In the hunt for Leela, Romana and Narvin arrive on a planet threatened by a weird storm…

Lou Morgan picks up the writing baton for this instalment of Romana and Narvin’s quest to be reunited with their friend, and provides a tale that shows some of the unintended consequences of the Time War. It’s not just Daleks and Time Lords who are caught up in this titanic battle – Romana uses an excellent analogy of ripples in a pond – and looked at from an external perspective, it’s about time that some of this started to hit home. We’ve had plenty of stories about undercover missions, and derring-do, as well as military conflict between the two sides, but this one is on a much more intimate scale – and all the more powerful because of it.

It’s a story that takes a little time to get going, but it’s necessary set-up – as with the best tales, it’s the apparently inconsequential details that are most important. Lalla Ward, Sean Carlsen and the guest cast allow a growing feeling of dread to permeate proceedings, and Scott Handcock and sound designer Russell McGee gradually expand the canvas of the story as required.

Verdict: At times really unsettling, this is a different, but necessary, sort of Time War story. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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