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“DALEK WAR: CHAPTER THREE – SLOW, BLEAK, AND UNDERWHELMING”
Dalek War: Chapter Three continues the struggle between the Mentor’s “better” Daleks and the Prime Daleks, with Kalendorf deepening his resistance against the Mentor’s rule. While the setup remains intriguing on paper, the execution remains sluggish and largely uninspired. The pacing is slow, the tone relentlessly bleak, and the character drama continues to feel forced rather than compelling.
The addition of Varga plants from The Daleks’ Master Plan initially seems like an interesting way to heighten the stakes, but they barely make an impact. Instead, much of the runtime is taken up by more Daleks screeching at each other and characters engaging in repetitive, melodramatic arguments.
FORCED CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS
One of the weakest aspects of this episode is the supposed romance between Suz and Alby, which feels completely unearned. The series has done little to develop their relationship organically, and here it feels shoehorned in, detracting from the already slow-moving plot. Their interactions, along with those involving Mirana, attempt to create intimate and emotionally resonant moments but instead come across as artificial and awkward.
A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MENTOR
The most frustrating aspect of this chapter is how it wastes the potential of the Mentor and her faction of Daleks. Initially presented as a different breed of Dalek, they now reveal themselves to be just as ruthless and tyrannical as the Prime Daleks. Rather than offering a unique take on Dalek evolution, this revelation reduces them to yet another iteration of the same old enemy. The story’s main purpose here seems to be pushing Kalendorf into persuading Suz and Alby to switch allegiances, allying with the Prime Daleks to overthrow the Mentor. Meanwhile, the Emperor Dalek remains hidden within Suz’s mind, a plot point that continues to simmer in the background.
📝VERDICT: 4/10
Despite its grim atmosphere and political intrigue, Dalek War: Chapter Three struggles to be engaging. The plot moves at a glacial pace, the romance is unconvincing, and the Mentor’s Daleks fail to provide the fresh perspective they initially promised. While the seeds of betrayal and shifting alliances are planted, the execution feels laboured rather than compelling. A chapter that ultimately feels like filler rather than a meaningful progression of the story.
MrColdStream
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