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Doctor Who

2017

Ratings1

Average rating3

15
JKRevell
Jamie RevellSupporter

In a temporary departure from the usual format for this series, this release contains two hour-long stories instead of a single two-hour one. That said, the first story ends on a cliffhanger that leads directly into the second and there is some similarity between them.

* Alien Heart - The Doctor and Nyssa arrive at a remote outpost of the Earth Empire from which a mysterious weapon of mass destruction appears to be operating. They soon run into the titular aliens, and from there on it's a decent, but unremarkable, Who story. There's the odd twist here and there, but not many, and the story does fit its 1-hour slot perfectly. The villains' plot is typically over-complicated, but, in fairness, perfectly reminiscent of a number of the classic era episodes. 3 stars.

* Dalek Soul - This is the better story of the two, starting in media res some time after the cliffhanger ending of the first episode (which isn't really resolved until the second half of this one). The focus of it is that, here, Nyssa appears to be willingly helping the Daleks, with the mystery being why she would do such a thing. Indeed, it's largely her story, told almost entirely from her perspective and with the Doctor a key, but supporting, character. This works very well, even once you've worked out what's going on. On the downside, the resolution is telegraphed a long way in advance, leaving one waiting for quite a while before it turns up. 4 stars.

May 16, 2020Report this review