Doctor Who: Resolution added a few new details to Dalek mythology

The New Year’s Day special not only brought the Daleks back to Doctor Who. It also added a few key details to them, including what they’re capable of.

Resolution gave us a very different kind of Dalek story in Doctor Who, both in the New Series and the Classic. Perhaps the closest story we’ve had to it is Dalek, as that was an episode that focused on the danger of just one Dalek. But Resolution was still a very different kind of episode, particularly in how it used its Dalek.

For the first time ever, we saw a Dalek possess a human through direct contact. We’ve seen humans controlled by Daleks before, most notably with the Robomen in The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

But we’ve never seen a human controlled the way that Lin was in Resolution: with a Dalek creature directly on her back. It’s certainly a disturbing image. It’s also one that nicely pays homage to Planet of the Spiders, when the Eight-Legs controlled others through the same way.

One key reason why this particular Dalek acted so differently was covered early on, when the Doctor revealed that it was a “Recon Dalek”: one with very special abilities that most other Daleks don’t have.

Apparently one of the first to leave Skaro, this particular model was very unusual. While it was initially defeated in ninth-century England and even split into three, it was able to survive, in some form, across hundreds of years. Even by the Daleks’ knack for survival, that’s pretty impressive.

With a new appearance, the Daleks were also given a new design. How well did it work for the episode?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

A new (temporary?) look

This episode also gave us a different design for the Dalek. It was a design built from scraps and from memory, so when the Daleks show up next, it’s unknown just how closely it’ll stick to the new design, if at all.

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Certainly, the Recon Dalek was capable of some very impressive and unique weaponry. A moment that truly stood out is how it actually used one of its bumps for something – in this case, launching a missile at a tank.

How do I feel about the design? It looks a little too skinny compared to what we had before, particularly around the middle. The mistake that the New Dalek Paradigm made was changing the very basic shape of the Daleks, and there’s a risk here with this design.

However, this is one that is openly acknowledged as being made from spare parts. It’s a very temporary design. It could be one that is heavily referenced at a later point, or it might not be. So it’s acceptable for a one-off at least, but I hope that, if there is a further re-design, they stick more closely to the basic Dalek shape next time.

Overall, Chris Chibnall made sure to make his mark on Dalek mythology in Resolution. But was that enough to make it a great episode? Expect our thoughts on the episode very, very soon.

Next. Gallifrey review: Mindbomb. dark

Did you like the new additions to Dalek mythology in Resolution? Was there anything you particularly did or didn’t enjoy? Let us know in the comments below.

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