Doctor Who Revolution of the Daleks Review

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13th Doctor, Black Dalek, Captain Jack, Chris Chibnall, Daleks, Doctor Who, Doctor Who New Years Day special;, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who Series 13, Jodie Whitaker, John Barrowman, John Bishop, New Daleks, Revolution of the Daleks, Series 12, Series 13, TARDIS, The Timeless Children, Thirteenth Doctor, Torchwood

Doctor Who Revolution of the Daleks

Review by Paul Bowler.

The Doctor and her friends face the return of the Daleks in the 2021 New Year’s Day special Revolution of the Daleks, written by Doctor Who show runner Chris Chibnall and directed by Lee Haven Jones whose Doctor Who credits also include Series 12’s Spyfall Part Two and Orphan 55. Locked up in a high-security alien prison, the 13th Doctor is isolated with no hope of escape. Back on Earth her companions Yaz, Ryan, and Graham are doing their best to continue their lives without her. Its not easy though, especially when they uncover a dark plot involving a Dalek!

When we last saw Jodi Whittaker’s 13th incarnation of the Time Lord in the Series 12 finale, The Timeless Children (2020), she’d been locked up in a space prison by the Judoon following the epic battle with the Master (Sacha Dhawan) and the Lone Cyberman’s (Patrick O’Kane) army of Cybermen in the ruins of Gallifrey. Although Revolution of the Daleks was filmed long before lockdown, we can perhaps sympathise with the Doctor’s plight and her sense of isolation in this friends without idea what’s happening back on Earth.

Meanwhile Graham (Bradley Walsh), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Ryan (Tosin Cole) have had to adjust to life back in Sheffield while the Doctor is in space jail, and this episode highlights just how resourceful they can be in her absence.

Yaz is still determined to find out what happened to the Doctor, but the gang soon find themselves busy investigating a sinister scheme that’s been brewing with the Daleks. Trouble is, how can they possibly fight a Dalek without the Doctor’s help? Fortunately Captain Jack, played by the brilliant John Barrowman MBE, also makes a return for this New Year’s Day spectacular as the Doctor’s friends prepare to face their greatest challenge of all time!

As well as the welcome return of John Barrowman as Captain Jack, Revolution of the Daleks features a wealth of guest stars including Sex and the City’s Chris Noth who returns as scheming business man Jack Robertson from Series 10’s Arachnids in the UK (2018), making their Doctor Who debut are star of the stage and screen Dame Harriet Walter as a corrupt government minister, and TV star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (The Trial of Christine Keeler) who plays the young scientist Leo Rugazzi.

Chris Chibnall’s pacy script for Revolution of the Daleks is packed drama, emotion, and bold action-set-pieces. We really become invested in the Doctor’s plight as she struggles with her incarceration, Jodie Whittaker gives a superb performance, and it turns out the Time Lords been in prison for a very long time indeed! Mandip Gill is also great as Yaz, who refused to give up on the Doctor in the last ten months since they returned to Earth in a spare TARDIS, and has almost becomes obsessed with finding her. She also keeps the gang together and takes the lead in their investigation into the Daleks. Fortunately, with with some help from an old friend, the Doctor manages to break out of jail and return to Earth. However, the reunion with he friends isn’t all plain sailing, and the Time Lord is still struggling to come to terms with the fact that everything she once knew about herself has now changed forever.

As you’d expect John Barrowman is quite simply “Fabulous!” as Captain Jack. His guest appearance in Fugitive of the Judoon was one of the biggest highlights of Series 12, and while the Jack who returns in Revolution of the Daleks is slightly older and wiser he’s still every bit as fun and flirty as ever! There’s a lovely scene in particular where Jack talks with Yaz about how she feels about the Doctor, and of course Jack knows all too well the thrill of travelling with the Time Lord in the TARDIS and also how it can feel when the Doctor leaves you.

Revolution of the Daleks not only picks up after the events of The Timeless Children but its also a sequel to 2019s New Year’s Day special Resolution, we get to find out what happened after the Dalek attacked GCHQ, and director Lee Haven Jones deftly balances all the drama, character arcs and Dalek action in fine style. 

This new year themed special of course features the return of the Doctor’s deadliest enemies, the Daleks! Last time we saw a Dalek was in 2019s New Year’s Day special Resolution, which saw the 13th Doctor confronted with a lone Reconnoissance Scout Dalek. Now boasting an updated casing reminiscent of that same steampunk Dalek design, this new glossy black Dalek design makes its debut here in Revolution of the Daleks when a fiendish scheme is unleashed to manufacture “defence drones”, but when the Recon Daleks mutant remains finds a fresh human host and begins cloning itself a new Dalek menace soon threatens the entire world. Even with Captain Jack on their side the Doctor’s friends find themselves  thrown in at the deep end, battling against impossible odds as a mass inter-Dalek conflict unfolds around them, and they must hold off the Daleks at all costs until the Doctor can find a way to defeat both of the waring Dalek factions.

Of course the Doctor eventually uses some clever slight of hand to save Earth in the nick of time help her friends fend off the Daleks, but this New Year’s reunion with her “Fam” will sadly be short lived, as this episode also marks the final appearance for Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole as Graham and Ryan in the show. Their departure is an especially moving moment, and I doubt there’ll be a dry eye in the house as it unfolds.

Packed with thrills, spills, Easter eggs galore and a few surprises too, Revolution of the Daleks is a landmark event for the 13th Doctor’s era. It’s great to see Doctor and her friends go up against the Time Lords deadliest enemies, the Daleks, before the status quo introduced in The Woman Who Fell To Earth (2018) is changed forever. A spectacular sequence featuring the Daleks that was filmed on the Clifton Suspension Bridge is another big highlight of this New Year’s Day special, we also get to see Whittaker’s Doctor meet Captain Jack at last, there are fond farewells for the TARDIS team, and new adventures ahead for the Doctor and Yaz. Revolution of the Daleks is an emotional, action packed treat. It ties up many of Series 12’s loose ends, whilst also providing a moving coda for Ryan and Graham that beautifully bookends their travels with the 13th Doctor, and nicely paves the way for the next chapter of the 13th Doctor’s adventures. Series 13 will also see the Doctor and Yaz welcome a new travelling companion to the TARDIS when actor and comedian John Bishop joins the cast as ‘Dan’, and the new series will appear on BBC One later in 2021!

Images Belong BBC

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who The Timeless Children Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Cyber Masters, Cyber Warriors, Cyberium, Cybermen, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who Series 12 finale, Doctor Who The Timeless Children, Doctor Who The Timeless Children Review, Gallifrey, Jodie Whittaker, Judoon, Revolution of the Daleks, TARDIS, The Lone Cyberman, The Master, The Timeless Child, Time Lords

Doctor Who The Timeless Children

Review by Paul Bowler.

