So then.

Asylum Of The Daleks is a surprising start in one or two ways. After all, from the title, and the trailer, you might be thinking this is an all-out action blockbuster of an episode. It isn’t. It’s got more in common with a good, thinking survival horror movie, such as The Thing, than it has a rampaging Dalek war. That’s aided by the fact that the excellent production design and effects work continues to close the gap on what you can see at your local Odeon on a Saturday night.

That’s not to say there aren’t Daleks, though. There are tons upon tons of the things, of varying vintages. What’s more, Steven Moffat has found ways here to cleverly evolve them, and also pay tribute to their heritage. Even before the credits have rolled, there’s something that might just make long-term fans sit up with added interest. Just a little touch, to give further evidence that it’s a long-term Who fan at the helm of the show.

That said, Moffat has described the Daleks as the most easily defeatable villains in the past, and perhaps that’s one reason why he’s never penned a full episode around them himself before. Predictably, though, he’s unpredictable in his approach, and he makes some very rewarding choices with how he chooses to involve the Doctor’s most infamous nemeses.

What’s particularly impressive is that he brings tension back to the Daleks – with the help of some excellent direction from Nick Hurran – for the first time since Robert Shearman’s terrific Dalek, way back in 2005. He also manages to play with them a little, and find interesting new things to do with a foe that’s been around for nearly 50 years. Asylum might not be your favourite Dalek story of all time (there is stiff competition in that regard), but it’s a very good one, and there’s a very clear effort that’s been made to shake things up a little.