S00.E157: Revolution Of The Daleks

[AudienceofOne]

39 minutes ago, Llywela said:

Sarah Jane was reunited with the Doctor 30 years after she left him, not 15, and as much as I enjoy School Reunion, she is out of character throughout - the Sarah who left the TARDIS back in the 70s was ready to leave and would not have spent 30 years pining, she had better things to do with her life than that.

This. I hated this so much. This was not who Sarah Jane was and it speaks to the misogynism that creeped into NuWho due to Moffat.

I personally didn't read the text in the same way as others in regards to Yaz, however I can see the possibility of this plotline now that people have pointed it out. I don't want it in any way, shape or form. While I have issues with Chib's middle-of-the-road calmer Who, his gender issues are far less problematic than Moffatt's and frankly I was expecting better than this. And a crazed obsessed lesbian plotline is the last thing we need. I wish male writers would stop sometimes and just think things through.

[DoctorAtomic]

There's still room to grow here. Captain Jack's monologue wasn't anvilly but it was clearly pointed. It may be that Yaz doesn't return to Earth, but finds a new path out there (I'm thinking like Martha). Maybe she starts up UNIT!

I do agree going down the path of 'in love with the Doctor-tragic ending' is just played out now. They have a chance for a much stronger and meaningful narrative that can also be learning for kids.

 

[AudienceofOne]

2 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

There's still room to grow here. Captain Jack's monologue wasn't anvilly but it was clearly pointed. It may be that Yaz doesn't return to Earth, but finds a new path out there (I'm thinking like Martha). Maybe she starts up UNIT!

That was how I read the text myself so I'm glad someone else did too. I saw this as about her seeing the possibility of a new kind of life, one that suits her better than anything available on Earth and it suddenly being sharply taken away from her just as she was starting to embrace it. It's possible people are just slightly traumatised from the way in which the last show runner treated female characters and are reflexively drawing on that experience to read this text. I hope so because that's the sort of nonsense Moffat would pull and, as I said, I expect much better from the Chib. 

[ElleryAnne]

When Graham said he was going to stay because Ryan was his family and he didn't want to miss out on that, it just reinforced yet again how much of a failure the "fam" nonsense has been to me from the start.  Graham's line was simple and heartfelt.  Maybe it's just that Bradley is a better actor than Jodie (no offense to JW), but I felt that line when he said it.  It contrasted sharply with the Doctor's references to the "fam", which have always rung artificial (including in this episode) and never make me feel anything.

Other than that, I thought it was a fairly generic episode.  Nice to see Jack, of course.  

[AnimeMania]

Weird things I noticed:

Captain Jack teleported into the TARDIS twice. Should that be possible.

Leo grew the the cloned Dalek in a PC Computer Case with a handle on the top of it. He should have threw the whole thing into the fire, why did he open it.

Each new security robot had a Dalek-sized empty space in them, I guessed nobody questioned what that was for. That Dalek that attached to Leo's back had gotten huge, I wonder how he squeezed himself back into his robot body.

Ryan should learn how to ride a bicycle on concrete, it is so much easier to pedal on than wet grass.

I liked the story, the doctor was not that far behind the bad guys in her planning. I liked that the Daleks could fly, slowly plodding down the street would have ruined the pacing of the story. I don't think I am going to like the new companion, especially if he steals too much focus away from the other characters.

[WatchrTina]

24 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

Captain Jack teleported into the TARDIS twice. Should that be possible.

No, it should not.  But I guess we can hand-wave that The Doctor built something into the TARDIS that recognizes Jack and as a result Jack (and ONLY Jack) can teleport in.  

(But that still doesn't explain how the damned "KERBLAM" delivery man got in last season.)

[cardigirl]

On 1/1/2021 at 11:14 PM, elle said:

I know I indicated I was not planning to watch this one because of Chris Noth, but my family had been asking all week when it was going to be on.  Then today, they were reminding me it was going to be on, so I agreed to watch and went in spoiler free.

I've been wondering about this comment.  Is it Chris Noth, the actor, that you are against, or his character, Roberston?

