The truth lies in the middle, people often say. In this case, the truth is that surrounding the appeal of Doctor Who, and it is revealed almost halfway through the first season of the revived show: no other genre series (currently airing, that is) juggles action, drama, comedy and pure suspense like this.
Thes story takes us to a new, interesting location: a museum in Utah where an eccentric billionaire, Henry Van Statten (Corey Johnson), collects various artifacts proving the existence of extraterrestrials (Fox Mulder would love a tour of the place). This peculiar characteristic draws the Doctor's attention, only for him to be captured by Van Statten, who's thrilled to have a second live specimen to brag about. The other one, we soon learn, is a pretty rusty reminder of the Doctor's troubled past: the last of the Daleks. Before anyone can scream "Run for your lives", the Time Lord's most lethal foe is already repeating a certain dreaded phrase: "Exterminate!".
Moving away from the more apocalyptic story lines conjured by Russell T. Davies, writer Robert Shearman proposes something more contained and claustrophobic, although this doesn't mean he gives up the occasional playfulness these scripts allow. In fact, the teaser contains a very amusing moment, when the Doctor notices a familiar face (actually, it's a head) in the museum - fans will recognize it on the spot - and tells Rose it's "an old friend. Well, enemy.". Taking on the rather challenging task of reintroducing the protagonist's oldest, most enduring and popular adversary, Shearman accomplishes the mission by inserting another reference to the past (the Time War and Davros are mentioned more or less directly) while continuing in the darker direction required by the 21st century update.
The performances are as sharp as expected, with Nicholas Brigg's vocal rendition of the Dalek's dangerous presence standing out. Also worth checking out are the darker undertones on Eccleston's behalf, as his take on the Doctor becomes more serious in this episode than it's ever been, mainly because Shearman makes the bold decision of following Michael Mann's example and establishing a similarity between the hero and his nemesis. "Look at you.", Eccleston tells the decrepit machine, "You're alone." "So are you." the Dalek retorts.
More than any other episode of the new series, Dalek is the definitive proof of the fact that Doctor Who, like the revamped Batman, isn't really "for kids" anymore. Sure, it's harmless compared to more adult productions coming from the States, but it's undeniable - a lot has changed since William Hartnell first entered the TARDIS in 1963.