This is a lot better than the previous chapter, and it's almost entirely down to the expanded role of Karlendorf.

Alby and Susan's role in this story does get a little more interesting as they start to try to piece together Karlendorf's plan, and Morli is predictably revealed as a roboman for the 'good' daleks. Despite the predictability of the twist though, I think the way the characters respond to it, using that information to piece more things together, works nicely. If it were just left as a shock twist it may not work, but the way it's revealed and the repercussions of it do make it for me.

As per usual though, the highlight here is Karlendorf. I love his constant scheming, how you can never quite be sure why he's doing what he's doing. Even when he reveals his plan to Susan at the end, he chooses to keep Alby (and by extension, the audience), in the dark as to what's really going on. His interactions with The Mentor, as he's hiding what he's doing, feigning ignorance, is a particular delight. When he falls into the dalek's trap, leading to the deaths of hundreds, you're never quite sure if that was intentional. There's a darkness to his character, and honestly, he's the main reason I keep coming back to this series.

Also yeah, sure, there's another cliffhanger at the end. These are starting to feel out of necessity more than anything else to be honest.