Countermeasures Series 1

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Threshold, Artificial Intelligence. The Pelage Project, State of Emergency

Written By: Paul Finch, Matt Fitton, Ian Potter and Justin Richards
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Producer: David Richardson, Script Editor: John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs Big Finish Productions 2012

Remembrance of the Daleks’ is still for many fans of the classic show one of the very best stories ever, and was a highlight of Sylvester McCoy's era. With wonderfully written characters and strong themes it transcended its humble trappings of low budget and throwaway scheduling as an hour and half of compelling action. There had always much potential for a spin-off owing to the strong triumvirate of characters who get caught up in the pitting of wits between the Doctor and two Dalek factions. Firstly there was Group Captain Gilmore – or ‘Chunky’ to those who know him a bit more personally. Then there was Professor Rachel Jensen – who was forthright and sharply witty, and yet clearly was a loyal friend to those she trusted. Lastly there was fresh faced and mellow, but eminently capable Allison Williams.

In an ideal world the Seventh Doctor’s era would have had the relative ratings that Ecclestone, Tennant, Smith and now Capaldi enjoy on Saturday nights; and the demand would have been for further adventures with these three very human characters in a sister show along the lines of 'Torchwood'. Luckily ‘Big Finish’ is the saviour of many a lost cause and these adventures – now in their third season – have been given a chance at long last.

The actual premise of this series concerns the three colleagues being officially united under the banner of ICMG – the ‘Intrusion Countermeasures Group’ - where their role is to try and find the cause of paranormal or alien phenomena occurring in Britain. Only months after their escapades with Davros, Ratcliffe, countless Daleks, and the eerie girl/battle-computer this functions as their first real test. The man with two hearts is not able to help out. They are therefore thrust into making some difficult decisions and must show their ability to adapt to the wider context that is 1960s Britain.

The three core characters of Gilmore, Allison and Rachel are reprised by the original actors: Simon Williams, Karen Gledhill and Pamela Salem. They definitely are having a fun time revisiting these roles and all manage to give a good account of themselves; with perhaps a little leeway being required with Simon and Pamela sounding a little bit older than their actual characters for obvious reasons. They are joined in the regular cast by Hugh Ross as Toby Kinsella, a somewhat unknown quantity in that while he helps the Countermeasures team to function by liaising with the British government, he has some of his own motivations that skirt the edges of immorality. Alastair Mackenzie also features on a recurring basis as Julian St Stephen - Allison's boyfriend of three years. This character is given a strong arc of his own which wrong foots expectations.

The opening episode is a solid enough beginning if somewhat unoriginal and static as a stand-alone piece. An apparent ghost is at work and an eminent German scientist has suddenly vanished. The villain (or misguided antagonist depending on your parameters) is somewhat broadly sketched as a crazed scientist/ Nazi stereotype. The actor’s performance is pretty arch on top of this, reminding me of a similar stereotype from Lucasarts' PC game 'The Fate of Atlantis'. The attempts to fill in a back story with Rachel’s admiration for his work are a good idea but do not quite get the right pay off when the dust settles at the end of the events. Episode Two already has signs of the show hitting its stride. A Czechoslovakian former flame of Gilmore has found a device of terrifying power but also great potential benefit. This artificial intelligence will end up influencing the behaviour of various characters dramatically. Eventually the dilemma hinges on how to contain such a sentient creation. There is quite a bit of important set up for later in the season – especially with Allison’s beau Julian. The villain of this particular piece is rather more effective here and he is described by Professor Jensen as making her ‘skin crawl’. Even his eventual fate is done in a surprising and shocking fashion and will make listeners reconsider one of the main cast in a wholly different light.

The following story has some memorable concepts of genetic augmentation and is quite satirical in many ways. Within the newly built town of Pelage, a dangerous encounter ensues with Ken Temple, a man with a very novel mindset as regards the future prospects for planet Earth and how mankind will have to adapt to survive. Political party funding is to blame for Temple's progress thus far and the Countermeasures team need to find a way to halt total chaos. This third episode has many good aspects but is slightly ruined by a perfunctory ending which seems overly predictable and also vetoes having a good supporting character return in a future story, By now the regulars are quite fluent in their roles and are still being developed organically as one would hope. Also the majestic Stephen Greif (of Blake's 7 fame) turns in a fine performance as Temple. This man has a tenuous grasp on reality but cannot be faulted for lacking pioneering ambition,

The series finale is a riveting tale - full of revelations, action and strong evocation of the time period. The story builds upon the plot device of 'Threshold'- with Rachel having apparently solved the issues that the matter transporter had previously. Events are set during Harold Wilson's elevation to Prime Minister. Pressure is put on the Countermeasures team as Chancellor Callaghan plans to reduce the budget of the Ministry of Defence. Before long creatures from another plane of existence make their presence felt, just as a group led by a senior military figure looks to stage a coup. How many of the closest friends and colleagues of Ian, Rachel and Allison will turn out to prove rogue? I never was left being distracted with this fourth story, which rewarded the work required to get committed to the previous plays. The villains may have some despicable methods but at the same time are believable and credible up to a certain point, and the character of Toby continues to shine brightly as a fine combination of writing and performance.

Overall 'Countermeasures' has good pacing and distinct atmosphere, and the stories are pretty easy to grasp. The show doesn’t force too many characters or require the listener to visualise too much difficult material. The character development and overall portrayal of individuals is very solid. There are lots of themes that resonate and tie in well to the time period the show is meant to be set in. Sometimes the plot doesn't feel too conspicuous either which is always welcome given how formulaic the Doctor Who fictional universe can inevitably be on occasion. Plenty of scope remains to explore how our three heroes really do feel about being back together on a long-term basis; hooks for the listener are not in short supply.

As for the original theme tune it is of the brand that stays in the head, but not really something I would want to play to myself outside of the show itself. Other music is serviceable enough and conjures up atmosphere without being intrusive. The show has started on a solid footing and the brilliance of Ben Aaronovitch’s creations means that it would take something drastic to deliver a noticeably weak story.

Behind the scenes material is also very good as we get a grasp behind the creative process from the individual writers as well as the producers and directors. Quatermass stories had a huge influence on the source Dalek story, and so its ability to inspire these new stories is an obvious place to start. Much strong discussion ensues over various 'chapters'. A generous run time of well over an hour is very welcome and rounds off the box-set package nicely.

