Resolution: Rank - 282

 Resolution

(Although fans always call it 'Resolution Of The Daleks'!, New Year's Day Special, Dr 13 with Graham Ryan and Yaz, 1/1/2019, showrunner:  Chris Chibnall, writer: Chris Chibnall, director: Wayne Yip)

Rank: 282

In which something nasty is discovered buried under a town centre. And no, it's not Richard III (who was actually one of our nicer Kings but who had a really really bad p.r. manager)...

  Chris Chibnall didn't want the pressure of writing a Christmas special so, for the first time, we got a New Year's Day special instead. Now, unlike Xmas, New Year's is only special due to an accident of time, habit and quite possibly alcohol. Fittingly, then, this special is only really 'special' due to a combination of time slot, habit and quite possibly alcohol. Or so I've heard from fans who reckon this episode is better drunk. Notably it's slower than usual, less whizz-bang-whallop like most festive specials and more like a hangover than a pub crawl - which is odd but does at least mean the plot is easier to follow. The plot is based around archaeology, something which isn't often used in DW even though its the closest us mortals can ever really get to time travel and uses it well, so a big tick for that. Also, we've never really spent time with the Daleks outside their famous exterior shells and this episode makes strong use of just how creepy a mutated blob is when its trying to possess you, so big tick there too. The problems come with the cast: there's a dumb soap opera sub-plot about Ryan's dad suddenly turning up despite not being at Grace's funeral and having never even been mentioned before (when did they even have time to give Grace a funeral? They've been whizzing through time and space all series!) As if that wasn't sickening enough the main sub-cast are having a romance of their own, over the incredibly romantic setting of an ancient dig, although at least this romance feels plausible which is one up from a lot we've had this year. This does happen a lot lately though doesn't it? Romantic subplots are to 2010s Who what splitting up and getting lost was to the 1960s, possession and mind control were to the 1970s and ventilation shafts were to the 1980s. The result is the weakest Dalek story, a convoluted watch that just isn't special enough for New Year's Day and yet one that I still prefer to most of the rest of the Chibnall era, with nothing that goes terribly wrong either.

Positives + Against all the odds, after some seriously limp monsters in season 11, Chibnall turns out to be one of the better writers specifically for the Daleks. Here he makes them properly scary and dangerous again, capturing their sheer desperation and Brexity need to be pure at all costs no matter who it hurts - even when its them.

Negatives - Oh look, we're back in Sheffield again, that's convenient. Why are the Daleks suddenly interested in where the Dr crashed into and found her companions, even though they don't know that. Bit convenient isn't it? Anyone would think it was just so random relatives of Ryan could suddenly start showing up and keep him and Graham occupied!