Asylum of the Daleks (Series 7, Episode 1)

Series 7, Episode 1 | 1 part | First broadcast: 1 September 2012 | Writer: Steven Moffat | Director: Nick Hurran

Cast

  • Matt Smith as the Doctor
  • Karen Gillan as Amy Pond
  • Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams
  • Jenna-Louise Coleman as Oswin Oswald

Summary

Captured by the Daleks themselves and forced into an uneasy alliance, the Doctor, along with a now-divorcing Amy and Rory, is sent down to the Asylum, a quarantined planet where the most damaged and insane Daleks in existence are kept hidden away. There they encounter Oswin Oswald, a sharp-witted young woman who has survived alone on the planet for a year, whose true and devastating nature is only revealed at the story’s climax.

Interesting Facts

  • This episode marks Jenna-Louise Coleman’s first appearance in the series, playing a variant of the character who would later become full companion Clara Oswald.
  • The twist that Oswin has, unknown to herself, been fully converted into a Dalek complicates the character’s introduction in a way viewers wouldn’t fully understand for months.
  • The story also resolves the strain in Amy and Rory’s marriage established off-screen since the previous season.
  • The Parliament of the Daleks, seen here for the first time, depicts a more structured and politically organised Dalek hierarchy.

References

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