Recap / Big Finish Doctor Who 262 Subterfuge

In the aftermath of World War II, Winston Churchill’s reelection campaign is going smoothly, with a 98% approval rating, thanks to his new campaign manager Simon Sanders (a new alias for the Meddling Monk). The Doctor soon arrives and it looks it’s business as usual for him in the Monk but it looks like they’ll have to put their differences aside as sires mysterious theft and ominous bombing threats have started to occur.

Tropes:

• Artistic License – History: The play implies Britain's National Health Service to have been an invention of the 1945 Labour government. In 1944, the longstanding notion of an NHS had been forwarded by Conservative MP Henry Willink. Also, while the play depicts Winston Churchill as having been opposed to the welfare state, in Real Life, he and David Lloyd George are acknowledged to have sown it.
• Batman Gambit: The Doctor manages to trick the Monk into going after the escaping Kulcade while he goes to rescue the cabinet from Kulcade's bombs, reasoning that he can't be in two places at once and recognising that the Monk will want to go after the traitor.
• Big Bad Ensemble: The Meddling Monk who is once again misguidedly trying to make “improvements” to history (in this case altering the 1945 general election so that Winston Churchill wins) and Lesley Kulcade a former Nazi spy turned art thief who tries to avenge the Nazi defeat by bombing Britain.
• Bittersweet Ending: The Monk and Kulcade are defeated and, after suffering through World War II and Kulcade’s abuse, Edward and Alicia finally get to go home. However the Monk escapes punishment off-screen and after the Doctor ensures that Winston loses the election, an embittered and betrayed Winston Churchill makes it clear he no longer wishes to associate with the Seventh Doctor.

Winston Churchill: I thought we were friends.
The Doctor: We are.
Winston Churchill: No. Not anymore. [gets up] Not this Doctor.
The Doctor: Winston!
Winston Churchill: Goodbye. [slams the door]

• Black Shirt: Kulcade makes it clear that he genuinely admired Hitler.
• Cross Through: Despite playing the character since 2015, this is the first time Rufus Hound’s incarnation of the Meddling Monk has appeared in a main range story, it is also simultaneously the first time a character introduced in the New Series (Ian McNeice’s Winston Churchill) has appeared in the Main range.
• Enemy Mine: The Doctor and the Monk briefly agree to this kind of deal to investigate the missing bombs.
• It's All About Me: The Monk has no problem with the idea of Parliament being destroyed with Winston Churchill and the entire existing cabinet inside, thinking that he might be able to take power in the aftermath.
• Mole in Charge: Kulcade is the head of MI5 and a double agent for the Nazis.
• Villainous Breakdown: As usual for the Rufus Hound Monk, he exits the story in this state.