Lucie Miller / To the Death [AUDIO/2011.2.? ~ 3.31]
★★★★★
The Eighth Doctor Adventures audio range was an astounding success, both in terms of quality consistency and popularity, and it was only fair that the grand finale of the series called for something massive. Something that'll really shake things up, something with actual consequences that will shape the future.
In comes Nicholas Briggs, Dalek and military drama fanatic, with a two-parter that not so much dampens your spirits as drags them through the mud before smashing them over the head with a pan for good measure. This is an event, tying all the disparate threads of the fourth series into one neat final bow while writing off (read: killing) many different characters of import -- and it does these without batting an eyelid. I remember first listening to the two-parter with bated breaths, feeling terrible as Lucie (whom I've grown fond of over the years) was subjected to all that pain and suffering and losing my mind in real time as so many unexpected deaths came my way. It's incredible that Briggs manages to make each and every sendoff count, and give each sacrifice and death meaning. Dramatically speaking (and by this I mean, the handling of melodrama and action), this is his finest work yet; I cannot find a glaring fault in this story, which is especially impressive for the writer considering my usual reaction to his output.
Oddly enough, I remember anticipating Lucie's death. When I got through the emotional torture that was Lucie Miller and got to To the Death's halfway point, I got the sick feeling that I knew what was going to happen. The Daleks are on the brink of triumph, turning Earth into a plague planet to catapult around the universe for their own gains, and this brave, passionate and funny woman just goes and makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the world. Briggs is sick and twisted for trapping the Doctor into an airtight lose-lose situation: let humanity perish or let Lucie blow herself up to prevent it. It's especially heartbreaking that both Sheridan Smith and Paul McGann pour every ounce of their skill into bringing the script alive, and Lucie's final words will be etched into my mind forever. God, I loved her. I love her. May she rest in peace.
For once, death has consequences in Doctor Who, and the breathless romantic Eighth Doctor is scarred forever. It's one creative choice that Big Finish has stuck to (which is impressive), and I'm all the more grateful for it. McGann will go on to give impressive performances with subsequent boxsets, but I'll always come back to this two-parter to hear him at his most emotionally raw; it's unforgettable.
The Eighth Doctor Adventures audio range was an astounding success, both in terms of quality consistency and popularity, and it was only fair that the grand finale of the series called for something massive. Something that'll really shake things up, something with actual consequences that will shape the future.
In comes Nicholas Briggs, Dalek and military drama fanatic, with a two-parter that not so much dampens your spirits as drags them through the mud before smashing them over the head with a pan for good measure. This is an event, tying all the disparate threads of the fourth series into one neat final bow while writing off (read: killing) many different characters of import -- and it does these without batting an eyelid. I remember first listening to the two-parter with bated breaths, feeling terrible as Lucie (whom I've grown fond of over the years) was subjected to all that pain and suffering and losing my mind in real time as so many unexpected deaths came my way. It's incredible that Briggs manages to make each and every sendoff count, and give each sacrifice and death meaning. Dramatically speaking (and by this I mean, the handling of melodrama and action), this is his finest work yet; I cannot find a glaring fault in this story, which is especially impressive for the writer considering my usual reaction to his output.
Oddly enough, I remember anticipating Lucie's death. When I got through the emotional torture that was Lucie Miller and got to To the Death's halfway point, I got the sick feeling that I knew what was going to happen. The Daleks are on the brink of triumph, turning Earth into a plague planet to catapult around the universe for their own gains, and this brave, passionate and funny woman just goes and makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the world. Briggs is sick and twisted for trapping the Doctor into an airtight lose-lose situation: let humanity perish or let Lucie blow herself up to prevent it. It's especially heartbreaking that both Sheridan Smith and Paul McGann pour every ounce of their skill into bringing the script alive, and Lucie's final words will be etched into my mind forever. God, I loved her. I love her. May she rest in peace.
For once, death has consequences in Doctor Who, and the breathless romantic Eighth Doctor is scarred forever. It's one creative choice that Big Finish has stuck to (which is impressive), and I'm all the more grateful for it. McGann will go on to give impressive performances with subsequent boxsets, but I'll always come back to this two-parter to hear him at his most emotionally raw; it's unforgettable.
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