The Cyber-Army is on the march in the emotional and epic Doctor Who series finale, The Timeless Children. With the last few survivors of the human race being mercilessly hunted down by the Cybermen, Graham, Yaz and Ryan must fight to survive the horror and carnage unfolding around them. Some civilisations will fall, while other with rise, new and reborn! Secrets, lies and unexpected truths will be revealed as battles rage. Even the Master has returned to wreak chaos! The Doctor is trapped, alone, and in the aftermath of the trials still to come nothing will ever be quite the same again for the Time Lord and her companions…

The Timeless Children, written by Doctor Who show runner Chris Chibnall and directed by James Magnus Stone, provides a stellar conclusion to this two-part series finale as events in Series 12 are brought full circle.

Following an upbeat, if somewhat underwhelming first series in 2018, Jodie Whittaker’s era of Doctor Who has really come into its own during Series 12, brining a wealth of exciting adventures and unexpected plot twists – with the brilliant reveal of Sacha Dhawan as the Master, a surprise return for fan-favourite Captain Jack Harkness (John Barroman), the resurgence of the Cybermen, and even a new incarnation of the Doctor played by Jo Martin. Some episodes have still been a bit preachy on occasion, but overall Series 12 has seen a big improvement in the quality of the stories and characterisation – with emphasis on a more mysterious, darker tone.

Ascension of the Cybermen saw the Cybermen back in force and hell bent on wiping out the last remnants of humanity. Now in the Timeless Children the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) must confront the Master (Sacha Dhawan) in the ruins of Gallifrey, while Ryan (Tosin Coyle) and Ethan (Steve Toussaint) form a strategy with Ko Shamus (Ian McElhinney) to fight the Cyber-Death-Squads sent to hunt them down on the planet where the threshold of the boundary leading to Gallifrey resides, as Yaz (Mandip Gill), Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ravio (Julie Graham) and the surviving human refugees face the Lone Cyberman’s, Ashad (Patrick O’Kane), newly awakened army of unstoppable Cyber Warriors back on board the Cyber-War Carrier.

The Timeless Children is an epic and emotional 65 minute finale that draws together several key narrative threads, most notably the mystery of the Timeless Child – first mentioned way back in The Ghost Monument (2018) – which is finally revealed, the significance of the flashbacks to 20^th century Ireland involving the seemingly immortal Brendan (Evan McCabe) also gradually becomes clear, and even Jo Martin’s role as the hitherto previously unknown version of the Doctor provides yet more mystery waiting in the wings to be revealed over the course of this episode.

One of the biggest highlights in The Timeless Children through is the powerful confrontations between the Doctor and her arch nemesis, The Master. Jodie Whittaker and Sacha Dhawan are magnificent in these scenes, especially once the Master sets about challenging the Doctor while she’s simultaneously trapped inside a paralysing field in the Citadel of Gallifrey and the Matrix, where the shocking reality that everything the Doctor has ever believe in gets torn down before her eyes and exposed as a lie – and the shocking truth the Doctor is forced to acknowledge will shake the legacy of Time Lords to the core! It seems the Master is also set on forming an alliance – albeit an uneasy one – with the Lone Cyberman as well, inviting them to land on Gallifrey, leading to some fantastic moments featuring this seasons two most maniacal villains.

So, who, or what exactly is the Timeless Child? Well, as the Master gleefully reveals long ago, a scientist and explorer called Tecteun (Seylon Baxter) from Gallifrey’s indigenous race, the Shobrgans, found a child from beyond a gateway to another universe on a distant planet. She brought this child to Gallifrey, where in a fatal accident the child miraculously regenerated. Tecteun dedicated herself to studying the child to discover its secret of seemingly unlimited regeneration, until it could be bestowed in a limited capacity of twelve regenerations to the elite of the society that became the Time Lords who would also go on to discover the secret of time travel – the foundling child ultimately becoming the founder of Gallifreyian civilisation itself.

Yes, the Doctor is indeed the Timeless Child! Incarnations before the 1^st Doctor (William Hartnell) or any of the Time Lords later incarnations, including the unknown Doctor’s briefly glimpsed in The Brain of Morbius (1976), are, it seems, most definitely a thing now! Needless to say, this is something of a continuity busting revelation. It recons virtually everything that has ever been established throughout the long history of Doctor Who and turns it on its head. There’s also insight into the origins of the Time Lords non intervention policy in The Timeless Children, but intriguingly some details are missing from the Matrix. Even the Master hasn’t been able to reconstruct them, only lost memories remain, some link to events in 20^th century Ireland, while others seem to proffer a clue, possibly from a parent, and the burning question concerning how many lives the Doctor has actually lived has now become an insurmountable fact that’s potentially ad infinitum in scale to a degree that’s almost mind blowing to contemplate.

We have seen the Doctor’s companions struggling at times to balance their lives on Earth and their adventures with the Doctor over the course this series. Now in The Timeless Children the full impact of these events on their personal lives and their friendships with each other are brought into even sharper focus. Ryan must find his own path after he is separated from the Doctor on the planet, ever resourceful, he ends up fighting the Cybermen alongside Ethan and Ko Shamus, while Yaz and Graham have a moving heart to heart, and together with the human refugees they adopt an ingenuous disguise to escape the Cybermen on the Cyber War Carrier.

Tosin Coyle, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh all give emotionally charged performances in their roles as the Time Lords companions, events challenge the Doctor’s friends and reinforce their faith in the Doctor like never before, and Yaz leads the way as they cross the boundary with Ko Shamus and the refugees to reach Gallifrey and rescue the Doctor.

The Cybermen begin their reign of terror in earnest in this episode. With the Lone Cybermen unleashing his new look legions of Cyber-Warriors to wreak havoc, prospects certainly looks bleak for the Doctor, her friends and the human refugees. The Cyber-Warriors are a ruthless, unstoppable war machine, and are a worthy addition to the pantheon of the Cyber-Race. Their leader, the deranged Lone Cyberman, Ashad, is as malevolent as ever. Welder of the Cyberium, possessing the entire knowledge of the Cyber-Race, and the feared Death Particle capable of destroying all organic life on a world, Ashad’s character plays a pivotal role in the action. He is unwavering in his quest, and we also gain more insight into this ghoulish creature’s motivations. He’s especially menacing in the scenes where he searches for Graham and Yaz on the Cyber-War Carrier – leading to some genuinely nerve jangling moments – although his ultimate goal to purge the entire Cyber-Race of all organic components does seems like a rather narrow-minded quest for perfection to me…

However, the Lone Cyberman’s alliance with the Master is short lived as the renegade Time Lord uses his favourite weapon – the tissue compression eliminator – to turn the tables on Ashad and seize the power of the Cyberium for himself. The Master hasn’t just destroyed the Time Lords, he kept the bodies as well, and now with the power of the Cyberium and the technology of the Cyber-Race at his command the Master creates a new race of Cybermen, the Cyber-Masters, invincible new Cybermen that also have the ability to regenerate!

To say that Chris Chibnall’s ambitious script has a heavy amount of plot and exposition to convey during this episode is something of an understatement, however, Chibnall just about manages to keep everything on track, and the resolution is handled satisfyingly enough. It was intriguing to see the Doctor having another meeting with Jo Martin’s incarnation of the Doctor, this time inside the Matrix. The role of Joe Martin’s Doctor still remains somewhat vague, but she’s instrumental in helping the Doctor escape the Matrix and embrace the new status-quo established by the revelations about her origins. The scene where the 13^th Doctor gathers her memories is a cinematic masterpiece in itself, featuring a glorious montage from every aspect of the series’ history, and with the inclusion of the ‘Morbius Doctors’ Chris Chibnall effectively blows the bloody doors off decades of hotly debated continuity as well!

