The Shadow Squad

I know the enemy of the Daleks in this and all timelines. You are the Doctor.

The Temporal Eradicator

Synopsis

Tamasan is unconvinced of the War Doctor’s loyalties, though when their paths collide, both agree that the destruction of the Dalek Time Strategist could be the best route to victory. But on Atherea, the Daleks may have found a way to annihilate all plans to defeat them before they are even begun…

Review

Despite their presence being like an elephant in the room for the first box set of The War Doctor Begins, the Daleks do not actually make their first appearance until the closing story, The Shadow Squad. It is well worth the wait. Andrew Smith gives us a story that takes a lot of well-worn war movie tropes and successfully applies them to how they would work in a Time War.

The idea of a secretive squad created for one mission is far from an original idea in war stories and movies, but Andrew Smith feels like he’s really put some thought into the The Shadow Squad is a bit of a slow burn, keeping its audience on tenterhooks waiting for the confrontation between the Time Lords and the Daleks, and the Daleks don’t appear substantially until around halfway through the story. The idea of a specialist unit born and bred for one purpose and untraceable in time and space is a really interesting idea for the Time War, especially as the Daleks have been able to develop a Temporal Eradicator capable of removing enemy combatants from the timelines completely. Smith really feels like he is enjoying playing with the concept of a Time War and how this changes the way that war is fought. Ultimately, this reveals that a Time War would just be incredibly messy! The Daleks seem to be on course for a total victory thanks to their Temporal Eradicator and their base on Atherea, and only the Doctor and Tamasan realise that there is something wrong. This story brings the first box set of the War Doctor Begins adventures to an effective conclusion with a story that feels as though it has real stakes.

I’ve been keeping track of your activities. You do actually seem to be making an effort.

A pat on the head from you makes it all worthwhile.

Commodore Tamasan and the War Doctor

The idea of the Temporal Eradicator, the spider at the centre of the web, who endangers the existence of the Daleks just as much as the Time Lords is a really good one. It is a Dalek who is scattered across multiple timelines and therefore unstable, which ultimately leads to its undoing as the Doctor removes the vortex stabiliser at the conclusion of the story. Briggs gives the Eradicator a sort of calm menace, whilst the Time Strategist has a soft menace. It almost goes without saying that Nick Briggs does a great job voicing all the Daleks, and giving them distinct personalities and makes the Daleks feel like a real threat in this story. This story also takes the opportunity to do something different with the Daleks. They aren’t just conquering planets, but rather plotting and scheming to try and find a way to bring the Time War to an end.

Just don’t come complaining to me if you finish up dead four regenerations ago.

Trestor

If I had to pick a flaw in this story, I think that it would have to be that the Shadow Squad themselves are fairly thinly characterised, and we only really get some characterisation for Trestor, but they ultimately feel a little bit generic. Ultimately, they are more of a plot device, designed to be part of the Time Lord long game than characters. Ultimately, they are far more interesting as an idea than as characters anyway, being unable to be wiped out by the Daleks as they have not left a footprint. They have lived their entire lives, even aging to old age and regenerating, without leaving a footprint in time. Meanwhile, Commodore Tamasan has some great moments and is well played by Adele Anderson. The sad passing of Jacqueline Pearce, who played Cardinal Ollistra in the War Doctor audios and the Eighth Doctor Time War range, has served to give Tamasan a bit of an expanded role in these Time War stories and Anderson certainly relishes her chance to spar with Carley.

Jonathon Carley continues to shine as the War Doctor, inhabiting the role originated by the late great Sir John Hurt. Carley continues to be really good and authoritative as well as bringing a real sardonic charm to the role. I think that the War Doctor is definitely more recognisable as an incarnation of the Doctor than he is in The Day of the Doctor but there have been actions that he has taken across this box set that show that he is different to previous incarnations. The Doctor does pick up the gun to destroy the stabiliser preventing the Temporal Eradicator from being dispersed across the Time Vortex, which is something that the Daleks think is out of character for the Doctor, but obviously this is the Warrior part of his personality.

Verdict: The Shadow Squad brings the first The War Doctor Begins box set to an effective conclusion. It marks the first time that this incarnation of the Doctor comes face to face with his old enemy and Carley continues to shine in his performance. Smith plays with the idea of the Time War to give an interesting and compelling story. 9/10

Cast: Jonathon Carley (The Doctor), Adele Andersen (Commodore Tamasan), Kit Young (Trestor), Tracy Wiles (Draven/Shira/Sentinel), Louise Jameson (Robo-pilot), Chris Jarman (Cardinal Rasmus) & Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Time Strategist/The Daleks).

Writer: Andrew Smith

Director: Louise Jameson

Producer: David Richardson

Composer: Howard Carter

Cast Notes

• Kit Young also appeared in the Tenth Doctor Classic Companions story The Stuntman.

Best Quote

You are known to us and known to me in many alternatve times. You are reluctant to kill.

You’re confusing me with another Doctor.

The Temporal Eradicator and the War Doctor

Previous War Doctor review: Lion Hearts

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