BBC Sounds, May 15, 2022

Spoilers – you have been warned!

The girls face interrogation…

This is by quite some way the longest episode yet of Doctor Who Redacted – pretty much the length of a standard classic series instalment – yet once again the time slips by quickly listening to Sasha Sienna’s script. Cleo’s home becomes relevant – it’s a place that we spent a lot of time in during the early RTD era – but it’s increasingly clear to the interrogators that two of the three of their prisoners don’t have any more of a clue as to what’s going on than they do. It’s only when Cleo, demonstrating once more that her life experiences up to now have given her a different perspective on fear, stands up for herself that some truths begin to emerge… with horrifying consequences.

That leads to the arrival of our latest guest star from the TV series, with Jemma Redgrave returning as Kate Stewart, but a Kate who’s become caught up in whatever malignant influence it is. Redgrave is the highest profile guest star so far – at least in terms of interacting with our regular cast – and it’s a delight to hear a very natural performance: there’s always felt something slightly mannered about her UNIT audio series appearances, particularly in the early episodes. Indeed, Ella Watts elicits strong performances from all her cast particularly in the aforementioned horrifying scene.

I’m not totally convinced that Cleo has as much of the upper hand as she believes at the end of the episode (given the sergeant’s willingness to shoot, I can see Abby and Shawna’s lives being held against her). Time, as our first Scottish Doctor pointed out 34 years ago, will tell…

Verdict: A tense stand off at the heart of another good episode. 8/10

Paul Simpson