What links a gallery of mysterious photographs whose barker appears unearthly and the unexpected return of nobility?

Roy Gill’s story for Madame Vastra and friends takes some of the elements that set the Paternoster Gang apart from other denizens of the Doctor Who universe – in particular Messrs. Jago and Litefoot – and gives us a new way of looking at them via similar but very different situations. The ‘Bloomsbury Bunch’ are made up of a similar trio but with many crucial differences and I have a distinct suspicion that Christopher Ryan, Beth Goddard and Arthur Hughes will be making a reappearance down the line – and maybe at that point Dan Starkey’s Strax and Ryan’s Ston can work out who should be saluting whom…

One of the advantages of a series of stories that sets its focus on subsidiary characters is that the writers can expand on areas that are told, effectively, in shorthand on screen where their purpose is more usually to move the plot forward and provide the Doctor and/or companion with the information they need. Catrin Stewart’s Jenny is particularly benefitting from this approach and I hope that we’ll get some stories that separate the trio further so that we can learn more about the background that’s being gradually explored.

Ken Bentley allows the drama to breathe at the necessary moments, with Joe Kraemer’s sound design and music really helping to sell the Victorian setting.

Verdict: An at times surprisingly poignant tale. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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