Grave Moon

"The body we buried just walked out of the woods."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: June 2026

Series: Rutans vs Sontarans 1.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor and Peri track a criminal imposter to a moon sanctuary of healing ponds, only to discover the lone Rutan the Doctor has previously met trapped in a self-made web of lies.

Experiments to rejoin the Host have forged a bond with grieving pond farmer, Ooland. As their mutual obsession tightens, so Ooland's ponds grow more polluted and their farm cut off from what is really happening on the moon: a full-on Rutan invasion.

As the Doctor and Peri strive to free Melmoth and Ooland from each other, another Doctor is at work close by – with far-reaching plans of his own for the lone Rutan.

Verdict

Grave Moon was an excellent episode to continue my way through the Rutans vs Sontarans series! This followed up then story already set in Betrayal at the House of Sontar and Rendition very nicely, although I must admit just how the Sixth Doctor had recollections of the latter is a little baffling given the alternate timeline of the Second Doctor there. Perhaps he got some notes during the events of The Two Doctors? Unfortunately the two Doctors present during the course of the events here don't get to meet, but it's a very intriguing scenario to have the Eighth Doctor sneaking around and posing as farmer John in the background at the scene of a past adventure. I am very excited for what the finale of this miniseries has in store and the plan of the Eighth Doctor because this is the second time now he's been checking in on Melmoth and a previous encounter. What could it all lead to? I'm excited to find out. The story on hand here was brilliant and the setting just worked. Healing powers in the water went so far as to explain how somebody thought dead continued to live on, but it all turned out to be the Rutans. I thought the concept behind the moon here actually being essentially a Rutan hospital for soldiers injured in their eternal war with the Sontarans was great. The coincidence of Melmoth ending up there was just too much and there had to be more to it and I liked how Peri realised that. She had a really strong showing as companion here which was wonderful to hear. It was also great fun for her to have a small interaction with the Eighth Doctor! If only she knew. I mean, she has experienced regeneration first hand in The Caves of Androzani so she could easily be persuaded and the scene in the TARDIS at the end seemed to indicate the Doctor knew exactly who he was but giving him a piece of his mind would have to wait for now. He would become him! Ooland was a lovely character and she was going through a lot here. Her relationship with Yarrin was not all it seemed and the extent to which she learned that was the case throughout the episode was quite heartbreaking. Peri clearly had a vendetta against the Rutans and the extent to which she was pushing that was quite a surprise, but the Doctor knew a pragmatic approach was required to ease her into the truth. Yarrin being Melmoth was no surprise but finding out that he had taken his form from the psychic connection he shared with Ooland and created the print from her memories was fascinating. When the other Rutan Host arrived, they thought that had massive weaponry potential. Invasion through the mind! In a purely war mindset, I could understand what they were seeing there. The emotion that came from Ooland perishing was obviously something that made Melmoth distraught. Ooland hadn't initially been accepting of Yarrin's true form but when the Inspectors were all revealed to be Rutans, she was firmly against the Host. She paid for that with her life. Melmoth is not only separated from the Host but now also from the one he seemed to love. The Eighth Doctor trying to console him there was strong and leads in nicely for the finale as we continue to explore the impact of one Rutan being separated. And it's been a long time given the span of this miniseries! Overall, another fantastic episode in the range. 

Rating: 9/10