Susan is persuaded to return to Shoreditch 1963 and locate the device her grandfather secreted there…

Alan Barnes wraps up this (hopefully just the first) box set of adventures for Susan during the Time War with a story that weaves in and out of Remembrance of the Daleks, as well as the very first serial of all. The idea is that by preventing the Doctor’s 7th incarnation from destroying Skaro, a key part of the Time War’s genesis will be removed – but we soon learn that there’s far more going on than just that.

Barnes gives us elements of the Dalek approach to situations from across the whole series, with Dalek agents that are a cut above Robomen, encounters for Susan with parts of her past (with a nice unexpected cameo), and the first proper meeting with her grandfather since she decided to join the ranks fighting the Time War. He also neatly mixes in some mirroring of Susan’s final regular appearance on the TV show and a hint that one of the key characters he’s created has links elsewhere in the series. That feels as if there’s almost too much incorporated, but it works very well, with Susan trying to avoid getting any humans into trouble, but still standing up for herself against what she sees as interference by her grandfather.

Lisa Bowerman ensures that all the strands hold together well, and Howard Carter’s score and sound design blend with the actors to really create a sense that we’re back in the period immediately before Doctor Who began.

This has been an enjoyable set of adventures, and the hints at the end of this episode are that Susan’s talents are going to be exploited by someone she has encountered before…

Verdict: A great finale that complements one of my favourite Dalek stories. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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