It is difficult, I think, when you have an alien race that has been designated as a homogenous fighter race who love war and all think the same, to write a story that is actually interesting as well as not just being a rehash of stuff done before. John Dorney, as always, delivers. This story plays with the ideas of Sontaran clone batches and how powerful a Sontaran would be if they were to have an entire clone genetic batch in one being. There's also some generic humans v Sontarans stuff, and Strang trying to create a portal that will take him anywhere in space so he can go and conquer it completely.

In a sense, it is a relatively generic story - the Sontaran plotline, though interesting, is run of the mill in terms of 'the bad guy is defeated. But it is the Doctor and Leela's relationship that really makes this story shine. Leela decides, at the end, that it is not worth the potential of Strang's dangerous genetic batch getting out into the universe so she detroys them, against the Doctor's wishes. He is upset by this, but Leela is steadfast in her beliefs. It was very good to hear a story that allows Leela to be ruthless and calculating in a way that isn't just 'yeah, the stupid warrior stabs'. It offers a truly interesting insight into the stark differences between the Doctor and Leela, and Jameson's performance when the Doctor tells Leela he's taking her home is utterly heartbreaking. This alone elevated this to a higher rating for me.