The Day of the Doctor / The Time of the Doctor - OST

Reviewed by Phillip Serna

The Day of the Doctor / The Time of the Doctor
Music by Murray Gold
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Conducted by Ben Foster
Silva Screen Records
24 November 2014
Available to order now from Amazon UK

On November 23rd 2013, Doctor Who celebrated its 50th anniversary with a stunning array of events culminating in the global simulcast of the much-anticipated story, The Day of the Doctor. In time for the 51st anniversary, Silva Screen Records has released an impressive 2-disc set of Murray Gold’s scores to The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor, the swan-song for Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor. Since Doctor Who’s revival in 2005, Murray Gold’s music has grown as synonymous as the TARDIS and the Daleks – becoming as iconic as the experimental, electronic and chamber music from the show’s rich and varied past. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Crouch End Festival Chorus, and conductor/ orchestrator Ben Foster deserve as much praise as Murray Gold for what can only be described as a thoughtful and outstanding entry into the Doctor Who musical canon. The production on this release delivers nothing short of impressive, and on a purely technical level, this release will not disappoint even the most discriminating listener.

Looking backwards as well as forwards, Murray Gold’s score to The Day of the Doctor represents a culmination of the entirety of the revival-era of the show. Surprised by callbacks in the score, in ‘Nice Horse’ the cue opens with woodwind timbres evocative of Geoffrey Burgon as the Zygons are revealed. With greater use of synthetic elements throughout, there are a few calls back to the Radiophonic Workshop era, especially during ‘We are the Doctors’, ‘The Moment has Come’ and the ‘Song for Four’ that closes the story. For aficionados of leitmotivic film scores, Murray Gold delivers a rich thematic world for the Doctor. As war rages over the second city of Arcadia, strains of Gold’s ‘This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home’ from Series 3 can be heard punctuating the battle by the low brass. In addition to the thematic material representing the 10th and 11th Doctors, John Hurt’s War Doctor is represented by music associated with Christopher Eccleston’s damaged 9th Doctor. The use of U.N.I.T.’s theme from Series 1 is balanced well against music evocative of political espionage films, filled with electronic elements and suspenseful repetitive string ostinati. The theme for the Moment in ‘Who are You’ and ‘The Moment has Come’ incorporates elements from Rose’s piano theme from Series 1 as well as the novel use of reverse delay on piano and clarinet, a technique that Gold used to great effect in the Series 5 stories The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang. The only unsettling or controversial moment in the score is during the pivotal ‘The Moment has Come’ in which the Doctor struggles whether to deploy the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Here, the music is filled with Middle-Eastern timbres, scales and microtonality punctuated by the icy timbre of the hammered dulcimer. A musical association between the story’s subtext of genocide and real-world violence is likely not intended, but does resonate beyond the score and the world of the fiction. Perhaps this encapsulates the strength of this score where popular music elements, electronic timbres, symphonic timbres, and non-Western timbres coexist in a series whose messages are primarily inclusiveness and pacifism.

While the cues ‘He Was There’, ‘No More’ and ‘The War Room’ are among the most exciting cues on the release, it is unusual that ‘He Was There’ differs from the transmission version omitting the choral elements - an interesting album variation. The closing ‘Song for Four/ Home’ is interesting in that it represents Murray Gold’s original intentions differing significantly from the transmission version of The Day of the Doctor. I, for one, would have enjoyed hearing both versions on this release, perhaps including the transmission version as bonus tracks on the second disk. The absence of Gold’s arrangement of Ron Grainer’s theme that closed The Day of the Doctor, however, is puzzling but understandable if there were licensing issues with Ron Grainer’s theme through his publisher Erle Music/Warner Chappell. It is important to note that the Doctor Who theme, existing in various re-orchestrations by Murray Gold, have not been included in Silva Screen releases of Murray Gold’s scores since Series 5. The omitted opening theme, as realized by Delia Derbyshire, is still available on a variety of recent Silva Screen releases.

Despite these relatively minor criticisms, The Day of the Doctor remains an excellent release, if only slightly imperfect. The Time of the Doctor, however, succeeds a great deal in presenting a very different and cohesive musical narrative - marvelously balanced with the transformation of Gold’s ‘I Am the Doctor’ into a Christmas call-to-arms. The inclusion of sleigh bells, glockenspiel and celeste only enhances this magical Christmas-parable, filled with Ben Foster’s lush and cinematic orchestrations, with a sound mix favouring the low strings. The Time of the Doctor‘s score feels more intimate and personal, mirroring its sensitive and sentimental story. The differences between the constancy of The Time of the Doctor and the bolder experimentalism and scope of The Day of the Doctor makes for a multi-layered experience with its contrast set to 11 – offering many rewards upon repeat listens.

Highly Recommended. Rating 10/11

Dr. Phillip Serna is co-host of the Adventures in Time, Space and Music podcast.

New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor = The Arts In Space

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Revolutions of Terror, Part Three
New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor
Issue 4
Written by Nick Abadzis
Illustrated by Elena Casagrande & Arianna Florean
Released 2014 by Titan Comics

This new multi-part story takes place almost immediately after the end of 'Revolutions of Terror'. Gabriella Gonzalez has joined the Doctor for a one-off trip in the TARDIS; which of course will not turn out to be the case in practice. The Doctor saw something in Gabby’s courage and resourcefulness, and so allows another companion to join him. This despite the deep trauma of losing perfect pal Donna. The destination is a deliberate one as the Doctor wishes to introduce his New Yorker friend to 'Ouloumous' - a considerably more futuristic art gallery than the likes of the Guggenheim. The Time Lord has many acquaintances across the cosmos, and the visit is designed to lead to a reunion with mega-gifted artist Zhe; a being who can sing her works into existence, using the familiar device of block transfer computation (as seen in 1980s Doctor Who). After a comprehensive tour of the museum proper, a visit to Zhe's retreat is in order, and the real adventure and danger begins to show itself. Zhe appears to not be quite her normal self, and there are other beings present who seem to have a chip on their sculptured shoulders.

As with issues 1-3 artwork is consistently impressive and helps convey the story very well. But there is an added hook here as much of the story is told from Gabby’s point of view through the medium of her diary. Many sketches exist to portray her deepest thoughts and impressions concerning this remarkable change to her lifestyle. This serves the story by both making things refreshing, as well as broadening Gabby's character to include aspirations of being a comic illustrator one day in her own right. Well-judged humour abounds, and since the Tenth Doctor is so magnetic and engaging a new person's reaction to his many quirks is always going to be of interest.

Whilst many of us fans may be now quite familiar with the 'new recruit' on the TARDIS, it is worth remembering that as each person is unique, so their ability to adjust and appreciate the sights and sounds of the cosmos will be unique as well. Gabby is a clearly thoughtful and deep-thinking type and documents her perception of the animals, plant life, topography and even the sensations of an alien world's weather system. And somehow just as spellbinding for her is the Doctor's total relaxation at being somewhere so different to Earth. So what could just have been a gimmick ends up being a wonderfully creative way of adding to an already promising character. She has grown quickly in the short span of time since we saw her in the Laundromat, and is now pretty much outside of being subservient to her family - particularly her domineering patriarch.

