Doctor Who Revolution Of The Daleks: 10 Huge Talking Points After The New Year Special

5. Will Robertson Ever Get His Comeuppance?

Doctor Who Arachnids in the UK
BBC Studios

Robertson’s past encounter with the Doctor (Arachnids in the UK) had clearly taught him nothing. If anything, here he is even more of a Donald Trump parody, with his dismissal of the experts, his obsession with security and stifling protest, and his dodgy dealings with business and politics. Even the Daleks find it hard to comprehend his actions in betraying his own people.

The mercy that Jack, Ryan, and Graham show Robertson in getting him off the Dalek ship in one piece is in deliberate contrast to the Daleks’ ruthless destruction of the reconnaissance Dalek, but it is surprising that the Doctor lets him off so easily.

Robertson is hailed as a hero and will no doubt use that status to his advantage in gaining the populist vote as he stands for election again. It could of course be the last we see of the rogue, a realistic portrayal of the fact that the bad guys do not always lose. But that sour taste that is left in our mouths as we see him unrepentant and getting off scot-free is not how Doctor Who usually works. In the optimistic world of Doctor Who, the villains always get their comeuppance. Might we see another outing for Robertson, one that will either bring him to his knees or lead to his downfall?

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Paul Driscoll is a freelance writer and author across a range of subjects from Cult TV to religion and social policy. He is a passionate Doctor Who fan and January 2017 will see the publication of his first extended study of the series (based on Toby Whithouse's series six episode, The God Complex) in the critically acclaimed Black Archive range by Obverse Books. He is a regular writer for the fan site Doctor Who Worldwide and has contributed several essays to Watching Books' You and Who range. Recently he has branched out into fiction writing, with two short stories in the charity Doctor Who anthology Seasons of War (Chinbeard Books). Paul's work will also feature in the forthcoming Iris Wildthyme collection (A Clockwork Iris, Obverse Books) and Chinbeard Books' collection of drabbles, A Time Lord for Change.