I apologize if this was explained elsewhere and I missed it. 

[gonzosgirrl]

I loved seeing Jack again - and they sure picked a good actor for a character that ages very s l o w l y. John looks great (regardless of any work). This didn't feel like a 'special' episode to me. I agree that nobody recognizing the new 'security' bots as Daleks was silly. I guess the public as a whole might dismiss it, but the high-level politicians have no excuse. I wish it had been Graham who stayed. Not because I need another old, white man in order to accept the female Doctor (I think Jodi is excellent). I just found him the most enjoyable, likeable of the three. Yaz, frankly, is last on the list. Honestly, I'd like Bill and Nardole back.

Jack Robertson was so over the top, all he lacked was an actual moustache to twirl. I have to believe there is a comeuppance for him down the road, but probably not before he become President.

[Cotypubby]

47 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Not because I need another old, white man in order to accept the female Doctor (I think Jodi is excellent). I just found him the most enjoyable, likeable of the three.

Same. I’ve never liked Yaz, she has bugged me since the very beginning. Bradley Walsh was great and was the only one of this batch I actually liked. (He is far and away the best actor of them all. Ryan is so damn wooden.) I found Yaz’s bitterness at the Doctor being gone for ten months so freaking annoying! Hello, the Doctor was imprisoned for decades, how about a little sympathy for that!? Nope, it’s just “Me, me, me. Why didn’t you think of meeeee!?”

Of course, another problem related to that is that for the viewer, the Doctor’s long time in jail wasn’t really communicated that well. We know she was there a long time but we don’t feel it. When Capaldi’s Doctor was stuck in that castle trying to break out, we really got a sense of eons passing and the utter weight and despair and longevity of it all. Here it was more, “The Doctor has been imprisoned for a long time, here is Jack to break her out! All is good!” It does not feel like decades have actually passed for her in any meaningful way. 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Cotypubby

[Enigma X]

I will sit at my own table and say it: I do not like Captain Jack, I do not like the Daleks, and all they needed to make me totally hate this episode would have been Rose and the Cybermen.

 

I am sad to see Graham and Ryan go.

[taanja]

On 1/3/2021 at 3:17 PM, Llywela said:

But I get that this is a perceptual divide between people who grew up watching the Classic show and people who started out with New Who. New Who fans were trained from the very beginning to see Doctor-companion co-dependency as not only normal but romantic, whereas to those of us who grew up watching the Classic show, that exact same thing just seems jarringly out of place!

My first Doctor was # 4 - Tom Baker -- I loved Leela and I always felt there was something something going on in the TARDIS between those two -- and what about Romana?  <<Those two were doing it all over the galaxy and beyond!

Anyway - what I am saying is I am a Classic Who and a New Who fan and I LOVE me some Doctor/Companion love. It is one of the reasons I have watched/still watch this show.

I do not see it as codependent. I see it as the natural progression that some companions will indeed fall in love with the Doctor. They just will. And maybe just maybe the Doctor knows this and chooses certain companions accordingly?

[Llywela]

9 hours ago, taanja said:

My first Doctor was # 4 - Tom Baker -- I loved Leela and I always felt there was something something going on in the TARDIS between those two -- and what about Romana?  <<Those two were doing it all over the galaxy and beyond!

Anyway - what I am saying is I am a Classic Who and a New Who fan and I LOVE me some Doctor/Companion love. It is one of the reasons I have watched/still watch this show.

I do not see it as codependent. I see it as the natural progression that some companions will indeed fall in love with the Doctor. They just will. And maybe just maybe the Doctor knows this and chooses certain companions accordingly?

