The Tides of the Moon

Water Worlds #2

Released: 17 May 2022

Listened: 5/27/22

As Hebe is a marine biologist, she wants to see more water worlds, and the Doctor is happy to comply, or at least try to. It turns out that the “nearest” water world is Earth’s Moon, two billion years past. It’s also inhabited by amphibians, who are, of course, being threatened by disaster. This story is written by American writer Joshua Pruett, of Phineas and Ferb and some other offbeat stories, so you’d expect it to be a little odd. While some of the science is strange, the actual resolution isn’t too unusual for Doctor Who, albeit a little new-series. Hebe still gets a lot of the focus, as this is her first adventure, and it’s pretty even-handed with her. While she’s game to explore, she also messes up a lot of the standard procedures, and blows off Mel when she tries to help. Having her violate someone else’s personal space might be a bit much, but it does seem believable. She also acknowledges that her chair does impose some limitations on the adventuring lifestyle, which seems the right approach. There’s good characterization in this one, but the story is just OK.