neat contrast to their warring goals. (I had something of a crush on Susanne Danielle who played the lead female Movellan. She also played the serving girl in 1980's "Flash Gordon".) What bothered me was the stupidly easy method of overpowering them, simply yanking their flashlight (electric torch) power cells. One would think such a mechanism would be housed internally, ir at least be more securely attached and/or defense mechanisms! Funny aside, as you saw, the Doctor pulls the cell from a Movellan and then examines the body learning it's a robot. I found it funny it's has a bust-line and a rich chocolate tone to the skin, but when he rips open the tunic (Naughty, naughty, Doctor!), the chest is flat as a board with beige "skin".
But the thing that flusters many fans the most is the casual disregard of 18 years worth of "lore" concerning the Daleks. Here, they are presented as totally robotic, no organic components when a central factor had always been they were degenerative mutants with rabid xenophobia, driving miniature tanks! True, fans have concocted some elaborate head-canon lore to explain away this discrepancy, but it's shocking this was penned by their real life creator, Terry Nation. The idea of two machine factions unable to outwit each other is a neat concept, but one that would have worked better with all new "monsters" rather than shoehorning the Daleks into the scenario.
In Genesis it's implied or at least made clear they have been programmed to be logical and clinical to the point of pure logic. They disregard anything that runs against their programming and they have been programmed like a computer. The Doctor gets the clue when he finds the mutation on the rock. Thinking "left field" is not the Dalek's style...
Huh. The version I saw had a little yellow glow effect when the Movellan used her "Christmas light gun" on Romana. I think most people would agree with you about Davros being less threatening in this story. There's a lot about this Dalek story that seems like all the previous Dalek stories welded together.
The dvd had some digital effects updates. A number of Who have had those in recent years, and both included on the Blu’ Collection sets of seasons.
I love how the Doctor explains the stalemate of two massive battle fleets using rock paper scissors. It's so charmingly Doctor-ish.
I like "Destiny of the Daleks" more than most fans, but I think the big problem is that Terry Nation clearly wrote this story to be serious like most of his work on Doctor Who ("The Chase" being the notable exception) and script editor Douglas Adams rewrote the script to insert his typical slapstick humor. And boy, these two styles didn't mesh well at all...
tbh I think the problem is Nation once again turned out a very half-assed and dull script, leaving the production team with nothing except trying to lighten it up with humour. If Destiny were to be played completely seriously, I can hardly imagine what about it would be worth recommending
If you see slapstick style humor (like The Three Stooges) showing up in this era, it's more likely than not Tom Baker himself being a goofball and very much driving a lot of the stuff beyond the plot in his scenes. Douglas Adams writing style is all about satire and ideas. It can be very silly, but it's never slapstick.
Have always been of the personal opinion that Davros should've only ever been in Genesis of the Daleks and been properly killed off there. This episode reinforces that opinion considerably. At least they used the original mask again.
Counterpoint: Terry Molloy's Davros is incredible.
@someguy3752 I agree. But also especially on several particular audio dramas.
Don't worry about finding Davros rather unthreatening. This story has a whole different tone and the script editor isn't treating Davros with the same respect as before. Plus it's a whole new actor.
It's been a long time but was there a reason why the original actor wasn't available. I know he was still alive at that stage...
Busy doing a play as always.
@@yannatoko9898 That's right, always doing stage work and smoking like a chimney.
Also Davros is kind of against the wall this time
Looking forward to the next story!
Enjoy the next one. You're in for a little treat.....
The movellans made a cameo appearance in the series 10 opener episode ‘the pilot’ once again fighting daleks. Does sesska know anything about the upcoming specials? Apart from the return of david tennant?
I'm sure she does, but she likes avoiding any news so when she watches it's all new to her. I forgot about that Movellan cameo!