Doctor-Rose = unhealthily co-dependent, had to be torn apart kicking and screaming
Doctor-Amy = unhealthily co-dependent, had to be torn apart kicking and screaming
Doctor-Clara = unhealthily co-dependent, had to be torn apart kicking and screaming
You can make a strong argument for Donna, too, since she spent her entire season proclaiming that she was never, ever going to leave and then had to be torn away, kicking and screaming

One companion getting over-invested would be an interesting story. More than that becomes an unhealthy pattern, repetitive and boring. Especially coming on the heels of 26 years of backstory in which no one ever got that over-invested and the relationships were much healthier and more varied as a result. And I'm sorry, but there is a very big difference between fans reading between the lines of a Doctor and companion having fun together and the show itself overtly presenting the relationship between them as a romance or potential romance (and that language was used to frame the Doctor-companion relationship throughout the Davies and Moffat eras, even when Amy was married to Rory). I'm sorry, but the inherent power differential between an ageless Time Lord and a human is always going to make any romance between them feel squicky to me. I think romance is best placed between the companions.

I just don't see any need to have so many companions investing their entire identity in the Doctor and their travels - there are so many other potential experiences out there to be explored. And the repetition of it really does shape fan perception of the show and the Doctor's character.

But anyway, we're off-topic now. I really hope Yaz develops away from her obsession with the Doctor and comes to realise that there is a whole wide world out there for her and she doesn't need the Doctor to prop her up, she is capable of building a life and a future for herself, on her own terms. That would be the most positive outcome for her story arc. No more tragedy, please, show.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Llywela

[gonzosgirrl]

I dunno, if I was given the opportunity to travel the galaxies, move about in time and space and do it all with an attractive, if not human, companion, I would also have to be dragged kicking and screaming back to my mundane life. LOL!

[Starchild]

13 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I dunno, if I was given the opportunity to travel the galaxies, move about in time and space and do it all with an attractive, if not human, companion, I would also have to be dragged kicking and screaming back to my mundane life. LOL!

I can't say I wouldn't be the same, but I do miss the days when the doctor was a mentor/teacher rather than a potential romantic partner. It's what made the character unique, differentiated from other shows where a woman followed a man around on adventures.

[mammaM]

Ok, I'm not gonna get into everything that was wrong or bad or dull or not canon or not "real Doctor Who". Some I agree with, some I dont.

I'm here for Captain Jack💗💗💗He makes me squeeee like a schoolgirl😂 (and to wade into the shallow end of the pool for a moment, damn JB just gets better looking😎).

I loved every scene he was in,

I loved that it was him that rescued the doctor,

I loved that he can make Graham uncomfortable,

I loved his talk with Yaz,

I loved that he stayed on earth to visit Gwen.

And apologizes if someone mentioned this already, but with Graham and Ryan back on earth and Jack hanging with Gwen....I think maybe it's time for another Torchwood. Maybe find Martha. I would definitely watch the hell out of that.

[Llywela]

45 minutes ago, mammaM said:

And apologizes if someone mentioned this already, but with Graham and Ryan back on earth and Jack hanging with Gwen....I think maybe it's time for another Torchwood. Maybe find Martha. I would definitely watch the hell out of that.

Not sure another Torchwood is likely, not on TV anyway, but Graham and Ryan adventuring around Earth is the perfect set-up for Big Finish (which already has a Torchwood series...)

[tennisgurl]

I am sad to see Ryan and Graham go, especially Graham, which has been my favorite of the Fam since they were first introduced. He really nails that everyman sincerity that I love in a companion (its why I loved Bill so much), while also being competent in his own right and having a likable personality that balances the Doctor. I do like that Ryan and Graham just decided to stop traveling with the Doctor and have some adventures back home on Earth because Ryan thought it was the right time and Graham wanted to stay with Ryan. Its usually been so dramatic and tragic when a companion leaves, so I found that to be a nice change of pace, especially after the grueling and traumatic ways the Doctor has lost her last few companions. This also opens things up for them to guest star again in the future. I thought that Yaz was really crappy to the Doctor, she acts like she was stood up for Prom so the Doctor could take someone else. She was in prison for months, its hardly like she wanted to leave them for so long. 

