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'Doctor Who' Series 12 Episode 4: Queen Skithra looks eerily similar to Racnoss but we are yet to find out why

The episode's main villain looks almost exactly like an old favorite from the time of the Tenth Doctor

This article contains spoilers for 'Doctor Who' Series 12 Episode 4 'Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror'.

'Doctor Who' has had a number of terrifying villains and monsters in its long and colorful history. So it'is understandable that some designs might repeat themselves. However, it looks like the production crew may have gotten extremely creative with old costumes and props in Series 12 Episode 4 'Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror' as the episode's main villain looks almost exactly like an old favorite from the time of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant).

In yet another "Celebrity Historical", the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her companions, Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) and Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), meet the brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla (played by Goran Višnjić) and his rival Thomas Edison (Robert Glenister). Unfortunately, Tesla is being hunted for his genius by a race of kleptomaniac alien scorpions, a fact that absolutely peeves Edison.

The Skithra (the alien scorpions) are revealed to be universal scavengers, stealing technology from the races they encounter (including the Silurians, apparently) instead of building anything of their own. That's all well and good but there's still a question that's bugging us (pun intended): Why does the Queen Skithra look so much like the Empress of the Racnoss?

For those who don't remember, the Empress of the Racnoss was the main villain in the 2006 Christmas special 'The Runaway Bride'. Her design seems to have been replicated with a few modifications to create the Queen Skithra (played by 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' star Anjli Mohindra) but there's no explanation given for the connection.

Perhaps the crew just ran out of money for new costumes or perhaps the Skithra and the spider-like Racnoss are related, though the Doctor doesn't offer any insight into the origin of the species. 

'Doctor Who' Series 12 Episode 5 'Fugitive of the Judoon' will air on BBC America on January 26.