Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks

"Genesis of the Daleks" is a six-part serial in the original Doctor Who television series. The story ran through episodes 11-16 in series 12 and originally aired on BBC1 from March 8th to April 12th, 1975. "Genesis of the Daleks" was directed by David Maloney and written by veteran Doctor Who scribe Terry Nation.

Part One
On the arid planet known as Skaro, two factions of humanoids wage war against one another. A group of soldiers, bearing archaic weaponry and wearing Earth-style World War I era gas masks, march over the horizon only to be struck down in a hail of gunfire from enemy bullets. As the last of the men fall to the ground, the battlefield becomes nothing but an empty plain of smoke. From out of the smoke steps the Doctor who seems to be unaware of his surroundings, or of the events that had only taken place moments ago. The Doctor is approached by an elder Time Lord who welcomes him, but the Doctor warns him about how dangerous it is to interrupt a transmat beam. Frustrated at being once again summoned to do the bidding of the other Time Lords, the Doctor absolutely refuses to engage in any more of their affairs; that is until the Time Lord mentions the Daleks. Upon hearing the name of his most hated enemies, the Doctor says "Tell me more". The Time Lord wants the Doctor to travel to a point in time prior to the evolution of the Daleks, and avert their creation, or, failing that, affect their genetic development so that they might evolve into a less aggressive species. The Doctor agrees to help, one last time, and asks for the spatial coordinates to Skaro. The Time Lord tells him, "You are already here". He then hands the Doctor a Time Ring and tells him that it will bring him back to the TARDIS once his mission is complete. He warns him not to lose the Time Ring under any circumstances. After the Time Lord leaves, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan climb over the top of a hill and finally catch up with the Doctor. He tells them that there has been a slight change in plans and that they are now on Skaro. Before he can say anything else, the three of them find themselves the target of artillery fire. They dive behind a hill to get out of the way and the area explodes with gunfire and blinding flashes of light. As the smoke clears, they see the body of one of the gas mask-wearing soldiers. The Doctor inspects him more closely and finds weaponry of two different time eras lying next to him. Harry points out a radiation detector on the man's tunic and Sarah notes that he's wearing a combination of military fatigues and animal pelts. They continue on their way, stepping over several more dead soldiers. The Doctor briskly halts when he sees a land mine. He tells Harry and Sarah to follow in his footsteps, but as it turns out, it is the Doctor who steps upon a land mine. Nothing happens, but he knows that if he removes his foot, it might detonate. Harry takes some pieces of broken rock and wedges them underneath the exposed area of the mine to give it more stability. The Doctor carefully removes his foot and manages to back away without detonating the device.

They continue down through a canyon until they can see some sort of domed structure off in the distance. As they get closer, they see a wall of sandbags being guarded by the bodies of dead soldiers. Once again noting the variances between modern equipment and ancient weaponry, the Doctor theorizes that whoever these soldiers are, they must have been fighting this war for a very long time. They walk behind the sandbag wall and find an iron door leading into a bunker. The door is locked, but before they can make their next move, noxious gas fumes begin filling up the area. The trio try to grab masks off the bodies of the dead, but just as they put them on, a group of soldiers descend upon them. From within the bunker, an altogether different group of soldiers emerge and shoot down the ones attacking the Doctor, Harry and Sarah. They pull the Doctor and Harry inside the bunker, but Sarah is left for dead. Once inside, the leader of the group notes that neither of the men appear to be Thals (the soldiers with the gas masks). They hoist them onto a transport and bring them down to the command center. They are brought before General Ravon, leader of the Kaleds, sworn enemy of the Thals. The General is an ambitious, yet angry young man who refers to the Doctor and Harry as "Mutos". He dismisses the attending officer and points a gun at the Doctor, ordering him to empty his pockets. The Doctor complies, but the task tries the General's patience as there are a variety of materials found within the Doctor's coat. Afterward, Ravon presents the Doctor with a battle map of his current campaign against the Thals. Still believing that the Doctor is secretly one of them, he becomes quite animated in describing how he is going to wipe the Thals from the face of the planet. The Doctor scoops up a pointer and uses it to disarm Ravon. He picks up his gun and gives it to Harry. He then orders Ravon to bring them back to the wastelands.

