A quiet alien paradise inhabited by a race so adept at camouflage they can’t be seen. A dying, terrified Sontaran. An ancient Sontaran law. A companion that seems to know slightly too much…

Tiegan Byrne’s debut on the other side of the mic is a breezy, fast-paced joy of a story. Byrne’s got a natural ear for dialogue and everyone gets some fun lines here, especially Baker’s Sixth Doctor. A little more playful than he’s often been, the Doctor and Charley’s relationship is still one built on unusual foundations but Byrne finds common ground between them here that’s slightly uneasy and deeply adorable. The two smartest, most principled people in the room, they instinctively like each other even if trust isn’t quite there yet. That pays off very strongly in the final act, where the true nature of what’s going on is revealed and they’re united again, this time on the moral high ground.

It’s a lovely dynamic, two gifted slightly rogueish outsiders with a tremendous willingness to apply a crowbar or two for great justice. India Fisher has a ball here too and Charley’s incarceration lasts exactly as long as you’d think. Charley is a joyfully bad prisoner and her escape plan echoes classic comic strip D.R. and Quinch at the same time as being cunning, effective and distinctly pacifistic.

Fisher and Baker are both enormous fun this time as always and they’re bolstered by a ridiculously strong supporting cast. Christopher Ryan, Jon Culshaw and Dan Starkey in one story is like forming a supergroup of safe pairs of hands. All three do great, multiple jobs here and as the story drills down on just what Sontarans are, they bring real diversity and variety to everyone’s favourite battle potatoes. There’s some difficult storytelling here, with all three called upon to do multiple roles but the excellent script, and Ken Bentley’s universally excellent direction mean every character feels like an individual. Something which, as Byrne’s script wraps up, turns out to be both salvation and threat.

The more I think about it the more I like this story. Joe Kraemer’s music is subtle, witty and changes to reflect and lead the story’s tone and David Roocroft’s sound design is brilliant. That’s always crucial for audio storytelling and you get a constant sense of place here, especially during the war scenes. Roocroft delivers the best grenade jump scare I’ve heard in years and the rest of the story is just as good.

The clash between the Sontarans and Rutans is central to the story not just on a physical level but a thematic one and Byrne has cleverly explored the psychology of the Sontarans in particular. The ending is especially great. Compassionate, pragmatic and just a little devious.

Verdict: The tie ins between these stories are at the moment minimal but that’s not a problem. The unifying factors of the series so far are primarily wit and a willingness to explore the war from a new perspective. This one is particularly good. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart

Click here to order from Big Finish