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Bradley Walsh, Chris Chibnall, Dalek, Daleks, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Resolution, Doctor Who Resolution New Year's Day Special, Doctor Who Resolution Review, Doctor Who Series 11, Doctor Who Series 12, Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, Mark Tonderai., TARDIS, The 13th Doctor, Tosin Cole
Doctor Who Resolution New Years Day Special
Review by Paul Bowler
A thrilling new adventure awaits Team TARDIS in Resolution, the Doctor Who New Year’s Day Special! The Doctor and her friends return to Earth as the new year is about to begin. But an ancient evil is also rising, something forged throughout centuries of human history, and now it threatens to destroy the entire world.
Although we’ve not had our usual festive themed Doctor Who Christmas special this year, the New Year’s Day special Resolution more than makes up for it. Written by showrunner Chris Chibnal and Directed by Wayne Yip (who also helmed 2017’s The Lie of the Land Empress of Mars for Peter Capaldi‘s final season), Resolution is an epic, fast-paced adventure that sees Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor (now sporting a nice new scarf) uncovering a bizarre archaeological mystery in Sheffield together with her companions Graham (Bradley Walsh), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Ryan (Tosin Cole), along with new allies Mitch (Nikesh Patel who appeared in Indian Summers) and Lin (played by Call the Midwife star Charlotte Ritchie) who also get caught up in the action.
Following the century spanning opening scenes exploring the myth of some legendary custodians, the full scope and scale of Resolution quickly becomes apparent as Chibnal’s frenetically paced script deftly balances the creeping horror awakening at the archaeological dig beneath the Town Hall in Sheffield with the big action set-pieces. The drama and danger ramps up even further once the Doctor arrives and realises the menace is none other than one her deadliest enemies… the Daleks!
Yes, the Doctor’s greatest foes are back with a bang in Resolution! Well, at least one of them anyway! It transpires in Resolution that this Dalek is a reconnaissance scout that was defeated in the 9th Century, its parts divided around the world to be overseen by custodians, but now it has returned – albeit only initially here in its mutant form. We’ve seen how dangerous a lone Dalek can be before in 2005’s Dalek, and the Dalek in Resolution is every bit as deadly.
The Dalek mutant also goes a bit Venom at one point, forming a symbiotic bond with Lin. She is able to resists long enough for the Doctor to track her down, but not before the Dalek has been able to rebuild itself. I really liked this steampunk style Dalek and how it cobbled itself together. It’s quite a striking design, very different from anything we’ve ever seen before, but instantly recognizable and packed with hidden weapons!
Jodie Whittaker is again on superb form as the Doctor. Its great to finally see her incarnation of the Time Lord face-off against the newly reborn Dalek, and the powerful scenes between them were the highlights of the episode. The Doctor’s companions all get a moment in the spotlight as well, Tosin Cole got some great scenes when Ryan has a reunion with his long absent father, Aaron (Daniel Adegboyega), Bradley Walsh once again gets some emotional scenes as Graham, and Mandip Gill is right at the heart of the action as Yaz. Nikesh Patel and Charlotte Ritchie also make good mini companions for this adventure as Mitch and Lin, especially when Lin is taken over by the Dalek mutant and does all she can to resist the creatures influence.
There are moments of fun in Resolution as well, especially when the Dalek shuts down the UK’s entire internet and Wi-Fi, and the shocked population realise they might have to spend New Year’s Day actually having a real – shock horror – conversation! Not even UNIT is safe these days either, having seemingly been scuttled by Brexit, much to the Doctor’s consternation.
Wayne Yip’s stylish direction keeps Resolution rattling along at a cracking pace, especially once the Dalek trundles into action against the army. The showdown at GCHQ between the DIY junkyard Dalek and the Doctor and her friends is another spectacular action sequence, one that culminates in a final battle inside the TARDIS itself, and a moving reconciliation between Ryan and his father rounds off the episode in fine style.
In many respects Resolution actually feels a lot more like a popper season finale than The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos. I don’t think the shift from Christmas Day to having a New Year’s Day Doctor Who special has been at any detrimental cost to the series either, after all there’s only so many Christmas themed stories you can realistically tell, and this move also offered a chance to do something a bit different with the format. Resolution proved to be an exciting Doctor Who story bursting with action and spectacular effects, it was great to see the new Doctor and Co taking on a Dalek, and it also brought a nice sense of closure to series 11.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Images & Video Belong BBC
Sci-Fi Jubilee 
Hi Paul, I really enjoyed this episode as it flowed and I could follow the plot easily. This meant the story and action could both shine. Anyhoo, I hope this New Year went well for you and I wish you the best for 2019.
