Arc of Infinity

Somewhere on Gallifrey a Time Lord traitor feeds the Doctor's biodata to an alien force, allowing it to invade the TARDIS and attempt to physically bond with him. When the attempt fails, the High Council of Time Lords recall the TARDIS to Gallifrey and prepare to execute the Doctor to prevent the antimatter creature from completing the bond. Meanwhile, the creature has gone into hiding on Earth in Amsterdam and has captured two backpackers and the cousin of one of them - who happens to be Tegan. The Doctor's efforts to uncover the conspiracy and prevent the bonding uncover a shocking truth - the creature is Omega, the fallen Time Lord he once thought he had destroyed.

What could be a better way to start season twenty than with some good old fashioned Time Lord hijinx, tall collars, stasars, red garbed guards and everything. Oh yes and Omega, last seen in The Three Doctors ten years ago. And gratiutious location shooting in Amsterdam and lots of clopping of shoes along cobblestones. Oh and Tegan, left behind last season, but with the extra material of Big Finish it does actually feel like longer now. Nifty, that. Dig her new haircut and her new outfit. Dig Omega's new makeover, his mask much more like an insect. And that creepy Ergon thing that clatters around like a pile of animated old bones is actually pretty scary. Where's the Ergon's backstory? Just something Omega cobbled up? Boo.

The Time Lords have not changed, although there is a new element to their society: two of the technicians monitoring the transmission of the Doctor's biodata actually refer to him as "one of the Time Lords", which implies that while these guys are Gallifreyan, they may not be Time Lords themselves. Gallifreyan fashion is at a standstill with the High Council (headed by a newly regenerated Borusa) still unable to turn their heads, and old complaints still running deep; Thalia mentions the Doctor's failure to return Romana when requested (the third time Romana is mentioned since her departure, which is interesting) and the Doctor bridles at the suggestion that Romana is a commodity to be returned upon request, and at the implication that he was her minder. That's all subtext of course. But even though we're on Gallifrey, no Leela and no K9, although her name is mentioned.

Welcome back Tegan! It's an interesting coincidence that she's snapped up in Omega's web of intregue, isn't it? The TARDIS has not been the same without her, really, even if the Big Finish audios made Nyssa a bit more interesting, but her insane lack of expression sometimes is enough to drive a man to drink. Or at least drive Jay and I to mock.

"Look. Nyssa surprised."

"Nyssa frightened,"

"Nyssa puzzled,"

"Nyssa sad,"

NYSSA WITH A GUN!!! Girlie goes all trigger happy on Gallifrey trying to rescue the Doctor from his execution. Jay and I could not help but snicker at the fact that the presidential guard (Led by Colin Baker as Maxil - pay attention, that name means something in a bit) are supposedly crack shots but Nyssa guns down a heap of them. Only on stun though.

And do we like Omega's return? He's not as insane as he was before, but his mellow attitude helps him hatch his plan. An interesting moment of emotion comes when he hears of the death of his agent/friend on Gallifrey, so maybe he's not such a monster, just misunderstood.

NEXT EPISODE : SNAKEDANCE