The Doctor started the TARDIS’ reset (we, the IT guys, would call it hard reset) to clear all the effects of Flux but the action has an unwanted effect: it has produced a time loop that caught the Doctor, her friends and two other people in the Manchester building where the TARDIS has landed, a self storage in which people could rent some space to put there their personal belonging for a longer period of time.
The worst part is that some Daleks find out about that and try to kill the Doctor because she had previously killed some millions of Daleks not so long time ago, during the last episode of 13th series. It wasn’t even her fault, the massacre was the plan of the Sontaran clones, but who care about that – the effects being the same. The result? A whovian variant of the Groundhog Day, and the idea is not bad at all. Putting it in images is another story.
It’s quite OK (as a part of structuring the episode) that the Daleks get new weapons, including a Gatling gun, and learn new things, including how to block Doctor’s sonic screwdriver. But I am curious to find out how could a Dalek go with an elevator without having hands (or other members capable to push the buttons), how could a Dalek miss some people on a narrow corridor when using a Gatling gun or how could someone named Jeff to put in that self storage without being noticed so many fireworks and explosives to tear down the entire building near the end of the episode.
Yaz has romantic emotions for the Doctor and that could be explored (more or less successfully) in the last special episodes that Jodie Whittaker has as the Doctor. But, for the moment, even when this episode became through the end so unrealistic it to be pretty hilarious I can say I am pleased about it. It’s funny and it has enough action (even some things could have been put into script better). It was directed by Annetta Laufer and written by Chris Chibnall.
Cast: Aisling Bea (Sarah), John Bishop (Dan Lewis), Nicholas Briggs (vocea Daleks), Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan), Adjani Salmon (Nick), Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor).
Next time special episode is Legend of the Sea Devils that finds the Doctor, Yaz and Dan in 19th century China, where a small coastal village is under threat – from both the fearsome pirate queen Madame Ching (Crystal Yu) and a monstrous alien force which she unwittingly unleashes. Will the Doctor, Yaz and Dan emerge from this swashbuckling battle with the Sea Devils to save the planet?
The next special episode is set to air in spring 2022 and will mark the Sea Devils’ first appearance in Doctor Who since 1984’s Warriors of the Deep. It’s their third major appearance overall including their debut in 1972’s The Sea Devils. Unlike the Silurians, who were radically redesigned for the new series, it looks as though the Sea Devils’ classic look has been more or less retained, though updated to allow for more realistic expression.
