Doctor Who - Revolution of the Daleks
BBC
Showrunner Chris Chibnall’s plan of swapping out a traditional Doctor Who Christmas special for a New Year’s special has certainly been an odd choice and it’s felt most here. Companions Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) have been back on Earth for ten months following on from the season finale and the only festive mention is a ‘Happy New Year’ used to emphasise to Yaz she’s hidden herself away from the world, whilst trying to find out how to get back to the Doctor (Jodie Whitaker).
Unbeknownst to the companion, the Doctor is a prisoner in a snazzy looking space jail and is serving around 7,000 different criminal sentences. The opening dynamic with the Doctor and her companions being split up is interesting and not one that Chibnall’s seasons have focused on - he has struggled to really develop or shine a spotlight on any of the companions. Even the trailers have seemingly suggested that the companions were going to take point on this episode’s events whilst the Doctor was locked up, allowing for some real time to be spent with these underutilised characters.
This isn’t case however with Chibnall feeling reluctant to spin a story without Whitaker’s version of the Doctor in the forefront - there is one particular scene that finally allows one companion, Ryan, to shine during a heart to heart with the Doctor, despite this being obvious setup for later events. The companions have barely learned of a Dalek threat to Earth before the Doctor is broken out of jail and ready to save the day. The Dalek plot itself feels partially recycled - Harriet Walter plays a Prime Minister who utilises the Daleks as a security force, not dissimilar to the way Winston Churchill (Ian McNeice) used them to fight in World War 2 back in the Matt Smith era.
Chibnall also risks polluting any attempts at character development further by adding two old faces to the TARDIS crew - Chris Noth as American tycoon Jack Robertson and fan favourite Time Agent, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). Whereas Noth serves as a campy and over the top antagonistic force within the group, Barrowman slips easily back into place, despite his initial return in the episode feeling oddly forced and incomplete. His appearance does feel unjustified and unwarranted, especially in the context of the episode, but Jack does feel welcome nonetheless.
The Daleks (voiced by the ever-faithful Nicholas Briggs) serve an adequate threat, although it’s nice to see here that the mutant creatures are just as much a villain as the iconic metallic shells are. A scene where Jack and Yaz infiltrate a base sees them grapple with tentacled Dalek mutants in a way that homages some of the more intense Alien face-hugging moments. The Daleks are also reaffirmed as the real Nazis of the universe, with the Doctor using their own hate for racial impurity as a means to help save the day.
Revolution of the Daleks is not stand-out Doctor Who. It’s an easy-going sci-fi adventure that certainly feels a notch above most of what has come in recent years, featuring some well thought out action and emotional moments. Whitaker feels as confident as she’s ever been and the return of John Barrowman hints at exciting directions the show could take in its upcoming seasons.