In this review of Doctor Who, Series 8, Episode 2, I'll give a description of the first 15 minutes. Then I will discuss what a good Dalek is.
My apologies if this review isn't as thorough a professional reviewer would be. My writing of it was done to only provide spoilers without giving away the details.
At the outset of this episode a fighter space ship is being chased by a larger ship. Dodging raygun fire, the young female pilot is radioing her command ship, the Aristotle, a distress call. Next to her is her brother Kai.
Then just before the fighter ship is destroyed, a Dalek appears on the flight deck of the larger ship saying "Exterminate".
Ah, looks like a fun episode!
Next the female pilot awakens on the Tardis. She meets the Doctor, who is carrying a tray with two coffee cups in it. He explains the circumstances to her, but she is still grieving the passing of her brother.
She bears a gun to him, and identifies herself as Lt Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance, and demands he take her to the Aristotle.
Finally the Doctor convinces her to let down her weapon and ask him nicely.
Next the Doctor and Lt. Blue are aboard the Aristotle.
In this episode, Carla Oswald has become a school teacher, teaching English. She's met Danny Pink, who's a compassionate ex soldier, now a math teacher.
Early in the episode, I discover two things about Danny Pink: he is training school boys as cadets. Afterwards, in class, when asked if he's killed anyone as a soldier by a student he doesn't answer the question, but instead repeats the class assignment while a tear drips down his face.
Later, Carla flirts with Danny, and tries to arrange a date with him. He agrees to meet up with her for drinks later.
Doctor's opinion when first faced with a good Dalek: "A good Dalek? There's no such thing."
Then he turns to Carla for a second opinion, landing the Tardis in her office, determined to bring her to the Aristotle.
I laughed when the Doctor quips, "A Dalek so damaged, it's turned good." He has taken to calling it Rusty.
It turns that the Dalek is poisoned by its power unit's radiation. So Carla, the Doctor and three soldiers including Lt. Blue are shrunk and explore the innards of a Dalek shell.
At the point when the Dalek is "cured" by the Doctor, the Dalek turns bad and goes on the rampage. The Doctor thinks his job is done since he's proved that there's no such thing as a good Dalek. Indeed,he notes that Rusty isn't good, "just broken."
So Carla tells him that's not the point. The point is, make him good again to stop the Daleks from exterminating the crew of the Aristotle.
What did I think of this episode? Totally entertaining from beginning to end. Though the relationship between Danny and Carla, and the focus on Danny Pink mixes in serious with hilarity.
Now let's take a good Dalek, who wants to exterminate all Daleks. He has seen beauty in the birth of a young star.
Once he kills off the bad Daleks, he is free to proceed on his mission, despite not learning what it means to be a good Dalek. Rusty then calls the Doctor a good Dalek because the both of them hate the Daleks.
This part of the episode reminds me of Oswin Oswald, who had resisted her programming long enough to hack the Asylum planet's defence shield and wipe the memory of the Doctor from their hive mind.
Other things noted in Into the Dalek:
There's a nod to the Borg from Star Trek with the idiom, "Resistance is futile." At the beginning of the episode, the Dalek on the command deck hints at Star Wars.
There's probably more stuff like that in the episode, but I have handed out enough spoilers.
Oh wait, I lied. There is one final spoiler: a soldier ends up in Heaven and is greeted by Missy.
What makes a good Dalek then?. Appreciation of beauty in the universe, and most of all, hatred of bad Daleks.
Overall, I enjoyed watching Into the Dalek. It shows me a good Dalek is possible with the help of Carla and the Doctor.
I think my personality is like the 12th Doctor's: old and cranky, but he means well - he is even trying to be a good man.
Though, he would be misunderstood without Clara's help. Hence her hobby is being carer for the Doctor - to be his moral compass when he's too jaded to explain himself, reverting to quips that make humans scratch their heads.
Reference: Doctor Who, Series 8, Episode 2 http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Into_the_Dalek_(TV_story) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Dalek
