Rendition

"Wars break all kind of laws."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: May 2026

Series: Rutans vs Sontarans 1.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

At the edge of the Sontaran-Rutan War, a large medical ship lingers in space. The Doctor and his friends find a group of strange survivors aboard planning something unusual to save their commander. 

What new powers do the Rutans possess? What secrets does the Lockhart hold? As the conflict creeps closer, the Doctor must work out how to rescue those no longer versed in war...

Verdict

Rendition was another strong episode to continue the ongoing series of Rutans vs Sontarans! This was another enjoyable hour spent and it was great to head back into the early days of chronology with the Second Doctor, Zoe and Jamie. Of course, this was certainly the trio as an alternative timeline version to tie in with the ongoing Second Doctor Adventures and I think that actually works very nicely to tie in with Betrayal at the House of Sontar and that featuring the Fugitive Doctor. Whilst we still don't have a definitive placement for the Fugitive Doctor, the general consensus is that she comes pre-First Doctor but I still maintain that she ought to be between the Second and Third Doctors because of the TARDIS being in a police box disguise. I'm not sure how that would fit with the incarnation featured here though! It was really fun to explore though and it's always good to depict a Doctor meeting villains he didn't meet on screen until a much later incarnation. The realisation from the Doctor when he realises that they've arrived in the middle of the Sontaran-Rutan War was excellent as that was clearly sold as a pretty terrible place to be. Zoe being dumbfounded by the idea of hearing sound in space was great too and she was on hand to really showcase her intelligence. I like having her as a companion as she's almost an equal to the Doctor and he's able to utilise her mathematical abilities brilliantly. That came here with the programming being almost impossible in terms of code but she was able to crack it. Nurse Marva was an intriguing character and I liked how the focus was on her. When it was determined that she would be staying behind at the end, it was clear that she wasn't all that she seemed. The Second Doctor seemed to hint at knowing the truth but getting an epilogue of sorts with the Eighth Doctor was great stuff that I'm sure will tie in nicely with the series finale in which he features. This was no traditional multi-Doctor story unfortunately with the Eighth Doctor mostly confined to the shadows, but having him interact with Zoe for a few minutes was a lovely clash of eras. The nice to meet you line was particularly great and after the emotion of The War Games I wonder what he thought of seeing her again here. I like that he seems to be stuck in a tangle of a cosmic web and what that entails will surely come more into fruition as the series rolls on which is exciting. I thought keeping the Sontarans away until the halfway point was good as their arrival felt important and I'm loving the voices presented here. Who better to voice a clone race bred for war than the War Doctor himself? He's doing a brilliant job. It was though good to really focus on the Rutans here and the myth of the Melmoth as a Rutan that was broken away from the Rutan Host as a collective was great stuff. I think more could have been made of it before that epilogue because it's a fun concept but perhaps unfamiliar companions made it a little tricky. It obviously links back to the events of the series opener terrifically and I'm all for exploring that further. The Lockhart was a really good setting and a contained environment feels particularly apt for this kind of series. The ending was pretty simple in the end and kept things neat and tidy for everyone to go on their merry way, and I'm glad that Zoe was still struggling to comprehend why Marva didn't leave with them. Jamie showing a more emotional side with the Rutan poetry and having his own verses was also really nice stuff. That showed a softer side to him which was good to hear. Overall, a really solid adventure to continue the series that definitely keeps me wanting more!

Rating: 8/10