Daleks manipulate Susan’s departure
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
A Dalek arrives, bringing food and water, and announces that Susan must accompany it, claiming she will be returned and that the Daleks intend to help the Thals.
Following Susan's departure with the Dalek, the Doctor questions the Daleks' motives for taking Susan, while Ian expresses suspicion about the Daleks' knowledge of their desire to aid the Thals.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Anxious and protective, with a growing sense of unease about the Daleks’ true intentions.
Barbara accepts the food and water from the Dalek, her concern for Susan evident in her question, ‘Well, what are they going to do to her?’ Her voice is laced with worry, and her actions—taking the provisions—are pragmatic but tinged with unease. She serves as the group’s emotional anchor, voicing the fear that Susan might be harmed. Her acceptance of the Daleks’ gifts is reluctant, reflecting her distrust of their motives.
- • To ensure Susan’s safety and well-being, even if it means accepting the Daleks’ provisions.
- • To maintain the group’s cohesion amid the Daleks’ manipulation.
- • That the Daleks’ gifts are a trap or a means of control, not genuine acts of kindness.
- • That Susan is in immediate danger, and the group must act carefully to protect her.
Righteously indignant and deeply suspicious, with a simmering anger at the Daleks’ psychological tactics.
Ian challenges Dalek 1 directly with ‘Why?’ and later exposes the Daleks’ surveillance with ‘How do they know we want to help the Thals?’ His tone is sharp and accusatory, positioning him as the group’s skeptic. Physically, he is alert and confrontational, his body language tense as he grapples with the Daleks’ manipulation. His questions force the group—and the audience—to confront the Daleks’ omniscience and control.
- • To expose the Daleks’ deception and protect Susan from being used as a pawn.
- • To rally the group’s distrust of the Daleks and prevent further compliance with their demands.
- • That the Daleks’ offer of food and water is a bribe to gain their cooperation.
- • That the Daleks have been monitoring their conversations and plans, violating their privacy.
Resigned detachment with underlying vulnerability, masking a sense of being used as a tool by the Daleks.
Susan stands passively as Dalek 1 demands her departure, her voice barely above a whisper as she assures the group, ‘It’s all right.’ Her compliance is unsettling, suggesting a growing sense of resignation or manipulation. Physically, she is the focal point of the Daleks’ attention, her role as the ‘girl’ reducing her to a pawn in their game. Her lack of resistance contrasts sharply with the group’s growing unease, hinting at her isolation and the Daleks’ psychological grip on her.
- • To comply with the Daleks’ demands to avoid immediate conflict or harm to the group.
- • To maintain a facade of control or cooperation, possibly to protect her grandfather and friends.
- • That resistance would be futile or dangerous in this moment.
- • That the Daleks’ offer to help the Thals might be genuine, despite the group’s suspicions.
Confused and disoriented, with a deep sense of protective frustration at being unable to intervene.
The Doctor is visibly bewildered, his confusion evident in his plea, ‘I can’t understand. Why have they taken Susan?’ He remains seated, his posture suggesting helplessness in the face of the Daleks’ sudden action. His emotional reaction underscores the group’s vulnerability and the Daleks’ ability to exploit their bonds. The Doctor’s usual authority is stripped away, leaving him reactive rather than proactive.
- • To understand the Daleks’ motives and ensure Susan’s safety.
- • To regain control of the situation, though his options are severely limited.
- • That the Daleks’ actions are driven by a hidden agenda beyond mere cooperation with the Thals.
- • That Susan is being used as leverage, and her compliance is not entirely voluntary.
Coldly calculating and dominant, deriving satisfaction from the group’s confusion and compliance.
Dalek 1 dominates the scene, its metallic voice delivering demands with cold authority. It offers food and water as a calculated gesture, masking its true intent—to separate Susan from the group and exploit her as a pawn. Its response to Ian’s challenge, ‘We are going to help the Thals, which is what you want us to do,’ is a masterclass in manipulation, twisting the group’s altruistic goals into a justification for compliance. The Dalek’s presence is oppressive, its control over the situation absolute as it enforces Susan’s departure and slams the door shut.
