Archaeologists wake up something nasty on New Year’s Day. It’s slimy, it’s angry, it’s got a sucker arm — no, not your hungover uncle. It’s the Dalek. And it’s about to take over Sheffield.
Short Synopsis
On New Year’s Day, a Dalek buried since the 9th century is unearthed in Sheffield. It’s just the mutant squid at first, but it slithers onto a human host and goes full body-snatcher. The Doctor must stop it before it rebuilds its armor and calls in the Dalek fleet. Cue epic battles, a microwave oven save, and Ryan awkwardly reconnecting with his estranged dad.
Extended Storyline
We open with a history lesson: back in medieval times, warriors defeated a terrifying alien menace, cut it into three parts, and buried the pieces across the world. Fast forward to 2019 — because nothing stays buried in Doctor Who — and of course, a couple of overeager archaeologists in Sheffield dig up one piece. Congratulations, you’ve just woken the scariest pepper pot in sci-fi.
The squid-like Dalek mutant latches onto poor archaeologist Lin, body-snatcher style. She’s forced to carry it around while it controls her mind and uses her to rebuild itself. Watching Lin struggle under its control is both chilling and weirdly gross. The Dalek isn’t at full strength yet, but give it access to some scrap metal and a workshop, and it cobbles together a DIY battle shell. Think Dalek meets junkyard chic. Still terrifying.
Meanwhile, the Doctor and fam are having their own New Year’s reunion. Graham and Ryan find themselves awkwardly dealing with Ryan’s dad, Aaron, who’s decided to show up after years of absence. Cue heartfelt speeches, resentment, and Graham being the MVP dad figure as always. Aaron brings a microwave oven as a gift — hilariously, this turns out to be the most important weapon in the episode. (Chekov’s Microwave.)
Back to the action: the rebuilt Dalek begins rampaging through Sheffield, mowing down soldiers with gleeful laser blasts. The Doctor, realizing exactly what they’re dealing with, goes full Time Lord panic. She challenges the Dalek in a spectacular showdown, but even with the TARDIS, it’s tough going.
The key twist: the Doctor uses Aaron’s microwave tech to overheat the Dalek’s casing. (If you’ve ever nuked leftovers for too long, you’ll understand the destructive power here.) The shell explodes, leaving the mutant vulnerable. But it’s still not over — the squid latches onto Aaron as a last-ditch hostage. Ryan has to step up and save his dad, proving that sometimes emotional growth and alien extermination go hand-in-hand.
In the end, the Doctor ejects the Dalek into a vacuum via the TARDIS, destroying it once and for all. Sheffield is safe, the Dalek fleet never gets the call, and Ryan and Aaron start tentatively mending their relationship. Graham beams with pride. Yaz… is also there.