The Moonrakers

Wicked Sisters #2

Released: 12 November 2020

Listened: 11/12/20

This story starts with the partners split up, then separated in both space and time, so the Doctor is with Zara, and Leela is with Abby. Not that it seems to matter all that much, as Abby and Zara seem to behave rather similarly. The Doctor and Zara are captured by Sontarans, rather more open-minded Sontarans than usual, played as always by the wonderful Dan Starkey. This version of Leela is very different than what we’ve seen before -- she can fly the TARDIS to a certain extent, she’s not sure if she still has her knife skills, and she’s coldly pragmatic at times; Romana is probably rubbing off on her. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of connection to the previous story, which makes it feel like this is a one-hour interlude in a longer story. Simon Guerrier continues to play with issues of morality and power, if not quite as overtly as last time. I’m also never fond of a plot that relies on someone waiting around for years, so that part doesn’t quite work for me. I’ll give it this, though -- the way the title plays into the story is something I never saw coming.