The new year is just around the corner and so is new Doctor Who! Plus the welcome arrival of Aisling Bea on the show!
Spoilers Eve of the Daleks grade and discussion thread
- Thread starter The Nth Doctor
- Start date
The new year is just around the corner and so is new Doctor Who! Plus the welcome arrival of Aisling Bea on the show!
Should probably have called this one Groundhog Day of the Daleks.
Now I have an image in my head of Daleks chasing after groundhogs to exterminate them all. 
So... this season has given us the best Sontaran episode in years, the best Weeping Angels episode in years, and now the best Dalek episode in years. Chibnall can do it some of the time. So why can't he do it all of the time?
Aisling Bea was brilliant, a character so perfectly fitting an actor that I almost wonder if she was allowed to ad lib some of it.
Plus, Thasmin shippers are picking their brains off the walls as we speak.
.
Aisling Bea was brilliant, a character so perfectly fitting an actor that I almost wonder if she was allowed to ad lib some of it.
Plus, Thasmin shippers are picking their brains off the walls as we speak.
.
That was absolutely bonkers fun! I love a great time-loop adventure and this was one of the best. Sure, they cut around the corners of how much they could actually do in just a few minutes before the loop reset, but I don't mind because the result was a rollicking adventure with a satisfying conclusion. This was easily the best holiday special since at least "Twice Upon a Time" if not even further back to "Last Christmas." Probably helps this episode actually worked in New Year's Eve into the plot.
As I expected, Aisling Bea was completely brilliant as Sarah. Even though I knew what the episode intended to do, I couldn't help dream about Sarah becoming a companion when she talked about wanting to travel around the world. Maybe she'll pull a Donna and become a companion later on. A guy can hope!
So many great one-liners coming from everyone in the cast, including the Daleks! "I AM NOT NICK!!!!"
I'm really looking forward to "Legend of the Sea Devils." I hope it's a proper historical seafaring adventure because that's an excellent setting for them!
As I expected, Aisling Bea was completely brilliant as Sarah. Even though I knew what the episode intended to do, I couldn't help dream about Sarah becoming a companion when she talked about wanting to travel around the world. Maybe she'll pull a Donna and become a companion later on. A guy can hope!
So many great one-liners coming from everyone in the cast, including the Daleks! "I AM NOT NICK!!!!"
I'm really looking forward to "Legend of the Sea Devils." I hope it's a proper historical seafaring adventure because that's an excellent setting for them!
Yeah, that is indeed curious (also, as I mentioned, best holiday special in years). I'd argue he's better on an individual episode basis but the first season of Broadchurch was absolutely perfect from beginning to end, so I don't know.
Apparently I'm completely out of touch with the shipping world because I had no idea their shipping name was "Thasmin." I had to look it up to make sure I knew what you meant.
Last edited:
Oh, I was so involved in that! Lots of fun, along with the rising tension over if they were going to do it in time. The decreasing time with each loop, along with the Daleks being able to learn along the way just added to the madcap hijinks. 
I've enjoyed Yaz as a companion, but I've never been a fan of companions having feelings for the Doctor. I did love Dan calling her out on how she felt, and just telling her to go for it was perfect.
I thought this was going to Jodie Whittaker's last episode, but I must have missed an announcement?
I've enjoyed Yaz as a companion, but I've never been a fan of companions having feelings for the Doctor. I did love Dan calling her out on how she felt, and just telling her to go for it was perfect.
I thought this was going to Jodie Whittaker's last episode, but I must have missed an announcement?
No, we always knew she had three more specials coming. The New Year's Day special, the now-titled "Legend of the Sea Devils," and the BBC Centenary special.
I know this is gonna' be stupidly nitpicky, but the Daleks now have these bada$$, spinning mini-guns, and takes them something like 30 seconds or more to shoot/cut through a cheap, sheet metal door?! Yeah, yeah, I guess it goes hand in hand (plunger in plunger?) with having the aim of imperial stormtroopers, but the look of that thing seems like it would be second in power only to a special weapons Dalek.
Other than that petty quibble, a very fun episode!
So, might that fellow recording the fireworks on his phone be something of a Chekhov's gun, an element who will play a part in one or both of the remaining specials?
Other than that petty quibble, a very fun episode!
