A man is the sum of his memories, a Time Lord even more so…

That quote from The Five Doctors came to mind at the end of this poignant tale by John Dorney to round out this first set of Time War tales for Paul McGann’s Doctor. We finally get to understand some of Ollistra’s agenda, leading to some very difficult decisions for all involved.

It’s all very easy for the TV writers talking about the Time War to throw out names of incidents and suggest how things are in a state of permanent flux, but for this series – and all the other Time War-related stories now piling in from Big Finish – the ramifications of that situation have to be assessed. If you think back to where this box set started, with the Doctor travelling with… well, it’s not really too clear who he was travelling with… and compare with the end of this story, plenty of questions arise (which I have faith will be addressed in the box sets to come).

Dorney has a gift for creating what seem to be ordinary situations and then turning them at a slight angle so as listeners we see the odder side to them. That comes into play here, as flashbacks to the burgeoning relationship between a young couple are not what they seem. Nimmy March and David Ganly imbue the scenes with a down to earth quality that makes the contrast all the more effective.

Verdict: A strong end to this first set. 9/10

Paul Simpson