2.2 - A Thing of Guile

The problem of bringing unspeakable weapons and acts to light is matching what the shadow of imagination suggests. The Time War has been built up so much that it will be nearly impossible for anything written into that period to shock or horrify the viewer/listener as much as the implied events already have. The Dalek weapon in this story is a great example. As for the rest of the story, the Dalek plot is a better version of their scheme in Manhattan/Evolution and works well enough. The Doctor on a literal leash is a little on the nose for the dog of the military analogy but fits the events. Probably the weakest story in the range to date but with such strong company that should hardly be viewed as a criticism

This is probably the weakest instillation in the set but it's still a pretty good story.

This story begins with promise in medias res setting up an exciting set up for a trip behind enemy lines and then the story lost momentum. The acting is the most solid thing about the story with Hurt and Jacqueline Peace. Beyond that, the pacing was really off with much of the story set prior to the opening scene being dull and the story itself not being all that compelling. It all leads to a revelation that calls to mind, "The Evolution of the Daleks," one of the oddest things to have the War Doctor revisit. In addition, the scenes with the mining ship and its crew don't really add anything and the captain's last action is completely inexplicable given what he was trying to do.

Easily the weakest War Doctor story yet.

The second instalment builds on the first story, so far we have had a real ride of excitement and you get the feeling that these stories are a real labour of love, and that no expense in tweaking the conceptual and dramatic input as been put at risk in getting these stories to their audience. The second instalment takes us with the Doctor now in the pseudo control of the Cardinal Ollistra and her Gallifrian ministry embroiled right in the middle of the Time War. The Doctor is the only man who the Cardinal wants on the mission to see what the hell is going on Asteroid Theta 12, this seems a project even off the main Dalek radar. What are the Daleks unto, they have to go and find out, and put a stop to what ever horror that the pepper pots are up to. Their development of a new weapon, is not discovered until the Doctor and Cardinal battle there way through, and discover retro genetic engineering of the mutated Dalek embryo. You can imagine the horror that this fills all with. The Doctor, and the Cardinal are at least opposed that this should continue. The story builds on the increasing frustration at the Doctor from the Cardinal of him not bowing to her superiority and her level of command, the Doctor wants to do things on his terms, and not be dictated to by her, he does not agree with her overt aggression, it is something that he clearly is struggling to come to terms with, his ability to hide that side of his personalities that have made him what he is. He has hid the calm and peaceful approach so that he can get the job in hand done, and that is to fight in the Time Wars. He doesn't want however to be told or commanded in how or what he does. The problem is that the powers of Gallifrey think differently.