Doctor Who review: The Davros Mission explores a clear gap in the villain’s history

Set between two classic Doctor Who stories, The Davros Mission looks at a clear gap in Davros’s history – one where he finds himself on trial for his life…

The Davros Mission is a rather unique story, even for Big Finish. It’s the only audio story that was specifically produced for a DVD box set – in this case, Doctor Who: The Complete Davros Collection from 2007. For years, it was entirely exclusive to this box set, until Big Finish finally released it as a download on their website in 2012.

So what is it about? What was The Davros Mission focused on? While it’s been re-branded since as part of the I, Davros series – even being part of this year’s download-only release I, Davros: The Complete Series – it doesn’t take place in the same timeframe i.e. before Genesis of the Daleks. However, it does explore another intriguing gap – specifically, the gap between Revelation and Remembrance of the Daleks.

At the end of the earlier story, Davros had been captured on Necros by Daleks loyal to the Supreme Dalek and taken to Skaro, where he would stand trial for his crimes against the Dalek race. The Davros Mission takes place almost immediately afterward. In some ways, it’s about exploring that gap – especially how Davros goes from where he is in Revelation to where he is in Remembrance. But Nicholas Briggs’s story is also more personal, too. Essentially, it asks a question – can Davros ever recognize the evil that he’s created…?

The Davros Mission takes place immediately after Sixth Doctor story Revelation of the Daleks. Where does Davros go from here?

Image Courtesy BBC Studios, BritBox

More from Winter is Coming

• For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
• Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
• Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
• Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
• Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”

Effective two-hander scenes

Miranda Raison stars as Lareen – a Thal spy who’s been given a mission. But will she be Davros’s executioner, or in fact his savior? Naturally, the story focuses on her a great deal, as she goes on a mission that few would ever dare. And while how her mission ends is somewhat predictable, it is interesting getting there, at least.

The story is at its best when it focuses purely on Davros and Lareen. The Kaled and the Thal – two enemies who find themselves alone together, with nothing to do but talk to one another. There are some great scenes that Briggs writes, particularly those that explore Davros’s sense of morality. Even better are Terry Molloy’s and Miranda Raison’s excellent performances. You can tell that they both enjoyed working with the material that they had been given for this drama.

As mentioned, where The Davros Mission ends is predictable, but also satisfying, too. Particularly how it takes Davros from one of the most vulnerable points of his life to one of his most powerful. That was what The Davros Mission needed to tell, and it did a good job getting there. A lovely little story for Davros that fills in an extremely crucial gap in his story.

Have you listened to The Davros Mission? Do you think it filled in the gap between Revelation and Remembrance well? Let us know in the comments below.