I like the way it takes Taron a moment to react to Rebec's news, although I'm not sure if it is because he needs time to let the magnitude of it sink in, or if the actor needs the time to remember his next line. Vaber arrives with the other Thals who survived the crash-landing, carefully timing their arrival so that they didn't have to get paid for being in part two as well.
Taron shows his new friends, Marat and Latep, "an allotrope of ice."
Rebec: "A what?"Taron: "Well, it's a form of ice that never gets hard. Codal is convinced that the core of this whole planet is a mass of it, because every once in a while the pressure builds up and the whole thing bursts to the surface."Rebec: "Like a volcano?"Taron: "Yes, but instead of white hot lava, this erupts with molten ice. We've seen it - tremendous explosions. The ice covers the jungle for miles around."
Now I'm no cat scientist, but I'm pretty sure there's another name for "molten ice." Taron, Rebec and Marat try and use the ventilation shafts Taron has found to get into the Dalek base, or "city" as they call it for some reason - maybe now they know there are 10,000 Daleks they think that means it deserves city status?
Jo is also trying to get into the Dalek base, which she does by hiding in a cart to be taken inside by a Spiridon (visible because it is wearing a big purple coat - presumably the SFX for having the cart move seemingly by itself would have been too expensive). They're two different methods, but both are classics - I'd expect nothing less from El Tel.
The Doctor and Codal put their escape attempt into operation, attaching the modified TARDIS log to a Dalek and making it go out of control. The Doctor says
"You know, for a man who abhors violence, I must say I took great satisfaction in doing that."
The device was borked in the attempt so that they can't use it again, but they do find Codal's gun pretty quickly. The Daleks may be evil, but they know and stick to the rule about keeping a prisoner's belongings close enough that they can recover them easily if they only manage to escape from their cell.
Jo has managed to get inside the base by now. She gets out of the cart without being noticed, even though a Dalek is looking right in her direction - it must have been having a cheeky sleep when it was supposed to be on duty.
A Dalek spots the Doctor and Codal (although given the Daleks' levels of perception so far this story they might have gotten away with it if the Doctor hadn't shouted "Back! Back!") and it raises the alarm. The Dalek it reports to takes this about as calmly as you would expect from a Dalek:
"ALL DALEK UNITS WILL REPORT TO LOWER LEVELS. MAXIMUM SECURITY SEARCH TO COMMENCE IMMEDIATELY. LOCATE AND DESTROY PRISONERS. LOCATE AND DESTROY! LOCATE AND DESTROY! LOCATE AND DESTROY!"
Taron's group meet up with the Doctor and Codal and are immediately chased by Daleks. Marat gets exterminated, presumably by a Dalek called Charlotte Corday, and the others have to lock themselves in a room to escape.
Codal: "Well, they won't open that in a hurry."Doctor: "Never underestimate the Daleks, Codal. They won't let a little matter of a metal door delay them for long."
The Doctor knows that this is a perfect opportunity for the Daleks to do a classic slow-cutting to get through to them, and indeed that is exactly what they do.
Taron: "Doctor, they're cutting through the door."Doctor: "Well, it was pretty obvious they'd do something of the sort."
The Daleks have recovered the Thals' map showing where their explosives are hidden, and make sure to discuss this loudly where Jo can secretly overhear them. Jo follows them out of the base, having a much easier time escaping than the others.
The Doctor comes up with a plan to escape from the room, and the base, by improvising a hot air balloon. It's at times like these that it's really obvious that Terry Nation would go on to write for MacGyver. While the balloon is filling up, the Doctor looks out a window and sees a Dalek army.
The balloon starts to rise, but when the Doctor, Taron, Codal and Rebec all hold on to it, they weigh it down too much. The Daleks, meanwhile, have completed their classic slow-cutting and start to politely knock on the door so that our heroes know they are ready and want to come in. Rebec panics and shouts
"It's not going to work! Doctor, it's not going to work!"
The Doctor grimaces, although it is not clear whether he is more annoyed at his plan not W-wording or at Rebec's lack of faith in the plan. Anyway, that's the cliffhanger. More like a cliffriser.
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