Doctor Who review: Wicked Sisters: The People Made of Smoke

The Fifth Doctor, Leela, Abby, and Zara face the People Made of Smoke in the final episode of this month’s Doctor Who box set Wicked Sisters.

The third and final episode of Doctor Who: Wicked Sisters is about consequences. Abby and Zara have made some very bold choices – and they’re not the only ones. Even the Doctor and Leela have had to make some difficult decisions over the course of this box set. And it’s in this story that they have to face not just The People Made of Smoke, but also the consequences of their actions…

The opening episodes of Wicked Sisters were extremely enjoyable. As a fan of both Doctor Who and Graceless, both The Garden of Storms and The Moonrakers struck the right balance between the two series. Yes, both episodes were set firmly in the universe of Doctor Who, most notably by featuring not just the Fifth Doctor and Leela, but even Sontarans, too. However, they also shared a sense of moral complexity that’s often been explored in Abby and Zara’s own series. So I had high hopes for this final episode.

However, I’m not sure that a sense of moral complexity is achieved quite as well in The People Made of Smoke. A key reason for this is its titular antagonists. On the one hand, they’re just trying to survive. But they also come across as incredibly ruthless, and their repetition of the line, “We will feed!” only helps to make them feel less real and grounded as a result. With such a clear enemy for the Doctor to face, the moral complexity is taken away to a large extent. For a regular Doctor Who story, this isn’t usually too much of a problem. But for a crossover with Graceless, this feels like a misstep.

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Actions and consequences

However, that’s not to say that The People Made of Smoke is lacking in moral complexity completely. The episode is at its best when it explores its main characters and the choices they’ve made. A key plotline in this episode is the danger that Abby and Zara present to the universe through the actions they make. That storyline is resolved in this episode, as the Doctor decides whether the two sisters should be sacrificed for the greater good, or whether he should make an even bigger sacrifice himself.

There are also some great moments that really explore the characters. One such moment that stands out is when Leela and Zara discuss the danger of the latter’s powers. At the beginning of the box set, Leela’s mission was clear: find a way to bring an end to the sisters’ lives. However, by this point, she’s gotten to know them, and she knows that things aren’t so black and white.

On top of that, Zara also points out that Leela has made bold choices of her own over the course of this box set. It’s a small moment, but one that really highlights just how complex all four of these characters really are.

So The People Made of Smoke isn’t a bad Doctor Who story, by any stretch. And it does tie up Wicked Sisters nicely. But at the same time, it doesn’t quite live up to the strength or the promise of its two previous episodes. A good finale that’s not quite as great as it could be.

Do you enjoy stories with more morally complex monsters? Or would you prefer the protagonists themselves to be making difficult choices? Let us know in the comments below.