The Tertiary Console Room: Review - Gallifrey

"It isn't what happened that's in question, it's whether I did the right thing..."

Justin Richards' The Inquiry is perhaps the only one of the Gallifrey series which is really entitled to its subtitle of "Chapter Three" given that it could not exist without the earlier Weapon Of Choice while both Square One and A Blind Eye enjoy a certain degree of autonomy not present here. Richards' script is all about the accountability of Romana, questioning whether she acted correctly in dealing with the earlier Gryben crisis. This at times ensures that The Inquiry feels as if its own plot has been subsumed by the agenda to tie up the unfinished business of Weapon Of Choice regarding the timonic fusion device combined with the need to reconcile the presence of Braxiatel amongst the echelons of power with his existing role as a maverick collector. These two aims become inexorably linked when the Time Lords discover a databomb within the Matrix that could destroy it utterly…

Even without the presence of Lynda Bellingham as the Inquisitor (who is now named as Darkel) the backbone of The Inquiry is sufficiently similar to be reminiscent of The Trial Of A Time Lord anyway. But by holding the president to account, this story shows an insight into the current mechanics of the Time Lord justice system as while the Sixth Doctor's asserted that you couldn't put the Lord President of Gallifrey on trial, it seems you can convene an inquiry that may result in their impeachment. Unfortunately it seems few lessons have been learned from season 23 as The Inquiry repeats its biggest mistake with the scenes of The Inquiry lacking in both intrigue and tension which are vital to sustain interest in this type of drama.

Much of this stems from The Inquiry's focus upon analysing and interpreting the veracity of Romana's actions in the earlier story, which means many of the scenes feature characters indulging in the "tell, don't show" style dialogue that typifies bad audio drama which Big Finish usually avoids in their productions. While there is certainly merit in the idea of examining the dubious actions of a President and bringing them to account, I can't help but think that in a limited mini-series such as Gallifrey that it would have been more effective had these been in relation to an unseen adventure that the audience could learn about as the proceedings began which may have proved more involving and compelling than regurgitating again many of the details of Weapon Of Choice, which most of the listeners to the series will already have heard and be familiar with, as it seems like a waste of a release.

The inquiry itself also focuses on the nature of the threat the timonic device posed, which one side argues is minimal as it is an impossibility but the others argue is very real because of its devastating potential for destruction. This question comes to dominate much of The Inquiry as it is the hunt for answers that exposes the threat within the Matrix and reveals the unGallifreyean activities of a particular individual. Richards' Doctor Who work is often characterised by his elaborate and complicated storylines, such as his last Big Finish audio The Time Of The Daleks (2002), and while his can be a masterful plotter here his efforts become rather too convoluted for their own good as Richards laboriously explores the minutia of whether the device was originally built or not, and then whether it exploded or not. Which is ultimately rather an uninteresting stance.

The biggest problem with this is that Richards never convinces that there is anything at stake. "Romana could be impeached!" the script bellows. "The Matrix may be destroyed!" it cries out. But it's all sound and fury amidst empty threats as you know neither of these will happen which deprives the drama of any tension at all. Despite the Gallifrey series' independent status from Doctor Who it clings to its sensibilities that the status quo cannot be disrupted and so it looses the ability to shock and surprise the listener with the unexpected as it's content to play safe which makes it extremely predictable. As for the mystery of who planted the databomb, Richards makes the mistake of having only two viable suspects and as one of those is an inept bungler, the unveiling of this Matrix terrorist is not a shock as he's the only capable one amongst the entire dramatis personae.

Another good example of both The Inquiry and Gallifrey's lack of subtlety lies in the fate of Leela's husband, Andred. When a character who doesn't supposedly feature within the series gets repeatedly mentioned throughout all the releases in relation to a "mysterious disappearance," it becomes quite clear that there's going to be a big twist centred around him. The truth of this isn't revealed until A Blind Eye, but The Inquiry practically screams out the answer here through a series of obvious clues that set alarm bells ringing before the combination of Leela's investigation into data extracts and Narvin's admission of the "truth" behind Andred's disappearance give the audience enough to work out what really happened.

None of the performers really distinguish themselves as the script is as sterile as the Gallifreyean environment most of the drama takes place in, giving them little opportunity to show any real emotion. The only exception to this is Louise Jameson who shows such an anguished passion when told of Andred's fate that it is truly moving and contrasts perfectly with the conceited attitude of the Time Lords. Bellingham's role as the Inquisitor is rather thankless due to the script seemingly forgetting about her during the middle phase of the play.

The ending in particular is an anticlimax, as while it ties up the loose ends tidily it is unsatisfying because much of it is conveyed through explanation rather than dramatic incident. This is typical of the play really as at times it feels as if The Inquiry is simply an exercise in exposition where the characters continually explain the nuances of the plot. As the first Gallifrey story to really try something slightly different Richards' intent is laudable but his execution is flawed which means The Inquiry remains a disappointing entry in an increasingly disappointing series.