Electric cars seem like a good idea… until things start to go wrong.

Although this is the first story released under the Paternoster Gang banner, the team made an appearance in the Eighth of March set, demonstrating that they could definitely maintain a story on their own, without the assistance of the Doctor or his companions. Jonathan Morris’ tale continues that trend, playing to the diverse strengths of the Silurian, Sontaran and human, and making sure that this isn’t a continuation of the Jago & Litefoot saga with the “serial numbers filed off”. The threats that the Infernal Investigators faced were markedly different – although a cameo by them here is hopefully on the cards somewhere down the line.

If you found the Thomas Thomas joke hilarious in the broadcast episode, then you’ll find much to appreciate here, whether it’s dialogue that sets up songs from the 1980s, or a comment from Madam Vastra regarding a certain metamorphosis (a line which had me groaning aloud). Strax’s humour, often found in the ancillary material rather than the TV show itself, continues, with Dan Starkey having great fun with the Sontaran’s attempts at Cockernee, while Catrin Stewart and Neve McIntosh maintain the serious level required for the story to be credible.

Verdict: A fun caper. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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