The inevitable happened, a Dalek returned, even if it was meant to be a one off and thus explaining the one-off design, put together by any old iron (! ha - sorry) it could find. Well okay, bits and pieces. After being buried on Earth since the ninth century, it had to make do with what it could find, or rather get Lin to find as it took her over and attached itself to Lin (Charlotte Ritchie). Making her do things she wouldn't have done and generally putting its parts together. That's what you get for leaving it buried still. Part of the squid-like creature being unearthed at a dig in, where else, but Sheffield, giving the Doctor (Jodi Whittaker) and the others a chance to return home once more. Well their home not the Doctor's. As well as the Doctor landing the TARDIS in Graham's (Bradley Walsh) living room, wrecking his chair. The only place that was deserted wasn't it.
The Doctor wanting to analyze the sample of slime she took from the dig and what she unearthed (no pun) wasn't really shocking to us, the viewers. Also a time for Ryan's (Tosin Cole) estranged father, Aaron (Daniel Adegboyega) to show up, trying to make amends, or just for the sake of it. He and Ryan have a cafe coffee where he tries to flog off a microwave and that's what it's come to. So said he come looking for some form of a handout. That's not really possible in this show, but still, Ryan doesn't really know what to think or feel since he wasn't exactly around for him when he was growing up, so he doesn't know him and neither does Graham. This scene going together with the one where Graham tells him how when his mother died, his father got rid of everything of hers cos that's how he dealt with it. Showing him an old box of things belonging to Aaron that Grace kept. Aaron doesn't know why he didn't turn up for the funeral, thinking if he didn't go then maybe it wasn't real.
Elsewhere the Doctor finds it's Dalek DNA and there's no getting away from them, no matter how much she tried to destroy them. Mentioning Skaro plenty of times. She's able to throw together some tech stuff and hone in on Lin who by now with Dalek (Voiced by Nicholas Briggs) attached to her still, managed to elude a police patrol stop, drive off in police uniform and also end up at a company whereupon finding all the bits'n'pieces for said construction of a Dalek casing. Didn't look so bad actually, at least it was different. Aaron returns with Ryan and is dying for the loo, bringing the microwave back with him and Graham tells him the cupboard that vanished from his room is about to make a return. Well go on then, why not show everyone the TARDIS, including Mitch and he wasn't even fam! Graham having missed going with them since he was sent for peanut butter to help with putting back the TARDIS cables, which she didn't even need after all in the end.
They leave in the TARDIS and the microwave had to come along too, it was that oft used word of foreshadowing, otherwise it wouldn't have been that important a plot point to be included into the story. The Doctor also finds that UNIT has been 'disbanded' for lack of funds, as well as Brexit; so Kate Stewart wasn't around for this ep. Probably low budget casting too for this New Year's Day special! The Doctor having told the Dalek she's not human as it analyzes her and sees her two hearts. Said Dalek was also a reconnaissance Dalek and was mentioned in The Book of Custodians. The Doctor also telling it, how "no matter how many times you try, no matter how long you wait... I will always be in your way, backed up by the best of humanity."
Some have said this is one of the best specials of Doctor Who they have seen, but Dalek aside, I can't see/say that it is. The title must be some sort of allusion too being new year thus resolutions all around for some. Heck they even had Lin metal working and blow torching together parts for the Dalek's casing, perhaps oddly or not, in a scene reminiscent of 11.1 where we first met the new Doctor and having to put together a brand new Sonic of her own. Lin gets to be more of a police officer than Yaz ever was. The Doctor uttering how she's always done this alone and will continue to do so in many ways, she does have companions, but the job of saving humanity, or any race/aliens rests firmly on the shoulders of the Doctor.
Overall it made a change for the occasion and the day it was aired and after some of the villains this series, it was actually good seeing an old foe again for a new year. Enjoy it while you can, there won't be more coming our way for a long while! 2020!
No comments:
Post a Comment