Gallifrey: Intervention Earth

As my first introduction to Gallifrey, Intervention Earth is hardly ideal, even though it very nearly is. 

Intervention Earth is ostensibly a pilot, one to a new rebooted Gallifrey for newcomers to jump onto, one that works incredibly well, and for the most part in that fashion, its' completely flawless. Not my favorite audio, far from it, hardly a standout entry in Big Finish, but be damned if I can't actually figure out a problem with it. (Except perhaps, the inclusion of Omega on the cover, he's certainly not a front and center guy in the whole thing.)

No, Intervention Earth, while it's bloody brilliant, also has that problem of missed potential, as everything it sets up with Romana III and Ace being the series' new two leads, is kind of crapped on by Enemy Lines (which is also great, but still) which forgoes nearly everything Intervention sets up for a cosmic retgone which not only yeets Romana III out of the canon, also demotes Ace from this story's lead to a sixth ranger (okay, fine, fifth) to Romana II, Leela, Braxiatel and Narvin. 

But that's Enemy Lines' problem. 

Intervention Earth doesn't have much of them.

Juliet Landau is bloody superb as Romana, soft spoken, and even can be mistaken for soft at times yet still made of steel, I love her, and she deserved so much more time as Romana, but alas, sales will be higher if the classic series companion is on the cover... Sophie Aldred also gives a superb performance as Ace as well, although if you don't like her in other Big Finish Seven stories (you're insane) she won't change your opinion here, as she's not been changed substantially by becoming a time lord agent (besides being perhaps the most badass she's ever been) and as someone who hasn't heard any other Gallifrey, Narvin is established excellently in a way that winks at the audience if you don't know him but doesn't feel out of place if you do, and I got used to him very quickly. If anything, my only quips would be the 4 Part Classic Format, which doesn't always fit the story (One cliffhanger is a person just saying they're gonna do something, the story doesn't feel like a cliffhanger sometimes, it just feels like "oh, here's the main theme again" which is just a tiny bit rubbish) and once again, Omega, who while it's very easy to guess he's the one causing it all, (I mean, Cult of Ohm, come on) is not really used, it engages itself in a really cool political drama where the villain is secret for the majority, and as someone who can't fricking stand politics, it's really engaging. I didn't think I'd care for the machinations of fancy pants Gallifreyan Manipulative Politicians, but they're cool, and it feels believable. They've done a lot of world building to make it worth while.

Yes, it's ostensibly the seventh part, and even if it does get crapped on by the next, Intervention Earth is positively worth your time, even as someone who's never heard an installment before. There are nods, but it's never difficult. Intervention Earth deserved more. As did Romana III. 9/10