The story itself regarding sinister beings using Zhe's shape-altering powers is solid but takes a back seat for much of this issue. Presumably this is to allow for more focus on plot and the requisite twists and turns in next month's installment. I regard Nick Abadzis as a man who really tells a story in an engaging manner, and he is clearly taking full advantage of the possibilities offered by the Doctor's vulnerability from the end of Series 4. Exposition is mostly delivered well, although if one were to be fussy there some self-indulgence with one or two sections of the gallery that the Doctor covers in his role of 'tour-guide' which adds little to proceedings. Tennant's on-screen interpretation shines througjh well, and I really can appreciate how carefully Titan have made sure each of the ongoing lines provides the right stories and material for the particular incarnation of the Doctor. Elena Casagrande’s art again impresses and the eeriness of being on a lunar landscape in the dark is perfect for the autumn release date of the comic. And when it comes to the journal written by Gabby, we can enjoy a rather different style of sketching, courtesy of secondary artist Florean’s own brand of illustration. As the icing on the cake there are some good subtle references to Classic Who - in addition to the strong reminder of Logopolis and Castrovalva's hard-sci-fi concepts. So another very enjoyable entry from Titan, and David Tennant fans will be well-catered for.

**
As with other issues, there are comedic bonus entries. Wardrobe Malfunction by AJ, features the Doctor trying on various costumes inbetween adventures; whilst A Rose by any other name, from Rachael Smith, concerns the iconic first modern day companion and a new spin on well-known Shakespeare text.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

This seventh entry in the Time Trips series of e-books is the work of Joanne Harris, and sees the Third Doctor on the brink of oblivion as he struggles to hold back the deadly radiation he was exposed to on Metebelis Three. The Doctor is the only series regular character to feature, and that is because of his predicament in trying to land back 'home' - i.e. UNIT HQ. After the TARDIS is instead forced down into a Time Paradox ensnared village, with a 'Groundhog Day' style routine questions abound. But soon it is clear that the Doctor must somehow save the day once again - despite his very weak condition.

Although thrown into jeopardy from the very start, the Doctor does gain a 'one-off' assistant in the form of Queen Alice. She must help the Doctor overcome the seemingly deadly Gyre portal, and also mechanical creations with fearsome intentions - including impassive Dolls, Bears and Clowns. There is clearly not much of a breathing space when someone dares to upset the status quo and challenge the mysterious higher being that is apparently looking from above - but then things rarely are straightforward for the alien explorer. If someone were to be successful in reaching the controller of the Gyre and requesting the release of the village, it would appear to be the debonair Third Doctor. But being on death's door, without the help of fellow Time Lord K'anpo Rimpoche to assist him to regenerate, there is more pressure and demands made of him than normal. And there is also the issue of trying to reunite Alice with her beloved daughter. Will there be a happy ending for all concerned?

This is one of the most straightforward but pleasurable reading experiences I have had of any genre in recent times. Description is fulsome without managing to slow the story down, and the regular reminders of the Doctor's terminal condition are all very effective and fit the core themes of the actual story concerned. The Jon Pertwee incarnation is one of the more effortless personas to translate to the written word, but this is still an impressive portrayal. There is a lot of sound psychological insight into someone who might not be so 'all-conquering' in his own mind deep down.

The plot is measured very well and rewards readers for trying to get to the core of the mystery. Characterisation is also well above the average for Doctor Who tie-in novels, almost so much so one wishes this was a full-length work. Whilst perhaps needing readers to have seen 'Planet of Spiders' to have the maximum impact, this is a story that can be read by anyone looking for an engaging and thematically rich diversion.

Gallifrey VI

Reviewed by Damian Christie

Gallifrey VI
Written by Scott Handcock, James Goss and Justin Richards
Produced and directed by Gary Russell
Big Finish Productions, 2013

“The Daleks are now the masters of Gallifrey! The Daleks are the masters of all Gallifreys!”

Cliffhanger to Gallifrey V: Arbitration

In October 2013, just over a month before they blazed their way through Gallifrey’s second capital city Arcadia in Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor (the first time they were seen invading Gallifrey on-screen), the Daleks attempted an earlier conquest of the Time Lord home world – in the sixth and final season of Big Finish’s Doctor Who audio spin-off saga Gallifrey. Indeed, it isn’t just control of Gallifrey Prime that the Daleks in Gallifrey VI are after but, as we discover early in the boxset, the ambition to invade up to 1000 parallel Gallifreys through the Axis, the interdimensional hub that controls truncated, damaged timelines.

Although the metal meanies (voiced effortlessly as ever by Nicholas Briggs) can be pretty much visualised in any of their past forms by the listener, the intention of Gallifrey VI – comprising the chapters Extermination, Renaissance and Ascension – is that they are the modern, Time War-style Daleks that have (with the exception of the candy-coloured monstrosities in Victory of the Daleks) been a mainstay of the modern TV series of Doctor Who. Indeed, this is not only confirmed by director and producer Gary Russell in the CD extras but is plainly evident in the packaging for the boxset and the internal CD sleeves.

As Russell also acknowledges in the CD extras, Gallifrey VI effectively hails the first shots of the Great Time War. The saga is accordingly retconned to fit the hypothesis mooted by former TV producer Russell T Davies about how the conflict originated.1 The boxset also represents another effort by Big Finish to align itself closer to the modern TV series without explicitly using the modern era Doctors and companions (Big Finish is only contracted to use the first eight Doctors and other companions and characters from the classic series in its Doctor Who audio range). Previous Doctor Who boxsets such as UNIT: Dominion and the first volume of Dark Eyes made satirical allusions to the Time War but Gallifrey VI is the closest that Big Finish has come to postulating how the conflict originated. The trilogy is also not afraid to homage (if not outright steal) moments from the classic and modern eras alike, from serials like Genesis of the Daleks and Logopolis to episodes like Dalek and The Stolen Earth.

Given the conclusion to Gallifrey III strongly contradicted the Davies hypothesis – Gallifrey was in ruins, Time Lord civilisation was on the brink of collapse and the principal protagonists had fled the home world to take refuge in the Axis – Russell and his trio of writers – Scott Handcock, James Goss and Justin Richards – credibly wrap up the Gallifrey saga without the stories bordering on fan fiction or “fanwank”2 (a term I don’t often use lightly!). In addition, they also successfully tie up the various story strands left hanging from the first three seasons of Gallifrey, the loose Axis/parallel worlds story arc of Gallifrey IV and the wobbly political shenanigans of Gallifrey V. And all while delivering some entertaining, albeit mixed and intertwined scripts.

