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Caught off guard by a massive revolt among the slaves on their
many conquered worlds, the Daleks are in retreat from the
Milky Way galaxy - or so it would appear. Kalendorf is not
convinced that things are quite as simple as that...
As
we reach the conclusion to this mini-series, it becomes clear
that the Daleks (and writer Nicholas Briggs) have devised
their most audacious scheme to date - bigger even than their
conquest of an entire galaxy in The Apocalypse Element.
Talking
of elements, I had to smile when I heard the Daleks discussing
their possession of the "element of surprise". Where did they
mine that element, then? It's odd to hear these creatures
describing such a human concept!
The
Daleks' latest master plan might ring a few bells with readers
of Doctor Who Magazine, as it bears a certain similarity
to an early Eighth Doctor comic strip called Fire and Brimstone.
On this occasion the Daleks are dealt a different, though
equally satisfying, kind of poetic justice - one that will
presumably lead into Big Finish's follow-up series, Dalek
War.
The
malevolent pepperpots also borrow a few ideas from Davros'
faction of Daleks (either that, or Davros will one day gain
inspiration from these events, depending on your personal
view of Dalek history). They deploy numerous Special Weapons
Daleks (as seen in Remembrance of the Daleks) and plan
to swell their ranks by similar means to those employed on
the planet Necros (in Revelation of the Daleks).
There
is less human interaction here than in previous instalments,
although Alby (Mark McDonnell) has to come to terms with a
personal loss. This is more of an action movie conveyed in
sound, with the various converging plot strands moving inexorably
toward their stunning climax. The ending is so abrupt that
it had me checking my CD player for faults, but it certainly
left me hungry for more.
Richard
McGinlay
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