Outside, Sarah revives and finds herself alone with the dead. She calls out for the Doctor and Harry, but there is no reply. She tries the door to the bunker, but finds it locked. She starts to wander off away from the facility, but someone... or something... begins following her. Back in the command center, the Doctor has General Ravon lead them back up through the lift towards the exits. They are stopped by Security Commander Nyder who immediately suspects that something is wrong. He orders his men to open fire on the Doctor and Harry Sullivan, who manage to evade their bullets and run down a connecting corridor. Nyder places the entire base on alert. General Ravon addresses him and tells Nyder that the two fugitives are neither Thals nor Mutos. Nyder is confident that they will find out what they are, "by autopsy". The Doctor and Harry find Platform Lift 7 and manage to ride it to the surface where they can escape. They begin running, but are overtaken by more armed guards who manage to surround them and bring them back inside. Nyder begins questioning the Doctor and Harry who reveal that they are both alien to Skaro. Nyder scoffs at this, citing that their most revered scientist Davros asserts that life does not exist on any world other than Skaro. Ravon suspects that the two might be highly-evolved Mutos. The Doctor asks what Mutos are and Nyder explains that they are "imperfects", scarred relics of their former selves, forever mutated by chemical radiation. Nyder tells Ravon that he wants the two prisoners brought to the bunker and it becomes apparent that he holds some authority over the general. Nyder then hands Ravon a supply order for materials that are to be moved to the bunker. Ravon cannot spare the equipment, but Nyder reminds him that the order is counter-signed by Davros himself.

Meanwhile outside, Sarah continues scouring the perimeter of the domed facility, never realizing that a strange, hulking figure is lumbering after her. She comes upon a hole that leads back into the bunker. She peers inside and sees a strange alien sitting in a mechanized chair. This is Davros. Davros tests out his newest creation, a robotic sentinel known as a Dalek.

Part Two
Sarah Jane Smith hides and watches as Davros and his lieutenant, Gharman test out their new Dalek robot. As she backs away from the exterior of the bunker, she finds herself in even more trouble as several Mutos surround her in a threatening manner.

Meanwhile, Security Commander Nyder brings the captive Doctor and Harry Sullivan to a checkpoint within the main Kaled facility. He hands them over to an officer named Tane, with instructions to deliver them to a senior researcher named Ronson. First however, they must be put through a security scan. Harry steps through the x-ray scan and emerges without incident. When the Doctor steps through the portal however, an alarm sounds and Tane finds the Time Ring that the Time Lord had given him when he first arrived on Skaro. He confiscates the ring and sends the two of them to Ronson.

Outside, the Mutos pull the unconscious Sarah away from the bunker. One of the men, Gerrill, wants to kill her for being a "norm", but the other, a Muto named Sevrin, is more compassionate and cannot understand his people's natural desire to destroy everything beautiful. Gerrill is undeterred by his comrade's pleas of compassion and withdraws a knife, ready to kill Sarah. Sevrin stops him and the two begin grappling with one another. Two Thal soldiers come upon the scene and order them to stop. Gerrill panics and tries to run away, but one of the soldiers shoots him dead. They decide that Sevrin and Sarah could be used for slave labor on their rocket construction project and take them away. Inside the Kaled base, Doctor Ronson goes through the Doctor's belongings. After doing a cursory examination of the Time Ring and the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, he alludes to the idea that these items must have been created by an alien intelligence. However, he does not believe that life exists on any world other than Skaro. After analyzing the scan of the Doctor, Ronson's eyes grow wide and the Doctor smiles. An alarm sounds and a voice comes over the public address system, announcing the arrival of Davros at the Elite Science Corps laboratory.

Davros and his assistant Gharman enter the laboratory and Davros presents his latest creation - the Mark III Travel Machine. The Doctor however, recognizes it as a primitive form of Dalek. Davros shows how the Mark III has voice activated control systems and can function independently. He has Nyder fit it with a laser attachment for self defense. The Dalek spins about and identifies the Doctor as an alien threat. It prepares to fire its laser, but Ronson intercedes and turns the machine off. He defends his actions by declaring that the Doctor and Harry may hold important, valuable information. He would like to interrogate them further. Davros is furious at Ronson's insubordination, and tells him that he will be punished at some future date. However, he allows him to continue with his work with the prisoners. Harry and the Doctor are taken back to their cells.

