Return to SangC’lune was written for those readers of the forum who had enjoyed the original story and wanted to see more of the perfect planet. Unfortunately that meant adding in some less than perfect elements to the planet in order to have a ‘story’ rather than a travelogue. The lessons The Doctor gives the two boys are a pleasant demonstration of their telepathic skills as well as expanding their characters still further and cementing their relationship with The Doctor.

But another story with nothing but another peaceful day on SangC’lune and a confrontation between The Doctor and his earlier selves would have been too repetitive. Sadly, trouble had to come to the peaceful planet. The idea of The Master’s followers trying to revive him using a Gallifreyan child as the vessel of his being came to mind fairly easily. An important scene is the one where The Doctor comes close to killing the traitor and is stayed only by Jack’s intervention. Would The Doctor go that far? Look at how prepared he was to kill the Dalek in Van Statten’s bunker. When certain emotional buttons are pressed The Doctor is as capable of violence as anyone. And as much as he cares for Rose, as demonstrated in Dalek, he is likely to be even more emotional about the children who are his own flesh and blood. By this way of thinking his reactions are not so hard to believe.

Chris and Davie’s telepathic connection with each other had already been established so it was in no way Deus ex Machina to use the same connection to carry the story at this point, Chris connecting to his brother and showing the adults the way. The final denouement of the story then becomes a matter of Jack doing what he does best – firing a gun – while The Doctor does what he does best – rescuing the boy. The added interest of the Master’s old weapon, the Tissue Compression Eliminator makes it more than just an ordinary gunfight. Reducing the pyramid to miniature size and then placing it within The Doctor’s own pyramid was an added touch. So was the appearance of the two new pyramids giving him hope that, in the future, he won’t be the last Time Lord after all.