dwtwd0402_theladyofobsidian_1417To help prevent a further Dalek massacre, the Doctor reunites with an old friend…

As soon as the series revealed that Gallifrey had been destroyed in the Time War, Doctor Who fans wanted to know the fate of various characters who were last seen on the planet – in particular Leela and Romana. Now, at long last, we find out what happened to the former in Andrew Smith’s excellent tale that blends character drama and violent action well.

Louise Jameson has played many different versions of Leela over the 40 years since she first appeared on her screens, but this is one of the most affecting, as the former member of the Sevateem tries to cope with the effects of the Time War. There is such a wealth of anguish in her voice as Leela is torn in her memories – false facts having as much validity, and emotional resonance, as the truths that the Doctor knows of her life. The scenes between Jameson and John Hurt are at times raw with emotion.

That’s all set against a backdrop of some terrifying ideas. The series has dropped in lots of references to the weird and wonderful things that occurred during the Time War, and Smith gives us creatures of a very different nature as antagonists. Of course to the Daleks, the enemy of my enemy is a friend… Well, not a friend as such – a pawn that can be used to carry forward the Daleks’ own aims. Lizzie Roper gives a strong performance as Rosata, one of the many characters in this series that I’d have liked to got to know better.

Nick Briggs’ direction, in particular with regard to the pacing, is spot on, allowing the emotional drama to resonate, while never losing the inexorable momentum of the Daleks’ pursuit of the Doctor and Ollistra – or indeed any lifeform that is not Dalek – while Howard Carter’s music and sound design really helps sell the “otherness” of the nebula and the Unlived’s home dimension.

Verdict: An excellent episode with a tour de force performance by Louise Jameson. 10/10

Paul Simpson

dwtwd04_casualtiesofwar_1417sqCasualties of War is available now from Big Finish