"Resolution" by Chris Chibnall, directed by Wayne Yip. Spoilers after the cut.
So yeah, I didn't hate the New Year's special, much as I didn't hate the idea of having a New Year's special in the first place. I think in the past when I'd been enjoying the series as a whole I'd have been more saddened not to have a BBC1 centrepiece Doctor Who for Christmas Day, but both the previous showrunners did end up feeling like they were having to crowbar Christmas into their episodes (I never understood why both RTD and the Moff thought the Christmas special was such a badge of honour that only the showrunner could write it, despite the latter openly admitting he didn't want to do them any more.) New Year's Day doesn't have quite the same imagery to build a story around but in the end that probably worked for the best, only tangentially connecting the story to the date.
That said, the Doctor takes her companions to see twenty New Year's Eves in a row, and we're meant to infer it's as some kind of treat rather than the ordeal it clearly actually is. In fact, now that I think about it New Year's Eve is even bleaker from the perspective of a time traveller, going back to see people looking forward to a new year in the knowledge of exactly what would go wrong for them in the following twelve months. "Aw, we've had a lovely time with our new friends in London on the 31st of December 1664, will things work out all right for them Doctor?" "THEY'RE ALL GOING TO DIE OF PLAGUE, now who wants to spend 31st December 1913 with the Austro-Hungarian Royal Family?"
Anyway, this episode had the Daleks returning, or at least one of them; so in some ways it's reminiscent of "Dalek," making it clear how much damage a single one of them can do. This went further by having the actual Dalek still be dangerous without its pepperpot, as seen when Charlotte Ritchie's Lin had the squid creature deposit a sticky goo upon her person. This was adding insult to injury, as she'd actually been hoping Nikesh Patel would do something similar instead, so who wouldn't be disappointed?
I was a bit dubious about the whole "it's been genetically engineered to be even more Daleky than the other Daleks" business, if only because so many Dalek stories have resolved into them trying this shizzle then fighting among themselves because they reject any kind of difference. Also after the business with it finding its weapon it then turns out the rest of the casing was just lying around somewhere and it glued it back together with some spare parts etc. But for the most part the actual action adventure part of the story was enjoyable.
As usual the crowded TARDIS means the companions don't each get much time, so Ryan and Graham still mainly exist to have personal issues that interrupt the story, while Yas at least has her role as the one who pays attention to the confused humans in the middle of it all. Speaking of confused humans, Aaron's combi oven saving the day is typically Doctor Who, but where on earth is the idea that he thought of it meant to have come from? Sure, I've been watching this show all my life so once the oven went into the TARDIS it was clear the Doctor would do some McGyvering, but Aaron hasn't seen the show before. He's in a place that doesn't obey the rules of physics, has been given a very rushed explanation of what's going on, but out of nowhere volunteers what turns out to be the correct information that his combi oven might save the day. LAZY writing Chibbers.
I wonder how the people frothing at the gash about the show's gAY AGEndA feel about the gay security guard becoming a victim of Bury Your Gays within seconds of his first appearance? Are they all "Rarrr nasty gays oh wait it's OK he got what's coming to him" or would they still rather have all-straight cannon-fodder?
Anyway that's that for quite a while now, when the show eventually resufaces will they have learnt any lessons? I doubt it. Jodie Whittaker's been likeable but I don't really have a feel for "her" Doctor yet. But that's often the case with new Doctors' first seasons, hopefully the writers will be able to look back at her performance and focus on what works. Personally I've said since the start that being the McGyver Doctor is a good look for her, and she also sometimes has the air of a toddler wandering off all excitedly, so maybe Childlike MacGyver is where they should be going with this.
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