The final showdown between the Doctor, the Master and the Cyber-Masters positively crackles with tension and suspense, before Ko Shamus (the man responsible for sending the Cyberium back through time where it became entangled in the events of The Haunting of Villa Diodati) intervenes when the Doctor cannot bring herself to sink to the Master‘s level, and unleashes the Death Particle to defeat the Master and the Cybermen. Its in the aftermath where the plot contrivances get a bit tangled and strain credibility to the limit, as Chibnal throws in a TARDIS here and there to get the Doctor’s companions and the human refugees safely returned to present day Earth, while the Doctor takes a similar journey to reunite with her own TARDIS, where she suddenly gets arrested by the Judoon and sentenced to life imprisonment somewhere in deep space!

The Timeless Children is a superb showcase for the regular cast, with Jodie Whittaker giving a magnificent performance as the Doctor, the action sequences with the Cybermen are superb, and everything is all impressively directed by James Magnus Stone. It was thrilling to see the Cybermen invade Gallifrey and become the Cyber-Masters in this episode, and Sacha Dhawan totally knocked it out the park with another scenery chewing turn as the Master. This episode certainly gives us lots to process. The Timeless Children was an exciting finale for sure, game changing even, and that cliffhanger ending is sure to keep us all guessing until Doctor Who returns for the upcoming festive season in the episode entitled: “Revolution of the Daleks”. But, are the major retcons of the Doctor’s origins and the legacy of the Time Lords a stroke of genius, or a step too far by show runner Chris Chibnall?

Well, I for one don’t think it really changes all that much to be honest. I’m sure many will disagree with me. I’m no big fan of Chibnall as show runner, Series 11 wasn’t that good at all, but I do feel he’s learned from that and gone some way to restructuring the show significantly for the better in Series 12. Jodie Whittaker and the regular cast have all been great this season too. As for the potentially limitless number of incarnations the Doctor now apparently has available given the revelations of The Timeless Children… well, so what eh? As far as I see it makes very little or no difference, whether we acknowledge it or not, everything we knew is still there, and these developments just bring a new perspective to what we already have. Doctor Who has always been about change, and it always will. If the changes made during this episode doesn’t bring some much needed mystery back into modern Doctor Who and a wealth of exciting possibilities to explore then I don’t know what will, do you? I like “new Who”, I have since it returned in 2005, but for me “Classic Doctor Who” will always be my favourite version of the show. The Timeless Children won’t change anything for me one way or the other in that respect, although I’m sure some will hail this tampering with the history of Doctor Who as the beginning of the end and that Chris Chibnall has killed Doctor Who.

Well, time will tell won’t it? Viewing figures for Series 12 haven‘t exactly been out of this world, so maybe somewhere the tea really is getting cold again? Who knows? Personally I’ve quite enjoyed Series 12, and thought Ascension of the Cybermen and the Timeless Children brought this season of Doctor Who to a really exciting close. I must admit I did have some trepidation towards Series 12, as after Series 11 it did feel like modern Who had runs its course to me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this new series actually turned out to be. Just think, for the first time in ages we don’t quite know who the Doctor is anymore, there’s scope for a wealth of new adventures on an unimaginable scale still waiting to be discovered. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty exciting place for Doctor Who to be in to me…

Images Belong BBC.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Ascension of the Cybermen Review

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13th Doctor, Ascension of the Cybermen, Chris Chibnall, Cybermen, Doctor Who, Doctor WHo Ascension of the Cybermen, Doctor Who Ascension of the Cybermen Review, Doctor Who Series 12, Gallifrey, Jodie Whittaker, TARDIS, The Lone Cyberman, The Master

Ascension of the Cybermen

Review by Paul Bowler

In the distant future the Doctor and her companions face a brutal conflict in Ascension of the Cybermen. A war between humanity and the Cybermen has raged across the farthest reaches of space, and now the Doctor must do whatever it takes to save the last remnants of the human race from the relentless onslaught of the Cybermen!

Written by Doctor Who show runner Chris Chibnall and directed by James Magnus Stone, Ascension of the Cybermen gets the first half of Series 12’s eagerly anticipated two-part finale off to a great start. Seeing how the 13^th Doctor’s already defeated a Dalek in the 2019 New Year’s Day Special Resolution, it was inevitable the Cybermen would be next on the list of classic Doctor Who monsters for her to confront next.

The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) has already faced the Lone Cyberman, Ashad (Patrick O’Kane), in The Haunting of Villa Diodati, where she made a fateful choice, and now together with her companions Ryan (Tosin Coyle), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) she must fight the Cybermen in force, who return with their previous Nightmare in Silver redesign now sleekly updated (including new handles!), and seemingly more ruthless than ever!

Having given the Lone Cyberman the Cyberium (The embodiment of the Cyber-Races knowledge and history) the Doctor and her friends have travelled far into the future in Ascension of the Cybermen, to a ravaged planet during the immediate aftermath of the Cyber-Wars. The Cybermen have wiped out the majority of the human race, but the Cyber-Race has also been decimated. Now the last refugees of humanity are on the run from the last of the deadly Cybermen, it has brought them all to this dark corner of the universe, and the final battle in which the Doctor must prevent the Lone Cyberman from rebuilding the Cyber-Army!

Opening with the ominous aftermath of the Cyber-War in space (featuring a stunning transition through the eye of destroyed Cyberman into the title sequence), the Doctor and her companions soon end up facing some pretty extreme situations in Ascension of the Cybermen. Fortunately they find some help in the form of Ravio, played by Shetland star Julie Graham, as one of the desperate human refugees still battling for survival against the Cybermen on this planet – one of the last settlements of humanity in the universe. Despite brining countermeasures specifically attuned to some of the Cybermen‘s previously known weakness, the Doctor’s initial plans to help the human refugees fails when two Cyber Shuttles arrive, brining the Lone Cyberman and his Cyber-Guards to the planet – along with some especially lethal Cyber-Drones as well! The TARDIS team get separated during the attack, with Graham and Yaz fleeing with the surviving humans in their Grav-Raft vessel while the Doctor, Ryan and Ethan (Steve Toussaint) escape in one of the Cyber-Shuttles.

Intriguingly it transpires that Ravio and her fellow refugees are in search of something called Ko Sharmus, the fabled boundary to the gateway which they believe will allow them to escape to the other side of the galaxy. Chris Chibnal’s scrip is packed with action and suspense as the Doctor and her companions work alongside the refugees as they split into two teams, with each encountering vastly different outcomes during their quest to reach Ko Sharmus.

