History YMMV / DoctorWhoS3E4TheDaleksMasterPlan

* Despite being a twelve-parter, this is one of the few fans think is the most ambitious as it shows how ruthless the Daleks are as they want to destroy life forms that aren't like them outside of their home planet. While the next two Dalek stories in Throughton's run are still beloved by fans, the stories during Pertwee's run don't really match up to what happened in the 1960s and it won't be until Davros shows up in Ton Baker's first season.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: At the time, ''Doctor Who'' was considered a series for kids. As such, the decision to kill off not one but two ongoing characters - one of whom earlier in the story is shown murdering ''her own brother'' - in an extremely complex (for its day) storyline that was three times longer than the average story, made this one of the more controversial stories of the Classic Era, an experiment that would never again be repeated, and it would be 18 years before another companion was killed off. The story ending with a planet-destroying weapon ageing the Doctor's (temporary) companion into a decomposed pile of dust also didn't do much to placate the {{Moral Guardian}}s.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Sara Kingdom, a badass space mercenary who [[TheUnfettered killed her own brother in pursuit of her goals]], then began questioning everything she'd ever learned when the Doctor's philosophy began to get to her. She even travels with the Doctor in the TARDIS for several months in a TimeSkip between episodes. She gets killed off in a slightly StupidSacrifice at the end of the story. The production team actually were open to the idea of keeping her as an ongoing character, but Creator/JeanMarsh didn't want to commit to the series full-time.

** Going further, the three episode "Meddling Monk" arc in Episodes 8-10 is also largely irrelevant to the overall plot. It has been pointed out many times that it would be incredibly easy to cut Episodes 7-10 out of the story by simply having the Doctor give back the real taranium core instead of a fake one in Episode 6, which would leave the plot in exactly the same place as it ended up being at the end of Episode 10, when the Doctor finally does give back the real core. This would trim the story down to an eight-parter in a stroke.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Sara Kingdom, one of the best companions that never were.

* AngstWhatAngst: The first ever companion deaths in the series are encountered- that of Sara Kingdom and Katarina. Is the Doctor depressed about this? Broken, that after taking up Barbara and Ian so long ago to travel in space in time, that a human died in his helpless hands? No. He shakes his head, says goodbye, and moves on. Averted by Steven, however, who is clearly distraught at their deaths (as well as that of Bret Vyon) despite only knowing them briefly, and calls out the Doctor on his reaction. Sara Kingdom also appears to get over the fact that she killed her own brother very quickly.

* AngstWhatAngst: The first ever companion deaths in the series are encountered- that of Sara Kingdom and Katarina. Is the Doctor depressed about this? Broken, that after taking up Barbara and Ian so long ago to travel in space in time, that a human died in his helpless hands? No. He shakes his head, says goodbye, and moves on. Averted by Steven, however, who is clearly distraught at their deaths (as well as that of Bret Vyon) despite only knowing them briefly, and calls out the Doctor on his reaction.

* HilariousInHindsight: The Doctor is unfamiliar with cricket. [[Creator/PeterDavison Four incarnations later...]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: At the time, ''Doctor Who'' was considered a series for kids. As such, the decision to kill off not one but two ongoing characters - one of whom earlier in the story is shown murdering ''her own brother'' - in an extremely complex (for its day) storyline that was three times longer than the average story, made this one of the more controversial stories of the Classic Era, an experiment that would never again be repeated, and it would be 18 years before another companion was killed off. The story ending with a planet-destroying weapon aging the Doctor's (temporary) companion into a decomposed pile of dust also didn't do much to placate the {{Moral Guardian}}s.

** Going further, the three episode "Meddling Monk" arc in Episodes 8-10 is also largely irrelevant to the overall plot. It has been pointed out many times that it would be incredibly easy to cut Rpisodes 7-10 out of the story by simply having the Doctor give back the real taranium core instead of a fake one in Episode 6, which would leave the plot in exactly the same place as it ended up being at the end of Episode 10, when the Doctor finally does give back the real core. This would trim the story down to an eight-parter in a stroke.

