Nearly 30, Davros is trying to get out of the Kaled Military and into the Scientific Corps, determined to save the Kaled race from extinction.
Nearly 30, Davros is trying to get out of the Kaled Military and into the Scientific Corps, determined to save the Kaled race from extinction.
I, DAVROS: PURITY
I’ve always contended that plot details aren’t necessarily important to the success of a drama, even in the Doctor Who universe, and the latest support of that position comes in the form of the second part of I, Davros. “Purity,” written by “LIVE 34” scribes James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown, is entirely about Davros, about watching his development towards the maniac we’ll eventually meet in “Genesis of the Daleks.” It’s framed in a Kaled mission to investigate new Thal technology, but the details of the mission are irrelevant: we’re here to see how Davros reacts, and what we see is truly disturbing.
Davros’s relentless personality is evident from the beginning. Now approaching thirty, he knows he’s too intelligent to be wasted on weapons testing — indeed, his redesigns, while ignored, are clearly superior — and he has his sights set on a spot in the Science Corps. Crucially, he’s not yet as ruthless as his mother — he’s willing to work with the system and earn his place — which explains why he takes on what sounds suspiciously like a suicide mission in order to achieve his goals. But upon working towards this new goal, he’s as single-minded as ever. Major Brint (scriptwriter Parsons) has this mission as his first command, and he lacks the confidence and authority that often come with experience, trying without success to weigh the lives of his troops against the success of the mission. Davros has no such concerns, and quickly assumes unofficial command — and his brilliance coupled with his natural authority makes the mission remarkably efficient. Even while leading the mission, his scientific goals take top priority: he refuses to abandon the Thal scientific station, so fascinated is he with the automated assembly line. The Varga plants, massacring and transforming his soldiers into monsters, are not a source of fear and revulsion but rather curiosity and excitement.
Back home, we can see how the wartime environment of Skaro changes its people. Yarvell has been working tirelessly as a peace activist, but her principles are finally compromised: she sells out her brother to the Thals. Despite her protests, she’s not naïve enough to think they’d spare him — her response to Davros’s “death” is clearly a facade — and so she, too, has sunk to the level of killing to get what she wants. But Calcula is better at this sort of thing, and the consequences of Yarvell’s actions are ultimately inevitable, if disturbing.
What fascinates me about Davros is how different he is from the other Kaleds. He still refuses to kill without reason — he’s genuinely baffled by Reston’s (Andrew Wisher) desire to die — and he still has a strong faith that family can always be trusted. Yes, he’s single-minded to the point of obsession, totally amoral, and clearly unbalanced, but he’s also an idealist at heart, and it looks like that, combined with his refusal to divert from his goals, is what will really lead to the man who creates the Daleks.
Halfway through the series, I, Davros looks like it could easily be the best of the BF miniseries I’ve reviewed thus far. While not yet the overpowering work of genius I’d been led to expect, it has been excellent, and “Purity” is another fine, highly-recommended production.
8/10