In issue 334 of SFX magazine, John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in the Doctor Who special, warned that fans need to prepare for some surprises and shocks in Revolution of the Daleks.

Captain Jack will finally get to meet the thirteenth Doctor, who is imprisoned at the start of the episode.

“When you watch this, it’s going to be an epic rollercoaster ride of emotion – it’s going to be one of the biggest. There’s going to be a lot of happiness, a lot of sadness, there’s going to be surprises, there’s going to be excitement. And that’s one of the moments, when Jack meets 13. But I’m not going to tell you how…”

Jack will also help the Doctor’s companions companions combat a Dalek threat.

“…the one thing [Jack] does know is they’re there for the Doctor, they’re there because they love the Doctor and they love the adventure. So therefore he has an immediate connection with them…”

Barrowman also spoke of a singular villain who makes an appearance in Revolution of the Daleks.

“I remember at one point, when we were doing a sequence that involved a villain, my reaction was like (he demonstrated a big reaction on his SFX teleconference interview). Tosin [Cole who plays Ryan Sinclair] looked at me and he went, ‘Do we have to match that energy?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes!’”

Chris Chibnall has spoken of an “emotional” exit for the Doctor’s companions Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Ryan (Tosin Cole), for whom Revolution of the Daleks will be their last appearance on Doctor Who. It’s unclear if this is what Barrowman was referring to when he said this:

“This is an episode where you need to sit down and get yourself prepared, because it is going to be shocking. There’s going to be some very big surprises. And there’s also going to be some, yes, sad things happening. It’s almost like they’ve gone to a retro feel for this with the epic feel of it.”

You will find more unofficial news about Revolution of the Daleks here.

SFX magazine 334 is available on newsstands and by digital edition now.

Revolution of the Daleks will air on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2021 at 6:45 p.m. on BBC One and 8:00 p.m. on BBC America.