This story is a big departure for the Gallifrey series in several ways. I don't know exactly what happens in Enemy Lines, but I know a decision was made to not pick up on many of the threads of this version of Gallifrey. After the denouement of the extremely political in tone first six seasons, we're suddenly far in the future. Leela is gone, an oblique reference is made to her betraying Romana. Not to mention Romana is not Lalla Ward anymore, she's Romana III played by Juliet Landau. Last season, 'Trey' was a mysterious figure who you could never quite trust, her being Romana was never in doubt, but she was very shift and seemingly playing Romana II. With no explanation, Romana has since regenerated. I understand not wanting to write a definitive ending for Lalla Ward just yet, but it leaves us uncertain as to her relationship with our only returning core cast member in Narvin (who can't regenerate anymore). Does Narvin fully trust Romana still in her new incarnation? It seems so, but as we've led to believe that Romana III is a shifty more morally grey character we're just not sure what to believe.

The plot itself is fun involving a secret society supporting the return of Omega from the antimatter dimension. The Hand of Omega is linked with the man himself, and we get (briefly) a new core cast member in Ace. Ace is a lot of fun as a spunky CIA agent with her own TARDIS, and I think a core of Romana III, Narvin, and Ace had legs. Intervention Earth is functionally much more like a four part Doctor Who story than the convoluted tangled web of alliances we're used to on Gallifrey, but I enjoyed it. The fourth part with confronting Omega in the antimatter world and the clever ways the core group narrowly avoids destruction was exciting. The sound design is rich and atmospheric as well, it definitely aided the story.

Overall, I think this new version of Gallifrey had potential. I'm certainly not mad that we're going to get Lalla Ward and Louise Jameson back, but I think the idea of this new era of Gallifrey wasn't a bad one. Juliet Landau's Romana III is at once so soothing and also so devious that I wish we'd get to see her more, but Lalla Ward is an icon too. As well, it was only a four part two hour story, so not a huge commitment.