Another major subplot of the episode revolves around the mysterious flashbacks to 20^th century Ireland involving Brendan (Evan McCabe), the child abandoned at birth whose life unfolds over the course of Ascension of the Cybermen as he’s adopted by a young couple and grows up and becomes a Police Officer. He even gets killed in the line of duty at one point but miraculously seems unable to die – in a way that seems strikingly similar to Captain Jack Harkness! There is also an especially disturbing sequence involving Brendan near the end of the episode, where he is confronted by sinister versions of his father and mentor, although quite how this man’s life relates to humanities struggle against the Cybermen in the future remains a mystery for now. He presents a wealth of possibilities and no doubt Brendan’s story will be resolved in the second half of this series finale.

The Cybermen in Ascension of the Cybermen are relentless, unstoppable and brutal in the extreme in pursuit of their goal. Humanity is desperately clinging on, Cybermen lurk at every turn, and they never, ever seem to give up. The Cybermen have always been my favourite Doctor Who monster. I’ve sometimes felt they’ve been given a bit of a raw deal in the modern series, so it’s great to see them back to their menacing best in Ascension of the Cybermen.

Patrick O’Kane is also back as the Lone Cyberman, Ashad, he’s every bit as frightening as he was before, and perhaps even more so this time around now that the stakes have become so high. The Lone Cyberman makes for an imposing figure as he strides though a flaming battle scene, his chilling presence is almost palpable as he corners Ethan in an abandoned building, and he seems to delight in his power almost malevolently. In fact he seems quite emotional at times for a Cyberman. It is in his unsettling holographic communiqué with the Doctor on the Cyber-Shuttle where the Lone Cyberman seems almost frighteningly unhinged, believing himself to have been chosen to revive the Cyber-Race and instigate the death of everything!

Impeccably directed by James Magnus Stone, Ascension of the Cybermen gradually draws the numerous strands of the plot together in the most exciting and ingenious way imaginable. Graham, Yaz, and the human refugees find a huge Cyber War Carrier drifting in deep space. This eerie scene is littered with countless bodies of dead Cybermen floating in the void. The human refugees believe they’ve found a ship to help them reach Ko Sharmus, instead they discover this vast carrier holds a sleeping army of Cybermen, and when the Lone Cyberman arrives he quickly sets about reviving them.

These new look Cybermen Warriors have been subtly redesigned enough to make them seem fresh and revitalised for their return. Featuring sleeker armour, a chrome-like finish, spikes, and a head reminiscent of the Invasion style Cybermen from 1968 to complete their new image. The new Cybermen look amazing, an unrelentingly powerful force to be reckoned with, and I got a distinct Earthshock vibe watching the Cyber-Army marching though the cavernous interior of the War Carrier. I was quite shocked how the Lone Cyberman seemed to terrify the new Cybermen as they were revived – scary to think there’s a being frightening enough to actually make a Cyberman scream!

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Ryan and Ethan are astounded when their journey reveals that Ko Sharmus isn’t a location, it’s actually a person! On this strange world they’ve discovered the man called Ko Shamus (Ian McElhinney) explains that he remained behind to help other surviving humans escape the Cybermen. He also leads the Doctor to the boundary, where the gateway-like portal opens to reveal the ruins of Gallifrey beyond, and the Master (Sacha Dhawan) suddenly steps though the portal to confront her! With Graham and Yaz facing an army of Cybermen in space and the Master gloating to the Doctor that everything is about to change forever, Ascension of the Cybermen delivers one of the best cliff-hangers of this entire series.

It seems this time the Doctor may well have put her companions in terrible danger – more than perhaps even she can handle! The Lone Cyberman has achieved his goal with the revival of the Cyber-Army, the revelations about Ko Sharmus were certainly unexpected, and the surprise return of the Master rounded the episode off perfectly.

Featuring terrific performance all round, Ascension of the Cybermen is a superb return to form for the series. It had the Doctor and her friends on the run from numerous threats, the danger from the Cybermen has never been greater, and the episode builds to a game-changing cliff-hanger that has the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz in a situation that looks seemingly impossible for the TARDIS team to ever reunite or escape from.

As you probably all know I’m a big fan of the Cybermen, so I’ve been really looking forward to their return in these episodes, and I’ve been very impressed with the results. I thoroughly enjoyed Ascension of the Cybermen, it was a thrilling, action packed episode, and I can’t wait to see how everything’s resolved in the final episode of Series 12: The Timeless Children.

Images Belong BBC.

Follow @paul_bowler

About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Can You Hear Me? Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Can You Hear Me, Doctor Who Can You Hear Me Review, Doctor Who Series 12, Jodie Whittaker, TARDIS, The TARDIS

Doctor Who Can You Hear Me?

Review by Paul Bowler

There are no bogie men, but that’s not exactly true in Can You Hear Me? Returning to Earth for a break from their adventures in time and space, the Doctor and her friends are soon forced to confront their darkest fears. With a call for help from space, horrific monsters in 1380 Aleppo, and something terrifying infecting peoples nightmares in Sheffield, the Doctor must investigate the cause of this haunting mystery from beyond the stars…

From the creepy opening scenes at a hospital in 1380’s Aleppo, it is clear we are in for a nerve jangling episode. Can You Hear Me?, written by Charlene James and Chris Chibnall, and directed by Emma Sullivan, is the seventh episode of Doctor Who series 12, and it sees the TARDIS team touching base with their lives back on Earth. Yaz (Mandip Gill) visits her family; Ryan (Tosin Coyle) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) catch up with their friends. However, events soon take a darker turn when all three of them are struck by frightening visions, and a strange voice calls out for help from the depths of space. As well as heralding an ominous new threat for the Doctor and her friends, these disturbing signs also highlight some deeply personal issues for Ryan, Graham and Yaz to contend with as they endure unsettlingly scary nightmares.

The chilling premise of Can You Hear Me? provides a chance to really showcase the Doctor’s companions when they return to Sheffield and the Time Lord sets off to investigate events unfolding in 14^th century Syria. Mandip Gill, Tosin Coyle and Bradley Walsh all deliver terrific performances. Charlene James and Chris Chibnall’s finely crafted script skilfully utilises the regular cast, which enables us to gain a far greater insight into where these characters are in their lives right now, and how it all relates to the journeys with the Doctor.

Events conspire to take them on some very individual journeys as well during this episode. Graham and Yaz each have their own distinct, and extremely personal nightmares to contend with, Yaz in particular gets some great character development, while Ryan’s issues about not always being their for his friends raises some really challenging quandaries for him to deal with as well. Can You Hear Me? also sees the return of Ryan’s best friend, Theo, played by Buom Tihngang (who we were introduced to briefly in Spyfall Part 1), and Ryan soon discovers that travelling with the Doctor often take a toll on the friendships you leave behind.

This episode guest stars Aruhan Galieva as Tahira, Clare-Hope Ashitey (the lead in the Netflix drama Seven Seconds) who also appears as Rakaya, and Nasreen Hussain as Anita Patel. Each of these characters have pivotal roles to play in Can You Hear Me? and drive the episodes narrative in many surprising and unexpected ways. Once the Doctor has saved Tahira from a monster in Aleppo that not even the Sonic Screwdriver and the TARDIS can identify, its time for the Time Lord to catch up with her friends, and of all their disturbing experiences its Graham’s psychic incursion that enables the TARDIS telepathic circuits to bring them to the cause of the nightmares – a monitoring platform in deep space overseeing a Geo Orb where the woman from Graham’s vision is imprisoned and suspended between two colliding planets in the distant future.

