Doctor Who review: Jago & Litefoot: The Ruthven Inheritance

The stakes are raised in the Doctor Who spin-off and things get personal for Jago & Litefoot in the last episode of their second series.

Series 2 of Jago & Litefoot comes full circle with its final episode, The Ruthven Inheritance. When the box set began with Litefoot and Sanders, our heroes faced the evil and dangerous vampire Gabriel Sanders. They believed they had defeated him at the end of that story. But Sanders survived. And he wants revenge.

Andy Lane’s story The Ruthven Inheritance adds a strong personal element for both Jago and Litefoot. One way that Sanders aims to achieve his revenge is by taking away what’s most precious to each of them. He made that threat in Litefoot and Sanders, but it’s not until this episode that we find out what that is.

It’s a great idea to explore what makes Jago and Litefoot who they are in this episode. Or at least, how they personally define themselves. Taking away what’s most important to them adds a more desperate element to this story, and makes the stakes feel so much higher as a result. On top of that, it’s done in such a way that it reminds us of how strict Victorian values and morals were, and how sometimes, doing the right thing can lead to the worst results.

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Dangerous villains

The personal aspect of the plot is the real highlight of The Ruthven Inheritance, but that’s not to say that the rest of it isn’t enjoyable. This is especially true of Gabriel Sanders and his role in the story. While The Ruthven Inheritance introduces a new villain – as played by Doctor Who veteran Simon Williams, best known for his role of Group Captain Gilmore in both Remembrance of the Daleks and its spin-off Counter-Measures – it’s Gabriel Sanders who, once again, steals the show.

David Collings was delightfully sinister as Sanders in the opening episode of this series, and the same proves to be equally true in this final installment. His plans extend to be much more than just his revenge on Jago & Litefoot. But they’re also perhaps not quite what you’d expect them to be. He’s not obsessed with ending the world. In some ways, his plans for Lord Ruthven are refreshingly different.

The Ruthven Inheritance ties up Series 2 of Jago & Litefoot nicely. It does a great job of giving us a satisfying finale while also exploring different sides to its leading characters. Just like The Similarity Engine, it’s another strong finale – one that provides another exciting cliffhanger for the next box set…

Have you listened to The Ruthven Inheritance? Did you enjoy it as a finale to Jago & Litefoot: Series 2? And what did you think of that cliffhanger? Let us know in the comments below.