As often happens when an episode is preceded by a strong cliffhanger (the impressive visual of Daleks invading via the Axis at the end of Gallifrey V), the first instalment Extermination fails to live up to its promise. It is more of a character piece that focuses on the reactions of Romana (Lalla Ward), Leela (Louise Jameson) and Time Lord operative Narvin (Seán Carlsen) to the Daleks, not an all guns blazing “tour de force”. In fairness, Scott Handcock has said in interviews that he sought not to write a carbon copy of one of Big Finish’s earliest releases The Apocalypse Element (which also featured a Dalek invasion of Gallifrey) but where he falls down is in his portrayal of Romana who gravitates between being a whinging wreck at one point, bemoaning to Narvin that all she wants to do is return to their Gallifrey, and vengeful, spiteful and almost unhinged when she channels the Ninth Doctor’s rage (á la the episode Dalek) and tortures and kills a Dalek mutant:

And that’s where you’ve made your last mistake, Dalek, because I am not Unit 117! I am not your property, I am not your prisoner! I am the Lady Romanadvoratrelundar, I am President of the High Council of the Time Lords and I will quite happily end your pathetic little life without a moment’s hesitation!

While the ferocity of Ward’s performance in this scene is outstanding, in story terms, it comes so far out of left field to be credible (even allowing for Romana’s two decades of trauma as a prisoner of war on Etra Prime in The Apocalypse Element, this is the first time it’s ever been referenced in the Gallifrey saga). We always knew Romana was a tough and robust character, so I’m not sure why there’s such a need to emphasise that in this story. Leela and Narvin’s portrayals and performances in Extermination are more constant and believable; Jameson is a delight to hear in one scene as Leela takes a knife to a Dalek gunfight but she does so with the subtlety and consistency that we have come to expect of Leela’s character.

In fact, while Romana’s portrayal greatly improves in the subsequent instalments, Ward nevertheless finds herself outperformed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Juliet Landau as the Time Lady’s next incarnation. If Ward’s portrayal of Romana II over the years has been popularly characterised as more relaxed, care-free and playful than Mary Tamm’s cool, intellectual and classy Romana I, then Landau’s Romana III (Trey, for short) is an even more vibrant, mischievous version whose humour, effusiveness and optimism clearly belie the future horrors and traumas that she must have endured. Indeed, James Goss takes a leaf straight out of Steven Moffat’s playbook, with the pair’s initial meeting highly evocative of Amy Pond’s mutual admiration session in the Doctor Who/Red Nose Day shorts Space and Time:

Romana: Hello, me.
Trey: Hello, you. What do you think?
Romana: I’ll get used to it.
Trey: The plan?
Romana: No, my new body.
Trey: Lovely teeth, though.
Romana: Mmmm ... Pearly white!

As a novice to Doctor Who, Landau is confident and superb as Trey (Russell explains in the CD extras that she immersed herself in the character of Romana before recording) and for an American, her English accent is nigh-on flawless (no doubt mastered during her time as English gypsy vampire Drusilla on Buffy!). Landau’s Trey provides an excellent foil for Ward’s Romana and is a worthy successor for the role.3 Indeed, the cheeky cliffhanger to Renaissance (which mimics that of the modern series episode The Stolen Earth) leaves you genuinely wondering if Trey will immediately take charge in the subsequent episode Ascension.

Goss manages the portrayals of Romana and Trey in Renaissance magnificently. Just as it is fascinating to see how the Doctor interacts when he meets his other selves, it is even more absorbing to see how Romana relates and reacts to the enigmatic Trey who appears to have an agenda all her own and even seems to be conspiring against Romana herself! After all, as we’ve seen in the aforementioned UNIT: Dominion and Dark Eyes (and even the classic series’ The Trial of a Time Lord), even a Time Lord’s supposed future incarnations are not above stabbing their former selves in the back! Inevitably, Trey’s influence in the overall story arc proves more pivotal than is immediately evident and it proves difficult to second-guess her.

For the purposes of this review, it is hard to write about the saga’s resolution Ascension without giving away major plot spoilers, even with strong hints that the Time War isn’t so far away. Nevertheless, Justin Richards manages to wrap up the overall story arc in convincing and compelling fashion. In the process, not only do we discover what contributed to Gallifrey’s premature downfall in Gallifrey III but Richards manages to wrap up the arc of a recurring character whose motivations were first hinted at in Gallifrey V but then seemed to evaporate over the course of that season. Although the closing events of Gallifrey III are effectively retconned, Gallifrey VI satisfactorily does this in a way that doesn’t scream “cop-out” and the saga concludes with President Romana back in charge and the principal characters reunited with K9 (again matter of factly voiced by veteran John Leeson) and some of the antagonists of earlier series, such as Valyes (Steven Wickham), Matthias (Stephen Perring) and the oily Castellan Slyne (Peter Sheward).

Naturally, as with long epics like this, there are still some unanswered questions that go unresolved, eg how will former President Matthias react to Romana’s return to office when he and other Time Lords have no memory of his abdication? What happens to Regenerator society on the parallel Gallifrey after the Dalek threat is thwarted and Romana, Leela and Narvin return to the Axis? Do the Regenerators and the Outsiders reconcile, considering they were on the brink of civil war in Gallifrey V: Arbitration? (To some extent, it would have made sense in Extermination if the two factions had reconciled and united against the invading Dalek taskforce but alas this is not even covered.) More to the point, is the Axis closed for good? Or is there still the potential for forces from other Gallifreys to bleed into Gallifrey Prime’s reality? While the saga appears to conclusively end with Gallifrey VI4, perhaps there is still the scope for threats from the other Gallifreys to be explored.

If you’ve followed this series from its beginning back in 2004, then you will definitely get a satisfactory pay-off from the concluding chapters of Gallifrey VI. Barring a couple of hiccoughs in Romana’s characterisation in Extermination, this final trilogy of stories is entertaining and well conceived, thanks to the mostly strong writing and extremely impressive performances of not just the principal but the secondary cast. However, given its serial nature and structure, Gallifrey isn’t a saga you should just enter mid-stream, particularly if you want to better understand the machinations and duplicity of the Time Lords.

“A new dawn!”
“A new beginning!”
“A new start – for the one, true Gallifrey!”
Co-ordinator Narvin, Leela and Lady President Romana, Gallifrey VI: Ascension

ENDNOTES

1. Russell T Davies’ hypothesis about the origins of the Great Time War appeared in an article titled Meet the Doctor, printed in the 2005 Doctor Who Annual, published by Panini UK.
2. Wiktionary defines “fanwank” as “elements added to a television program or similar entertainment that appeal to avid fans but are of little interest to outsiders”. While there are other, less savoury definitions of the word, this is my justification for using the term in the context of this article.
3. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend you check out Doctor Who Companion Chronicles tale Luna Romana, released in January 2014, in which Juliet Landau is equally impressive as Trey and doubles for the late Mary Tamm’s Romana I.
4. Gallifrey VI is not the end of the matter, after all. Big Finish will release Gallifrey: Intervention Earth in February 2015, with Juliet Landau and Seán Carlsen returning as President Romana and Co-ordinator Narvin respectively, Sophie Aldred as Ace and Stephen Thorne reprising the role of Time Lord pioneer and nemesis Omega.