** Going further, the three episode "Meddling Monk" arc in Episodes 8-10 is also largely irrelevant to the overall plot. It has been pointed out many times that it would be incredibly easy to cut Rpisodes 7-10 out of the story by simply having the Doctor give back the real taranium core instead of a fake one in Episode 6, which would leave the plot in exactly the same place as it ended up being at the end of Episode 10. This would trim the story down to an eight-parter in a stroke.

* Padding: This serial required lost of it to fill the requisite twelve episodes.

* SignatureScene: Ironically, the most famous scene in this epic Dalek story does not involve the Daleks at all and comes from the episode that has no relation to the rest of the serial. It is,of course, The First Doctor turning directly to camera to wish the viewers a Happy Christmas at the end of "The Feast of Steven".

* AngstWhatAngst: The first ever companion deaths in the series are encountered- that of Sara Kingdom and Katarina. Is the Doctor depressed about this? Broken, that after taking up Barbara and Ian so long ago to travel in space in time, that a human died in his helpless hands? No. He shakes his head, says goodbye, and moves on.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: At the time, ''Doctor Who'' was considered a series for kids. As such, the decision to kill off not one but two ongoing characters - one of whom earlier in the story is shown murdering ''her own brother'' - in an extremely complex (for its day) storyline that was three times longer than the average story, made this one of the more controversial stories of the Classic Era, an experiment that would never again be repeated, and it would be 18 years before another companion was killed off. The story ending with a planet-destroying weapon ageing the Doctor's (temporary) companion into a decomposed pile of dust also didn't do much to placate the {{Moral Guardian}}s.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Sara Kingdom, a badass space mercenary who [[TheUnfettered killed her own brother in pursuit of her goals]], then began questioning everything she'd ever learned when the Doctor's philosophy began to get to her. She even travels with the Doctor in the TARDIS for several months in a TimeSkip between episodes. She gets killed off in a slightly StupidSacrifice at the end of the story. The production team actually were open to the idea of keeping her as an ongoing character, but Jean Marsh didn't want to commit to the series full-time.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The Daleks marching through the jungle with flamethrower torches in are utterly beautiful.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: At the time, ''Doctor Who'' was considered a series for kids. As such, the decision to kill off not one but two ongoing characters - one of whom earlier in the story is shown murdering ''her own brother'' - in an extremely complex (for its day) storyline that was three times longer than the average story, made this one of the more controversial stories of the Classic Era, an experiment that would never again be repeated, and it would be 18 years before another companion was killed off. The story ending with a planet-destroying weapon ageing the Doctor's (temporary) companion into a decomposed pile of dust also didn't do much to placate the {{Moral Guardian}}s.

* BiggedLippedAlligatorMoment: "The Feast of Steven" has our heroes picked up by police on Christmas, getting split up on a RoaringTwenties movie set, and finally breaking the fourth wall. It should perhaps be noted that there was a good reason for this. The episode was broadcast on Christmas Day and the production team worried people might not bother tuning in to watch. By making the episode irrelevant to the plot of the complete serial as a whole, they didn't have to worry about people tuning back in the week after and not having a clue what was going on. The BLAM aspect is further emphasized when one realizes that the character of Sara Kingdom, featured in the silly goings-on in the episode, ''killed her own brother'' only a couple of weeks earlier and is supposed to be working through the guilt related to this.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Sara Kingdom, a badass space mercenary who [[TheUnfettered killed her own brother in pursuit of her goals]], then began questioning everything she'd ever learned when the Doctor's philosophy began to get to her. She even travels with the Doctor in the TARDIS for several months in a TimeSkip between episodes. She gets killed off in a slightly StupidSacrifice at the end of the story.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: At the time, ''Doctor Who'' was considered a series for kids. As such, the decision to kill off not one but two ongoing characters - one of whom earlier in the story is shown murdering ''her own brother'' - in an extremely complex (for its day) storyline that was three times longer than the average story, made this one of the more controversial stories of the Classic Era, an experiment that would never again be repeated, and it would be 18 years before another companion was killed off.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The Daleks marching through the jungle with flamethrower torches in are utterly beautiful