Thicker Than Water [AUDIO/2005.9.?]

★★★★★

  Thicker Than Water is one of those unsung masterpieces, possibly because nowadays it's harder for people to delve into the formidable back catalogue of Dr. Who audio dramas with the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe... but oh, what a worthy experience it all makes for this emotional culmination. I've always loved Thicker Than Water with a passion, but only with this recent re-listen have I realised that it's a masterpiece, as an audio production and as a story.

  I distinctly remember reaching the end of this adventure for the first time and thinking, 'Ed Salt, where have you been all my life?' The sound effects are crisp, the soundscape even more so, and the world of Világ is brought to life so meticulously, bursting with life and political turmoil. Maggie Stables as Evelyn Smythe remains one of Dr. Who's finest companions, and this is a fittingly bittersweet and moving coda to her character: not every frayed temper can be solved, and not every past mistakes can be fixed, but in the end those things don't really matter. So what if another deadly plot is brewing beneath the surface? What matters is that we live for a short amount of time in this world, and we can either hold grudges forever or finally come around to talking to each other, smiling and making chocolate cake. I absolutely love the Killoran experiment plot that runs through the four episodes, an allegeation of the abuse of the aftermaths of war to one's own gains, and I love the political thriller that this audio drama is -- but let's be honest, it's not the focus, is it?

  No, the focus is on Evelyn, her newfound love and her difficult relationship with her stepdaughter. It's about her reconciliation with the Sixth Doctor, her love for him and the final beautifully realised coda of the Seventh Doctor visiting her to comfort her, let her know that Cassie's son is safe with him (well, as safe as any Seventh Doctor companion can be). Stables and Colin Baker give some of their absolute best performances in Big Finish here (which is a very hard list to top indeed), and Bonnie Langford acts as a wonderful complement to these giants. I love Evelyn so much, deeply from my heart, and I love the Sixth Doctor so much. The Doctor and Evelyn will always be dear to me, and I could have asked for nothing better than Thicker Than Water. One of the best ever from Big Finish.