Death in Heaven

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Death in Heaven Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Rachel Talalay Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez, Chris Addison, Ingrid Oliver, Jemma Redgrave, Sanjeev Bhaskar Premiere 8 November, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Although not short on giddy action and a twist or two, this concluding episode to both the Missy/Cybermen double-header and Series 8 proper is fundamentally one about characterisation and interpersonal drama. It is not afraid to take risks, and manages to be distinctly memorable - if not the out-and-out classic that the best of modern Doctor Who has to offer the viewer.

Steven Moffat was emphatic in interviews that he and his team would make good use of the Cybermen on this occasion. The creepiness factor for the silver giants was dialled up very high in 'Dark Water', to the extent that many viewers were left quite upset and some even complained to the BBC. The tone alters somewhat here, and it is arguable that the use of some (re-done) voices for these creatures may take just a little edge away. But since Doctor Who was reborn 9 years ago, I cannot name a more solid outing for the Cybermen than this. They are not shown to be overcome by anything mundane or commonplace, and there is a good sense of poetic justice when cyber-converted-Danny commands his troops to end the crisis once and for all. Moffat believes in having these emotionless aliens as a persistent threat but economical in terms of screen-time, and this approach is pretty succesful.

And after all we have another villain who has plenty to offer, and every scene featuring her is an absolute triumph. I was left rather underwhelmed by Missy's previous cameos in Series 8 and felt the arc was not the most intriguing; now I want to go back to earlier stories to try and pick up on the clues that were set in place. Michelle Gomez is someone I myself have seen little of before, but once again casting an actress better known for comedy really works - much as was the case with Catherine Tate.

The main talking point with the audience is the sheer audacity of re-gendering the Master. Yet somehow this fully fledged appearance of a new and very different incarnation is right up there with all the best debut outings for the Doctor himself. Moffat is prepared to stray close to pantomime - especially evident when she channels 'Mary Poppins' by teleporting into a graveyard and falling gently to the ground with her black umbrella - and yet Gomez is able to convince us that there is something very sinister bubbling away underneath the kookiness and spectacle. But most crucially the inter-personal chemistry between Peter Capaldi and Gomez is unquestionable and leaves the strongest after-impression once the final credits flash on the screen.

And in general 'Death In Heaven' works pretty well, even with flaws like 'telling - not showing' - namely when the Doctor is briefed by UNIT on the global situation. Also the 'President' title given to a reluctant Doctor may be a deliberate nod towards long-term fan-favourite 'The Five Doctors', but somehow ends up falling flat. The choice of killing off Osgood conclusively is perhaps a little disappointing, as she has more facets to her than the rather dour Kate Stewart. And further to that, the way Kate is shown to survive is memorable for the wrong reasons entirely; her late father has been converted to a Cyberman, but then breaks free from Missy's control and catches her in mid-air. I do like the intention behind the Doctor's salute to the former Brigadier regardless.

Another talking point, but one that I myself find amusing is the glaring tease over whether Clara is not only a Time Lady, but in fact the show's lead after all. Maybe more humdrum is her fooling of the Cybermen when facing certain death if she were to say the wrong thing. Jenna Coleman is as reliable as ever though - clearly putting in that extra bit of intensity that is needed for a big finish to a year's worth of episodes. Once Clara gets to interact with Danny, the Doctor and Missy, then it becomes abundantly clear just how much of a personal journey this initially plot-oriented lead character has been through. And as of this date it appears there is still some more of her story to be told.

Danny Pink is given some of the strongest material in the script, building on all the foundations laid in place since the beginning of this season. His guilt over his accidental killing of a small boy is a bold theme to tackle for Doctor Who - but given how topical Britain's military presence abroad is, this is a commendable storytelling decision. It also is notable that we last met Danny when he was showing all sorts of panic, fear and apprehension. Now he feels emptiness but appreciates the sacrifice he (and Clara) need to make.
Although I found the Torchwood episode 'Cyberwoman' to be pretty unwatchable, this particular use of Cyber-conversion is both poignant and disturbing. Samuel Anderson seems to be written out now rather conclusively, but he really has made the most of his character's arc in the last cluster of stories. In the end my overall feelings toward this character are positive.

A further big highlight is Clara's brave pretence to her friend that she she has used Missy's techno-bracelet to have the 'normal' Danny restored to her. This scene of two people talking in an unremarkable cafe setting may seem low-key, but is acutely moving. The added dimension of the Doctor also covering his loss by lying that the Master for once told the truth is brilliant. I really doubt that Doctor Twelve will mellow out too much when he still has so much angst and loneliness to process.


Series 8 has been a sound season when taken as a whole, and there have been mostly winning individual entries. Peter Capaldi has proven virtually all doubters wrong and looks ready to raise his average performance yet higher. As fans of the classic series will attest, an actor with a good number of years under his belt is more than compelling enough. Lastly, the 'Santa' epilogue was amusing enough and brought an utterly hilarious bemused reaction from the Doctor. First Robin Hood, and now this? Let's hope the traditional Christmas episode will make strong use of the North Pole setting..

Mask of Tragedy (Big Finish)

Reviewed by Richard Watts

Mask of Tragedy
Written By: James Goss
Directed by Ken Bentley
Released September 2014

In his first audio adventure for the Big Finish Main Range, writer James Goss (The Scorchies) takes the seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), Ace (Sophie Aldred) and Hector (Philip Olivier) for a holiday to ancient Greece in the year 421 BC. As holidays go, it’s about as refreshing as a dip in the seas of Marinus.

Outside Athens’ walls the Peloponnesian War rages, and a horde of Spartan warriors (described by the Doctor as "like the Daleks, but with better hair") are preparing to sack the city. Inside the walls, a strange sickness stalks citizens and slaves alike, turning them into mindless zombies; and a winged fury haunts the Tyrant of Athens, the tormented Cleon (Alisdair Simpson).

In the words of the poet Sophocles:

"Ah me! it is a world, a world of woe,
Plague upon the height and plague below!"

Or as Goss puts it, speaking through playwright and comedian Aristophanes (Samuel West), this story’s major supporting character: "Basically, it’s the end of the world.".

Mask of Tragedy is that relatively rare Big Finish release, a comedy; a wry, knowing, bawdy and clever comedy that balances camp quips with dark undercurrents in a way that recalls such classic Doctor Who stories as The Sun Makers and Revelation of the Daleks.