Can You Hear Me? features a sinister new villain called Zellin, played by Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials’ and Torchwood: Children of Earth actor Ian Gelder. He also proved the voice of the Remnants in 2018’s The Ghost Monument, where we first heard about the “Timeless Child”, a phrase that has become even more significant now in Series 12. Zellin is the creepy immortal entity that has set his sights on stalking the Doctor and her friends through time and space on their return to Sheffield. Zellin is one of the most nightmarish beings the Doctor and her friends have ever faced, with deadly fingers that detach and lock into peoples ears to feed off their nightmares, and his brooding presence permeates every aspect of this eerily atmospheric episode.

Jodie Whittaker is also on fine form. She seems totally settled and far more assured in the role of the Doctor now. Series 12 has seen Whittaker markedly refining the characterisation of her incarnation of the Time Lord. Being simultaneously fun, quirky, and resolute in the face of danger, Jodie Whittaker performance is endearingly Doctorish throughout. The Doctor’s scenes in particular with Tahira and her confrontations with Zellin are just some of the many highlights in this episode that enable Jodie Whittaker to really shine as the Doctor.

There are a number of callbacks to previous episodes as the TARDIS team experience their nightmares, especially for Graham when Grace (Sharon D Clarke) shows up with grim news, and Ryan sees the monstrous Dregs from Orphan 55. Zellin seems to have been watching the Doctor for quite some time as well, he mentions the Guardians, the Eternals, and the Toymaker, other god-like beings the Doctor has encountered in the past, and there’s also another mention of the Timeless Child thrown in for good measure to keep us intrigued as well.

Having tricked the Doctor into solving the quantum fluctuation lock Zellin is now able to free the woman from the Geo Orb, who is actually Zellin’s companion, and together they return to Earth to feast on the nightmares of the human race. I really like how Zellin’s and Rakaya’s story is also explained with a neat animated sequence, it signifies just how ancient these beings are, and was an interesting visual way to relay this back-story. Fortunately the Doctor is able to use Zellin’s own abilities against him to trap Zellin and his female companion – along with some especially monstrous company – and effectively puts the god-like beings back in their box for all eternity.

Can You Hear Me? is a cracking good episode, and much like Tahira’s Chagaska it quickly wraps its claws around your imagination. Emma Sullivan’s assured direction skilfully builds the tension as Zellin menaces everyone across both time zones, leading to some really creepy and scary moments. The Doctor and her companions are really put through something of an emotional wringer over the course of this episode, and there are some especially moving closing scenes as Graham confides in the Doctor about concerns over his health while Ryan and Yaz reflect on how their time on board the TARDIS has changed them – perhaps forever.

Although the threat posed by Zellin was resolved a little conveniently and quickly this was still an exciting episode. Can You Hear Me? was great, imaginative, and full of strong character moments. There’s always a risk when you pass the midway point in a series that the initial momentum can falter, resulting in filler stories to keep things going until the finale, so I love it when a really good episode of Doctor Who creeps up on you unexpectedly like this. The episode dealt with some powerful issues and also made the bond between the TADIS team feel stronger than ever, especially now they’ve faced their greatest fears together. The episode closes with the Doctor thanking about Frankenstein, which certainly sounds good to me, and their next destination looks set to continue the darker tone that Series 12 seems to be taking as we progress towards the epic season finale!

Images Belong BBC.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror Review, Doctor Who Series 12, Jodie Whittaker, Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror, Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror Review, TARDIS

Doctor Who Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror

Review by Paul Bowler

The Doctor and her companions travel to 1903 in Series 12‘s fourth episode, Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror, at the edge of Niagara Falls where something is going very wrong with Nikola Tesla’s generator plant. It seems someone, or something has been sabotaging the inventors work. So has Tesla actually received a message from Mars, and how does his rival, Thomas Edison fit into such a bizarre series of inexplicable events? With the world facing imminent peril the Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham have no choice but to team-up with one of histories most maverick inventors if they are to save him and planet Earth!

Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror is an engaging and exciting addition to Series 12 written by Nina Metivier and directed Nida Manzoor – who are both newcomers to Doctor Who. Indeed, Doctor Who’s historical adventures are often at their most captivating when they are focusing on the somewhat lesser known, though still eminently significant historical figures. So this episode featuring the inventor and “Father of Electricity” Nikola Tesla is a terrific showcase for a man that has sometimes seemed overlooked by the history of science.

This story really gives Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor a chance to shine as the Time Lord gets to meet Nikola Tesla, brilliantly played by ER’s Goran Visnjic, who is in competition with his famed rival Thomas Edison (played by Robert Glenister who first appeared in The Caves of Androzani as Salateen in 1984), and the episode also features Canadian writer and actor Haley McGee as Nikola Tesla’s assistant, Dorothy Skerritt. Nina Metivier’s excellent script cleverly captures the rivalry between these two enigmatic inventors, and it skilfully weaves it into an exciting Doctor Who adventure bursting with insightful and exciting moments.

Tesla’s struggles to gain investors for his Wardenclyffe Project and an accident at his generator plant at Niagara Falls leads to the discovery of a strange floating orb, and with the Doctor’s impromptu arrival its not long before the sparks really begin to fly! When an alien using a human image and brandishing a Silurian weapon strikes, the Doctor, Tesla and Dorothy Skerritt flee with the Time Lord and her companions to New York where the orbs secret is soon revealed. Built by an ancient race of inventors and explores, the Orb of Thassor was created to share their vast legacy of knowledge and discoveries throughout the entire cosmos. Now the orb has been hacked and reprogrammed by the aliens disguised in stolen human images for their own nefarious reasons.

Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror gives the Time Lord’s companions plenty to do as well, and its nice to see Tosin Coyle, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh getting a good share of the action in this episode as Ryan, Yaz and Graham take in the period setting of this adventure. The Doctor and her friends investigation leads to Tesla’s rival, Thomas Edison getting caught up in the action. The scenes involving Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are a joy to behold, especially when they get to travel in the TARDIS and Tesla is quick to grasp the concept of the time machines startling interior dimensions; unlike his rival who just sees an opportunity to make a quick buck from the experience. Fortunately Graham is on hand to quickly put Edison in his place!

Filming for this episode took place on the New York City set at Nu Boyane Film Studios in Bulgaria, with the set suitably dressed for the period, it further heightens the smoky industrial tone of the story. The setting of the golden age of New York provides a stunning backdrop for this adventure to play out against, the cast deliver great performances all round, and Nida Manzoor’s terrific direction perfectly balances the high-stakes drama and action.

It seems Tesla has been targeted by the scorpion-like Skithra, a species that have a nasty habit of stealing tech and faces. When Tesla and Yaz are teleported to the cloaked Skithra Throne Ship hovering over New York they are confronted by Queen Skithra, played by Bodyguard’s Anjli Mohindra. The monstrous scorpion creature believes Tesla is an engineer with superior intelligence because he responded to the Skithra’s signal (which inadvertently made Tesla think he’d received a message from Mars), and she intends to force him to use his knowledge to repair her ships stolen technology. Using a handy portable teleport device the Doctor rescues them and returns to Wardenclyffe for an electrifying showdown with Queen Skithra!