The highlight of the episode was definitely the return of Captain Jack, this time for the whole episode, and he was in fine form the whole episode. Its really great to see Jack like this again, hammy, flirty, always down for banter and action heroics, but also empathetic and is also very capable of having quiet moments. Torchwood just got so damn angsty and miserable by the end, Jack was practically a shell of his former self, so its nice seeing him doing a lot better and having recaptured some of that Joie de vivre. I also loved the Fam's reaction to the shenanigans that he got up to with the Doctor back in the day, and the references to Gwen and Rose. 

The rest of the episode felt pretty generic, especially for an episode that is the holiday episode, the exit of two companions, and another return for the Daleks. No huge plot developments or anything that will have people losing it over ret-cons or if this is a betrayal of the show or anything, but nothing to be all that excited about either, beyond Jack returning again. The human villains were boring strawmen, the Daleks were Daleks, there isn't a whole lot to say about the plot itself. Its was fine, but rather disappointing considering its our only episode for a bit. It also had nothing to do with the New Year, which was disappointing. I miss the Christmas episodes, they at least usually tried to have a bit of Christmas in it, even if it was just in the periphery. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by tennisgurl

[DoctorAtomic]

On 1/5/2021 at 8:00 AM, gonzosgirrl said:

I dunno, if I was given the opportunity to travel the galaxies, move about in time and space and do it all with an attractive, if not human, companion, I would also have to be dragged kicking and screaming back to my mundane life. LOL!

To be fair, they did the episode where Ryan's friend was struggling with mental issues last season (?), so I can see after so much that he feels like he needs to be back home. And he's still looking for strange things going on. This is really what Who is about for me. He's better for traveling with the Doctor and he's ready to do more. 

Donna's time with Ten essentially amounted to nothing. It was such a waste. 

[John Potts]

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I am sad to see Ryan and Graham go, especially Graham, which has been my favorite of the Fam since they were first introduced. He really nails that everyman sincerity that I love in a companion (its why I loved Bill so much), while also being competent in his own right and having a likable personality that balances the Doctor. I do kind of like that Ryan and Graham just decided to stop traveling with the Doctor

Me too. I prefer it when Companions decide that, while it's been fun, they just don't want to travel with the Doctor any more. I don't need it to involve a Universal rift tearing them away. And Graham was great, only Bradley Walsh probably found the schedule punishing (what with recording The Chase as well).

[taanja]

On 1/5/2021 at 2:19 AM, Llywela said:

But anyway, we're off-topic now. I really hope Yaz develops away from her obsession with the Doctor and comes to realise that there is a whole wide world out there for her and she doesn't need the Doctor to prop her up, she is capable of building a life and a future for herself, on her own terms. That would be the most positive outcome for her story arc. No more tragedy, please, show.

That's why I love this show- we all watch for different reasons and see things differently. The companions you saw as "co-dependent" I saw as being the "special or favored ones" of the Doctor. Those specific companions feelings were very much reciprocated by the Doctor-- at least in my view.

It seems perfectly in character for Yaz to be a companion that will develop/has already developed feeling(s) for the Doctor. And like I said -- I think the Doctor knows this when choosing certain companions and does so on purpose. Love is love and it's for everyone -- even Doctor Who!

I have no problem with tragedy on this show. Or death. Or destruction. hell! I remember when Adric blew up! << that was the 1st companion I can remember dying. THAT!! was shocking!

[DanaK]

1 hour ago, taanja said:

That's why I love this show- we all watch for different reasons and see things differently. The companions you saw as "co-dependent" I saw as being the "special or favored ones" of the Doctor. Those specific companions feelings were very much reciprocated by the Doctor-- at least in my view.

It seems perfectly in character for Yaz to be a companion that will develop/has already developed feeling(s) for the Doctor. And like I said -- I think the Doctor knows this when choosing certain companions and does so on purpose. Love is love and it's for everyone -- even Doctor Who!

I have no problem with tragedy on this show. Or death. Or destruction. hell! I remember when Adric blew up! << that was the 1st companion I can remember dying. THAT!! was shocking!

