‘She couldn’t drown a biscuit in a cup of tea”

A light hearted historical.

Earth 1864, and The Doctor is giving singing lessons?

I listened to half of this before I went to back to start again. Historicals aren’t my favourite, but this seemed to be one where, though stuff has taken place, you’re still wondering what the plot is.

Its Europe, and aliens are using salts to beef up the anger in Humans in order top make them fight. I wasn’t engaged in it, its fairly standard plot, Vampires of Venice springs to mind. The aliens are a bit wishy washy and not fleshed out.

This features Bertha Von Stuttner, who won a Nobel Peace prize - to be honest I didn’t know who she was, so at least it taught me something. I think that fact that is more about her than the threat accounts for the flimsy alien plot line. So maybe its more akin to The Unquiet Dead, and maybe if I’d have know this I would have appreciated it more.

There are a number of continuity references - Judoon, the Shadow Proclamation.

It does pick up in the second half, but the end is a little drawn out. Again I feel if I was more invested in Bertha it would have been more satisfying.