Hello! I enjoyed this episode as well. It was an exciting story, and all the TARDIS team got something to do. Nice to finally see the 13th Doctor face a classic monster as well. Cheers, happy new year, and wishing all the best for 2019 as well 🙂
Great write up and special to start the year! I’m glad they went with the lone Dalek threat since we can see how deadly and formidable a single Dalek is. It helps us appreciate them more as a menace.
Also having the special being a New Year’s event is a good change of pace although I hope Whittaker’s Doctor gets to have one at some point. Cheers and Happy New Year!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the Resolution review. It made for a very different kind of special having this New Year’s Day episode. Agree, it was a really good move to just have this single Dalek threat, and it showed just how powerful and dangerous even a lone Dalek can be. Sure Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor will get a Christmas Special at some point. Wishing you a very happy new year as well and all the best for 2019 🙂
Awesome review Paul
💜💙
💛❤️
Thank you 🙂
Looking forward to seeing this. Sounds like one of the better episodes from this series.
It was a good episode, lots of action, and great to see the Daleks back again.
I enjoyed “Resolution”. It’s clear throughout this special how much of an efficient and supportive team Thirteen and her friends have become, and the subplot involving Ryan’s dad made for a nice capper to the Ryan / Graham father figures arc woven throughout the series. The villains in Series 11 have been pretty mixed in my opinion. The human antagonists were quite disturbing and uncomfortable, just as they were intended to be, but the aliens like Tim Shaw, the Pting and the frog universe were less impressive. So it felt good and refreshing for Doctor Who to revisit old, familiar territory with the Daleks (who haven’t had a proper spotlight episode since Series 8) and introduce them to the new team. My only complaint is that Yaz has felt pretty superfluous for most of this series compared to the Doctor, Ryan and Graham, and her lack of personal stakes in both the series finale and the holiday special hasn’t really changed that feeling.
Yes, I enjoyed Resolution as well. It was good to see the Doctor and her companions face a Dalek at last. Hope we see more classic monster next season. I agree, some aspects of series 11 were better than others, and Yaz is the character who seemed to get side lined the most. Hopefully series 12 will redress the balance a bit and focus a bit more on her as well.
Great review Paul (I’m a bit late to the party with mine but it’s finally up), “Resolution” made up for some of the shortfalls of series 11. Ha! I didn’t even make that connection with Venom but I have anew appreciation for those moments in the episode.
Always great to see the Daleks back, I like the fact that the writers on New Who are always able to find something fresh to do with them without diminishing the threat.
Cheers, glad you enjoyed the review. Indeed, Resolution made up for a lot of Series 11’s faults, and rounded of the season with a good action adventure. Yes, I though, oh Chibnal obviously liked the Venom movie! Great to see the Daleks back as well, and lets hope the writers continue to keep things fresh and different with sereis 12. Happy New Year 🙂
My wife & I have enjoyed this season for the most part. The 3 historical episodes were excellent, Rosa Parks episode was the best of the season. Our quibble has been pacing of many of the episodes. Trying to balance character & plot in the time permitted, made some of the episodes uneven. This final episode had that feel for us & it just didn’t have that holiday special quality to make the episode really stand out.
That said, it did resolve the father son relationship.
The interpretation of the Dalek brings two science fiction / fantasy creations to mind.
First there is an ancient evil from the stars defeated by humans, but it must be guarded, for what does not die merely sleeps – One piece on a Pacific Isle, one piece in the frozen wastes of Siberia, & one piece lost in English countryside. The octopoid creature that hides in water tunnels, then takes over the body& mind of a human, with the goal to call its brethren for the stars are right. This is H P Lovecraft’s Cthulhu & related denizens.
Second , Riding the body as a Puppet Master – The Puppet Masters 1951 by Robert A. Heinlein.
All the best in the New Year.
I have much the same vie of Series 11, I enjoyed it, but there were some serious pacing issues and a few poor scripts. The historical based stories were my favourites as well. The series finale was a bit odd, but I’m glad we had a new year’s special to round off the series properly. Great Cthulhu and Puppet Master references you point out as well. Cheers for commenting and wishing you a very Happy New Year 🙂