As historical Doctor Who stories go this one is right up there with some of the best the modern series has produced. Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror is a superlative mix of bold ideas, exquisite costumes, great special effects, and music. Jodie Whittaker is on fine form as the Doctor, she has some wonderful scenes with Goran Visnjic who is superbly cast as Nikola Tesla, and Robert Glenister is also excellent as Thomas Edison. I really liked the interaction between the characters in this episode, especially during the build up to the face-off with Queen Skithra at Wardenclyffe with everyone splitting up into three teams to complete essential tasks, and there’s a great moment where the scorpion-like Skithra chase Yaz and Edison through the streets.

There’s also a great confrontation between the Doctor and Queen Skithra, where the scorpion Queen asks the Doctor if she’s ever seen a dead planet, an especially pertinent aside from the alien in light of what has recently happened to Gallifrey and the Time Lord is visibly moved as she briefly reflects on what has happened to her homeworld.

Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror felt like a very traditional kind of Doctor Who story. It was full of exciting action, had a great period setting, and boasted some of the finest characterisation we’ve seen in far in Series 12. Queen Skithra was dispatched in a rather predictable way at the end, but that’s only a minor quibble in what was otherwise a superbly written and directed episode. Indeed, Tesla’s own story forms a poignant epilogue for the episode, and it’s a moving, beautifully uplifting closing scene. Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror was an electrifyingly good Doctor Who adventure, it ticked all the right boxes, and is easily the biggest highlight of Series 12 so far!

Images Belong BBC

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Orphan 55 Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Orphan 55, Doctor Who Orphan 55 review, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who The Dregs, Jodie Whittaker, Orphan 55 The Dregs, TARDIS, The Dregs

Doctor Who Orphan 55

Review by Paul Bowler

Deciding its time for a holiday as the third episode of Doctor Who Series 12, Orphan 55, gets underway the Doctor and her companions get whisked away – thanks to a handy teleport cube – for a break and some much needed R&R at Tranquillity Spar. Naturally being Doctor Who it’s not long before it becomes clear this luxury resort is hiding some deadly secrets. The mystery of Tranquillity Spa crumbles as savagely ferocious monsters begin to attack, placing the Doctor and her friends in dire peril…

After the startling return of the Master and the revelations about Gallifrey’s demise in the two-part opening story Spyfall, Series 12 heads into somewhat more formulaic base under siege territory with Orphan 55, written by Ed Hime (who also scripted 2018’s It Takes You Away) and directed by Lee Haven Jones.

Jodie Whittaker continues to excel as the 13^th incarnation of the Doctor, giving a fun and at times steely performances in this episode as the Time Lord goes on holiday with companions Ryan (Tosin Coyle), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) to the beautiful Tranquillity Spar leisure resort. Its nice to see Whittaker and Co exploring the fun side of their characters while they soak up the sun and enjoy some down time from their adventures, but they soon uncover there’s more to this planets luxury facility than meets the eye.

In reality the idyllic location of Tranquillity Spar is nothing more than an illusion. Beyond its walls this fake resort for cheap off-world holidays is actually based on an Orphan planet, a toxic uninhabitable world plagued by savage monsters.

Guest staring Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser as Kane and The Inbetweeners’James Buckley as Nevi, along with Col Farrell as Benni and Julia Elizabeth Fogle as Vilma, and Gia Ree as Bela, Orphan 55 writer Ed Hime skilfully utilises the ensemble cast to build the air of brooding menace as the Doctor and her companions holiday is thrown into chaos. The early sunshine and jokes soon beings to fade, along with Tranquillity Spars façade, as the reality of why a holiday spar needs defending with an Ionic Membrane becomes apparent when the TARDIS team are faced with some of the scariest monsters to have appeared in the series in recent years.

Orphan 55 does indeed have some fearsomely scary new monsters, the Dregs, a native species that survived the fallout. The creatures are adaptive, apex predators, able to survive a nuclear winter. Once they break into Tranquillity Spar and begin attacking, Benni gets captured by the Dregs, so the Doctor, her friends and the surviving guest set out across the barren surface of Orphan 55 in an armoured vehicle to try and rescue him. The Dregs themselves look stunning, the great combination practical and animatronic effects used for the creatures are really impressive, and their bellowing roar also heightens their menacing presence.

Filming for Orphan 55 took the cast and crew to Tenerife, providing the perfect setting for the all-inclusive holiday resort of Tranquillity Spar, and director Lee Haven Jones captures some stunning scenery for this episode. The scenes where the Dregs attack the vehicle and the Doctor has to lead the group across the surface as the monsters close in are especially effective. Although there’s a large cast of characters to accommodate in Orphan 55, scenes never feel over cluttered, and everyone is key to driving the plot forward.

Jodie Whittaker is on especially fine form as the Doctor in Orphan 55. The Time Lord has to face some extremely challenging situations over the course of the episode while also trying to keep everyone safe at the same time. There’s a great underground chase though a Dreg nest as well which brings Whittaker’s Doctor face to face – quite literally – with the Dregs leader, and it’s a great moment that simultaneously showcases the 13^th Doctor’s unflinching bravery and ingenuity. Tosin Coyle also gets a good share of the action as well when Ryan’s bravery is severely tested to the limit after he briefly becomes separated from the rest of the group and teams up with Bela (Gia Ree) – a guest that has come to Tranquillity Spar with very personal score to settle.

With a frenetic final race against time to hold off the Dregs long enough for the survivors to teleport away from Tranquillity Spar, Orphan 55 sees the Doctor and her companions transported back to inside the TARDIS. It is here that Ed Hime’s script and Jodie Whittaker‘s performance meld compellingly as the gang reflect on this adventure and the frightening realisation that the world they were on was actually Earth. Jodie Whittaker’s speech here as the Doctor clarifies the horror of the potential future they’ve narrowly escaped from, and its clear the stark environmental message it represents has shaken this TARDIS team to the core.

So, does this mean Orphan 55 is a return to the Preachy Who style of storytelling for which Series 11 was so heavily criticized, or were Orphan 55’s poignant final scenes a commendable and timely reminder for our own worlds current environmental crisis?

I thought Orphan 55 turned out to be a fairly enjoyable Doctor Who adventure for the most part. Sure, the script was a little clunky in places at times, the Doctor’s eventual means for escaping Tranquillity Spar and the Dregs were a tad convoluted, but the episode also boasted some exceptionally tense action sequences and the monsters were really superb. In fact I think the Dregs will probably be the main thing that Orphan 55 will be best remembered for. No doubt closing out this episode with a strong environmental message about global warming was intended to resonate powerfully, instead it was shoehorned in so quickly at the end that everything seemed a bit forced, and sadly the end result felt more like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Images Belong BBC

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Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2 Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who Spyfall, Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2, Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2 review, Jodie Whittaker, Lenny Henry, Sacha Dhawan, Spyfall Part 2, Stephen Fry, TARDIS, The Master

Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2

Review by Paul Bowler.