As with the comedies of Aristophanes (c. 446 – c. 386 BC), that humour is sometimes dragged down by the occasional cheap laugh that reminds listeners why everyone from Wilde and Faulkner to Arthur Quiller-Couch urged writers to "kill their darlings" (the most groan-inducing example being the line, "Is it a bird? Is it an astral plane?") but for the most part it’s a smart, even sophisticated script that takes every opportunity to celebrate Goss’ love for Aristophanes’ contributions to the theatrical canon, as well as the foibles of the theatre in general.

Continuing the playfully self-aware approach to storytelling that has become a trademark of Goss’ writing, from Torchwood spin-off novels Almost Perfect and Risk Assessment to his tenth Doctor audio Dead Air, the adventure’s structure reflects classic Greek proscriptions around the need for all plays to have a hero, a villain, and a chorus, with Ace often playing the latter role. Much of the script is presented in extended flashbacks, framed by narrative sections which heighten the listener’s awareness of actively listening to an audio drama. Goss also successfully and meta-theatrically plays with the listener’s awareness of common Doctor Who tropes, such as the Doctor’s exasperation over Ace once again stuffing up his plans by taking action at the wrong moment, or the Time Lord’s sudden realisation that he neglected to listen to one of his companions when they were telling him something important.

Indeed, even the citizens of Athens in Mask of Tragedy seem hyper-aware of the nature of the universe they live in: apparently ancient Greece is a hotspot for temporal tourists. As Aristophanes succinctly notes: "We get visitors all the time. From all of time."

Mask of Tragedy sees a return to the Machiavellian Doctor whose long games were so successfully represented in the Virgin New Adventures, even as Goss leavens his script with jokes that writers in particular will enjoy, such as Aristophanes’ faux-exasperated complaints about the popularity of his base comedies: "Hack work. But alas people do seem to like them."

Supporting characters, ranging from time-travelling theatre-luvvie, Tyrgius (Russell Bentley) to a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of Cleon, are well developed, though a cameo from the slave-girl Lysistrata (Emily Tucker) is tantalisingly brief.

Goss also writes Hector well, making the recently changed relationship between the current TARDIS crew feel genuinely fresh – such as an early scene, when in response to Ace telling Hector that she and the Doctor care about him Hector replies, "You don’t even know me!" And indeed they don’t know him well; not his new personality at least.

This new Hector gets a chance to spread his wings in this adventure (as does Tyrgius); certainly more than in the previous month’s lacklustre Revenge of the Swarm. Here Hector tries to become a hero in response to what he sees as the Doctor’s indifference to the plight of Athens – with predictably unfortunate results. That said, for someone whose only known memories are as life as a petty Liverpool gangster, Hector is still a relatively passive character – perhaps suggesting that Hex’s lost memories are not all that lost after all?

Not every aspect of this audio adventure is entirely successful: Ace is written as strangely naïve as she leads the Spartan army into Athens, and some of the line readings – such as Philip Olivier’s Jim Carrey-esque exaggerations when wearing the artefact that is this story’s titular McGuffin – are a trifle grating, though perhaps deliberately so given the Mask in question. Too, Richard Fox and Lauren Yason’s sound design is not always successful; for instance the invading Spartan army’s cheers seem distinctly masculine, despite the fact that said army is written as female. The pair’s score, however, is far more impressive, a convincing pastiche of traditional Greek music that makes excellent use of percussion to ramp up the intensity of the drama.

Though it may be a trifle too light-hearted and self-aware for every taste, for this fan, Mask of Tragedy is one of the strongest Big Finish releases of 2014: a playful, intelligent and engaging homage to the dramatic structures and characters that have made Doctor Who – and Greek drama – a lasting success for so many years.

New Adventures with the Eleventh Doctor - Issue 4: Whodunnit

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Revolutions of Terror, Part Three
New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor
Issue 3
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Boo Cook
Coloured by Hi-Fi
Released 2014 by Titan Comics

This new issue in the line of comic strip adventures with The Eleventh Doctor confirms that John Jones is indeed a companion proper following his striking introduction in last month's escapades. Having been somewhat memorable at first, this is perhaps not the best use of this character as he spouts rather frivolous statements and does not really seem to be swept along by the amazing experiences he is so privileged to be having. He instead seems to be treating the whole thing as a trip on the chemical substance level - which may be a deliberate choice by the creative team but seems rather cloying. The old conceit of characters rarely needing comfort breaks is also bypassed as Jones seems desperate to go to a stopover place; when the TARDIS would surely offer much more comfortable options. At least Alice is as engaging as ever, even if she shows signs of being ready to resume her normal challenges in the real world.

The actual plot is nothing too different from the usual outer space fare for Doctor Who. Something is turning members of a spaceship crew researching beetle colonies into human vegetables, and The TARDIS lands at the very moment when those trying to maintain order have become rather paranoid. By being released in time for Halloween there is a perhaps deliberate atmosphere of creepiness and mystery as the rather odd alien entity causing the danger is employed sparingly and thus the tension is quite acute.

The Doctor also has the personal worry of Alice siding against him upon hearing him dismiss her and many of her predecessors as little more than outsiders and stowaways. Yet this is once again a good opportunity for modern Doctor Who to show off its winning character development attributes. Alice is certainly one of the more grown-up and steady of the companions and this means that the sometimes childishly positive Matt Smith incarnation must accept that life can be inescapably difficult. A key objective for a spin-off story in another medium is to try and add something that the source material did not explore - or at least not to a great extent. Thus Titan Comics are justifying their work beyond a purely franscise-level.

Al Ewing returns to writing duties with a much more gripping and memorable story than his previous solo effort in Issue 2. There is a good combination of black humour, intrigue and the threads of 'timey-wimey-ness' coming together from the previous set-up of prior installments. More striking though is that we have a different artist on board for the first time in this particular series, with Boo Cook getting to show off his style of presentation. There is very much a pure sci-fi feel, and by being set on a sterile craft in space there is less need for the heady mix of colours and contrasts that were noticeable in the other stories. For me personally the character designs of Cook stood up well; emotions and defining facial features were to a particularly solid standard.

Most reading this review will be pretty loyal fans of the show, but as some people make comics their first choice of entertainment/escapism, we can only hope these new stories are drawing in a whole new demographic to this five decade (and counting!) phenomenon. Perhaps a singular issue has less impact if not read in sequence after other entries, but there is some good work being done with the story arc and a long-term plan seems confident enough. Essentially the expectation now is that the 'hits' will begin to outweigh the 'near-misses', so that some real momentum is built for the flamboyant Eleventh Doctor.

