Mission to the Unknown

"Mission to the Unknown" is unique among Doctor Who episodes in that it is the only one not to feature the Doctor or any of his companions. Instead, this episode serves as a prequel to the massive serial yet to come: "The Daleks' Masterplan".

In this prequel, we meet the crew of a spaceship who have been investigating the Daleks but have become stuck on the planet Kembel. After failing to send a distress signal, all of the crew members are killed. We also see the Daleks forming an alliance with aliens from 'the outer galaxies' before discussing their plan to destroy the solar system.

Contrary to what I thought before watching this, I didn't miss the Doctor nor his companions at all. Instead, the doomed crew hold together the episode well, with ample amounts of drama and suspense to keep the viewers on the edges of their seats. The characters all have backstory and strained relationships so it's interesting to watch them.

"Mission to the Unknown" is one of the darkest serials yet, in my opinion. None of the good guys reach the end credits, and as they roll, you're left with a sense of dread as to what the Daleks will do next.