Following the epic cliffhanging season premier Series 12 of Doctor Who continues with Spyfall Part 2, where a terrifying plot to destroy humanity is about to be unleashed! The Master (Sacha Dhawan) has returned, and he’s more dangerous than ever! In the second half of this sci-fi spy thriller, written by Showrunner Chris Chibnall and Directed by Lee Haven Jones, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her friends must escape a plethora of deadly traps in their mission to foil the insidious alliance now threatening the universe.

Spyfall Part 2 certainly has quite an act to follow as it left us wondering how on earth the 13^th Doctor and her “fam” of companions Ryan (Tosin Coyle), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) could possibly escape their combined plight – with the Time Lord spirited away to a strange otherworldly realm and her friends about to face certain death on a plane rigged to crash by the Master! Yet that’s exactly what they do as Jodie Whittaker’s ever resourceful incarnation of the Doctor and her team bounce back to take on the fiendish alliance endangering multiple dimensions in their race against time to save humanity from the Master‘s diabolical scheme.

But escaping the unknown dimension of the Kasaavin and the plummeting aeroplane are just the start of the TARDIS team’s adventures. So, as Ryan, Yaz and Graham to land the plane in Essex (thanks to some Blink style prearranged help from the Doctor) and set off to figure out Daniel Barton’s (Lenny Henry) plans, the Master pursues the Doctor across time, first to an exhibition in 1834, and then to German occupied Paris in 1943. Jodie Whittaker gives one of her best performances so far as the Doctor in this episode, and she seems totally sure of herself in the role of the Time Lord now. Its also fun to see Tosin Coyle get to save his friends by piloting the plane, Mandip Gill sadly still feel a bit like a third wheel as Yaz, and Bradley Walsh hilariously steals everyone’s thunder when he puts some nifty 007 gadgets to good use!

This episode also features a strong guest cast who play the three key historical figures that team-up with the Doctor, with Aurora Marion as Women‘s Auxiliary Air Force, SOE agent and wireless operator Noor Inyat, Mark Dexter as mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and engineer Charles Babbage, and Sylvie Briggs as mathematician and writer Ada Lovelace. Chibnall keeps the Doctor separated from her companions for much of the episode, this actually works to Spyfall’s advantage to further expand the scope of the story, and it’s also interesting to see the 13^th Doctor working alone and alongside these three historical characters as well.

In having the Master return Chris Chibnall has pulled something of a masterstroke – no pun intended – by launching this new series of Doctor Who with such a brilliant surprise that nobody saw coming. This latest incarnation of the renegade Time Lord is played by Sacha Dhawan (An Adventure in Space and Time, Sherlock, Iron Fist), and he brings a real sense of maniacal glee to the role. Of course last time we saw the renegade as Missy (Michelle Gomez) in 2017’s The Doctor Falls she’d apparently perished while confronting her former self, played by John Simm, so Sacha Dhawan’s latest incarnation heralds a new era for the Doctor’s greatest adversary. The beauty is that we never actually saw Missy regenerate, so the origins of Dhawan’s Master still remains full of intriguing possibilities that have yet to be fully explored.

The Master’s alliance with the Kasaavin, the shimmering aliens with the uncanny ability phase through matter and technology company CEO Daniel Barton (Lenny Henry) is finally revealed during this episode. The Kasaavin are cosmic spies that move through time collecting data, together with Barton their aim is to reformat humanity‘s DNA into biological hard drives, but it seems the Master has been playing them both off against each other simply to orchestrate a trap for the Doctor. The Master dominates much of the action when it comes to this trio of threats in Spyfall. Sacha Dhawan’s incarnation of the Master furiously chases the Doctor through time once she escapes the Kasaavin‘s dimension with Ada Lovelace, he gets very trigger happy with his favourite weapon, the Tissue Compression Eliminator, at times too, and there’s a number of riveting face-offs with the Doctor that become increasingly dangerous and unpredictable as the episode unfolds.

The resolution of the Kasaavin’s involvement in Spyfall Part 2 is handled quite well, although we still don’t get to know that much about these mysterious creatures apart from their name or scant details about the bizarre dimension they inhabit. Lenny Henry is ok as company CEO Daniel Barton, but his character seems a little sidelined, especially towards the end of the episode. Ironically it’s the Master’s own TARDIS (still disguised as O’s house from the Australian outback) that’s instrumental in getting the Doctor back to the present day UK in time to turn the tables on the Master and reunite with her friends.

It’s also no surprise that the Master’s double crossing ways see the Kasaavin turn against him and imprison him in their domain. The brief scenes which see the returning of Noor Inyat and Ada Lovelace to their proper place in time also provides good codas to their part in the story, and they each have some nice parting moments with the Doctor.

After the glitzy action-packed Series 12 premier things take a much darker turn in this second episode, the tone and visuals are far more atmospheric, and that’s thanks to the impressive direction from The Bay’s Lee Haven Jones who stylishly embellishes every ounce of drama from Chibnalll’s engagingly paced script. Despite cramming a plot bursting with action, time travel, along with the Doctor battling Nazis, a technological menace, together with an alien invasion across multiple dimensions and timelines, Spyfall Part 2 cleverly splices its complexities with a strong character driven narrative to deliver a highly satisfying adventure. If all that wasn’t enough there’s also wealth of Doctor Who themed Easter Eggs in this episode for fans to enjoy, both new, and classic old school Doctor Who as well – my favourite being the “contact” telepathic conference between the 13^th Doctor and the Master, something which we first saw the Doctor do when the 3^rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) teamed up with his previous incarnations in The Three Doctors (1972/73).

There are also hints of a wider story arc bubbling away under the surface as Spyfall draws to a close, especially when the Doctor returns to Gallifrey following the Master’s cryptic remark about their homeworld to her in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, only to find it in ruins. The Master’s holographic message in the Doctor’s TARDIS potentially calls into question everything that he and the Doctor knows and stands for. But what could the Time Lords of Gallifrey have done that could have possibly horrified the Master so much that he’d unleash such carnage on his homeworld, and who or what is the significance of The Timeless Child (first mentioned in 2018’s The Ghost Monument) that is now clearly part of the main story arc Chibnall is setting up for the rest of the season?

Spyfall Part 2 provided an ambitious and exciting conclusion to this opening two-parter. It was an excellent episode, the confrontations between the Doctor and the Master were brilliant, and the ending set up major plot elements for the rest of Series 12. Most notably though, before the credits roll the Doctor does find she has some explaining to do, seeing as her companions point out how she hasn’t been that forthcoming until now about her past or previous selves, but her companions unwavering faith in her reinforces the bond between them as the Time Lord humbly brings her team up to speed and they rally to her side to face the new adventures ahead.

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Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

 

Doctor Who Spyfall Part 1 Review

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13th Doctor, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who Spyfall, Doctor Who Spyfall Part 1 Review, Doctor Who Spyfall Review, Jodie Whittaker, Lenny Henry, Sacha Dhawan, Spyfall Part 1review, Stephen Fry, TARDIS

Doctor Who Spyfall Part 1

Review by Paul Bowler

Jodie Whittaker’s second year of adventures as the 13^th Doctor begins as Doctor Who series 12 gets under way with Spyfall, the first episode of a blockbusting action packed two-part story written by show runner Chris Chibnall and Directed by Jamie Magnus Stoneas.

