London, 21st Century. The Earth is in the grip of an energy crisis, and the GlobeSphere Corporation plans to solve the problem with solar panels on the moon that will beam solar energy to collection points all over the world. The Doctor detects an energy reading that shouldn't exist in that time period and goes to investigate. As the title of the story would suggest, the Daleks are behind the whole thing, and supplying the Earth with energy is not their actual goal...
Tropes
- Arch-Enemy: The Doctor and the Daleks, of course.
- Badass Boast: Even when tied down and having just been tortured by the Daleks, Leela (while ignorant of the Doctor's history with the Daleks) proclaims that the Doctor is clever and cunning and the Daleks are just "stupid machines", confident that the Doctor will "exterminate" the Daleks.
- Broken Heel: Invoked by Leela when she says wearing high heels will make it harder to escape their enemies. She wears trainers instead.
- Continuity Nod: To various older Dalek stories. They convert humans into Robomen (The Dalek Invasion of Earth) and practice more limited mind control on others (Terrell from "The Evil of the Daleks").
- The Daleks cut through a door while the Doctor and his companions try to find a way to escape the room before they get in. ("The Daleks")
- Drama-Preserving Handicap: There are only a few Daleks present, which gives the Doctor more opportunities to oppose them.
- The Dreaded: As this is a Dalek story, this naturally occurs from both sides, with the Doctor anxious as soon as he learns that the Daleks are involved and the Daleks showing great concern when they learn that the Doctor is present.
- Dressing as the Enemy: The Doctor and Jack disguise themselves as Robomen.
- Faceless Mooks: The Robomen. "Never trust a man in a shiny uniform with a blank visor."
- Fix Fic: A licensed example: author Nicholas Briggs wanted the Fourth Doctor to get a "proper" Dalek story, with no Davros to steal the show, hence this story.
- Kill All Humans: The Daleks are a time traveling hit squad, sent back to destroy humanity in the past for challenging the Daleks in the future.
- Landmarking the Hidden Base: GlobeSphere have taken over the National Gallery, although they're not exactly making a secret of it.
- Literal-Minded: When Jack asks if, like the Doctor, Leela is barking mad, she replies "I do not bark."
- MacGyvering: The Doctor converts a miniature TV into a sound weapon which brings down Robomen.
- Mind Probe: Used by the Daleks on Leela. Despite the fact that she fights them, they are able to learn that the Doctor is in the vicinity (albeit when she just weakly calls out to him for help).
- Power of Friendship: Jack tries this to break the Dalek control over Damien.
- Running Gag: The Fourth Doctor says "SHHH!" to whoever he's with, even if it's not neccesary. The Curator seems to have picked up on this habit too. According to the behind the scenes interviews and CD case, Baker
came up with it himself. - Space Base: Globesphere have a base on the Moon.
- 20 Minutes into the Future: Set in 2025, just a decade after it was released.
- Zeerust: Presumably to give the story a seventies-future feel, Jack has a "miniature TV" to pick up the news rather than a smartphone. It even makes analogue tuning-in noises.
