Casualties of Time

Fourth Doctor Adventures #5.8

Released: 10 August 2016

Listened: 7/1/22

The closing half of this story brings us answers to a bunch of questions: Who exactly is Cuthbert, and where did he come from? What is his actual goal? Why does he only have one name? What’s up with that parrot in the TARDIS? What does the Black Guardian have to do with all of this anyway? As to whether those answers are particularly satisfying…well, maybe not so much. Some things still seem arbitrary, and the science is kind of wonky, even by Doctor Who standards. It seems to be one of those stories that aims for “charmingly ambiguous,” but lands on “confusing” instead. Romana continues to sound irritated with everyone and everything. Toby Hadoke’s Mr. Dorrick gets to be properly menacing this time around, even if it’s ineffective.