While the portrayal of women in leadership roles is welcome here there is an unfortunate tendency to fall into a stereotypical military mindset. When Kate Stewart was first introduced to us much was made of her scientific background. It was implied that she would be a thoughtful commander not given to bouts of fear-based violent reactions. Yet her character was consistently undermined since and what a shame as Jemma Redgrave is brilliant in the role. How about a female character in a leadership position with a little nuance? Both Kate Stewart and Colonel Walsh are reduced to caricatures of perceived military incompetence and their reactions to the crisis ring false. Credit goes to Rebecca Front (Peter Capaldis old co-star from The Thick of It) for turning an unsympathetic character into a more ambiguous one as she speaks her fears about not knowing whether to trust her friends and family. This is an amazing episode in many ways but it does sometimes fall short in character development. Still it is refreshing to see women figuring so prominently in a story and kudos to Peter Harness for bringing them to the foreground.