I don't want to talk about this show anymore. From a practical viewpoint, I've reviewed Doctor Who related material on here many times, so I feel like I need to leave it alone for a bit in order to branch out and review other stuff. From my own personal viewpoint, tonight's episode proved to me that, maybe, this show isn't for me anymore, or at least, Chris Chibnall's version isn't. Series 11 of the popular sci-fi show has been an abysmal experience in my eyes. I didn't bother to review the series in full as it just didn't motivate me enough too, but in short, it has been dull, predictable, and most-of-all frustrating. Jodie and her companions are painfully bland, the monsters are forgettable, and the stories overall feel rushed and repetitive (save for a few episodes like "Rosa" and "Kerblam!") Yet, I held out hope for tonight's New Year's Day special seeing as the Daleks were returning. Series 11 featured no classic villains, and suffered greatly because of it, so maybe the inclusion of the Daleks would provide the kick Chibnall's run has desperately been missing. After all, the Daleks, though somewhat of a punchline in popular culture, can still be written well. Their appearance in Capaldi's second series was well-received because it captured the Dalek's and their iconic ruthlessness so well, plus the Twelfth Doctor's dynamic with Davros was fascinating to watch. So was tonight's episode any good? Well, like Series 11 before it, this special was full of disappointment after disappointment. First, though, let's cover the few good things in this episode. The inclusion of Ryan's dad was a welcome one though it didn't really go anywhere interesting. The scene in the cafe between Ryan and his father was powerfully acted and well-executed, especially since the series before had slowly been building towards this moment. The performances in this episode in general were pretty good compared to some pretty dodgy guest performances in series 11. And that about covers it for the good things in this episode! Pretty short list, right? The list of negatives is significantly longer. The episode, like the series before it, suffered from far too many characters being introduced in too short a time. We have Ryan's dad and the two archaeologist characters introduced, both of which have about a little personality as you can imagine. Then you have the Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Yaz along for the ride too. That's SEVEN characters we follow, most of which aren't developed enough for us to actually care about. There was an unintentionally comical moment near the end of the episode when all seven characters step out of the TARDIS to face the lone Dalek. Just seeing character after character pour out of the small box was enough to make me laugh, and served as a tragic reminder to how poorly developed each and every one were. But wait! The Daleks are back! Surely Chibnall won't botch the Daleks as well? Well, like clockwork, he does exactly that. This is another episode with just a lone Dalek to serve as the antagonist, and is by far the worst. There is absolutely no attempt made to make this Dalek even remotely unique or interesting outside of its visual appearance; it wants to take over Earth. Okay. Brilliant. Except that's been done before. Many, MANY times. You don't feel like the threat is real because it's been done better so many times before. In the end, they defeat the Dalek with a microwave. A MICROWAVE. Way to make the Daleks scary again, right, Chibnall? In keeping with Chibnall's promise to make his run of the show more "educational", the Doctor haphazardly explains how the microwave can destroy the primitively-built Dalek before doing exactly that. Now it may be educational for the viewer, but it's not fun. It's not interesting or engaging, it's essentially just a glorified science lesson, and this show should be so much more than that. They then throw the Dalek mutant into a supernova and the day is saved again! Nothing gained, nothing lost. Just nothing. An absolute mess of an episode. "Resolution" left me feeling angry. This episode and the series in general, lacked the emotional depth and inner conflicts that made the series' before it interesting. It just felt like another forgettable episode with no real stakes, no depth, and filled with faux optimism for the future. I will still continue to watch the show in the future in the hope that it gets better, but until that day, I'm done reviewing it, or at least Chibnall's version of it. Rating: 4/10 |
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