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Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks
New Year’s Special 2022

Starring: Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, John Bishop, Aisling Bea, Adjani Salmon, and Nicholas Briggs
Written by: Chris Chibnall
Directed by: Annetta Laufer

DA-LEKS ARE NEVER SORRY…

The Thirteenth Doctor’s final bows open with a tensely entertaining “Groundhog Day” scenario in Eve of the Daleks.

It is New Year’s Eve, and Aisling Bea’s acerbically enthralling Sarah is working again, sacrificing her night once more, as she holds court over the single occupant of ELF Storage, the odd and oddly cute Nick, played with a deft touch by Adjani Salmon. However, on the other side of the Vortex, The Doctor, Dan, and Yaz aim to take a much-needed holiday, and hoping to wait out the restoration and reset of the TARDIS from the effects of The Flux on a sentient beach.

Unfortunately for them all, The Executioner Daleks (Classic Copper Daleks with LASER GATLING GUNS) have different stratagems in mind and plans already in motion. Their plans will finally punish and EX-TER-MIN-ATE the Doctor for her multitude of crimes against the Daleks. Most notably, and recently, the resolution of Flux. The Oncoming Storm returned and laid waste to the Dalek invasion fleet (alongside the Sontarans, Cybermen, and Division HQ).

On the one hand, Eve of the Daleks is armed with a deceptively simple premise, and plays to the absolute bloody hilt in the best way possible. Intimately directed by Annetta Laufer and tightly contained to a single location, Chris Chibnall’s take on the time loop mechanics instantly charms – while consistently ratcheting up the stakes as our heroes live, die, and repeat.

Better still, the drive and import of these loops are also fully supported by the just finished Flux. Both the Doctor and the companions are still very much dealing with the apocalyptical event serial. So thankfully, Eve of the Daleks KEEPS them dealing with it.

Consequently, this leads to Eve of the Dalek’s greatest strength: it’s multitude of tremendous character beats. The biggest headline of the special is that this is the closest we have gotten to Yazmin Khan’s explicitly stated queerness.

In a bravura sequence between Yaz and Dan Lewis (Bishop himself having quite a few standout moments and turns as well), she tearfully states that she’s “Never told anyone, not even herself”. After Dan softly pushes her into finally admitting her feelings for the Doctor, who even then turns around and pushes THE DOCTOR right back! Taking her to task (as a friend would) for her “obliviousness” toward Yaz and the profound effect she can have on her traveling companions

It’s an absolutely heart-rending pair of scenes, spiking across a whole special of high points and sterling Doctor Who storytelling. And even BETTER, Eve of the Daleks is REALLY funny too! Though arguably Chibnall’s best single script of his era, the sparkling banter and comedic chops of the whole cast get all sorts of fun spotlights throughout.

It is ultimately providing Jodie’s final set of specials with a rollicking opening gambit. One that hopefully will become a new New Year’s staple for Whovians worldwide.

NEXT TIME! Later This Year! Legend of the Sea Devils! THE MOTHERFUCKING SEA DEVILS, YALL!