The Tertiary Console Room: Review - Dalek Empire II: Dalek War

"The route to victory and peace would not be an easy one…"

It has been just over a year since Project Infinity concluded Nicholas Briggs' epic Dalek Empire series in startling fashion with its heroes either seemingly dead or destined to be converted into the thing they had been fighting, the Daleks. While that had been happening, the Daleks opened a gateway to an alternative universe in the hope of achieving supreme dominion over the galaxy from that universe's Daleks who had already achieved that goal. But the Dalek Emperor had miscalculated and the Alternative Daleks denounced their achievements as the greatest crimes they had ever seen, and with that began the Dalek War…

Chapter One begins intriguingly with a brief snippet of a scene involving Kalendorf and one of the Allied Daleks, the significance of which is never really shown in this instalment, before the thunderous new series theme announces itself powerfully. This is such an imposing piece of music that its ominous rumblings really show that this time, it's war and as such mirrors the tone of the story, reflecting the more intense nature of the conflict between the two Dalek factions with humanity trapped in-between.

While the idea of Dalek versus Dalek is a concept that Doctor Who has examined in several stories, it has never really been done with quite the same scale that Dalek War attempts here. By bringing two equally matched forces but ideologically opposed forces into conflict it has really sent this series into overdrive with a new focus, although this chapter is very much character based, presumably to build a solid foundation for the next three instalments of the series. Chapter One's script is quite cleverly constructed, as while it does raise a lot of questions, the answers to these are not all present here and those that are, are not necessarily answered in linear fashion.

Briggs is conscious of the need to reintroduce the universe of the Dalek Empire, but rather than simply commence the action here immediately after those of Project Infinity, he chooses to leave questions such as how Kalendorf, Alby and Mirana survived their fate on Lopra Minor, he plunges the listener straight into the heart of the battle between the two factions as shown through flashbacks from two characters from the future, reflecting on the nature of Kalendorf's campaign. This allows him to run through some of the earlier events but as Steven Elder and Karen Henson's characters, Siy Tarkov and Saloran Hardew, do not have full access to all of the facts, it is a slightly skewered perception of what really went down. The future scenario presented between these two may also be foreshadowing the end of the Dalek Empire series as the manner in which Tarkov and Hardew certainly raises questions about events that have not yet been presented.

There is also a fairly lengthy scene towards the end of this chapter that sees Mirana explaining the full implications of what has happened in the universe as a whole to Suz, after she has been recovered. While a lot of this is purely exposition, Briggs does it for specific reasons. Firstly because Susan Mendes is one of the most important characters in the story and after what has happened it is important to reiterate her importance but also highlight how six years of sleep in cryo-suspension have affected her, but also to show how the Dalek Emperor's ultimate fate has implications for her. Given that this scene is effectively written, both Sarah Mowat and Teresa Gallagher bring it to life powerfully, particularly in how Mowat conveys Suz's changing emotions and her stunned nature about what has happened.

As the series is called Dalek War, as you would expect, there is plenty of scenes of battle, and this is what occupies Gareth Thomas' Kalendorf for the most part here in his role as Fleet Commander of the Allied forces. He is a very commanding figure as he plots the destruction of the Dalek ships and in these scenes there are strong echoes of the other famous freedom fighter he played, Roj Blake. But the most interesting part of Kalendorf's role in Chapter One is in his meetings with the Mentor, played by Hannah Smith. When she is first introduced, the listener is given no clue as to what she looks like and the fact that there is a great deal of mystery around her helps make her first scene with Kalendorf all the more intriguing as there is an undercurrent of tension and suspicion that passes between both of them and it is not until later in the audio that we discover why. It is almost like Kalendorf and the Mentor are toying with each other, trying to bait each other into revealing their own mutual suspicions. When more details about the Mentor's position in the Allied Daleks is revealed, it's quite surprising yet perfectly plausible given that they are from a parallel dimension and there is definitely a sense that the Mentor will prove influential in the oncoming war. Smith is inspired casting, bringing a subtly to the role that makes her stand out but also hints about hidden motivations and a darker side that she is concealing from her allies.

Of the main characters, it's probably Mark McDonnell's Alby Brook who fares the worst here. McDonnell's performance is as excellent as always, but his involvement is fairly minimal here and bar a couple of flashback sequences he spends almost the whole play isolated from the others, giving him only Ian Brooker's drudger to interact with. The closing of the audio seems to indicate that this detachment will probably not continue into the next play which is promising as Alby's enduring qualities made him one of the most remarkable and likeable characters of the Dalek Empire series and hopefully Briggs' script will build on this here.

If there is anyone who knows what makes the Daleks work properly, then it's Nicholas Briggs as he proves again here as he expands upon the sterling work he did in establishing them as a credible force in the Dalek Empire series. With two factions to fight each other, this becomes more pronounced as we get to discover in what ways the Allied and Enemy Daleks are different from each other and, in an intriguing twist, what ways they are the same. While the Daleks of this universe, the Enemy Daleks, may be on the retreat, there is something quite deadly about how they always seem to have another plan ready for action and the way that they chant 'victory for the Daleks!' over and over at one point here, building in crescendo, makes you think they have a chance of achieving their goal.

The supporting cast members all contribute well to the success of Dalek War Chapter One by giving solid performances. Karen Henson and Steven Elder provide an interesting counterpoint to the drama with their more sedate interludes, examining what has been heard so far and highlighting the different interpretations of these actions, particularly in regard to Kalendorf. Jeremy James and Simon Bridge return in their minor roles as Herrick and Dr Johnstone, both previously appearing in Project Infinity, and Bridge in particular gets to expand his character as the listener gets to discover more about this highly ranking Allied medical officer's philosophy. Ian Brooker also returns as the voice of the drudger, but also gets to play the more substantial part of Marber, who is Mirana's first officer and does so with conviction. Dannie Carr, who is credited as one of the stars of this CD on the packaging, makes only a fleeting cameo here and little can be garnered about her character here.

Briggs' sound design is first rate, giving a real ambience to all the settings with the world of Emeron being particularly impressive. As Briggs has created the sound design for almost all the Big Finish Dalek stories, whether they are Dalek Empire or Doctor Who, there is a great consistency to how they sound at times and this is shown again here with some familiar noises thrown into the soundscape, but with a more progressive emphasis to reflect the more ominous scenario. His Dalek voices are first class as always, both in the effect used to create them and in his delivery, and to adjust for the Allied Dalek faction there is a difference in the modulation that differentiates between them and the Enemy Daleks superbly, whilst at the same time keeping them recognisable as Daleks. The music is fast paced, complimenting the drama well, and tends to veer between subtle melodies and booming roars depending on the action.

Dalek War Chapter One successfully reintroduces the ideas and characters of the Dalek Empire series, whilst going forward into becoming something greater itself. With the battle lines drawn and the line between friend and foe becoming increasingly blurred, Nicholas Briggs has created an intriguing situation for the remainder of the Dalek War series to explore. If the following parts match the quality of the writing and acting displayed in the first chapter, but begins to push the ongoing story forward more, then discovering what twists and turns await the heroes of this series will be something rewarding and worth waiting for.

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