**
Bonus strips are once again enchantingly amusing. A nice call-back to the wooden Cyberman of Matt's TV tenure features in 'Wooden Acting' by AJ. Can Marc Ellerby do no wrong?? Once again he ticks all he boxes you can ask for with his 'Wholloween' gem. The Doctor may be free to travel anywhere and anywhen but he can't escape alien kids after something tasty from his many forms of sustenance abroad the TARDIS. Amy dressed up as a witch is also of amusement, especially as she can't seem to get her Time Lord chum to make the same sort of effort.

Death in Heaven

Death in Heaven
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman,
Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez,
Chris Addison, Ingrid Oliver,
Jemma Redgrave, Sanjeev Bhaskar
Premiere 8 November, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Death in Heaven’s pre-credits sequence plays with the idea of a female Doctor; it’s a notion which hangs over this finale. The cheekily modified title sequence lends unexpected credence to Clara’s assertion as to who she really is, deftly borrowing a trick from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, although in the end all of this proves to be little more than a diversionary tactic.

There can be no doubting Steven Moffat’s ambition – this episode caps a story that has taken Doctor Who to some pretty dark places for a ‘family’ show, and concludes a series that has combined romps and dead-ahead monster stories with experimental, unusual and outright fantasy-driven tales. There’s a sense of the showrunner cutting loose and ditching tried-and-tested timey wimey devices in this episode; Moffat clearly relishes writing for a “bananas” Master, and takes care to show us the danger and potency of the character, particularly by killing off a returning friend of the Doctor’s. It's a version of the Master that seems indebted to Big Finish’s explorations of the Doctor-Master relationship, specifically framing this archest of arch enemies as a “childhood friend”. Moffat makes Missy’s agenda more personal than ever before: what she wants isn’t simply world domination, but rather full recognition of the fact – as she sees it – that the Doctor is her mirror image (it’s almost as if she’s read a scriptwriting manual on how to represent heroes and villains in the contemporary screenplay). This partly replays tropes from the tenth Doctor’s showdown with Davros in series 4. And it further develops Moffat’s thematic interest in the implications, or possibilities, of a warrior-like Doctor, something that's chillingly explored via the Doctor's use of any tactical advantage he can lay his hands on.

More than anything, though, this finale integrates the series that has come before: flashbacks to a range of episodes including Deep Breath and Robot of Sherwood pull series eight together impressively, representing a satisfying rather than gimmicky story arc. I’m tempted to suggest that this is Moffat’s finest series finale yet, as he riffs shamelessly on the “tomb of the Cybermen” image and idea, seeking to make the Cybermen as terrifying as possible (and delivering in spades).

Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Samuel Anderson all put in impressive performances – something enhanced by Rachel Talalay’s smart and assured direction – but the episode belongs to Michelle Gomez as well as her channeling of John Simm in the role. I realize that many of us would have liked a regeneration scene, but what we get is, in a way, more substantive than that. Gomez’s heightened and exaggerated performance consistently calls her predecessor to mind. Her mocking lip-biting is a joy to behold, as is her choice of pop music (even more narcissistically self-centred than the Simm-Master). And the child-like way that Gomez chooses to interpret a line about playing with more of the Doctor’s friends is also spot on. I very much hope she will return in the role, as there’s real scope to further explore this somewhat retooled relationship between Time Lord/Lady peers.

Death in Heaven offers another terrific piece of narrative trickery from Moffat. Having directed audiences to consider how the Doctor and the Master are the same (or not), we instead end up with a very different mirror image, as Clara and the Doctor face each other across a gulf of mutual deceit, both of them seeking to protect and release the other. And, most wonderfully of all, Moffat transforms what has up until now looked like a bit of mildly flailing comedic business – the Doctor’s aversion to hugging – into an emotional sucker punch, as the Time Lord explains why he doesn’t trust a hug. That instantaneous shift from slapstick froth to brutal truth might just be the darkest moment in the episode – it’s not a fantastical scenario of uploaded minds and upgraded bodies, just the simple, stark recognition that even those we most care about, and deeply trust, might nevertheless choose to lie to us about matters of life and death.

As well as lacking full-on time travel shenanigans (bar Missy’s acknowledgement that she’s been patrolling up and down the Doctor’s timeline, by way of explaining her earlier episodic appearances), this finale also plays out like a fairly linear continuation of Dark Water. Other Moffat two-parters have sometimes taken off in a whole new direction. Here, we get the shifting perspective of UNIT’s involvement, and the Doctor’s unexpected rise to mastery of Earth, but there’s still very much a sense of organically developing ideas from episode eleven. And if some of Dark Water’s darkness is backed away from, the Master’s made-over identity is nonetheless firmly embraced (though we are deprived of seeing Missy’s TARDIS, unless one counts Saint Paul’s as occupying the role). Unfortunately, I think Seb represents a slightly miss(y)ed opportunity, despite offering a pay-off to Missy’s initial explanation of her status. And although Seb’s final word offers a moment of fan referentiality (only someone as black-hearted as the Master could possibly be opposed to a good squee), it would have been interesting to see Chris Addison properly facing off against his The Thick of It co-star Capaldi.

This is an episode sprinkled with special, fan-pleasing moments, not least of which is the manner in which a much-loved classic series character is cleverly and poignantly featured. And it is an episode which, for me, integrates sentiment and intellect more thoroughly than, say, The Angels Take Manhattan, and in which the graveyard setting feels thematically relevant and earned rather than a case of set dressing or overt emotional manipulation. Clara’s (latest) story really feels as if it’s been completed here, although the cunning false ending, and Nick Frost's eyebrow-raising debut, both promise further adventures (and these moments were omitted from an advance screening of the episode, as well as from its BBC preview for journalists).  

Is the Doctor a “good man”? Did you ever really, truly doubt it? And has series eight offered a good run of episodes? More than that, it’s been startlingly great in its overall consistency, its risk-taking, its freshness and its vision. Much of this series, and Capaldi’s effortless, bravura inhabitation of the role, is surely up there with the very best of Doctor Who times past. Steven Moffat, Brian Minchin and the many other prime movers behind this run of episodes all deserve hearty recognition.

Revolutions of Terror - Conclusion (Titan Comics)

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Revolutions of Terror, Part Three
New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor
Issue 3
Written by Nick Abadzis
Illustrated by Elena Casagrande
Coloured by Arianna Florean
Released 2014 by Titan Comics

"In this city, you could get great rent on this place... 'Blue Unit.. From out of the blue" Gabby responding to the sight of the TARDIS interior.

This third issue concludes the first multi-part story in this new run of Tenth Doctor adventures, and sees our intrepid time travelling hero come up with a typically inspired approach to resolving the astral plane attack on New York (and effectively the entire world).

The early indicators of Gabby's relatives having a role to play in the unfolding plot and inevitable climax seem to have been a misdirection. Still, there is some good character development as they all show strong appreciation and warm regard for her role in combating the disturbing menace. Part Two had been the equivalent of an episode where most of the characters we met were extras/ passers by; this instalment gets more of a balance between the new TARDIS crew and the supporting characters that were introduced so well in the opening issue.

