Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, John Bishop, Aisling Bea, Adjani Salmon, Pauline McLynn, Nicholas Briggs, Jonny Dixon, Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg, Jon Davey.
A plan conceived when the clock is against you is one that will arguably make the old heart beat that little bit faster, and therefore be more memorable, than anything that is carefully and meticulously drawn up over the space of weeks, maybe months, and even years.
It is the rush of excitement, the adrenalin that courses through the body when in flight or fight mode that invariably sees the quick-fire strategy work to the advantage of the oppressed, the moment of quick thought outpacing the slow and steady drum of inevitability.
From out of the cold an old enemy will return, and perhaps for the first time in Doctor Who history, the Daleks have a point when it comes to displaying their anger against The Doctor, and in Eve Of The Daleks, the vengeful and hate filled monsters from Skaro will find a way to kill the Doctor and her companions time, and time again.
Eve Of The Daleks is notable for many moments, not least a quick talking stranger in the guise of Sarah, portrayed by the superb Aisling Bea, and who alongside the impressive Kevin McNally as Professor Eustacius Jericho stands out as one of the most impressive one shot characters to have been on the show on Jodie Whittaker’s time as the runaway from Gallifrey.
However, it is in the sheer depth of anger shown in the Daleks that captures the eyes, the retribution born out of their own genocide at the hands of the Doctor is a far cry from any appearance since the programme returned to the screens in 2005, and one caught superbly by the actors surrounding them, the Dalek operators, and in the gravitas voice of Nicholas Briggs. If you want your festive offering of Doctor Who to be memorable there is nothing quite hearing the four-syllable war cry of ‘Exterminate’ being delivered with absolute fury, menace and poise to exemplify the point of living on your feet rather than dying on your knees in servitude or in fear of what may happen.
Then there is the moment of recognition for all the casual viewers and long term dedicated fans alike, and one that will no doubt the split the audience, and that can only be a good thing. Chris Chibnall is not the first to offer the glimpse of the unrequited love for the Doctor, not even through the eyes of a same sex fixation, but in Yasmin Khan, played with a sincere depth that had never quite hit the target before by Mandip Gill, there is an understanding of the hurt that is going to come, a broken heart that can never be mended.
Every one of us has loved someone to whom we are completely unseen by, noticed as a friend, as a companion, trusted even, but to whom our love is overlooked, ignored, even disregarded, because at the end of the day we are not on their radar. The cruelty beautifully captured in Eve Of The Daleks is that on this one occasion it is, if not reciprocated, then at least understood, responded to with absolute caution because the Doctor knows what can happen, having been there before with Rose.
Eve Of The Daleks is monumental, it is about acknowledging change, of consequences, and a truly decent tale filmed as the time runs out for the latest incarnation of the Doctor.
Ian D. Hall