I don’t know if Yaz necessarily has romantic feelings for the Doctor and I don’t believe the Doctor chose her because she thinks Yaz would have feelings for her. However, I do agree Yaz has developed an attachment to the Doctor, which became a little unhealthy in those 10 months she was trying to find her. She was clearly unhappy in her life prior to meeting the Doctor, feeling she wasn’t given much to do in her job and only a few years distant from an apparent mental breakdown. So she gets to travel with the Doctor, starts to look up to her as someone she would like to be like, and clearly enjoys the things she experiences and helping people. As for the Doctor, it seemed clear to me almost from the start she saw Yaz in a more special way than she did Ryan and Graham, talking to her more and seemingly favoring her more. Maybe it’s because the men had each other, maybe it’s because she saw Yaz’s eagerness and desire to jump in to help with things, but it seemed clear to me the Doctor was mentoring Yaz in a way.

If Jodie is leaving at the end of Series 13 (or in a subsequent special), Mandip will probably leave at the same time or soon after. So I’ll be interested to see what happens with Yaz’s journey in this upcoming season. Hopefully she’ll get to the point that she’s ready to resume her life on Earth, though making changes to make her more satisfied, like maybe working with a revived UNIT or something else instead of what she sees as an unfulfilling life as a rookie police officer in a midsize city

[John Potts]

What's weird is that Yaz should be the one of the companions with the most purpose on Earth. Ryan was (IIRC) yet to settle down while Graham was retired and looking for something to push his limits (wasn't it mentioned it was his wife - Grace? - who was the one pushing him to do more?). By contrast, Yaz had a career and was apparently ambitious to get ahead, yet she is the one who wants to stay with the Doctor.

(Obviously there are real world considerations of which actors want to stay on that explain it, but in Universe it's a bit odd)

[Sakura12]

For me they showed that Yaz wasn't happy with her job, she wanted to do more than write traffic tickets. Being with the Doctor allows her to do more. She's still investigating and solving mysteries but at a much larger scale. 

She wouldn't be happy going back to traffic stops for however long she has on her probation. She is ambitious and got to jump ahead quickly to being a space detective with the Doctor. She was also far more interested in learning everything she could about the places they visited and the people they met. Ryan and Graham seemed to just be along for the ride and adventures. 

It makes sense to me that Ryan would want to leave, he never seemed that interested in what they were doing. Graham did want to stay but being with his family was more important. 

[Tyro49]

Didn't anyone else notice that all the scenes were so dark?  Did they cut the lighting budget or something?

Who is this new companion who was supposedly introduced? I don't remember anyone, and I just watched it last night.

While there were some nice story elements, this episode just didn't feel very "special" to me. Could have been run as a regular part of the series.

Good to see it back, though.

[Llywela]

2 minutes ago, Tyro49 said:

Who is this new companion who was supposedly introduced? I don't remember anyone, and I just watched it last night.

He wasn't in the episode. There was a short trailer for him aired immediately after the episode.

[DoctorAtomic]

1 hour ago, Sakura12 said:

For me they showed that Yaz wasn't happy with her job, she wanted to do more than write traffic tickets.

That's also my recollection. Coupled with her backstory, she clearly wasn't in a good place pre-Doctor. 

Graham had said he wanted to travel because he couldn't quite yet go home again without Grace there. I think it's great that traveling with the Doctor has allowed some healing. 

I really, really hope this is a trend with companions. I just can't stand the tragic endings that traveling with the Doctor likely exacts a high cost. I'd rather it be an opportunity for personal growth. I know it's a kids' show, but there's still good lessons there. 

I *really* want Jenny and them from Sherlock Holmes Time to meet Thirteen. They are going to love it. 

[Bruinsfan]

On 1/1/2021 at 7:45 PM, Sakura12 said:

I loved seeing Jack again and hearing him mention Rose and Gwen.

I can see why he'd mention Rose, but has the Doctor even met Gwen? (The version from "The Unquiet Dead" doesn't count.) The closest encounter I can recall between the two is her seeing 10's lopped-off hand in a bottle.