Significantly 'Revolutions' has allowed the Tenth Doctor to assert his authority and true heroic traits, Despite still coming across a bit madcap he eventually brings the crisis to a decisive end. There is some remorse though as he must accept that the race that gave life to the evil Cerebravores has paid the ultimate price. In resolving the cliff-hanger threat of one of these parasitic creatures, he is able to assist a female scientist who explains just why the crisis appeared in the first place. However in this instance the Doctors only delays the inevitable, as the learned alien commits to helping him find the solution before being lost forever to the terrifyingly destructive creatures. "[I] never knew her name' he laments.

Last time I praised the writing and development for Gabby, and I still am as excited about her potential in these new stories from Titan. Perhaps predictably, but still a positive, her scepticism towards the sheer improbability of the Doctor's claims diminishes drastically. The eventual demolition of the Laundromat serves both story and symbolic purposes, as it is signposted that the immediate future for the young Mss Gonzalez will be in a setting far removed from the somewhat humdrum society of 21st century earthlings.

And as Gabby seemingly begins to grasp the astounding fact that the Doctor is no ordinary law enforcer, upon entering his 'TARDIS hut', we can now keenly await what else she must get her smart mind to adjust to. At the very end there is an echo of the very first New Who story 'Rose' - with a slight tweak on the Doctor revealing the time travel aspect of his unique spaceship. Another reference also comes along with a fleeting look at what could be a Weeping Angel - but who knows if this is a cameo, an in-joke or an actual foundation for a later story with these iconic monsters.

So this initial story has played out well, although Part One promised more thematic depth in terms of the main Earth setting than we ended up actually getting. On the other hand the heavy use of mystical/magic themes, along with the astral plane concept and the alien beings is relatively original; especially if compared to the typical RTD episode that Tennant featured in.

The translation of the story's concepts into art continues to be of the highest calibre - as Abadzis and Casagrande clearly know what to expect of one another. With the tension ratcheted up by the preceding issue and now this conclusion, the art work has shown a good amount of range flair. The colours from Arianna Florean also end up proving more than serviceable, as the particular mood needs to be established. To summarise, this is as measured and well-constructed a conclusion as I tend to expect from a Doctor Who story that begins so confidently. Perhaps the absolutely most inspired material isn't quite achieved, but the story reads well, moves along without fuss and has plenty of incident and solid character development. And now the true scope of the TARDIS has opened up for the Time Lord and his latest companion, so there is plenty to look forward to from now on.

**
We are granted two bonus features in this issue, the first being a very welcome reminder of the 'Day of the Doctor'. Here, the War Doctor is given prominence, but incarnations 10 and 11 also get in on the act. Perhaps the actual humour featured is not for everyone but it is still pleasing to be reminded of the great John Hurt's frustation with his successors' 'immature' behaviour. (David Leach is the writer, with AJ conjuring up the visuals)

The second bonus is of more interest as it features the Tenth Doctor in passing on the end of a telephone line to the 'Psychic Paper Inc Claims Department'. With both the Ood and the Sensorites confirmed as planetary neighbours on TV, it makes sense to have them work together on an off-world space craft/centre. Even more intriguing is having an unnamed woman that originates from the sisterhood of Pompeii (featured in Series 4). And a rather greedy alien race introduced in the Sixth Doctor's era also is involved. (Emma Price is solely credited, and this hopefully leads to a main story being penned by a woman).

Dark Water

Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Dark Water
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay
Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez, Chris Addison
Premiere 25 October, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Poor Danny Pink. It was looking fairly inevitable that he'd end up paying the Nethersphere a visit at some point, but who would have thought he'd get there for not observing the Green Cross Code? Clara herself remarks on what a boring demise it is, in her numbed, traumatised state - even if 'death is not an end'.

These early scenes see Doctor Who handle death and grief in a very grown-up fashion, perhaps influenced by Broadchurch. Indeed, the whole episode deals with various facets of death, and is set to challenge one or two belief systems. One bit of blackmail-related plot misdirection involving lava and a dressing-down from the Doctor later, and it's time to go and rescue Mr Pink from his new home in the Nethersphere.

Speaking of the Nethersphere, we get our first proper glimpse here. Not only do we get a look at its impossible vistas and see how it works, but we finally get to the bottom of what's eating Danny.

Boldly, he's brought face to face with the young victim of his tour of duty in the Nethersphere, and we see his 'really bad day' in flashback. After weeks of treading water whilst Clara's story continues bounding forward, Samuel Anderson finally earns his stripes, as he finds out that 'death is not an end' via administrator-from-hell Seb (Chris Addison), and is left contemplating his own final end, as he tearfully manoeuvres Clara into hanging up on him.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Clara make their way to the mysterious 3W institute. Here we meet Doctor Chang, who is pressed and pressed until he finally reveals the full horror of what happens after 'death', and the TARDIS crew finally get to meet Missy - who terrifies the Doctor with her unorthodox and highly invasive method of introduction.

After lurking on the sidelines since Deep Breath, Michelle Gomez gives a superb, playful, unsettling performance once given a bit of space to move. The terrified Chang is asked to 'say something nice' before she executes him. We still don't have the full lowdown on what she's about, but unsurprisingly, given the familiar publicity shots - Missy is in league with the Cybermen. The Nethersphere gets the minds, our friends from Telos get the bodies. There's some neat foreshadowing with the Cyber-eye motifs used on doors and the 'water tombs'. This is even used to alert the viewer ahead of the Doctor as to what's coming. The title itself is a plot point, and it becomes very apparent that it's there as Cyber-camouflage. It's good to finally have confirmation that these Cybermen are of organic origin, and not the RTD-era brain-cases though.

In another bit of misdirection, Moffat pulls the rug to reveal that the Nethersphere exists on a different plane to the institute, and the Doctor and Clara are actually in central London all along - as Missy puts things into motion, and Cybermen once again march down those St Paul's steps.

Interestingly, for a change, the Doctor has no inkling of the series arc, he blunders into it by accident while attempting to rescue a man he doesn't much like. Despite his 'so what' reaction to Clara's news, we know whether he's a good man now.

As ever, Capaldi and Coleman are excellent, and their relationship is key. The Doctor gets some good moments, be it his disbelief and horror at Missy's revelation, or tersely telling Clara how much she means to him when she attempts volcanic blackmail. Coleman meanwhile channels grief, deviousness, and pluck throughout, with the underlying unsaid note that her phone call caused Danny's death. The chemistry between the two leads is electric as ever.

Dark Water is a brilliant part one, how part two pans out is anyone's guess, but hopefully our questions will be answered next week, and it'll be worth the wait.