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Doctor Who: Eve Of The Daleks by Chris Chibnall (TV review).

You do have to wonder how many other parts of the day the Daleks can arrive in and how long before we get ‘Tea Break Of The Daleks’ or ‘Fry With The Daleks’.

What to say about this episode of ‘Doctor Who’ without going spoiler, let alone repetitions or multiple deaths.

One.

The Elf Storage Unit, managed by Sarah (actress Aisling Bea) has only one client, Nick (actor Adjani Salmon), who has an odd habit of storing belongings left by ex-girl-friends in the off-chance they will come back to collect them and this is New Year’s Eve. The Doctor (actress Jodie Whittaker) and friends, Yaz (actress Mandip Gill) and Dan (actor John Bishop) can’t stay inside the TARDIS while it repairs itself and get out here instead of a resort planet.

That happens a lot over the regenerations, doesn’t it? There’s also a dalek, there might be three, who continually exterminates them. However, there is a time loop and they remember the previous events each time and try to do things a little differently each time. Shades of the ‘Star Trek – The Next Generation’ episode ‘Cause & Effect’ and the 1993 film ‘Groundhog Day’ – the latter is acknowledged in the story, not to mention other terrestrial TV series which you have to wonder how the Doctor ever had a chance to see.

Three.

Anything after that is the Doctor judging the dice to break the loop. Oh and Dan spots that Yaz had the hots for the Doctor and tells the Time Lord, who I guess rather doesn’t want to know.

In many respects this is how to do a ‘Doctor Who’ story with a limited number of cast in lockdown. Thing is, its hardly that original, nor is it explained here why it happened. You would think the Doctor might be a little curious than just happy to get out of there.

Run!

There’s nothing wrong with the acting, even if actress Pauline McLynn is wasted as Sarah’s mother on the phone. The ending reveal that the Sea Devils are returning in the next story just leaves a sense of optimism for something a little better next time. Hopefully.

GF Willmetts

01 January 2022

 

 

UncleGeoff

Geoff Willmetts has been editor at SFCrowsnest for some 21 plus years now, showing a versatility and knowledge in not only Science Fiction, but also the sciences and arts, all of which has been displayed here through editorials, reviews, articles and stories. With the latter, he has been running a short story series under the title of ‘Psi-Kicks’ If you want to contribute to SFCrowsnest, read the guidelines and show him what you can do. If it isn’t usable, he spends as much time telling you what the problems is as he would with material he accepts. This is largely how he got called an Uncle, as in Dutch Uncle. He’s not actually Dutch but hails from the west country in the UK.

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