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, Bruinsfan said:

I can see why he'd mention Rose, but has the Doctor even met Gwen? (The version from "The Unquiet Dead" doesn't count.) The closest encounter I can recall between the two is her seeing 10's lopped-off hand in a bottle.

He knows who Gwen is from...whichever season finale it was that had everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Tennant's final regeneration. Gwen made a guest appearance in that as part of the team effort saving Earth (via video link).

[DanaK]

11 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

For me they showed that Yaz wasn't happy with her job, she wanted to do more than write traffic tickets. Being with the Doctor allows her to do more. She's still investigating and solving mysteries but at a much larger scale. 

She wouldn't be happy going back to traffic stops for however long she has on her probation. She is ambitious and got to jump ahead quickly to being a space detective with the Doctor. She was also far more interested in learning everything she could about the places they visited and the people they met. Ryan and Graham seemed to just be along for the ride and adventures. 

It makes sense to me that Ryan would want to leave, he never seemed that interested in what they were doing. Graham did want to stay but being with his family was more important. 

Exactly. While people rightly complained Yaz didn't have her own storyline, she subtly did a lot of stuff helping the Doctor and using her skills, and the Doctor used her as a sounding board quite a lot. She also seemed more intensely loyal to the Doctor than the men seemed, often not wanting to leave her side during dangerous situations. I just wish all that wasn’t done so subtly, but it was some pretty good work by Mandip

 

[Sakura12]

Also is Yaz still a police officer? They didn't even mention her job. It's been 10 months and she seemed to be spending all her time searching for the Doctor. I can't imagine she can still the use the special project thing the Doctor gave her last season. 

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, Sakura12 said:

Also is Yaz still a police officer? They didn't even mention her job. It's been 10 months and she seemed to be spending all her time searching for the Doctor. I can't imagine she can still the use the special project thing the Doctor gave her last season. 

If she has given up her job, I think that's a real shame, to give up on her chosen career like that. She went into the police for a reason. She wanted to be a police officer. She was frustrated about the limitations placed on her as a probationer, sure, but here's the thing - that probation period exists for a reason. It is designed to allow new young recruits to learn on the job and gain experience while also receiving all the training they need to enable them to actually do the job. And Yaz never completed that. She was frustrated because she wanted to run before she could walk. If she'd stuck at it, she'd be past that by now and working her way up the chain, which is what she told Rosa she wanted to do. Travelling with the Doctor gave her a shortcut, a crash course in hands on investigation, but also removed her from the career development she actually wanted, and it's not exactly something she can put on a CV. I think her story would have been stronger if we'd seen some real tension between desiring the opportunity offered by the Doctor while also not wanting to give up on the career she'd been working toward (which was implied by the Doctor intervening to excuse her absence from work, off-screen). If we'd seen her struggle to make that choice and been shown more of what was going on in her head, beyond 'the Doctor is great, I'm going to give up on everything I ever wanted just to be with her.' It doesn't actually take that much to show a character wrestling with a choice, Yaz would have gained some needed depth as a character, and, as a bonus, the Fam wouldn't have come across quite so much as a hive mind.

As it is, she'll probably either have a tragic ending or, like Martha, magically be given all the qualifications she needs to continue her chosen career despite not having completed the work necessary! Either that or she'll give up on the police and re-boot UNIT or Torchwood!

Edited January 8, 2021 by Llywela

[DoctorAtomic]

I'm totally fine with Yaz joining UNIT. She's discovering her purpose by traveling with the Doctor. 

To be fair to her, and I don't know if this was the actual intent in the writing, but iirc Yaz was the only companion who visited her personal past with the Punjab episode. So she kind of has a different pov than the others. 

[Sakura12]

I don't know if being police was Yaz's dream job. We just know she was inspired to join because of the woman that helped her. If her passion is exploring and investagating strange things then traveling with the Doctor is more what she wants to do. 

There are other ways for her to use her skill set, they can restart Unit or Jack can restart Torchwood. He'd hire Yaz in a heartbeat. Or she can even join whatever Martha and Mickey are doing. She can also decide to stay on another planet and work there. They have many options besides killing her. 

