After reviewing each episode of flux, I may as well carry on until the end of Jodie Whitaker’s time as the Doctor. I have hopes that the ending will be better than the start and the middle, so let’s talk about the first of 4 specials, Eve of the Daleks.
But before I talk about the episode itself, I want to talk about my thoughts going into it. Just like with Flux, it seems there was quite a big advertising budget. I’ve seen tons of posters about this episode, so that tells you that the BBC believes in it. Personally, I hate that the Daleks are back. One of my complaints about flux was using old villains for nostalgia or because he can’t create anything interesting. It shows weakness in his writing. But I’ve spoken about that in my flux reviews, so let’s just get onto this episode.
Like before, I’ll be writing these thoughts as I watch the episode, so they can seem messy but should make sense if you’ve watched the episode. If you want my overall, thoughts you can skip this stuff until you see # # #
First off, the time loop idea isn’t unique but I am a fan of it. It can be really cool if done well, or really bad.
Why does Chris Chibnall write in these weird love stories that all feel so similar to each other? Didn’t the last new year special have an almost identical situation?
“Ready?” Asked the Doctor as her two lemons stood around because they have nothing to do.
RIP Nick, he was a real one.
Seems overkill that the Dalek weapon shoots multiple times when it kills most things in one. Like if you wanted to just have a weapon that isn’t jammed by sonic then why not just do that. No need for anything more. But I guess it’s “cool”.
Alright, I’ll admit it. Aisling Bea’s character walking out of that weird bean room and into the hallway to see the Dalek was pretty tense, I just wished she didn’t hang up the phone, would have been much cooler to see how the character would react. There just might be that extra bit of tension and sadness. Maybe even regret and despair.
I dislike Dan speaking back to the aliens. Even the most arrogant humans would be scared, especially since the thing had already killed them once.
So this episode could either have its characters being scared to death or arrogantly brave. Depending on which they went for depends on a completely different episode. Personally, I’d prefer ‘scared to death and slowly gain confidence’.
Another terrible Chris Chibnall shooting scene. How can the Dalek not hit them in such a tiny hallway? They weren’t even moving?
Another scene of the Doctor who keeps talking only to never explain anything.
Nick’s a psychopath keeping all those stuff from his exes. This dude has issues.
You know you’ve said something rude when Evil Dan calls you harsh. But to be honest it was a bit rude. But at least it’s some decent drama and conflict.
Wow, she made that dude suicidal. What the hell is happening? I don’t know if I like it or not.
This Doctor loves to talk to villains too much.
I don’t understand Dan’s character. I don’t get how he thinks, his motivations or any of that. It seems he has some confidence, but also seems to be stubborn. I don’t get why he would decide to leave the Doctor to stop the other Dalek. Unless he had more off-screen development over 1 episode than Yaz has had on-screen for over 3 years. At least that makes Dan a million times more useful than Yaz has ever been.
Weird scene of Dan having a dance with the Dalek.
Maybe I shouldn’t blame Chibnall for the terrible shooting scenes, it’s probably the director’s fault. But how can you look at those scenes and think that anyone could easily get away from them? How can they miss so much? There is never any cover or anything.
Nick doesn’t survive from 5 minutes to midnight, but in the previous loop a Darlek appeared behind Aisling Bea and shot her, so why did it not appear there again and why is she alive one minute later?
Ok, The Dalek shooting the fuse box is what I wanted earlier, some actual terror. A moment where you know you are screwed. That gets a like from me.
Same with this Dalek suddenly appearing behind Nick. That’s another plus.
Shame it’s about to be ruined by the Doctor and Yaz talking a bunch.
Oh yeah, Dan and Yaz were stuck together for 4 years. I forgot that. Shame I don’t care about the relationships between these characters because they feel so inhuman.
I’m getting sick of the Dalek theme whenever they appear. Literally every time they appear.
And now it’s time to check out what Jeff has in store because now we are MAD.
Yaz really needs to understand the situation. You’re about to die so who cares if you get yelled at by the person you like. It reminds me of a recent Will Ferrell film, one about a wife that hated her husband abandoning her in an avalanche. You can say what you want about it, but it’s every man for themselves.
“Dalek’s learn.” If they did, they would destroy the fuse box every time.
Another touching scene that could be better executed. I would have had Aisling Bea’s character say that she was ill and that she won’t be able to speak for a while, a long while.
When you fire that many insta-kill shots, surely 1 must land.
Ah, so all the budget went on the building crumbling scene. I guess RIP the TARDIS. Oh, never mind, it’s fine. Completely unburied and untouched.
So whatever was happening with the TARDIS in flux has been fixed. Because that was another plot of flux that had zero meaning and importance to the story.
Good to see this Doctor doesn’t learn. How can she still stay silent? Sometimes the companions force the Doctor to talk, why not have this?
# # #
Well, that was the first episode of the end. We are now 3 episodes left until Jodie regenerates. Compared to flux, it was an improvement. Was it a big improvement? I don’t know. Personally, I’d say yes. This episode proves that 6 episodes for the flux were too many. As you can easily create a decent story in 1 hour. But that’s not to say it was great.
I purposely tried to ignore the Doctor/Yaz relationship stuff because it doesn’t matter. I’d be reviewing it the exact same if it was a heterosexual relationship. Just because it is an LGBT+ couple, doesn’t make the episode any better. I even disliked the River love stuff at certain points because it was just a bad romance story, it’s the exact same here.
This could be a great story if done much better. If the characters felt more human, like crying over getting killed, happy at hearing a confession, scared at the Daleks. The later scenes that were filled with tension were better than any other scene in the episode, or the entirety of the flux.
The music doesn’t help. The sad moments have too much beat to them. Doctor Who feels too scared to be silent. Sometimes silence speaks way more than any music ever could. I think for the first time I will say it wasn’t the script that let this episode down, but the director. Just some slight changes to the mood they want to convey and this episode would be great. I’d even have said it was Jodie’s best one. But sadly, I cannot.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I’ll be back when the other’s launch to give my thoughts.
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