The Ripple Effect

"What possible excuse can you have for attacking a defenceless Dalek?"

Writer: Malorie Blackman

Format: Novella

Released: November 2014

Series: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories: 07

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis 

The TARDIS lands on Skaro, homeworld of fhe Daleks. The Seventh Doctor and Ace are shocked to discover that the Daleks have become a force for good, and their once battle-torn planet is now a universal centre of learning. But how long can peace last?

Verdict

The Ripple Effect was yet another excellent little novella from this quite brilliant 12 Doctors, 12 Stories collection! With the exception of Tip of the Tongue, this story continues the trend of all stories scoring at least 9/10 as my rating which is obviously a phenomenal standard and I'm so glad that's it continued just as well after the Fifth Doctor was the unfortunate incarnation to get the blip in quality. Seeing as these stories were intended to celebrate the 50th anniversary, which actually seems quite a while ago now, it's only right that the Daleks appeared in at least one of the adventures. The Master has been in two and now I do hope the Cybermen get an appearance before I finish the collection. I highly doubt they'd appear in quite the same way the Daleks did her though. Something had gone desperately wrong with the universe, the Doctor could feel it. Well, it wasn't just that. There was the small matter of the Daleks being considered good, Skaro being a universal centre of learning and that they performed emergency surgery on a Time Lord! Things were obviously incredibly imbalanced. Ace wasn't too great in this story sadly and I just don't think I'll ever get to like her as a companion. She was characterised very well here though I must say. I wasn't too fond of her challenging that the Doctor couldn't change things just because he was a Time Lord. However, I was firmly on his side in thinking that alone gave him more than enough right! If even the Time Lords didn't know things had gone seriously wrong then the universe was in great danger and only the Doctor could do anything about it. Seeing the climax foreshadowed in the early parts of the story with Ace seeing another police box in the Plexus was very good but to me that was the only slight problem with the story and the reason it doesn't score full marks - it was a tad predictable which was a shame. I'd worked out almost immediately that it was the Doctor making the star go supernova that set the chains in motion allowing the Daleks to become a centre of good. The Doctor not allowing his greatest enemies to flourish was absolutely right in my opinion. After all the atrocities he's seen them commit, why should he allow them attention? I thought that after Remembrance of the Daleks, which was neatly referenced, Ace would understand that but she just sympathised with the Daleks! How ridiculous is that? These were capable of anything and she seemed on their side. Similarly to The Evil of the Daleks, we had Daleks with names! Though, they weren't injected with the Human Factor. Tulana was a good character and I really liked how she got along with Ace splendidly. I'd like to believe that it was her and not the Daleks that made her so adamant in not wanting to revert the universe to normality. The Doctor's attempt to convert the TARDIS into a Vortiscope were intriguing though the description of the console room sounded quite typical of what I'd imagine the Seventh Doctor doing! He of course would save the universe and once he prevented the star from going nova, he intentionally went to Skaro to see if the Daleks were their normal hating selves! And they were. So that meant the universe was saved. Ironic, huh? Overall, a superb little story. 

Rating: 9/10