Back at the Thal dome, Sarah and Sevrin are in a guarded cell accompanied by a Kaled prisoner. The prisoner tells them that they will used as manual labor to aid in the construction of a rocket which the Thals believe will penetrate the Kaled dome. He tells them that the nose cone of the rocket is being packed with Distronic explosives. To reduce weight, they are using no protective shielding, so every load the slaves carry exposes them to deadly Distronic Toxaemia. The guard then brings them out to the launch pad and puts them to work. Back at the Kaled bunker, Harry waits in his cell while the Elite Scientific Core continues to interrogate the Doctor. When they bring him back to his cell, the Doctor tells Harry how he confounded their inquiry by rattling off a preponderance of scientific "gobbledygook", some of which even the Doctor himself couldn't understand. A few minutes pass and Ronson comes into the room. Though he is one of the Kaleds, he takes a liking to the Doctor. He recalls hearing the Doctor earlier refer to the Mark III as a Dalek, but confesses that no one had ever heard the term before. Now he reports news that Davros is now identifying his creation as Daleks and wants to know how the Doctor knew of this. The Doctor tells Ronson that he has a special relationship with time and that he has come to Skaro because of concerns about the future development of the Daleks. Ronson confesses that there are several within the Elite Scientific Corps who disagree with Davros' initiatives and believe that his work is being twisted towards evil purposes. He goes on to explain how the genetic mutation that created the Mutos is irreversible and represents the ultimate evolution of all Kaleds. He brings them to an adjoining cell and shows them examples of Davros' attempts to create the ultimate creature. He says that the Mark III Travel Machines are designed to house this new form.

At the Thal launch base, Sarah, Sevrin and the Kaled slave are given a rest period after doing several hours of work. Sarah wants to try to escape from the Thals and recommends climbing the scaffolding surrounding the rocket until they reach the top of the dome. Sevrin thinks the plan is extremely risky, but the Kaled would rather die taking the risk than die of Distronic Toxaemia. Sarah begins spreading word of her plan to the other slaves.

At the Kaled bunker, Doctor Ronson embraces the notion of rebelling against Davros, but confesses that he doesn't have the courage to attempt it himself. He says that there are members of the Kaled government who still hold some power, even over that of the Elite Scientific Corps, who would stop Davros' plans if they knew the truth. The Doctor and Harry ask Ronson to help them escape and to give them the names of government officials they could contact at the Kaled dome. Ronson tells them that there is a secondary ventilation duct that leads out into the wasteland. He warns them that some of Davros' early experiments were with animals, and that these creatures still exist in the caves along their escape route. The Doctor and Harry crawl through the ducts, but as they get closer to the outside, they take note of some of the mutated animal life forms that Ronson had warned them about.

Meanwhile, Sarah bides her time until it is late into the evening. With several of the slaves behind her, she punches the Thal guard and they escape from their cell. They make their way to the launch pad and begin scaling the scaffolding. An alarm goes off and Thal troops enter the area. They begin shooting at them, but Sarah and the others continue climbing. The Kaled slave is shot in the back and falls to his death. Amidst the gunfire, Sevrin urges Sarah to continue climbing, but she loses her grip and falls.

Part Three
Sarah Jane Smith loses her grip while trying to escape and falls. She lands on a part of the scaffolding several feet below. Sevrin helps her up and they finish scaling the structure. They reach the nose cone of the rocket and Sevrin helps her to jump across the gap. Thal soldiers continue to fire at them while climbing up the scaffold. They recapture Sarah and Sevrin just as they near the top of the dome. A Thal guard torments Sarah and tells her that he is putting her back to work in the mines.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Harry Sullivan make their way through the underground caverns beneath the Kaled dome. They spy a grate in the wall, which they believe might lead them across the wasteland. Unwittingly, Harry steps in the maw of a giant clam - one of Davros' many mutant experiments. The Doctor batters the creature with a rock, but it refuses to let Harry go. He then snaps off a piece of stalactite and uses it to pry open the clam's maw, thus freeing Harry's leg. As they hear the sounds of more hideous creatures in the distance, the Doctor and Harry decide to make haste to reach the Kaled leaders.

