Review by Daniel Mansfield

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It’s been a long, long time since we last went to Gallifrey; so long, in fact, that, when I started listening to this latest instalment in the series, I’d almost forgotten what happened last time. It’s a testament to the strength of the War Room series, then, that despite having little memory of the last boxset, I entered this one with a real sense of excitement.

After all, this is pretty much Game of Thrones in space, with a host of morally grey characters fighting for power. What’s not to love?

The first instalment, Propaganda by Georgia Cook, opens with the very welcome return of Richard Armitage‘s Rassilon, as snarling, venomous and insane as ever, as he learns of the mysterious Signal Disruptor’s plot to undermine his rule, and dispatches the General, Rasmus and Cresta to investigate.

What follows can best be described as Doctor Who meets Saw, with the characters making their way through a trap-filled bunker, constantly watched over by the taunting, Jigsaw-esque Signal Disruptor (Anthony Howell). It’s a fun premise, but these kinds of stories are rarely very effective on audio, and overall this story ends up feeling a little too standalone in a series that thrives on being serialised.

Much stronger is Katharine Armitage‘s Resistance, which brings the beloved Narvin back into the fold as he reconnects with a betrayed and beleaguered Leela. Joining Leela in this episode is Beth Chalmers‘ haughty Time Lord soldier Veklin, who has, it seems, finally had enough of Ollistra’s machinations and wants to join the Resistance. Can she be trusted? Who can tell? What’s certain is that Chalmers more than rises to the occasion here, with a couple of ferocious monologues that illuminate Veklin’s character in surprising ways.

We also get the most in-depth exploration of Eris (Mark Hawkins) yet; he’s been floating in the background of the Gallifrey series for a while, but finds his footing here, his simultaneous dedication to and disillusionment with Gallifrey leading to devastating consequences.

Hope by Fio Trethewey features the long-awaited comeback of Lalla Ward as Romana, who was exiled to a pocket dimension at the end of Gallifrey: Time War 4. While Romana returns in the very first scene of the episode, Trethewey keeps us waiting for her reunion with Leela, first throwing us once again into the trippy world of the Gallifreyan Matrix, through which the Warrior of the Sevateem must wade to find her old friend.

When the two eventually reunite, though, it’s as touching as you might expect, with Louise Jameson getting the chance to show off Leela’s little-seen tender side… before Carolyn Pickles‘ Ollistra wades in and ruins things. Ollistra is a menacing background presence in the first two parts of this boxset, but she really comes to the fore here and in the finale, the writers pushing her in more and more unhinged directions, and Pickles’ performance rising to the occasion every time.

That being said, An Eye for an Eye by Matt Fitton sees Ollistra declare war on the Resistance, dispatching the Sicari, assassins created by Romana in Gallifrey: Time War, to deal with Narvin and his band of fighters. The General and Velkin are the focus here, pushed to their limit as they become caught up in Ollistra’s insane machinations. There’s also the return of Janet Amsden as Ollistra’s equally bonkers cousin Clemantia, who is a great character in her own right, while shedding light how Ollistra feels about her family. Spoilers: she treats them just as badly as she does everyone else.

Meanwhile, Richard Armitage gets his most substantial showing as Rassilon yet, so evil that he even manages to rattle Ollistra, and putting poor Narvin in a very difficult situation indeed. The cliffhanger for the next set is lowkey, but effective, hinting that Veklin’s growing discontent with Ollistra is about to reach its breaking point.

Billed as Romana’s triumphant return to Gallifrey, this boxset actually puts more of a focus on some of the more minor characters from the War Room – particularly Veklin, Rasmus and the General – as they contend with Ollistra and Rassilon’s mad plan to win the Time War. For those hoping for some major Romana action, then, you might be disappointed by this boxset. As someone who loves the political intrigue and interplay between the characters, however, Loyalties ticks all the boxes.

Loyalties is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com