The Shadow Squad [AUDIO/2021.6.22]

★★★☆☆

  Back in familiar territory, aren't we? The Shadow Squad rounds up the first War Doctor Begins boxset with something that fans of the original series (i.e. the one with John Hurt) would consider familiar territory -- infiltrations, spies behind the enemy front, a dreaded Dalek plot with a Time Strategist enacting another heinous act that would mean the end of the world as we know it, all that good stuff. Thing is, I would usually bemoan the War Doctor series for going back to tried-and-true tactics, but Jonathon Carley and the crew are so dedicated to the hustle that the end product becomes something quite special. We get a true War Doctor watershed moment here, courtesy of Andrew Smith; the Doctor is goaded by the Dalek big bad once again, like he always gets, but this time he rises to the challenge and starts shooting the entire place up. I was surprised that they even decided to go that far (being so used to the original War Doctor series' unwillingness to show anything remotely vsiceral about the War Doctor), but I'm sure glad they did it. Combining such interesting (and logical) character decisions with a story with a solid pace and mix of ideas (the Dalek who can see all of time, a group of Time Lord spies who are quite literally "bred" to be behind enemy lines), The Shadow Squad leaves a positive impression on me, and encourages me very much to try out whatever the range has to offer next.