BASIC PLOT
The Doctor tests his restored knowledge of time travel by journeying back in time to the brink of the Russian revolution. The Doctor and Liz find themselves in Tsar Nicolas's court, while Jo falls under the sinister spell of Rasputin himself.

DOCTOR
Third.

COMPANIONS
Liz Shaw and Jo Grant.

MATERIALISATION CIRCUIT
Pg 16 By the side of a road near a row of warehouses, St Petersberg, Dec 1916. (We don't actually witness the materialisation, but the imprint from the TARDIS is seen after it's been stolen.)

Pg 250 Tunguska, Siberia, June 30 1908. (Again we don't actually witness this, but since Liz is here to witness it, we can presume she came via TARDIS.)

PREPARATORY READING
None.

CONTINUITY REFERENCES
Pg 21 Reference to the Brigadier.

Pg 118 "I have been hypnotised before, and by more of a hypnotist than Rasputin could ever be." Terror of the Autons.

Pg 120 "'She admits herself that she's been hypnotised into working against you before.' 'By a Time Lord,' the Doctor said pointedly, 'cabable of all but totally subjugating the human will.'" Terror of the Autons.

Pg 126 "And we know that doesn't happen. Just like the Daleks don't invade Earth in the twenty-second cent-" Day of the Daleks.

Pg 240 "'Jumping Jehosophat!' the Doctor exclaimed" The Five Doctors.

Pg 246 "'Hell's teeth!' he said in astonishment." An expression invented for Tegan to pass as an acceptable Australian swearword. It's unclear why Kit Powell would use it, as he's not Australian.

OLD FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES
None.

NEW FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES
Kit Powell, Anya, Tsarina Alix, Felix Yuspov, Vasiliyev, Dmitri, Sukhotin, Purishkevich, Officers Krylov and Vlasyok.

CONTINUITY COCK-UPS

1. Pg 120 "'She admits herself that she's been hypnotised into working against you before.' On page 118, Jo didn't admit that, just that she'd been hypnotised.
2. Pg 250 Liz (and presumably the Doctor) witnesses the meteor crash-landing in Tunguska without noticing that it's actually a spaceship carrying the setience that later inhabits the drug known as Warlock (see page 353 of Warlock) or the Charrl spaceship (Birthright page 97).

PLUGGING THE HOLES [Fan-wank theorizing of how to fix continuity cock-ups]

1. Liz is extrapolating as to the likely reason.
2. Given the effect on the hunter on page 249, it's likely that the Doctor and Liz were presumably some distance away and couldn't distinguish the spaceship from a regular meteor.

FEATURED ALIEN RACES
None.

FEATURED LOCATIONS
Pg 2 Tunguska, Siberia, June 30 1908.

Pg 8 St Petersberg, December 1916.

IN SUMMARY - Robert Smith?
Wages of Sin is mostly a dull runaround, peppered by the occasional exciting action scene. The odd choice of regulars is barely explained and consequently doesn't hold together, with some especially dodgy characterisation of Liz. The rest of the cast, including the Doctor, are mostly flat, with one exception. That exception is Rasputin, who's so wonderful he manages to single-handedly save the book. The entire end sequence leading up to his death is fantastic and worth the price of admission alone.