Day 47: The Daleks

Despite their appearance in the title, the true horror of this episode is not the Daleks, but the Cybermen, or as they are referred to in this story, Robomen. They are, if you will, Cyber-prototypes, human being that have been robotically enhanced to become the Dalek's slaves. The differences between the Robomen and the Cybermen are numerous. The Cybermen represent necessity and evolution, whereas the Robomen represent slavery and the loss of the human freedom fighters. But the original concept is the same, these were ordinary people who have been changed, had their minds altered, and now serve a far more sinister force. The Robomen also have one-up on the Cybermen in that, unlike the Cybermen, the Robomen are explicitly stated to have a use by date, after which hey go insane and destroy themselves, showing that once free of the Dalek's control, the damage is already done and nothing can be done to help these poor people. It brings to mind one of the most chilling scenes in the David Tennant episode The Age of Steel, where the Cybermen are shown their humanity, shown what they have become, and they destroy themselves. Because there is nothing more terrifying than losing the person who you used to be.