"Revolution of the Daleks"

There was not an unusually lengthy wait for the next Doctor Who episode following "The Timeless Children". However, what came in between those episodes in the real world, made it seem like the longest wait of all, in a time where many thought that the threads that hold civilisation together would snap. Yet, thankfully, Doctor Who was not stopped by the ravages of COVID and the first day of 2021 brought us a brand new episode and, for Chris Chibnall, that means the return of the Doctor’s deadliest foes.

Again, Chibnall decides to crib freely from the past with The Power of the Daleks (via "Victory of the Daleks") being the main source. The Daleks are used as RoboCops to quell civil unrest and there is another internecine Dalek conflict. As a plot, this is perhaps the least inventive script in well over a decade. It hangs together, but there is virtually nothing that cannot be anticipated by the viewer. There is a prologue which adds nothing to the story and, in fact, removes the surprise of the Daleks’ appearance.

Where the script is far better is in the characters. Yas, as befits what the future will be like, is very much the lead companion and her obsession with not only finding the Doctor, but continuing her work, is very much the heart of the story, and we have a wonderful performance from Mandip Gill. We have the last appearance of Ryan and Graham as regulars and Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh make us truly regret the splitting up of the fam. John Barrowman returns and his chemistry with his oldest friend is instant. Our leading lady is masterful throughout and Jodie Whittaker somehow makes the decades that separated the Doctor from her fam seem evident in her performance alone.

The secondary villains are the legendary Dame Harriet Walter as the ruthless Prime Minister and Christ Noth returning as Jack Robertson. Whilst it is great to see him, he appears to be in a different story to the rest of the cast (a special mention must me made of the great supporting turn by the hugely versatile Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Leo) which is a rare fault in the otherwise very impressive helming by Lee Haven Jones. We have seen Dalek saucers flying over London before, but Jones makes it seem fresh and exciting. The scenes in the Dalek factory in Osaka are masterfully shot and, again, the scenes with the Dalek out of its case are very eerie. The RoboCop Daleks are a great design, but it’s great to see the bronze ones return.

"Revolution of the Daleks" is great fun, but, again, it is because a rather anaemic script by Chibnall is given an invigorating transfusion by every other aspect of the production. For the sake of the programme, it is to be hoped that the rest of his tenure will show some improvement.

NEXT: Flux