‘The Widow’s Assassin’ picks up on perhaps the most important story thread that television Doctor Who left dangling in the 1980s, namely the fate of Peri.

While companions were rather more disposable than they are these days, her dramatic stunning exit at the end of ‘Mindwarp’ left the audience stunned.

The victim of a brain transference operation, in which the Doctor appeared to be complicit, her final moments on the show saw her bald headed with an evil alien voice issuing from her throat. With the Doctor pulled out of time to attend his trial, that is where she was left, other than a brief note at the end of the Trial season to suggest she survived. Instead, we were told she had survived and left the planet to become bride to the bombastic Warlord King Yrcanos.

The reunion of Time Lord and companion is initially a frosty one, with some the balance of power shifted firmly in Queen Peri’s favour; she’s a much tougher customer than before and is working to her own agenda. However, reconciliation comes fairly swiftly as the story unfolds, following both the Queen’s attempts to foster peace between rival political leaders, one of whom is searching for a mate, and at the same time solve the riddle of her husband’s untimely death.

Sadly there’s no Brian Blessed here, but instead we meet a galaxy of larger than life characters such as the changeably pious Reverend Flitamus, the mad Baron Pteratrark and Constable Wolsey, who just happens to be an augmented sheep. As one would expect from Nev Fountain, these are a broad cast of comic characters and he affords both Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant plenty of scope to have some fun too.

The plot takes a number of surprising twists and turns, finding resonance with the portrayal of the Doctor on TV this year. It is also wickedly funny, slipping in a few talent show gags and indulging in a little body swap humour. Hidden beneath the fun though is a deeper message surrounding the Doctor’s need for forgiveness and the fact that he is still smarting from the dramatic exit of Flip in ‘Scavenger’.

Providing a welcome return for Peri, as well as a few belly laughs along the way, ‘The Widow’s Assassin’ has set the bar high for this latest trilogy.

Extras: Ten minutes of extras (available on download), but unfortunately curtailed to two on CD for the sake of time, where the principal cast and writer discuss the story.

Released in October 2014 by Big Finish Productions Ltd.

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