[Eolivet]

When the Doctor was going on and on, using every adjective under the sun, to describe what a Dalek is and why they're bad, all I could think of was how Russell T. Davies communicated those exact sentiments in "Dalek" using one look from Christopher Eccleston as Nine. Or the amazing way he used the Daleks to reveal more about the Doctor's character.

I miss the days when Doctor Who was well-written. Jodie Whittaker deserves better.

[DanaK]

The +7 day numbers are 6.25 million viewers. I don’t think this includes devices, which may be released Monday, but that number may not be fully accurate at this time. It was the #1 BBC program for the day and 2nd overall. It will likely end up as the 8th most watched program for the week, the same position as last year’s Series 12’s Spyfall premiere

[elle]

On 1/4/2021 at 8:36 AM, cardigirl said:

I've been wondering about this comment.  Is it Chris Noth, the actor, that you are against, or his character, Roberston?

I apologize if this was explained elsewhere and I missed it. 

It is his character.  The less said about that the better.  I do have to admit that I’m not all that fond of Noth either, but that is more of I can tolerate him in small doses.  Or if he is with Jerry Orbach (Law/Order ref).

On 1/1/2021 at 10:35 PM, DanaK said:

Did anyone get a small sense that the Doctor's Tardis had changed a little bit?

Nice to see John's name in the title sequence. I saw some speculation or hope that it might happen

I'm not sure the alternate Tardis was destroyed. The Doctor threatened that she was sending the Daleks (and the Tardis) to die, but then an ending comment in that scene suggested she was just sending them into exile or to be trapped in some part of space.

@elle I think the look of the alternate Tardis was that it was simply the one that brought the fam back to Earth and it was simply one of the spare Tardises standing around Gallifrey

I don’t think 13’s Tardis had changed.  It is still the weird crystals uber-dark dreck it was before.  I really miss the clean bright control room of the original.  The alternate Tardis had that look a bit, though it did seem a bit cluttered with wires or something.  I don’t remember what Ruth’s version looked like. (See comment below) Still looked better even with all Daleks about.

On 1/2/2021 at 10:24 AM, Chyromaniac said:

I enjoyed the little Monty Python Holy Grail-ish chimes during the opening graphics.  I kind of wish they had continued.

It was basically the same set as “Doctor Ruth’s” Tardis from the Judoon episode (besides being the one they hijacked from Gallifrey).  This may mean that it’s replaced the “all white” look as the default console room in this iteration of the series.  If so, it’s a bit of a shame - the white was a sharp, classic design.  However I liked the alternate version here too (Jodie’s has grown on me, but it’s still not my favorite) so I hope we haven’t seen the last of it.  And yes, knowing what we do about them, it’s a shame to lose any Tardis.

Sadly, as an American I have to assume that 90% or more of our police departments would happily use crowd control drones that look like alien tanks, just because they look like alien tanks.

 

On 1/2/2021 at 3:28 AM, John Potts said:

Resolution showed a dalek "piloting" a human, but Old Who had the squishy innards of the daleks occasionally doing things (Remembrance of the Daleks had a claw grabbing either the Doctor or Ace, IIRC). It is, however, like most of Who, entirely inconsistent, as Dalek shells are sometimes co-opted by Team Doctor to roam around in apparently without difficulty!

(snip)

They were no worse than "The Greatest Ever Britain", Winston Churchill was in Victory of the Daleks. If you assume (as the episode seems to) that nobody remembers the Daleks, then it was just a novel design of chassis for their new security robots

So, a NuWho idea along with the hybrid human/Dalek creation during Ten and Martha’s run.

Not the best episode but still far less aggravating than this one.  I am still bugged by what happened to the technology that allowed “Danny Boy” to fly into space.  I guess everything is still classified so no one knows about the previous attempt to use Daleks as opposed to the how many times the Daleks have attacked Earth.

