Day 101: The Abandoned Planet

It's about time that we had a mention of Mavic Chen, the villain in league with the Daleks. He is presented as Guardian of the Solar System, however his blinding ambition and greed for power means that he is forced into fighting against his allies, and it is becoming more obvious that he considers himself greater than the Daleks. So he's a character who believes that he is the most important person in the Universe, and will fight everyone who stands in his way, or in other words, a politician. It's a fascinating performance from Kevin Stoney, because he is always in complete control. It's only in this episode that we get hints that things might not be going as well as they seem, when he begins ranting and raving and shooting other characters. But what makes the shooting interesting is that he shoots a character who is in league with the Daleks, and it acts as a watershed moment for the other allies of the Daleks. They finally come to their senses and realise that in order to succeed, deaths must occur, but they also realise that the person who is in charge isn't the one who they want. Couple that with the Daleks abandoning them and people begin to realise that perhaps there are more important things in life. But Chen still seeks power, and power is the force that drives him, even if it's driving him over the edge of a cliff.