So, might that fellow recording the fireworks on his phone be something of a Chekhov's gun, an element who will play a part in one or both of the remaining specials?
Hm, maybe so. I thought it was just some random passerby enjoy the light show but I did find the insert a little awkward...
The fireworks guy was the 'Important' steel worker from Jodie's first episode
That was pretty good, but having seen Live, Die, Repeat, Palm Springs and Boss Level within the last year, it seemed even more deja-vu than was intentional. But Aisling Bea was great fun as always (even if she always pretty much plays herself) and DW has done the time loop story to great effect before at least 2 of those films (Heaven Sent).
Interesting also to see that the Doctor’s actions during Flux haven’t been forgotten, even if she herself doesn’t seem unduly troubled by them.
Interesting also to see that the Doctor’s actions during Flux haven’t been forgotten, even if she herself doesn’t seem unduly troubled by them.
Eve Of The Daleks was good fun, but why did the Daleks ever need a reason to off the Doctor, why didn't they just spawn-camp outside the TARDIS when they found it, and why didn't they just send in another team after the loop ended? And as for the Daleks only being able to hit people who stand and let them, while being unable to hit anyone in a five-person corridor blockage or any individual who is actually walking...
Ohhh! Good catch! I thought he looked familiar but I just figured he simply reminded me of someone. I tried looking the cast up on Wikipedia and IMDb as of now, but both are incomplete (and TARDIS Wiki doesn't even have the page up yet!).
Meh, because Daleks. I don't really care about that.
Pretty good episode, but I was left feeling cold by the blatant Thasmin discussion because of the IRL knowledge that there's not going to be a future for the characters on account of both Jodie and Mandip leaving in 9 months, which makes this whole plot feel like 'too little, too late'.
I think I must have only seen the headline about them going somewhere and came to my own conclusion.
I'm game for more anyway.
Not as crazy as the others here but it was OK I guess. The special episodes rarely work much for me anyway. In spirit of the holidays I won't go too deep into this one.
Nick was a tad creepy and stalkerish tbh though at least Sarah didn't exactly take it too easy on him.
Nick was a tad creepy and stalkerish tbh though at least Sarah didn't exactly take it too easy on him.
I figured it was Jeff.
Did anyone else catch Sarah exclaiming "Oh, my giddy aunt!" when her mom called at the most inopportune time during one of the time loops? I just about died when I heard her say that.
That guy is Karl, the guy whom 'Tim Shaw' was after in The Woman Who Fell to Earth.
That was fun, and if it'd been episode 5 of a full season it would have been great, but as a special, well I guess it didn't feel particularly special, also I'm not sure the time loops made complete sense, and for saying time was such a factor people spent a LOT of time standing around chatting.
Loved Dan decoying the Dalek "Dalek's do not have managers!" Bea was very good as well.
As for the Doctor/Yaz, meh, leaves me cold because I don't get any sense of feeling between them and I don't see why people would be disappointed that this relationship won't reach any kind of fulfilment. Of course it won't any more than the Doctor and Rose came to anything. It all feels very secondary school, even down to Dan's "My mate fancies you" moment.
Clearly Jodie and Mandip have chemistry, you only have to see them together IRL, but it's never translated into the characters having chemistry. In fact Yaz still doesn't have much personality. There's a random reference to the 4 years Dan and Yaz spent travelling, yet neither of them seem changed by this time. Yaz is the same character she's always been.
Anyway, the next special looks really interesting! Sea Devils! Pirates! China! Please let this be good, please let this be good, please let this be good....
Loved Dan decoying the Dalek "Dalek's do not have managers!" Bea was very good as well.
As for the Doctor/Yaz, meh, leaves me cold because I don't get any sense of feeling between them and I don't see why people would be disappointed that this relationship won't reach any kind of fulfilment. Of course it won't any more than the Doctor and Rose came to anything. It all feels very secondary school, even down to Dan's "My mate fancies you" moment.
Clearly Jodie and Mandip have chemistry, you only have to see them together IRL, but it's never translated into the characters having chemistry. In fact Yaz still doesn't have much personality. There's a random reference to the 4 years Dan and Yaz spent travelling, yet neither of them seem changed by this time. Yaz is the same character she's always been.
Anyway, the next special looks really interesting! Sea Devils! Pirates! China! Please let this be good, please let this be good, please let this be good....