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Brexit Destroyed UNIT? Ten Thoughts About Doctor Who: Resolution on New Year's Day 2019

Published Tue, 01 Jan 2019 15:00:36 -0600

Last updated Wed, 02 Jan 2019 06:37:21 -0600

Okay, so there are spoilers going forward, Lots of spoilers, lots to discuss. If you haven't seen Doctor Who: Resolution, look away…. now.

1. Location Location Location.

What's in a name? Well, they didn't call it Resolution Of The Daleks. for a start there was only one and it took some time together. Already defeated by warrior tribes (somehow) and divided to be guarded around the world gave us a great laugh out loud gag for the whole family.

Because this is a Doctor Who series that has travelled more for locations than any other before it, giving us other countries and other worlds far from the gravel quarry. But also giving us a gravel quarry as well, because sometimes you just have to. But here we have the blue skies of the South Pacific… one of the three locations of the beast, locations writ large…

The white bitter snow of Siberia… where else…?

Oh. Yorkshire. Where the majority of this episode will be set. Sheffield is the new Cardiff, don't you know.

2. And You Thought Your Fireworks Last Night Were Impressive

This is a New Year's Day Special that is aware it is New Year's Day. They haven't done that since… the Doctor Who Movie wasn't it? And that didn't even come out on New Year's Day. And when The Next Doctor did, they didn't bother with it. The move from Christmas Day to New Year's Day does give the crew a new bag of tricks to play with, dropping dates and years and years to come… and also a much better firework display courtesy of the cosmos than anything Sadiq Khan could conjure up at the London Eye last night.

3. Sorry Doctor, These Archeologists Are Taken

The Doctor has a history with archaeologists. River Song, Bernice Summerfield, it's like she's been in a battle with them, a fight that has become something more. These two have only eyes for each other… so of course that won't be allowed to happen.

5. This Dalek Has Really Come Out Of Its Shell

It is Brian Coz who will talk endlessly about how alien the octopus or the squid are, compared to our own intelligence. Which makes it a great go-to when trying to show an alien intelligence that is utterly non-human. This episode gives the Dalek some social skills. Or at least how to park a human.

And don't worry – this Dalek has got your back.

By wonderfully adding the whole alien invasion/body snatcher/control trope to the mixture. And treating the human body as the squishy version of its own shell – which is basically what it is. And worry not, whatever archaeological agency is denied will be dug up at a later date…

6. Arms Race

So we have some new initials. MDZ – a weapons research company buying up alien tech – any relation to 2012's Henry van Statten's company doing the same? They had a whole Dalek after all… could this be what was left?

7. Yes, Yes, Brexit Destroyed UNIT.

And a welcome to UK Security Helpline, the Doctor's new best friend. What's happened to UNIT?

Really? Why?

Yup. Brexit. They probably said it would maintain all its funding, but only on the side of a bus. Man, a lot has happened since the Doctor was President Of The Earth…

8. Reviving the Dalek Making Industry

For decades, people have made their own Daleks. You can even buy Dalek kits online. Comic convention are full of people who've managed to put the clobber together, and even automate them, controlled remotely. Some ended up working for the BBC as well. Doctor Who has basically had hundreds of interns doing private study…

And I'll tell you this, they all looked a lot more convincing than this bolt of buckets. Admittedly their firepower was never much up to scratch. But the idea of Daleks building themselevs wherever they go feels something that can continue to be played with…

But what this scene also did was emphasise that Sheffield is a town of industry. That ran through the series, was saw the Doctor melting down spoons made of Sheffield steel before, here a possessed archeologist can forge a Dalek from the industry that still remains. It's a very working class Dalek.

9. Signal To Noise, Ratioed

They may not have UNIT anymore but at least they have GCHQ. Who have probably not had this much positive publicity in ages. And maybe may make ever child grateful to the system that gives them mobiles, tablets… and even Netflix? What the hell was a Netflix plug doing in this, anyway? Couldn't they have brought themselves to mention the BBC iPlayer? Or did they not want to admit that ever went down?

By the way, in my own fan wankery version of this story, the Dalek's signal did get through. It's just, travelling at light speed, it will take 130 years to reach Skaro, or the Dalek Fleet. Just in time for a Dalek Invasion in 2150…

10. Love Of The Daleks

A longer episode meant a lot longer dealing with Ryan's issues with his father. And while I could have done with more Dalek and less parental responsibility, it did lead to the return of the Power Of Love ending which we haven't had for ages. And also just about managed to justify it as well, which is a novelty.

And considering how many Christmas dinners were ruined by a dodgy oven over the last few years, there's no reason to dispute the same happening with a Dalek as well…

Doctor Who: Resolution – Jan 1st 2019

As the new year begins, a terrifying evil from across the centuries of Earth's history is stirring. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

The Doctor – Jodie Whittaker
Graham O'Brien – Bradley Walsh
Yasmin Khan – Mandip Gill
Ryan Sinclair – Tosin Cole
Lin – Charlotte Ritchie
Mitch – Nikesh Patel
Aaron – Daniel Adegboyega
Police Officer Will – Darryl Clark
Security Guard Richard – Connor Calland
Farmer Dinkle – James Lewis
Mum – Sophie Duval
Teen 1 – Callum McDonald
Teen 2 – Harry Vallance
Call Centre Polly – Laura Evelyn
Sergeant – Michael Ballard

Writer – Chris Chibnall
Series Producer – Nikki Wilson
Director – Wayne Yip