@@Skeezer66 it's a blink and you'll miss it kind of cameo i guess
Think how much better Destiny would have been with Michael Wisher back as Davros. Gooderson just didn't work. The mask didn't fit him as well and the mouth in particular barely moved unlike in Genesis. The voice was much different and when you see Davros move in his chair he is bobbing around like he is sitting in a swimming pool. The Daleks were also in bad disrepair here and if you look carefully you can see them in some scenes literally falling apart and misaligned. Destiny is hardly a bad story but it could have used a bit of polishing up on the final take and a slight toning down on the humor. Also one huge mistake with this story was the silly notion that the Daleks were purely robotic which is silly with the plot being that they came back for Davros to give them some humanity back so as to have an upper hand defeating the Movellans. Also all one need do to defeat a Movellan is to remove the flashlight from their side holster and they are totally immobilized. Pure nonsense
David Gooderson’s performance as Davros is quite underwhelming and I think it’s because he doesn’t put the level of passion into Davros’ emotions that Michael Wisher did. Wisher’s Davros always had a distinct menace and he could do proper scary angry rants, Wisher can play totally unhinged anger.
But with Gooderson’s, he just thinks Davros being angry is ranting and shouting a bit. I’m not saying he was a bad actor at all, but he was unsuitable to play the range of emotions that Davros really needed.
This isn't the same Davros, in many ways. Just seeing him return after centuries (in Who time) was a treat though. As we know from NewWho, he's still rolling around. After years of no Daleks, this was a treat. The menacing Davros will be back! The Movellans? Nah.
A new actor, David Gooderson, had taken over the role of Davros here and it does effect his impact. It's not even that Gooderson isn't a good actor, but the chair, mask etc were all custom made for Michael Wisher and didn't fit Gooderson properly so the mask doesn't look as good and he wobbles when he moves. And they didn't recreate the vocal effect from Genesis, so he does wind up seeming like this weird little ranting man rather than a malevolent force like before.
There's some noise in the background that sounds like my alarm clock.
I don't hate Destiny but it is by far the weakest Dalek story in the classic run. People dump on The Chase which also treated them like jokes but that at least had a touching companion departure and the kickass Daleks vs Mechanoid battle. For me Destiny fails because
- Terry Nation's writing is at its most derivative and while Douglas Adams' humour can work wonders (see the very next story) it feels jarring and unsuited here. Too much silliness.
- Davros is a shell of his past glory. David Gooderson isn't horrendous in the role but he lacks a tenth of Michael Wisher's presence and he's saddled by his predecessor's ill-fitting mask which doesn't help. And as someone who's hot off listening to Big Finish's 'Davros' and the I, Davros series and experiencing how great Davros can be, this portrayal is just pathetic. "Poor Davros" indeed.
- The Movellans. Cool idea but unable to take seriously with those outfits. The Mechanoids may have been hard to understand but they had a much cooler design and felt far more like the Daleks' match. The Daleks are oddly written as logic-driven robots here too for some reason.
- The production quality. It's whiplash comparing the bland quarries and crummily-acted executions here to the atmospheric wastelands and brutal exterminations of Genesis.
Redeeming qualities are the charm of the two leads, Romana's outfit mimicking the Doctor's and the rad Dalek bomber jacket look.
I thought the Movellans were outerspace Ancient Egyptians.
TBH, this is nowhere near my least favourite. I would personally consider The Chase, Death to the Daleks, and Resurrection of the Daleks to be considerably worse than this.
@@Georgie_R Making a Doctor Who story that's intentionally stupid and ridiculous kind of spits in the face of the entire reason I find classic Who so appealing. Plus, so much of it is just a giant waste of time (you can skip episodes 3 and 4 completely and miss basically nothing), and a lot of the "comedy" is less "funny" and more "ungodly irritating".
I call it a mid range story..... enough to keep me engaged. It lacks the power of Genesis and a certain actor is badly missed..... Compared to what we get in later years it's a masterpiece.....
@@Georgie_R To be fair has any post Genesis story bar Colin Baker's one even come close to matching Genesis.... I've seen every Dalek story to date (including the ones that no longer exist on their original transmissions) and Genesis really does sit head and shoulders above them all. Day of the Daleks (the new version) and Remembrance are the only other two that grip me in any way.
Not the worst Dalek story. Better than Death to the Daleks or an upcoming one. All a matter of personal taste. I think it suffers most being the next one after Genesis and the change of actors for Davros, two things out of the control for the script
There's nothing intrinsically wrong with David Gooderson, but the show at this time is not really too concerned about how convincing everything looks and feels. The best thing about the story really is that Director Ken Grieve is doing something with the cameras a lot of the time. You get the low shots and the early steady-cam passes that make a lot of the series around it seem rather static. In fact it's really the props (and, to a large degree, the Movellans) who are static! Even the extras can't bring themselves to fall down without a wry smile.
