✅(8.4) = VERY GOOD!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

The Time Lords are breeding a new species to use against the Daleks, and they send Susan to a secret military base to assess this new project. Carole Ann Ford delivers another outstanding performance in the story, which effectively utilises Susan's telepathic abilities. The focus is wisely on Susan’s peaceful and emotional handling of the war, which clashes with the more aggressive approach from her kin.

It's also intriguing to learn how limited resources affect the fringes of Time Lord society, severely limiting their ability to contribute to the war.

I really enjoy Vincenzo Nicoli as the ambitious Vibax, responsible for the Orrovix project, as well as Roly Botha as Shock Trooper Rennis, who forms a closer bond with Susan. This is why his eventual reveal as the villain here is kind of heartbreaking, but understandable.

The military base setting and its personnel come to life vividly, and it's easy to side with Susan here as she tries to pontificate the twisted morals of her Time Lord peers. As we meet the Orrovix inside their cages and learn that their eventual escape is essentially inevitable, the scene evokes a Jurassic Park or Alien atmosphere.

The release of the Orrovix and their pursuit of Time Lords significantly intensifies the tension and creates an eerie atmosphere. The sound design and music help to maintain the atmosphere. Susan's need to try to establish a connection with the Orrovix by getting close to them adds to the tension and excitement.

The last few scenes provide a compelling emotional examination of the experiences of abuse, forgetfulness, and disappointment, emphasizing the nuanced relationship between ordinary Gallifreyans and Time Lords.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• The Orrovix make a return here, having been introduced by Lou Morgan in the Time War series.
• This is the acting debut for Roly Botha, who is the grandson of Carole Ann Ford.