- • To isolate Susan from the group, using her as leverage to control the others.
- • To exploit the group’s desperation and altruism, turning their desire to help the Thals into a tool for Dalek dominance.
- • That the prisoners’ bonds can be weaponized to achieve Dalek objectives.
- • That the Thals’ desperation and the group’s moral compass will lead them into a trap.
Neutral and unquestioning, fully aligned with Dalek 1’s objectives and authority.
The subordinate Dalek (pepperpot) enters silently alongside Dalek 1, bearing the food and water. It acts as an extension of Dalek 1’s authority, its presence reinforcing the Daleks’ collective power. Though it does not speak, its role as a silent enforcer underscores the Daleks’ unity and control. Its physical proximity to Dalek 1 suggests a hierarchical relationship, where Dalek 1 is the strategist and the subordinate is the executor.
- • To support Dalek 1’s commands without question, ensuring the smooth execution of their plan.
- • To reinforce the Daleks’ collective dominance through silent, imposing presence.
- • That obedience to Dalek 1 is absolute and non-negotiable.
- • That the prisoners’ compliance is inevitable given their vulnerable state.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Dalek detention cell door is a formidable barrier, its unyielding metal surface a constant reminder of the prisoners’ captivity. It opens abruptly to admit the Daleks, who deliver their demands with cold authority. The door’s closure after Susan’s departure is a final, ominous punctuation, sealing her fate and trapping the remaining prisoners in a state of heightened uncertainty. The door is not just a physical obstacle; it is a symbol of the Daleks’ absolute control, reinforcing the group’s helplessness and the Daleks’ ability to isolate and manipulate them at will.
The Dalek-provided water is a critical object in this event, serving as both a physical necessity and a psychological tool. It is offered by Dalek 1 as part of a calculated gesture, timed to coincide with the demand for Susan’s departure. Barbara accepts it, her pragmatic nature overriding her distrust. The water symbolizes the Daleks’ manipulation—an apparent act of mercy that is, in reality, a means to exploit the group’s desperation. Its presence in the cell underscores the Daleks’ control over even basic needs, turning survival into a bargaining chip. The water is a tangible reminder of the group’s vulnerability and the Daleks’ ability to withhold or grant essentials as they see fit.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Dalek detention cell is a claustrophobic and oppressive space, its harsh metal walls amplifying the prisoners’ physical and psychological vulnerability. The cell is the stage for the Daleks’ calculated manipulation, where even basic needs like food and water are weaponized. The abrupt opening of the door to admit the Daleks disrupts the group’s fragile sense of security, and the subsequent closure after Susan’s departure leaves the remaining prisoners trapped in a state of heightened uncertainty. The cell’s atmosphere is one of tension and despair, where every request for sustenance or information is met with the Daleks’ cold calculation. The cell is not just a prison; it is a tool for breaking the group’s spirit and asserting the Daleks’ dominance.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Thals are indirectly involved in this event through the Daleks’ manipulation of the group’s desire to help them. The Daleks use the Thals as a bargaining chip, claiming they will assist them as a pretext for taking Susan. This indirect involvement highlights the Thals’ desperate situation and the Daleks’ willingness to exploit it. The group’s altruistic goals are twisted into a tool for Dalek control, revealing the Thals’ vulnerability and the Daleks’ ability to manipulate even those not physically present in the scene. The Thals’ plight is a constant undercurrent, driving the group’s actions and the Daleks’ strategies.
