Time is running out… and it’s running straight for Gallifrey! Lalla Ward, Louise Jameson and Sophie Aldred return in a new series from the Doctor’s home world…
Time is running out… and it’s running straight for Gallifrey! Lalla Ward, Louise Jameson and Sophie Aldred return in a new series from the Doctor’s home world…
GALLIFREY: ENEMY LINES
Evidently the format of “Intervention Earth” was deemed a success, as the latest installation in the Gallifrey range, “Enemy Lines,” extends it, taking place over six half-hour episodes instead of four. It’s an attempt to unite the various eras of Gallifrey, combining the political intrigue of the early days with the paradoxes and multiple universes of the more recent ones, but unfortunately neither element is particularly rewarding.
I suppose I’m being unfair to the story by disliking the political elements, but those were my least favorite parts of the original Gallifrey stories and writer David Llewellyn hasn’t done much to improve upon those earlier days. Gallifrey is in difficult negotiations with another civilization over, among other things, quantum-mining rights, and relations have reached a breaking point. The problem with all of this, as it has always been, is that the story never really tells us the purpose of these alliances or indeed what the stakes are. Nor do we ever get a real sense of what Gallifrey’s power actually is – on the one hand, it’s the oldest civilization possessed of powers and technology beyond those of any other race; on the other hand, they apparently need to negotiate with nearby planets about mining rights. As a result, I don’t care about any of it. I also don’t like the domestic political intrigue: it’s not interesting when you can just make up whatever laws you want for the characters to obey or break as needed. Something like “House of Cards” has the advantage of taking place in the real world, so at least it can have verisimilitude – here, I don’t know what the rules of Gallifrey are, so how can I have any appreciation of what the characters are planning? Again, though, these are complaints I’ve had about the Gallifrey range as a whole – they just haven’t been relevant for a while.
More particular to “Enemy Lines” is how it revolves around paradoxes, and takes the dreary option of undoing anything interesting that happens. Remember how Omega finally escaped his antimatter prison in “Intervention Earth” and left Narvin and Ace stranded on the brink of death? “Enemy Lines” seems to pick up right from that point, with an execution squad sent by the High Council (presumably under Omega’s control) to eliminate them. But don’t worry about any of that, because it’s all erased when Braxiatel travels back in time and changes history. There’s actually some worthwhile political intrigue close to home, when a bomb strikes the Capitol during a presidential inauguration – but don’t worry about that either, as that’s all part of a corrupt timeline that’s erased by story’s end. An ancient Gallifreyan being called the Watchmaker (Eve Karpf) is wandering the galaxy, trying to undo Brax’s paradox by killing the people involved – a more cultured form of the Reapers from “Father’s Day,” really – and when the “correct” timeline is restored, all of the conflict we’ve been watching for six episodes is easily anticipated and dealt with. What’s the point of all this? By definition, none of the characters we follow are changed at all by these experiences, and we’ve known them all for so long that we don’t learn anything new about them in the process. If Leela left Gallifrey, she’d travel the universe righting wrongs and seeing the sights – well that’s a neat (if well-worn) idea. Too bad the story ends with Leela on Gallifrey not knowing any better. Brax is the only changed character by the end, and that’s only because of a final scene that depends on extensive references to the Bernice Summerfield range that I’ve never listened to.
Despite those extensive complaints, there are a number of redeeming elements. The story is exciting, for one thing – despite some of the dry subject matter, it never gets bogged down in it, a positive trend we’ve come to expect from director Scott Handcock. The script also does well to pair up familiar characters: Narvin and Ace make a surprisingly funny double act, and the relationship between Romana and Leela has been a highlight of the range from the start. The paradox material hangs together quite well, with no obvious plot holes and a fitting yet somewhat unpredictable ending. It’s also good to have Braxiatel back, as his presence always makes you question what you’re hearing and Miles Richardson is ever-fantastic on audio. Neil Gardner’s sound design is effective and I must once again commend the score from Ioan Morris and Rhys Downing that follows the excellent model they introduced in “Intervention Earth.” Overall, “Enemy Lines” is a mixed bag. It reintroduces some elements I dislike and depends on others that are dramatically unsatisfying, but it’s also an entertaining story populated with memorable and beloved characters played by talented actors. So it’s not an essential purchase but it’s a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
Not bad.
6/10