The Vulpreen make their move…

The second Nemesis set begins with a fast-paced tale from Andrew Smith that swiftly reminds us of the key elements – Jacqui McGee has been lost through the mysterious Arch, and the Eleven is in UNIT custody – and throws the titular CIA operative into the mix (and yes we do get the audio equivalent of an eye-roll when Kate works out the acronym for the Celestial Intervention Agency!). We also get the introduction of a new operative for UNIT, Lieutenant Jimmy Tam, who provides the necessary scepticism both about the UK Space Agency’s new spaceship and its capabilities, and the work that UNIT does – but proves to be a very useful addition to the team. I did worry a bit that Chris Lew Kum Hoi’s time with UNIT might be short-lived, but at least he’s made it as far as his first closing credits…

The script puts a lot of pieces in place and explains some of the backstory to the arc, Smith giving each of our lead characters some key moments, and presenting a rather different side to Jacqui – something that I suspect is going to be a core element of the series going forward.

Verdict: With Mark Bonnar unleashing all the multiple sides of the Eleven, this is a good start to the set. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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