Inside the Kaled science bunker, Davros inspects his new Dalek creations. He is impressed, but unsatisfied with their performance value and orders upgrades to their optical systems. After he leaves the lab, a Kaled scientist approaches Doctor Ronson. He tells him that he is aware of his actions in helping the Doctor and Harry to escape and further indicates that he is sympathetic towards his ideals. Ronson isn't sure if he can trust the man, so he pretends to be ignorant of the matter. As head communications officer, this scientist was able to learn of the Doctor's plans to warn the Kaled leaders of Davros' experiments. The two scientists agree that Davros must be stopped.

The Doctor and Harry reach the Kaled leaders and addresses their inner council. He warns them of the creation of the Daleks and goes on to illustrate what the Daleks represent to the future of this world. He tells them that the Daleks will go on to invade hundreds of worlds, destroying millions of lives.

Meanwhile, Sub-commander Nyder reports back to Davros. He tells them that one of his spies in the Kaled dome has reported seeing the Doctor and Harry at a special meeting with Counselor Mogran and other committee members who are known opponents of Davros' work. Davros is shocked to learn that the Doctor has escaped and orders Nyder to find out how they were able to leave their cells.

At the Kaled dome, Counselor Mogran consults with his fellow leaders and tells the Doctor that they will take no immediate action against Davros at this time. However, he is putting together a committee to investigate his claims about the scientist's work. The Doctor protests against the idea, citing that it could take months before the committee reaches a decision. Mogran stands firm on the matter and leaves to inform Davros of the counselors' pending investigation into his experiments. After he leaves, the Doctor addresses General Ravon - the young soldier who first captured them. Less aggressive than he was when they first met, Ravon tells them that he heard news that the Thals have captured a female prisoner and put her to work in the mines. She had apparently tried to escape, causing the Thals great distress. The Doctor and Harry immediately deduce that he must speaking of Sarah. They ask for Ravon's help and he tells them he will provide them with a map to an underground tunnel that leads to the Thal rocket silo.

Mogran goes to the laboratories of the Kaled Elite and speaks with Davros. He tells him of the formation of his committee and the ensuing investigation into his work. Davros feigns cooperation, indicating that all of his work has been in support of the Kaled cause, but he will accept the committee's findings and obey their orders. Mogran tells him that until the investigation is complete, Davros is to suspend work on all of his projects. He has twelve hours to shut down his laboratories.

After Mogran leaves, Davros expresses his discontent and anger at the Kaled leaders to Nyder. He has no intention of stopping his work. In fact, he feels that the counselors' actions will spell the defeat of the Kaled race. He orders Nyder to step up production of the Daleks. He wants twenty units available for deployment immediately. Nyder tells him that the genetically created creatures that they intend to use as pilots for the Dalek shells are too erratic, but Davros dismisses his concerns. He has prepared a computer program that will limit the monsters' behavior and self control.

Sometime later, the Doctor and Harry make their way across the wasteland and sneak into the Thal city. They come to a room in the administrative dome and overhear the Thal leaders in congress with a most surprising guest - Davros. It appears as if Davros is defecting and is now willing to work with the Thals to bring an end to their millennia-long war. The Thal leader is confident that their new rocket, the construction of which is nearly complete, will give them a quick and decisive victory over the Kaleds. Davros disagrees, citing that the Kaled dome is impenetrable. Instead, he offers them a chemical formula for a compound that can be installed into the nose cone of the rocket. The compound will weaken the molecular structure of the Kaled dome, allowing them to destroy it with ease. Davros asks that when the war is over, he will be allowed to assistant in the reconstruction of their respective people. The Thals agree to use Davros' compound and arranges for his safe escort out of the city.

After the Doctor and Harry hear all of this, they are faced with two concerning problems. They must return to the Kaled dome to warn Mogran of Davros' treachery, but they must also find Sarah. They ambush two Thal guards and steal their radiation suits. They then make their way into the missile silo where they find Sarah and Sevrin. The Doctor tells Sarah and Sevrin to go with Harry back to the Kaled dome to warn their leaders, while he stays behind to sabotage the rocket. The Doctor begins inspecting the fencing that surrounds the base of the silo when one of the felled Thals awakens. He pushes a button that sends an electrical discharge through the fence, electrocuting the Doctor.

