This is why RTD didn't like Davros, and made him their slave/pet in his Davros story -- because he's always felt his presence weakens the Daleks. I think he's right. Like, I'm hoping next week it's a similar situation, where they're keeping Davros around because he created them and because he's a useful intelligent asset, but they're not at his whim. I got that impression from the "I created them, I do not control them," line, but then in the preview for next week there's a Dalek screaming Praise Davros, so I hope it doesn't go down that route.
Ratings are grim. Weirdly, in their continual frenzied search for impartiality, BBC News is shitting on the show and saying millions have "deserted" the series:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34307519
I haven't watched the preview for next week, but that was a theme in the old show as well. Usually Davros was used as someone the Daleks could use because of his intelligence, but because he's not a Dalek himself the Daleks will always try and kill him in the end - which is something Davros seems rather proud of himself, in his own demented way.
I was talking with my girlfriend about the episode from last night, because I had to explain quite some things. She has seen a couple of random Tennant and Smith episodes, but only started following the series properly with Capaldi, and didn't need much of an explanation during that entire first season. From what I remember, all I had to explain was the basic premise of the Doctor (regeneration, what the Tardis is, what the deal with Gallifrey is), who the Daleks are (arch-enemies, evil nazi-monsters in tanks from outer space), who the Cybermen are (aliens who upgraded themselves and lost all emotion), and who the Master is (Moriarty). All very easy explanations, and she could easily follow all of it. The most difficult thing to get her head around was the Paternoster gang (I just settled on 'alien detectives living in Victorian London who are friends of the Doctor - I don't think my history lesson on Sontarans and Silurians stuck), but that didn't matter too much for the story in the end.
This story was very different though. I watched it with her and two friends who were also pretty heavily into the show (we all have seen quite some classic Who at this point), and I could tell a lot in this story didn't make as much of an impact on her, and it was hard for her to pay attention because she figured almost everything was a reference to something from the past. She could only enjoy the early Unit/Middle Ages-scenes, because she felt left out by all the rest of it. Pretty interesting, and watching this show with her always makes it obvious to me how difficult it is to write something like this for both fans and newcomers. Before I talked to her about it I saw it as an episode that, while steeped in history, would be easy enough to understand for newcomers because all the important characters and events are explained, but apparently not. I don't mean to say that they should stop doing these overly fanwanky episodes, but it might not be in the best interest of the show to do it at the very start of a season?
I have to say that she's rewatching it now, after I explained a bit more about what was actually going on and showing her a couple of clips from Genesis, and she's enjoying it a lot more now. But I don't think most of the casual fans would do that. She's a keeper for actually putting effort into liking this crazy thing I like though, even though it means I have to watch British Bake Off every week. She actually got the joke about the three versions of Atlantis because I mentioned that once, so that makes it all worth it.
One day I'll have my own version of wifeinspace.com with her. A man can dream.
