Doctor Who: Why A Death in the Family is one of the greatest stories ever

The Seventh Doctor audio A Death in the Family just might be one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time. But why? Here’s our review of the story.

We’ve recently been reviewing several key audios that focus on two arcs: an organization called the Forge, and an arc around Seventh Doctor companion Hex. Both are very closely linked to one another, something that was particularly proved by our earlier review for Project: Destiny.

That audio dealt with some major revelations about the Forge, and brought their storyline to a huge conclusion. (At least, for the moment.) However, even more significantly, Hex found out about major secrets that the Doctor had kept from him. Secrets about the mother he never knew and how she died.

This lead to some major emotional fallout, and the following story, A Death in the Family, focuses on that. To some extent, at least. But it’s also about far, far more.

In each episode of A Death in the Family, writer Stephen Hall focuses on different stories within. The first episode is your typical “Doctor saves the world from huge threat” story.

It features the return of Nobody No-One, who first appeared in Forty-Five and just might be one of the most powerful villains of all time. From the very start, the stakes are extremely high in the opening episode. But then, from the second episode onwards, A Death in the Family goes in a very different direction.

Episodes two and three focus on Ace and Hex separately, and it’s in these episodes that the story shines. In each of their episodes, the story explores themes of grief, loss, religion, hope and sacrifice. Even the importance of storytelling itself is explored.

A Death in the Family features Nobody No-One, an incredibly dangerous and psychotic enemy first introduced in Forty-Five.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Continuity used well

Hall uses continuity in a very satisfying way. Sometimes, using too much continuity can work against a story. It can overwhelm the plot and not allow the narrative to flow naturally.

However, A Death in the Family isn’t like that. Instead, it uses the continuity elements that are needed to tell a specific story and have it achieve the biggest emotional impact.

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For example, one particularly brilliant scene is Hex meeting former companion Evelyn Smythe. As one of the only other people who knew what happened to Hex’s mother Cassie, as well as someone who found Cassie’s death so incredibly upsetting, the meeting is a big moment for both of them.

One downside to this however is that A Death in the Family can come across as less accessible than with other great Big Finish stories. Spare Parts and The Chimes of Midnight are not just brilliant stories, but they’re also easy to recommend people brand new to Big Finish due to how relatively light they are on continuity.

By contrast, A Death in the Family has connections to audios from nine years previous. These references and callbacks range from long before with the Sixth Doctor’s stories, to even stories set long afterwards.

However, if you do catch up on all the stories that had come before it, then it is so worth the payoff. Just as Doomsday wouldn’t work as well without hours of story covering the Doctor’s and Rose’s journey, A Death in the Family wouldn’t be as strong without the many stories and character development that built up to it.

A Death in the Family is both epic and intimate. Thrilling and heartbreaking. Joyous and bittersweet. Not only does it serve as a worthy epilogue to the Forge arc, but it still remains as one of the best Doctor Who stories in any medium.

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Have you listened to A Death in the Family? What did you think of it? Is it one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

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