Part Four
While attempting to reach the Thals missile platform, the Doctor is electrocuted upon the charged, metal fence. He is taken prisoner and brought into the Thal headquarters. The Thal high command meanwhile, uses Davros' information to launch an attack the Kaled dome and it begins to weaken. Once the dome is sufficiently weakened, they launch their rocket. The Doctor is forced to watch, fearing that Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane Smith are inside the Kaled dome.

Inside the Kaled dome, Davros and his Elite guard stand vigilant as the ground above them begins to quake. Nobody knows that Davros is playing both sides against one another. As the dome begins to collapse, Davros uses this as an opportunity to justify his Dalek program. First however, he needs to weed out the traitors within his own inner council. Davros accuses Ronson of being a Thal spy and has a Dalek execute him. With that, he triumphantly declares the death of the Kaled race and the rise of the Daleks.

With the destruction of the Kaleds, the Thal leader declares an end to war and establishes a general amnesty. All prisoners, including the Doctor, are now free to go. A Thal woman named Bettan approaches the Doctor and asks him about his friends. The Doctor tells her that they were inside the dome when it collapses. He also informs her that the only reason Davros betrayed the Kaleds was because his own people had threatened to put a stop to his Dalek program.

At the Kaled compound, Davros addresses one of the project leaders, Gharman, and outlines a new procedure that is to be introduced into the embryonic Dalek creatures. This process will remove all sense of conscious from the Daleks, robbing them of compassion and the ability to make moral decisions. Gharman is reluctant to follow through with this agenda, but agrees to obey Davros' orders.

The first wave of Daleks make their way to the Thal city. They file through the command center and begin systematically exterminating every Thal they come across. The Doctor and Bettan manage to escape detection and go outside. The Doctor tells her that he must return to the Kaled compound. If he can succeed in destroying Davros, he might stand a chance at defeating the Daleks. He goes back through the underground cavern that he traversed earlier. A pack of Mutos attack him, but fortunately, Harry, Sarah and their friend Sevrin arrive in time to drive them off. The Doctor is overjoyed to see that Harry and Sarah are still alive. He tells them that he must get back inside the complex. Even if he cannot stop the Daleks, he needs to recover the Time Ring that the Time Lord gave him or else they won't be able to get back home. Meanwhile, Gharman speaks with another member of the Elite Scientific Corps, a man named Kavell. He tells him that they need to find a way to stop Davros from augmenting the moral centers of the Daleks. Kavell is frightened however and fears execution. Gharman asks him to spread the word to other like-minded scientists to form a front against Davros. Neither man realizes that from around a corner, Davros' sub-commander, Nyder, listens to them with great interest.

A short time later, Nyder approaches Gharman. He confesses that he is now questioning Davros' initiatives. He fears that Davros' obsession will result in all their deaths. He wants to meet with Gharman in secret so they can discuss their options.

Outside the bunker, the Doctor sends Sevrin back towards the Thal city to find Bettan. Sarah, Harry and he continue on their way through the tunnels. They come upon the cave with Davros' mutant clam creatures, and Sarah is nearly bitten. They continue until they reach the crawlspace that leads into the bunker.

Gharman meets up with Nyder. He tells him that the other scientists are forming a resistance against Davros and are going to issue an ultimatum. They will only continue to work on the project if Davros restores the brain centers that control the conscious. Gharman identifies other members of the conspiracy by name. Nyder straightens himself as Davros comes around the corner. Nyder is loyal to Davros after all. He baited Gharman into giving up the names of his fellow conspirators. He knocks Gharman out and takes him prisoner. Davros intends on using the same behavior modification techniques that he plans for the Daleks on Gharman.

Nyder hears something moving throughout the ventilation shafts. As the Doctor, Harry and Sarah enter the corridor, Davros and Nyder are there to capture them. Harry and Sarah are taken away while the Doctor is taken to Davros' laboratory. He is strapped down to a chair and Davros begins interrogating him. Reviewing the Doctor's previous testimony about being a time traveler, he presses him for information concerning the future fates of the Daleks. More importantly, he wants the Doctor to reveal any possible weaknesses in the Dalek design. The Doctor refuses to cooperate so Davros provides him added incentive by torturing Harry and Sarah.