Spyfall kicks off this new season of adventures with a bang! Secret intelligence agents from all around the world have come under attack by mysterious alien forces. The victims have been left in a coma and their DNA corrupted. MI6 seek help from the Doctor and her companions Ryan (Tosin Coyle), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) as the crisis spreads. The Time Lord and her friends scour the globe for answers as threats strike from all sides, Earth’s security now rests on the TARDIS team’s shoulders, but where will this world-endangering conspiracy finally lead them?

In true series premier fashion, Spyfall hit’s the ground running, and the pace hardly falters for a moment. The opening attacks, especially on the aeroplane cleverly introduces a nameless menace of deadly shimmering beings that can phase through matter. With the alien threat quickly established, the Doctor, Ryan, Yaz and Graham are soon thrown right into the heart of the action. As the name suggests, Chibnall’s script for Spyfall is a wry spin on James Bond. The Doctor even swaps her usual trademark rainbow t-shirt for a tuxedo and a darker version of her flowing coat as the Time Lord becomes embroiled in this sci-fi spy-caper. Indeed, the whole gangs attire gets a spy themed makeover. Spyfall also features some impressive guest stars, with Stephen Fry as suave spy boss C, and Lenny Henry as the shady technology company CEO Daniel Barton.

The security of this entire planet is at stake. Can we rely upon you?

The action in this hour-long opening episode is spread across several countries and locations; there are lots of big Bond style action-set pieces to enjoy, including a thrilling chase with the Doctor riding a motorbike, and hints of underlying themes to come as the high stakes builds towards a rather momentous cliffhanger. To fully achieve the globe trotting scale of this story filming for the first part of Spyfall took place in South Africa, the stylish direction by Jamie Magnus Stoneas takes full advantage of this, and the result ensures Spyfall boasts a slick blend of frenetic action with stunning panoramic visuals to launch the new season in fine style.

Jodie Whittaker continues to refine her performance as the 13^th Doctor, infusing a genuine sense of fun and warmth to her role as the adventure unfolds. Series regulars Tosin Coyle, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh are also on fine form as the Doctor’s companions, and collectively the TARDIS team get some great moments to shine in Spyfall. The episode shows the Doctor’s companions catching up with their lives in Sheffield as the everyday reality of their adventures begin to hit home, Yaz is getting into trouble with her superiors because of her frequent secondments, Ryan’s friends are feeling neglected, and Graham also finds time to fit in his latest medical check-up. Perhaps most intriguingly Spyfall also reveals how the Doctor hasn’t been quite as forthright about her Time Lord past and former incarnations with her friends as we thought; potentially sowing a hint of conflict as the series progresses.

The new crystalline TARDIS interior has also been tweaked slightly for the new series. Most notably the roof has been raised slightly, giving a greater sense of scale to the set. Then we have the addition of hexagon style steps leading up to another level, and the screens now utilise an ethereally holographic means to convey information.

Decked out by C with a complement of nifty Bond style gadgets, the Doctor and her companions split up into two teams to carry out their mission. Ryan and Yaz investigate the ruthless tech CEO Barton while the Doctor and Graham try to uncover the truth about the aliens with help from the Doctor’s old friend O (Sacha Dhawan) from MI6. It is interesting to see a simple plot device like this being used to capitalise on using the four person cast to the full to tell a much bigger story than if it were just the Doctor and one companion, and it shows just how good the new TARDIS team can be when its done so well like this.

The name’s Doctor, the Doctor!

The aliens prove to be a palpable threat, one seemingly capable of even getting into the TARDIS, and to make things worse for the Doctor they don’t even give a reading on the sonic screwdriver! Her conversation with one of the beings mind-way through the episode is equally chilling. Lenny Henry’s character, Daniel Barton, also has a secret, namely that he’s only 93% human! As for that extraordinary cliffhanger that we’ve all been teased about so much, well it certainly blindsides you. It also works on several levels, the end result is dramatic, potentially game changing, and ‘masterfully’ executed! Yes the Doctor’s greatest foe, The Master, brilliantly played by Sacha Dhawan, is back with a vengeance! It was a great surprise, and nice to enjoy the start of a two-part story with a proper cliffhanger again too, as this was something that Series 11 sadly lacked.

Overall then part one of Spyfall gets this new series of Doctor Who off to a relatively strong and confident start. Although the blend of familiar Doctor Who and Bond tropes does make the episode feel a little uneven in places, they even squeezed in a nod to the X-Files infamous catchphrase, there’s still a fairly good balance between the action and humour. Characterisation is also strong, and the epic cliffhanger sets up some exciting prospects for the second half of the story. It was lovely to see the dedication to the late Terrance Dicks at the end of the credits as well, especially as the former script editor, author and writing legend who died last autumn co-created and named the Master back in the 1970’s. Much like the 13^th Doctor’s debut season, Series 12 begins promisingly enough with Spyfall. Let’s just hope that this early momentum can be built on in Spyfall Part 2 and sustained as the series progresses.

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What did you think of this Doctor Who episode? Let me know in the comments

About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Happy Christmas, On The Mend & Looking Foward to 2020!

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Cybermen, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 12, Joker, Lost in Space, Sci-Fi Jubilee, Star Trek Picard, Star Wars, Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker, Terminator Dark Fate, The Witcher

On The Mend and Looking Forward to 2020!

Well, first I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting me and Sci-Fi Jubilee in 2019 while I’ve been off recovering from my recent operation. Its been a long, tough few months, but I’m well on the mend now.

At times its was a bit frustrating not being well enough to focus on my blog or YouTube Channel, but I had to follow Doctor’s orders and rest. Sadly I did miss several of the comic books I was looking forward to reading, and there were films like Joker and Terminator Dark Fate that I never got around to seeing. On the plus side I had plenty of time to relax and enjoy lots of my favourite classic TV shows, especially Doctor Who and Star Trek, and lots of classic movies, Sci-Fi and Horror, that I haven’t watched in ages either.

Now it’s time to look forward to the end of the year and everything that 2020 has to offer! First off there’s Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker, so will be sure to see that over the holidays. Doctor Who returns on New Year’s Day as Series 12 begins. I’m glad  to see the Cybermen return as well as they are my favourite Doctor Who monster. Also excited for The Witcher, Lost In Space Season 2, and Star Trek Picard! There’s lots of movies I’m looking forward to in 2020, including Black Widow, No Time To Die, and Wonder Woman 1984, to name just a few, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of comic books to enjoy as well.

Most of all though I’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all the get well messages you’ve sent me here on Sci-Fi Jubilee and on Twitter. I was totally bowled over by your kind words and good wishes while I was recovering, you helped me keep my spirits up through the tough times after my surgery, and for that I truly cannot thank you all enough.

So, here’s to a very merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all as the festive season approaches, and I look forward to an exciting New Year in 2020 with Sci-Fi Jubilee!

Cheers everyone, and see you soon.

Paul.

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Doctor Who Resolution New Year’s Day Special Review

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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 9^th 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!

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