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Gallifrey's first presidential election for millennia is about
to be held, but in the wake of civil war, can even an election
restore calm and order? And what of the candidates? Darkel:
determined to win at any cost. Matthias: a dark horse with
his own agenda. Romana: impeached for high treason. Even as
the contenders manoeuvre and plan, an assassin stalks the
galleries of the Panopticon. Gallifrey will soon have a new
president, but at what cost? How many people will have to
die and which - if any - of the candidates will survive...?
My
"Season 5 of Babylon 5" feeling continues (see my review
of the previous release, Appropriation)
as, despite the civil war arc supposedly having come to an
end two CDs ago, this instalment yet again harks back to the
Pandora virus.
That
aside, there's plenty to enjoy in Mindbomb, despite
an enormous level of legal bafflegab. Writer Justin Richards
has crafted a labyrinthine game of lawful and political traditions,
codes and loopholes. That he succeeds in resolving the story
without tying himself up in knots is impressive enough, but
he also manages to link in legal precedents from previous
stories, such as Article 17 from the Tom Baker Doctor Who
serial The Deadly Assassin, while keeping the whole
affair internally consistent.
The spirit of The Deadly Assassin is also evoked by
the presence of gossiping Gallifreyan bystanders commenting
sourly on the current political situation. And, of course,
there's an assassin - though not necessarily a deadly one
(you'll see what I mean). Other references to Gallifrey-based
television episodes include a visit to the lead-lined room
from The Invasion of Time.
It's
just a shame that Paul Jerricho's Castellan (from Arc of
Infinity and The Five Doctors) couldn't have joined
in the fun and declare, "What? No, not the mindbomb!"
Richard
McGinlay
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