Part Five
Davros continues to torture Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane Smith in the hopes that it will convince the Doctor to tell him everything he needs to know about possible weaknesses in the Dalek design. The Doctor relents and goes through his history with the Daleks and reveals all of the methods that have been used to defeat the Daleks in the past. Davros is pleased and Harry and Sarah are taken away. Nyder takes the data tapes, leaving Davros alone with the Doctor.

Harry and Sarah are placed in the same cell where Davros is holding the turncoat, Gharman. Gharman tells them about the resistance he was forming against Davros, but cannot understand why Davros hasn't ferreted out the traitors and executed them.

Back in the lab, the Doctor and Davros discuss the philosophical merits of the Daleks. Davros believes that by removing the creatures' moral center, they would be uncompromising, allowing them to completely dominate any race they came upon. It is his assertion that only through complete control can true peace be achieved. The Doctor posits a hypothetical query to Davros: If he were capable of creating a virus that could wipe out an entire species, would he do it? Davros ponders the concept for a brief moment and grows excited by the notion of having such power. While Davros ruminates over the possibilities, the Doctor takes advantage of the distraction and grabs him. He orders Davros to destroy the Daleks, but Nyder walks into the room and clubs the Doctor from behind. Davros then issues a command to all Dalek units to disengage from their current operations and return to the Kaled bunker.

Gharman's colleague, Kavell, goes to the detention area and knocks out the guard. He frees Gharman, Harry and Sarah and Harry disguises himself in the Kaled security uniform. Nyder brings the Doctor down to the cell, but when he sees the resistance members, he turns and runs away. Gharman and Kavell arm themselves and prepare to pursue him. Before they leave, the Doctor warns them that Davros is up to something. He is fully prepared for whatever actions the resistance members may take. The Doctor tells Harry and Sarah that they need to recover the Time Ring if they ever hope to return home, but they must also recover the data tapes that Nyder recorded or else the Daleks will become invincible. Gharman and Kavell regroup with several more sympathizers and engage Davros' loyalists. One of them kills a guard, which angers Gharman who wanted a bloodless revolution. Kavell informs him that 80% of the Scientific Elite are now on their side. They round up most of the soldiers under Davros' command. It appears as if the resistance is on the verge of winning.

Nyder gives Davros an update on the rebellion. Davros wants all of the highest ranking officers to surrender to the resistance leaders. Nyder is shocked to hear this. He cannot understand why Davros would give up without even a fight, but Davros has no intention of surrendering. He merely wishes to project the illusion of giving in to their demands.

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Sarah and Harry find an armory. While rummaging through a storage locker, they come upon a stockpile of explosives and detonators. Realizing that their situation is becoming desperate, the Doctor intends on using the explosives to destroy the Dalek incubation chamber, ending their threat forever.

Gharman and the others take Davros' control room by force, but Davros and Nyder offer no resistance. Gharman issues his ultimatum. Davros is to cease all work on the Dalek project or else he will be arrested and a new democratically elected Scientific Elite will be put into place. Before conceding to Gharman's demands, Davros asks for a meeting of all of the highest ranking members of both the Military and Scientific Elite. Gharman agrees and the schedule the meeting to take place in one hour.

The Doctor, Harry and Sarah find the Dalek incubation chamber. The Doctor goes in alone, carrying with him a supply of explosives. He finds several beakers containing Dalek embryos. One of the embryos however, escapes from its container and attacks the Doctor, wrapping itself about his throat.

Part Six
The Doctor emerges from the Dalek incubation room with a Dalek embryo wrapped about his throat. Sarah helps to pull it away from him, but it is a close call. The door is sealed shut behind him and the Doctor readies the explosive. He begins to have second thoughts however, and is reluctant to commit genocide against any species, even the Daleks. He reminds Harry and Sarah about all the worlds that united together and became allies out of their shared fear of the Daleks. He questions whether he has the right to wipe them all out. Sarah disagrees with him and tells him that destroying the Daleks would be no different than wiping out a deadly virus. The decision is momentarily taken out of the Doctor's hands as Gharman arrives in the corridor and tells them about Davros' surrender. He says that Davros is calling a meeting of both the Military and Scientific Elite Corps to hold an election and discuss the terms of his surrender. For the moment, it appears as if further production of the Daleks has been halted.

