Pursued by an entity that the Daleks do not understand, the Emperor activates a reserve plan…

The pattern for this short series is becoming clearer – as with episode 1, the focus is on the Daleks and a guest character, this time the Sentinel of the Fifth Galaxy, played by Joe Sugg. We spend more time with the Dalek Strategist who is sent on the mission to retrieve what the Sentinel has been guarding for a very long time. That secret plays to the strengths of the animation, and again is very reminiscent of the way that the Daleks were portrayed in the closing days of Christopher Eccleston’s era.

James Goss’ script gives Sugg some fun moments, while Nicholas Briggs’ Strategist becomes increasingly devious – and you have to wonder if there was a moment when he (the Strategist, that is, not Nick) considered an alternate path. Particularly given the last couple of words of the episode…

Those who’ve had their appetite for Dalek action whetted by the recent release of the Daleks bookazine will have plenty to enjoy here, and Steve Foxon’s sound design and score work very well.

Verdict: A change in pace from the opener makes for a tense second act. 9/10

Paul Simpson

 

(Early access to Daleks! comes via the Doctor Who e-newsletter)