After the wonderful two-parter, I did have a fear that the series was going to return to bombarding a story with complex science stuff but I am glad to report that it wasn’t the case. Instead Insurgency continues to follow the path that I like because this story revels in the politics and the attempts of Darkel to take power from Romana. The story is about a group of students who are at the academy, some are gallifreyans but some are off-worlders and its these off-worlders who Darkel has an issue with. It’s almost a modern day feeling when it comes to immigration and people’s fear about outsiders coming in. Leela has been positioned in the Academy because one member has been exposed as a member of the terrorist group ‘Free Time’. It’s odd to see Leela as a teacher but she carries it off very well but Leela has her own story in this adventure as Andred tries to persuade Leela that he still the man she fell in love with back in The Invasion of Time. Something I liked the most blatant nods to Doctor Who that we have had when they mention the house that the Doctor belonged to as well as the Master but no mention for the Meddling Monk.
The performances in this story were all very strong and Insurgency is another strong character adventure. Lalla Ward is very good as her once unflappable nature starts to weaken a little. She becomes desperate and frustrated at times. I thought that bit where she is talking to the Imperiatrix Pandora (through K9) were very good scenes because they were almost a spoiler for Romana and the listener. Ward has played being President very well and I like how she holds herself despite all the political backbiting that goes on. The Romana we get in this series is not the one we got on TV, likewise I could say the same for Louise Jameson who has character wise been on a different course to Ward because the main thing in series one was finding out what happened to her husband and in series two we see her almost losing that fighting spirit we all know she has and trying to deal with Andred. What has happened to Lynda Bellingham? I ask that it a total sense of disbelief of how the character has improved over the series. I was watching The Trial of a Timelord the other day and its incredible how a pretty standard two dimensional character has grown into someone who has grown into the third most important character in this series. Her political views have been evident but it’s a this stage that they really step up a gear and it almost seems like her story because everything benefits her and Lynda Bellingham is superb as Darkel.
The final scene is a wonderful moment because it hopefully sets up the final story where there is a fight for power between Darkel and Romana. Darkel has been an increasingly big influence in these stories and her political fighting with Romana has been one of the highlights of the series and the coup d’etat is well and truly on the cards. Whilst this story may not have the action that Spirit or Pandora have but the story still has something that makes it highly enjoyable but still just as good as other stories from this series.
The performances in this story were all very strong and Insurgency is another strong character adventure. Lalla Ward is very good as her once unflappable nature starts to weaken a little. She becomes desperate and frustrated at times. I thought that bit where she is talking to the Imperiatrix Pandora (through K9) were very good scenes because they were almost a spoiler for Romana and the listener. Ward has played being President very well and I like how she holds herself despite all the political backbiting that goes on. The Romana we get in this series is not the one we got on TV, likewise I could say the same for Louise Jameson who has character wise been on a different course to Ward because the main thing in series one was finding out what happened to her husband and in series two we see her almost losing that fighting spirit we all know she has and trying to deal with Andred. What has happened to Lynda Bellingham? I ask that it a total sense of disbelief of how the character has improved over the series. I was watching The Trial of a Timelord the other day and its incredible how a pretty standard two dimensional character has grown into someone who has grown into the third most important character in this series. Her political views have been evident but it’s a this stage that they really step up a gear and it almost seems like her story because everything benefits her and Lynda Bellingham is superb as Darkel.
The final scene is a wonderful moment because it hopefully sets up the final story where there is a fight for power between Darkel and Romana. Darkel has been an increasingly big influence in these stories and her political fighting with Romana has been one of the highlights of the series and the coup d’etat is well and truly on the cards. Whilst this story may not have the action that Spirit or Pandora have but the story still has something that makes it highly enjoyable but still just as good as other stories from this series.
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