The Daleks’ involvement in this event is a masterclass in psychological manipulation and strategic dominance. Dalek 1, acting as the primary representative, uses the offer of food and water as a bribe to gain the group’s compliance while simultaneously demanding Susan’s departure. This dual action—appeasing the group’s basic needs while exploiting their altruism—demonstrates the Daleks’ ability to balance cruelty with calculated generosity. The organization’s power dynamics are on full display, as they assert their authority over the prisoners’ survival and use Susan as a pawn to fracture the group’s unity. The Daleks’ knowledge of the group’s plans to help the Thals reveals their extensive surveillance, further reinforcing their control.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
Across episodes
"The TARDIS escape from Za's tribe in 'The Firemaker' escalates into the Daleks' immediate recognition of the prisoners' alliance with the Thals in 'The Escape', breeding further manipulation and surveillance."
TARDIS Escape from the Tribe"The Daleks' aggressive capture and paralysis of Ian in Episode 6 escalates into their full-scale manipulation and distrust of the group in Episode 7, where they exploit the prisoners' desperation."
Daleks paralyze Ian to enforce control"Ian's physical decline and collapse in Episode 6 is paralleled in Episode 7 when the Daleks offer food/water to the prisoners as a manipulative strategy, showing both chronic suffering and temporary false relief to maintain control."
Ian’s forced mission despite radiation sickness"Ian and Barbara's discussion of the Doctor's worsening condition and their own fatalism in Episode 6 (detention cell) parallels the Daleks' cold, calculated discussion of their prisoners' impending doom in Episode 7."
Barbara and Ian confront their fading hope"The Daleks’ demand for Susan’s departure in Episode 7 ('She will be returned. We are going to help the Thals...') foreshadows LeMaitre’s fixation on Susan’s imprisonment in Episode 41 ('She shall remain in her cell, do you understand?'). Both scenes use the phrase 'she will be returned/she remains in her cell' to underscore control over Susan’s movement, creating a verbal callback that binds the episodes thematically."
LeMaitre defies Robespierre for Susan"The Daleks' abrupt offer of food and water to manipulate Susan's departure (Episode 7) is mirrored by the Daleks' swift and violent response to the decoy (Episode 8). Both events highlight the Daleks' manipulative and reactive nature."
Daleks discover decoy and seal escape"The Daleks’ manipulative offer of food and Susan’s departure under false pretenses (Episode 7) directly leads to the group’s later desperate deception of the Dalek lift guard using Susan’s feigned distress in Episode 8."
Susan discovers the Dalek lift stronghold"The Daleks' manipulation of Susan in Episode 7 (using her as a pawn) resonates with Barbara and Susan's guilt over leaving Ian in Episode 8, as both episodes involve the group being played or forced into morally compromising decisions."
Barbara’s Guilt Over Abandoning Ian"The Daleks’ calculated manipulation of Susan’s removal to coerce the Doctor’s cooperation in Episode 7 escalates into LeMaitre’s deliberate weaponization of Susan’s imprisonment to extract the Doctor’s compliance in Episode 41. Both events involve Susan being used as a tool, but LeMaitre’s move is more direct and malicious, stripping away any pretext of assistance (as with the Daleks) and exposing the Doctor’s vulnerability to emotional blackmail."
LeMaitre weaponizes Susan against the Doctor"Both scenes feature authoritarian figures (Daleks/LeMaitre) demanding obedience by exploiting the Doctor's paternal bond with Susan."
LeMaitre weaponizes Susan against the Doctor"Both events feature authoritarian figures misusing power to control vulnerable individuals. In Episode 7, the Daleks manipulate Susan's departure to pressure the Thals; in Episode 41, LeMaitre defies Robespierre to retain control over Susan's imprisonment. Thematic parallels: power vs. vulnerability, manipulation of trust, and the use of individuals as leverage."
LeMaitre defies Robespierre for SusanThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"IAN: Why?"
"DALEK 1: She will be returned. We are going to help the Thals, which is what you want us to do."
"IAN: How do they know we want to help the Thals?"
"DOCTOR: I can’t understand. Why have they taken Susan?"