This New Years special has the Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) stuck in space prison. Meanwhile, people on Earth are trying to control Dalek technology with naturally dark results. This was a fun episode.
Yeah, this is an average Dalek story, and yeah, they are overexposed, but I felt it was well executed enough with a strong ending. It had more of an older seasons DW feel, combining humor, adventure, and a little horror.
There was a lot going on in this, I mean it in a good way; kept things varied. The longer running time allowed more time for the cast members, including the Doctor, to have emotional moments, some of the best of the 13th Doctor's run. (Though Graham (Bradley Walsh), my favorite of the gang, doesn't get quite as much screentime as the others. In fairness, he got a lot of exposure these last two seasons.)
Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) is back. It's nice to see him again, and Barrowman's giving it his all, but I also felt writer and current showrunner Chris Chibnall leaned a little too hard on the humor with him. He felt slightly like a caricature. Corrupt businessman Jack Robinson (Law & Order's Chris Noth) from Arachnids in the UK is back. Though I'm still not that fond of him, he is definitely better written here.
The Daleks get a sleeker redesign here, and I'm not hating it. I prefer the rounder ones, but these aren't too shabby.
There are a couple issues here. I felt the episode got a little nihilistic with the deaths. Yeah, there has always been death in Doctor Who, but there's a difference between death existing and being knocked over the head with it. (Also, there's one death that felt like a cheap tug at the emotions.)
Also, Chibnall never really made clear why the Doctor was in prison. That part really felt like a waste.
Overall, I recommend this. Yeah, it's a formula episode, but there is a reason the formula works.
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