ROMANA!!!!
Okay, now that I’ve screamed a little…let’s talk about Gallifrey: Time War 4.
Big Finish has been producing Doctor Who audio dramas since the late ‘90s. The Gallifrey range first launched in 2004, making it one of the platform’s longest running properties. It’s a sci-fi political drama that incorporates both classic Doctor Who characters and new ones for audio. The story follows Romana II’s time as president of Gallifrey in the years leading up to the time war. (Classic Who fans should note Leela and K-9 share the Gallifrey spotlight.)
While Big Finish hasn’t confirmed Time War 4 will be the end of Gallifrey, fans suspect it will be (given that the gang is now actively fighting the time war, and fans of the Doctor Who revival know how that ends.)
Today Big Finish released the official cover art and episode descriptions for Time War 4.
Gallifrey: Time War 4 Episodes
Here are the official details from Big Finish.
4.1 Deception by Lisa McMullin
As the resistance scatters, Leela and an unknown ally embark on a rescue. But there are traps for the unwary inside the Vortex.
Meanwhile on Gallifrey, Livia and Mantus are at odds, seeking to protect themselves as Rassilon’s grip tightens.
4.2 Dissolution by Lou Morgan
With young Rayo in tow, Narvin looks for respite in an ancient bolthole and turns to an old mentor for help.
But a Dalek has been hunting him through space and time, and it will not give up his trail so easily.
4.3 Beyond by David Llewellyn
Romana met her fate on Unity, but Braxiatel isn’t ready to give up on her. In a forbidden realm, he offers one last hope to escape the chaos of a universe at war.
First, they must enter the Beyond and confront the ghosts and monsters within…
4.4 Homecoming by Matt Fitton
Rassilon receives an ultimatum from an envoy of the Dalek Emperor while Leela and Narvin return with a dangerous strategy to end the Time War.
All roads lead to Gallifrey. For some, this is where the fight will end.
What It All Means For TW4
SPOILERS FOR TIME WAR 3 AHEAD!!
First off, the episode descriptions and cast list confirm Romana will return in TW4. The last volume in the series ended with the Time Lady facing off against a Dalek alone. It was heavily implied she wouldn’t survive the encounter. BUT NOW WE KNOW ROMANA WILL RETURN!
Big Finish seems to think it’s all a joke. Don’t you dare do Romana like that!!
(Admittedly, we may only have Romana in a flashback/AU capacity. I’ll deal with that suffering if it comes to that, I guess.)
The cast list also confirms the Ravenous will play a part in the Time War 4 plot. The Ravenous are Time Lord-eating superbeings; the Eighth Doctor previously encountered them and they’re pretty nasty. Apparently the threat of Daleks just wasn’t enough for everyone, huh?
Gallifrey: Time War 4 releases in February 2021.
Until then, I guess I’ll just speculate on all the suffering Big Finish plans to cause me with this volume.
Are you addicted to Gallifrey like I am? Let me know what you think about the new Time War 4 info in the comments.
