The First Son

Dalek Universe #3.1

Released: 13 October 2021

Listened: 12/10/22

We’re now on the third boxed set of this story, so maybe now it’s time for some Dal-–nah, have some Movellans! And River Song, because why not? Except is it River? There’s a Movellan who looks just like River, but she continually denies that’s who she is. She’s also got a “son,” Kamen Vers, who seems to be some kind of advanced Movellan – more organic, and definitely more emotional. Except he’s got the mind of a supercomputer, the body of an android, and the morality of a two-year-old; never a good combination. They’re all hiding out on a planetoid made of crashed spaceships, along with a bunch of human refugees, and a bunch of Movellans who’ve gone insane, all of them hiding from Dalek and Movellan fleets in the vicinity. There’s a bunch of waffle about the “first Movellan,” who Kamen seems to regard as both a father and a god, also a bad combo. The real core of the story is River’s “is she or isn’t she?” which doesn’t unravel until nearly the very end. In fairness to Lizzie Hopley, that part is well done, and will keep you guessing. The rest of the story feels like filler.