With the major Doctor Who villains, there is long term continuity.
We should have gotten more stories with the Movellans.
The next story is worth a watch
Next week ⏰🍷🌎
Davros isn't threatening after Genesis of the Daleks - because that story is the only one where he's genuinely and undisputed leader of the Daleks - everything after he's their tool (as shown here & in his New Who appearance), or leading only one Dalek sub-faction (most of the rest of his appearances in Classic Who).
I never understand why so many American reactors always seem to struggle with the pronunciation of "Davros"... I've watched episodes of "Friends" and the vowel sounds required to pronounce the name "Ross" never causes the same issues.
You might be interested in Dr Geoff Lindsey's video on (almost) exactly this topic. In the US, a word like 'cosmos' will tend to be pronounced 'cosMOSE', whereas in the UK it would be 'cosMOSS'.
th-cam.com/video/eFDvAK8Z-Jc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Hx9pdCq8Pvyo9Hhx
Yeah this is probably one of the least popular Dalek stories, especially in the classic series, so it being middle of the road for you is understandable. Personally it's near the bottom of the Dalek stories for me, just kinda bland which is a shame for it being the story to bring back Davros.
This season starts off so strong with Destiny and City.
Shame the season continues after that.
Nightmare is fun, I guess, but the rest of the season is forgettable.
Great reaction, though.
So yeah bit of a ropey story as I said before. As for Davros in this story, Michael Wisher who played Davros in Genesis wasn’t available to play the character so Davros is played by David Gooderson. Honestly he’s Davros is very generic villain, he doesn’t have the same energy that Michael had. Which is a shame because Davros is my favourite Doctor Who villain of all time.
I would not have minded Destiny of the Daleks, had Davros not come back he IMO ruined the concept of the Daleks and the Daleks worked better lead by a supreme Dalek or even a emperor Dalek.
No your right I absolutely agree with you Davros isn't as sinister or threatening in this one, this is Davros played by David Goodersen as original actor Michael Wisher wasn't available at the time also the Davros mask he wore as originally worn by Wisher felt very uncomfortable and tight for Goodersen's face which could also be the reason.
Alot of people don't like this story sure it's not epic or great but it's alot of entertaining fun.
Ah yes, the humble beginnings of the Dalek battle computer. Shame they never revisited it properly in the reboot, the closest them getting resulting in possibly the worst dalek story there has been imho!
This Davros was a different actor from Genesis of the Dalaks. I was never a fan of this actor's portrayal of Davros, probably why this was the only one he did!
Good assessment of the story. It’s perfectly adequate, but no more.
As Davros, David Gooderson is so inferior to Michael Wisher in Genesis that it’s hardly the same character.
The Movellans are a really interesting creation who deserved some more stories
So much fan consensus this is one of the weakest -- or the weakest, really -- of Davros stories. And of course, it's not just the writing. The previous actor and then the next one after this one are both much better. And so is the one from 00s-10s Who. Tom Baker just feels utterly unthreatened too this time. In Genesis, he was quite disturbed and impressed by Davros.
I concur, a mediocre Dalek story at best. It's a different actor playing Davros in this one, which may be one reason you find him less compelling this time out. It also undermines the story for me that the Daleks have been struggling to defeat the Movellans, while the humans beat them in a couple of seconds by (essentially) taking out their batteries.
Hated this new Davros mask looks rubbery story not a patch on genesis worst dalek story for a long time
Actually it was the same mask, but different actor. So the mask didn't fit him.
Not a fan of David Gooderson's Davros. Hard to beat Michael Wisher from Genesis.
Useless trivia. Episode 4 features no incidental music.
How many times do you have to hear the name correctly pronounced as "Dav-ross" before you stop calling him "Dav-rose"? This seems to be a Canadian/'American thing. Stop using this transatlantic abomination. The name is clearly pronounced every time he's on screen, yet you do the same thing on every reaction, "Davrose this, Davrose that".
It's pronounced DAV-ROSS. Always.