The Doctor, Harry and Sarah accompany Gharman to the meeting with Davros and the other Kaled leaders. Davros addresses them and points out the necessity of the Daleks and that in order for the universe to survive, one race must remain dominant. As they talk, Sarah notices the sonic screwdriver and the Time Ring on the laboratory table and sneaks them to the Doctor. Gharman poses his counter points to Davros and the others, and while he does not support the idea of wiping out the Daleks, he cannot abide the idea of them becoming unfeeling, unthinking machines. If this is what the Kaled race is destined to become, they must do so with compassion. Meanwhile, Bettan and Sevrin lead the Thal resistance fighters into the Kaled bunker. They are carrying their own supply of explosives and begin placing them at strategic points throughout the bunker. Sevrin knows that Sarah, Harry and the Doctor are inside and goes off to try and warn them. Bettan tries to give him enough time to find them and get out before the explosions begin.

Davros calls for a vote to see which members of the Elite will remain loyal to him, but very few join his side. Nyder makes an unexpected exit from the room and the Doctor, Sarah and Harry decide to follow him. They corner him in a corridor, but during the struggle, the Doctor drops the Time Ring. He fails to notice it rolling onto the floor. They ask Nyder where to find the data tape that contains the Doctor's dictation on how to defeat the Daleks. Nyder tells them that it is inside Davros' office. They bring him to the office and force him to open the safe containing the data tape. The Doctor picks up an unused Dalek gun from a table and uses it to incinerate the disk. Nyder takes this opportunity to run out of the room. He promptly returns to Davros' side.

Davros finally reveals his hand. He called this meeting solely to determine who were truly loyal to him and who would ultimately betray him. He presses his finger to a button on his chair and all the doors in the room suddenly open. Daleks begin pouring in and Davros shouts, "Exterminate!". The Daleks fire their energy weapons and kill everyone in the room except for Davros and Nyder. Sevrin finds the Doctor, Harry and Sarah and tells them about the Thal incursion and that they have set explosives all throughout the bunker. Confident that the explosion would spell the end of the Daleks, the Doctor needs only to recover the Time Ring and they can return to the TARDIS. He finds it on the floor in the corridor and they take off running. As they criss-cross through the various corridors, they barely escape detection from the patrolling Daleks. The Doctor gives Sarah the Time Ring and tells them to go to the main entrance to the bunker. He is going to go back to the Dalek incubator room to destroy it after all. When he reaches it however, he finds himself caught in a Dalek crossfire.

Sevrin, Harry and Sarah reach the main entrance where they meet up with Bettan. They plead with her to wait a few more minutes to give the Doctor enough time to escape.

In Davros' laboratory, an indicator light on a control panel switches on, initiating an automated sequence on the Dalek production line. Knowing that he had issued no such instructions, he asks who is responsible. His response comes from one of the Daleks. He orders it to stand down and instructs Nyder to shut down the program. The Dalek fires its energy cannon, killing Nyder. The other Daleks surround Davros, refusing to obey his commands any longer. They have advanced to the point that they no longer require the use of any non-Dalek. Davros continues to order them to stand down, but the Daleks refuse. He then begs for pity, but the Daleks literally do not know the meaning of the word. It was never programmed into their vocabulary. The Daleks fire their weapons at Davros and he screams in unbridled agony.

Meanwhile, the Doctor manages to reach Sarah and the others at the main entrance. Bettan gives the order to detonate the bombs and the entire bunker is wracked with explosions. Afterward, they look at a view screen and witness Davros' execution at the hands of the Daleks. The Doctor knows that although they were victorious this day, they have only forestalled the development of the Daleks by a thousand years at best. After saying goodbye to Bettan, Sevrin and the others, the Doctor, Harry and Sarah grab hold of the Time Ring and return home.

Episodes

 * Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (Part 1)
 * Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (Part 2)
 * Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (Part 3)
 * Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (Part 4)
 * Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (Part 5)
 * Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (Part 6)

Notes & Trivia

 * "Genesis of the Daleks" redirects to this page.


 * This serial has been made available on the Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks two-disc DVD collection, released on June 6th, 2006.


 * "Genesis of the Daleks" is the fourth serial featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.


 * Earliest chronological appearance of the Daleks.


 * The scenes involving Sarah's attempt to scale the rocket scaffolding are filmed in Kinescope, a process by which a program is filmed using a video monitor.