On 1/2/2021 at 8:22 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I was SO RELIEVED that they walked away. I'm still incredulous about Donna. Clearly, Ryan had done a lot of thinking on the 10 months, but I was worried they were going to blow up the ship themselves (with them on it). And really, this is what the show should be - the companions travel with the Doctor, they grow and become better, and they're able to move on an put that out into the world. Yaz isn't ready yet. No problem.

Though I'm slightly surprised given that they worked well with Jack that he didn't want to start up Torchwood again. I forget if it's still active. Then again, after the last Torchwood series on Starz, Jack might be over it. Graham and Ryan are clearly keen to keep 'doctoring' around Earth, so I would have thought Jack might have encouraged it. I don't know how they can afford to travel to Korea and Finland.

The overall plan worked really well and went rather straightforward for a Doctor plan. Though the Daleks are ruthless, they are highly predictable. Great monologue calling them 'pets'. WE ARE NO PETS OF THE DOCTOR. They're so dumb sometimes.

I love when Daleks are talking to one another with no one around. It's so silly. There's no way they'd be using sound, but I love the way they thought to design the shell so the lights go off when they talk.

I heard that line in caps in a Dalek voice.  I was so relieved when they finally got back in their shells and sounded like themselves again.  Before that my DH made another movie reference to Independence Day with the Dalek using the human to speak.

I was also glad to see Ryan and Graham safely off the Tardis.  Closer to what happened with Sara Jane or Teegan, them deciding on their own to leave.  Loved the call back at the end to Ryan trying to learn how to ride a bike and for Graham to see Grace.  I don’t think Ryan saw her or at least he didn’t indicate that he did.  I would watch spin off of their adventures.  Sad to say, it would be more interesting to me than the current Who because there wouldn’t be the mucking about with the Doctor’s backstory.  Did wonder about the trolls though, in Finland?  I thought it was Norway.  Either way I thought the Scandinavian countries got along with the trolls.

[benteen]

I thought Revolution of the Daleks was great.  I'd go so far as to say it was the best episode of the Chibnall era.

The Daleks actually come across like a threat here, like in the previous holiday special.  

We FINALLY get a one-on-one scene with The Doctor and one of his companions and it was perhaps Ryan's best scene.  We needed more of this one-on-one interaction between The Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz a lot sooner.  The show has focused too much of on The Doctor treating her "fam" like a collective instead of individuals.  I think her companions would have been a lot better received if they had allowed this sooner.  The Doctor opening up here was a help too.

Graham wasn't given much to do but at least had some great final scenes.  He is the character I will miss the most and I would have been fine with him being the sole companion for the 13th Doctor era.  Was very glad Ryan made the decision to leave himself instead of, as has been noted, being another companion having to be torn apart from The Doctor kicking and screaming.  While I find the decision to leave this life puzzling from so many of the companions, I like the idea of a companion doing their time with The Doctor, growing and then moving on.  Besides, it looks like Ryan and Graham aren't done saving the world, which I'd love to see more of.

Yaz has been given more to do though I hope we get more focus on her, beyond being an obsessed companion.  I think she'll benefit from having less companions around.

Very much enjoyed the return of Captain Jack and the fact that his rescue took decades.  Great stuff with him and Yaz and I appreciated the Rose mention.

Jodie was good in this episode but the writing is still failing her Doctor.  When the writing for Jo Martin's unknown Doctor is better, it's a real failing of the writing staff.

[HauntedBathroom]

On 1/13/2021 at 6:57 PM, benteen said:

I thought Revolution of the Daleks was great.  I'd go so far as to say it was the best episode of the Chibnall era.

That's not much of an achievement.

[DanaK]

Several 7-day ratings for the week of December 28 to January 3 were updated. The special got 6.364 million viewers, slightly higher than initial figures. It remained 10th on the weekly chart

[DanaK]

On 1/23/2021 at 4:51 AM, DanaK said:

Several 7-day ratings for the week of December 28 to January 3 were updated. The special got 6.364 million viewers, slightly higher than initial figures. It remained 10th on the weekly chart

28-days viewing figures: Total of 6.6 million viewers, which includes 4 screen viewing. 11th for the week