What we can expect for Doctor Who New Year’s Day Special

Doctor Who is back for its first ever New Year’s special, and a fan favorite villain is set to return.

It’s a strange time of year to be a Doctor Who fan. The show, for reasons as yet unspecified, decided to skip its traditional Christmas installment in favor of a New Year’s edition. (And breaking a 12-year streak in the process.) As a result, we as viewers feel a bit at sea at the moment — caught between when our hearts feel a special probably should have already aired and when our brains know one will.

But, all is not lost. Despite its bizarre new airdate, the Doctor Who New Year’s special, entitled “Resolution,” is likely to make a lot of fans very happy. Because it sounds as if all those rumors that were swirling around at the end of season 11 — you know, the ones about a certain pepperpot-shaped villain returning? Well, it looks like they were right.

Yes, it looks like the Thirteenth Doctor will officially meet her most famous nemesis for the first time this January. The Daleks are coming back.

Of course, the official BBC synopsis promises no such thing. It, in true Doctor Who tradition, offers little in the ways of specifics about the special’s actual story. (And it doesn’t mention Daleks at all.)

"As the new year begins, a terrifying evil from across the centuries of Earth’s history is stirring. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?"

The full trailer for “Resolution” simply promised us a battle against the “most dangerous creature in the universe”. Not necessarily a Dalek, but seems pretty possible.

But the second teaser? Definitely has a Dalek voice at the end.

So buckle up, Whovians. It’s about to get real.

Whether it’s a good idea or not to bring back the Daleks so soon into Jodie Whittaker’s time on Doctor Who is up for debate. (As is the BBC’s decision to reveal their presence in the trailer for “Resolution” rather than letting their presence be a surprise.) But it certainly means that the New Year’s special will be anything but boring.

Doctor Who will return air Jan. 1, 2019 on BBC America. Season 12 is currently slated for some time in 2020.