Big Finish Productions Gallifrey 8: Enemy Lines

Format	Compact Disc
Released	2016

Starring Sophie Aldred and Juliet Landau

Synopsis: Time is being fractured, retconned and rewritten.

• A Review by Thomas Tiley

A Review by Thomas Tiley 22/5/26

Following on from the cliffhanger at the end of Gallifrey Series 7, Narvin and Ace are threatened with death; meanwhile, Romana is on a suicide mission to prevent a Monan time ship exploding, a mission interrupted first by Leela and then Braxiatel.

Not having heard the previous release, I had no idea what was going on. It didn't really hurt my understanding of the plot, however, as I had already heard about Ace joining the cast and Romana having regenerated. That being said, however, the opening episode pretty much overwrites the last story anyhow (spoiler alert, Brax travels back and changes stuff on orders of Romana's future self, so the previous couple of series are overwritten, Ace and Narvin are saved and Romana never regenerates into her third incarnation, a bit of a copout if you ask me). I supposes I get the reason for the change; after all, Lalla Ward is one of many reasons to listen to Gallifrey and replacing her did come off as an odd choice, but even so, if you liked the change of direction or the last few stories, it must be annoying to have them essentially retconned or removed. It's a bold move to replace what the writers/producers/fans must have felt wasn't working however. It does mean we get Lalla Ward back, so that is a plus in anyone's book.

Wrapping up the events of Series 7 (very quickly and off screen, so to speak) this story heads off on a new direction/timeline with Romana dropping the presidency and taking over Narvin's CIA job under the belief that as Gallifrey is destined to head to war with her as President it is the only way to avert that future (a bit of a odd choice really). This leads to Livia (Celelia Imrie, who is completely wasted in the role bar a few bitchy comments; seriously, she could have been played by anyone for what she brings to the character) to take over in time for a new crisis: Gallifrey's shields are draining, and at the same time the damaged Monan ship has created a black hole that will hit the planet, while a mysterious figure in white is stalking the survivors of the changed timeline.

The story is fine, but predicable. I was able to tell who the villain was within moments of them opening their mouth (see if you can do the same). The plotting between Livia and her Castellan Plutus is something we've seen a dozen times in previous Gallifreys. Along with the usual diplomatic wrangling between the Time Lords and the other time-active races, plots and conspiracies and embassies and bombs and upcoming wars and traitors, all stuff we have seen before, business as usual. I didn't guess the identity of the traitor though. Tom Allen as Plutus does a terrific job. Who would have guessed the comedian from Mock the Week could be so good in a straight-acting role (although he has done a few other Big Finish stories)? Very dry, and his banter with Brax and Narvin and the rest was good. Ace is a fun addition to the cast but outside disarming the bomb doesn't get much to do (being sent offworld doesn't help). She does, however, get a fun, very 80s-inspired musical sting to introduce her, which I thought was funny.

The mysterious watchmaker is an intriguing idea/image, a Time Lord who's been warped by loss into being wraith like and gliding silently up to characters to kill them. It's a great image, but it's let down in the final leg when she opens her mouth and just sounds like a stereotypical ranting baddy, a big let down since her opening narration is done much better. I also thought that various characters' dismissal of such a being existing was a bit funny for such learned and experienced people (an earth scientist dismissing trandimensional creatures makes sense, but several Doctor Who characters who should know better doesn't). That being said, there isn't much tension in her murders; after all, they aren't going to kill off their main characters, are they? Also for a being drawn to changes in the timeline and then correcting it, her role --- killing off those who would have died, then offering the survivor a choice in creating a new timeline --- is just weird. If she is a sort of cosmic reaper whose function to is to mend timelines, why offer the choice to alter them even further? She exists basically to reset everything at the end. Seeing as the story starts with a reset of a sort, it just comes across as repeating itself and just a bit insulting. Enjoyed the story so far? Too bad it never happened, again, now it's going off in a third direction.

Without wishing to spoil it, there is another moment near the end where time is once again changed (to do so once unfortunate, to do so twice is carelessness). Seriously, the number of times time travel is misused and abused in this story must be a record and does nothing to endear the listener to it. There is a lovely sequence where Romana tracks down an alternate Leela (the result of all the chopping and changing with time within the story) and learns her life story. It's a truly touching moment between the two characters, and both actress give it their all. The story ends with the Watchmaker asking which spinoff Brax wants to be in (not in those words mind you), obviously she must be tired of him galivanting around the various spin offs.

This series of Gallifrey was a bit different from what I was used to. Where previous releases were single episodes or boxsets, this is a three-disc release comprising a single six-episode story. It wasn't a bad release nor a particularly brilliant one. It has its moments, so I think it is safe to put it at a 5/10, maybe pumping it up a point for the fab performance from Louise Jameson in the last few episodes.