Revolution of the Daleks

Captain Jack, yay! That american guy again, boo! The Silence, the Ood, the Weeping Angels and the Sycorax getting cameos, yay!

As those of you who follow me on Twitter know, I'd been looking forward to this episode more than ever, and it did not disappoint. Revolution of the Daleks was a thrilling ride from start to finish; so much was packed into that 73 minutes; Captain Jack's return was exactly what I wanted, and more. His chemistry and interactions with Jodie Whittaker's Doctor was just as I pictured they would be in my head; it's clear that Chibnall knows exactly how to write for Jack, and John Barrowman plays the part so effortlessly.

Jodie Whittaker gave her best performance yet. I absolutely loved her little nicknames for the monsters in the prison, the escape with Jack, and her confrontation with the Dalek Death Squad.

But honestly, her stand-out moment overall was that amazing exchange between the Doctor and Ryan about the events of The Timeless Children. The character work in this episode was outstanding; Chibnall really dug into the fam and their individual personalities here, and what makes them tick. The companions now feel more developed than ever.

It was a really unique Dalek plot also; a narrative revolving around a human being creating their own Daleks and growing a Kaled mutant is really unique, and the imagery of Daleks alongside riot police is quite arresting. It all feels strangely topical to 2020 despite it being filmed in 2019, what with talk of uncertainty and the Dalek tear gas.

So great to see a Dalek Civil War again too. That hasn't been done since Remembrance of the Daleks!

I'm relieved Graham didn't die. Thank God the option of him returning has been teased and left open, and it was nice to see things come full circle with Ryan trying once again to ride his bike.

Loved Jack's reference to Gwen Cooper, even if it's a shame we didn't see Torchwood. And John Bishop as a new companion? Great news!

Well after The Timeless Children, I didn't expect much out of Revolution of the Daleks. At first though, I do have to say this episode peaked my interest. It was fun as a sort of pseudo-sequel to Resolution, an episode I actually enjoyed, at least a bit, and Jack Harkness returned, which was extremely exciting, again, at least at first. Even the return of Chris Noth was kind of fun when it started. Don't love how many abusive men have been attached to the show in some form or another, but I disgress, Noth's performance as a cartoonish Trump was fine enough, even if the character is kind of ridiculous, at least it is vague amusing.

Then the episode unravels itself and it all kind of feels... empty. The Dalek storyline feels empty and indistinct from any old Dalek adventure. If you took all the elements of past stories, jumbled them around, and spit out a net average, you'd end up with something like this. Jack is there but doesn't really feel all that different from the other companions - just here to shuffle the plot from one point to the next without the charm of his earlier appearances. It's also weird how he kind of just disappears from the franchise from here, which sucks, his whole situation feels a lot less black and white compared to someone like Noth. The alien prison seems like it could have been a great setting for the story but it felt underused as a concept.

I don't know. These Daleks holiday specials the Thirteenth Doctor got were always a fun little tradition and each kind of brought an energy sorely lacking from the main run of episodes, but this one just didn't resonate with me quite as much as Resolution or Eve of the Daleks. And even then, the stories are just okay. Passable at best, and at worst, well, a little more like this - emotionally unengaging. Empty of character growth and sensible storytelling, with just this kind of general sense of malaise permeating the entire Chibnall era.

I'll tell you one thing though. If Ryan and Graham had actually been built up on until now - if Ryan's disability had been mentioned and actually used in Series 11 and 12, or if Graham and Ryan actually had a chance to bond over these episodes, I would have been just weeping at that last scene. I contend that Ryan in particular could have been one of the most moving and memorable companions of all. Instead his last scene with Graham kind of feels hollow and cynical. that scene was done well enough on its own but it wasn't ever earned by the show. This doesn't match with Ryan as he actually was on Doctor Who - a character with struggles on Earth that just witnessed the traumatic death of his grandmother and is instead whisked away on an adventure while seemingly leaving behind every trace of his past behind - rarely grieving his loss or even experiencing dyspraxia since the Woman who Fell to Earth. What an absolute, soul-crushing waste.

Yeah, this is great - and the political aspect is well done. Unlike S3 & 4, Jack actually had a purpose and did stuff - but there's no connection to his appearance in Fugitive, so why was he even in that? Shame the editing is bad and Lee Haven Jones can't direct crowds very well. Nice Ryan/Graham exit.

HOWEVER; even though I do like Revolution, I do question this special wasn't a prison break episode, make it more special than just another Dalek invasion and all that. It just seems like the obvious choice. Because as it stands, the Doctor's imprisonment is barely a footnote and she doesn't even escape by herself, she has to get rescued by Jack. It's super weird.