Time War: Mother Tongue

"I should be dead."

Writer: Helen Goldwyn

Format: Audio

Released: February 2020

Series: Gallifrey 11.03

Featuring: Leela

Synopsis 

Leela was thrown into a Vortex ravaged by the Time War, lost in space and time – but the Trell have shown her mercy...

She finds herself in another realm, another life. One where the warrior is also a mother. Where she must help her son to choose the path to avoid his world's destruction.

Verdict

Mother Tongue was another strong episode to continue my way through the third Time War volume that makes up the eleventh series of Gallifrey! This was a story unlike any in the spin-off range before and that was really intriguing. It once again felt very dark and all of the imagery presented just seemed to have a black background for me. Darkness was the overarching atmosphere for me and that fitted in really well with what was being presented. We followed up where The Devil You Know left off as Leela was thrown into the Time Vortex by the Master, but amazingly she somehow survived. I’m still not sure where I stand on her survival, especially with it coming two series later, but I liked that it allowed us to have this episode and really great setting in the form of Nateus. I loved the idea of a planet hidden from everywhere else thanks to the Trell, natural plant life that was literally connected to the Time Vortex. The impact of the Time War being felt here with the potential for the Trell to be weaponised was brilliant and despite this feeling very far removed from Gallifrey, it was a good way to tie into the overall arc. Initially hearing Leela in the Vortex was intriguing and I liked how she seemed to hear her mother, before the shock of having her own child in the form of Sholan! That was good for selling just how much of an anomaly the planet was. The Trell were talked about throughout and I liked the discussions about the science behind Nateus and its proximity to the Vortex. The genuine fear and confusion that was had when the Trell were temporarily disconnected from the Vortex was intriguing as the planet was visible for the first time. Leela moving through Time was a strong look into the makeup of the planet and having her actually go back to Sholan’s birth was terrific. She was adamant she had no child and was none the wiser about where she was, but this proved she was a visitor as being so close to the Vortex meant she couldn’t maintain staying in one timeline. That was a fun concept that deserves more exploration in the future. Drah was a great character and I liked her relationship with Leela from the off. She didn’t want her talking of the Time War though as at this point, it had only just begun and was unspoken of. Drah believed that the Trell could hide them all but Leela thought they should be better prepared. The Trell all being interconnected was good and heightened their ability as a weapon, meaning the entire planet had to be moved if they were required. It was a small planet though! That idea was horrific but showed the extent some Time Lords were going to as part of the war effort. Zeno possessing Renucha and her being a War Council member was very good and she was very much planning to just take the planet as a weapon. Quite the concept! I thought the revelation and journey through time showing that it was actually Sholan who would become the Lord Warrior was nicely done, but perhaps slightly too late to let the impact be truly felt. Leela showing some motherly instincts in wanting to go back in time and have Sholan make the decision for himself that would actually prove his demise as a sacrifice was a quite emotional conclusion. With Zeno’s race run thanks to Time changing once again, she was out for revenge and if she couldn’t have the planet weaponised then it ought to be destroyed. Nobody would even know if the Trell were hiding it and it couldn’t possibly be left to fall in enemy hands. Of course, that wouldn’t happen. I wasn’t much of a fan of Leela talking to the spiritual Sholan at the end and it seemed a little cheating to just say she was a mother in this version of events, but now she had a choice. Leela not choosing to die because there was a war to fight was admirable and I look forward to the inevitable reunion with Romana and Narvin in the finale. Overall, another good episode!

Rating: 8/10