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Part 2: @reviewed/doctor-who-7th-doctor-ace-and-hex-monthly-stories-part-2-reviewed
Listen to Big Finish: https://www.bigfinish.com/
Here we go! After the exciting cliffhanger ending of The Angel of Scutari, we have just one story to go until A Death in the Family!
139. Project: Destiny by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott
Project: Destiny is the final part of the 'Project:' trilogy, now The Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex must contend with Nimrod and the nefarious (or not?) Forge. Destiny continues right where The Angel of Scutari left off, with Hex shot and dying, and the TARDIS being white(!), so we have a very action packed story here. For the most part, Project: Destiny is really good. Nimrod is a great villain of course, and we continue to get some fantastic stuff with Hex (he's understandably rather upset). Ace is great in this story too, her interactions with Lysandra a highlight. As with previous 'Project:' stories, things get a bit over the top, although in a different way to the previous two's violence. We get some pretty bad melodramatic nonsense here, especially in part 4, and this drags the story down. The rest of the story, and especially the fantastic part 1, is still strong however.
7/10
140. A Death in the Family by Steven Hall
"The future folds into the past. The homeless hero has fallen. Now begins the time of three tales: The Tale of the Herald. The Tale of the Hidden Woman. The Tale of the Final Speaker. When the last tale is told, all the lights shall fail. The world will end."
Finally, A Death in the Family. I've heard time and time again that this is some of the best Doctor Who out there, and its immense 9.5/10 rating on thetimescales certainly supports this. So how is it? Well it's pretty bloody brilliant. A Death in the Family starts in part 1 with a gorgeous, foreboding soundscape, you know this is a big story. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but I was definitely surprised by part 1's cliffhanger. A Death in the Family plays with the typical story structure of a Doctor Who story and it's all the better for it. Steven Hall explores these characters so well, and I was going to pick a couple characters to highlight but the truth is they're all explored so damn well, and they all perform the hell out of the script. The sheer ambition of this story is remarkable (and my god, it even gives a more nuanced and interesting look into 7's manipulative tendencies).
A Death in the Family wonderfully brings together a multitude of plot threads and is imbued with such potent poignancy and emotion that even its minor issues (it can be a bit exposition heavy) are pretty irrelevant. Even Sylvester McCoy, my choice for weakest Doctor actor, gives a rousing and emotional performance. Oh and my god, the music in this is the best there's been in a Doctor Who audio, bar none. Those choirs. Perfection.
10/10
141. Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge by Marty Ross
Awful placement at the end of this trilogy, coming immediately after A Death in the Family, aside, Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge is just dull. One side character is interesting but the rest are pretty bland and the villain is a cartoon, just ugh. The plot has its moments, mostly with CP Doveday, but is overall boring. Give this one a miss (the story title is the best bit).
4/10
Short Trips Rarities: Twilight's End by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott
An optional extra that can be added on after A Death in the Family. The 7th Doctor has come back near the end of his life for a final meeting with Nimrod. Twilight's End is a solid story, perfect for if you want just a bit more Nimrod content, and Beth Chalmers is a fantastic narrator, but this is certainly not a mandatory listen.
7/10
And with that Evelyn's story comes to a close, along with the first part of Hex's arc, and what a conclusion it is!