Doctor Who review: Army of Death ends Eight’s and Mary Shelley’s travels in a fittingly macabre way
By James Aggas
On the planet Draxine, the Doctor and Mary Shelley face a truly horrific army in the dark and delightfully macabre Doctor Who audio, Army of Death.
Having recently reviewed The Company of Friends and The Silver Turk, plus The Witch from the Well last year after The Witchfinders had been broadcast, I thought it was worth reviewing the last story to feature Mary Shelley as a companion.
The only story with Mary to be set on another world, Army of Death still manages to capture plenty of the Gothic atmosphere that the previous two stories featured. Not to mention a lot of horrific imagery. Particularly with the titular army, which contains thousands of walking skeletons…
Jason Arnopp throws us into this rather intriguing world, one that has suffered from a major disaster. It’s a world of politics and assassinations, but it’s also a world of horror, both physical and psychological. It’s a rather unique combination, but it works very well.
The story is also paced rather nicely. The more we find out, the more twists and turns that are gradually revealed. What we know about both the characters and the situation constantly changes, and it’s nice that a story like this can leave you guessing.
Eight and Mary – the end?
Another enjoyable element to this audio is Mary Shelley. Like previous stories, this story doesn’t just explore how a world of exciting ideas and nightmares influences such a major writer. It also explores her relationship with the Doctor. Possibly even more so than with previous releases.
Mary’s feelings towards the Doctor changes over the course of Army of Death. How she feels about this amazing but incredibly alien man is extremely interesting to listen to, especially towards the end when she begins to understand him better.
More from Winter is Coming
- For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
- Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
- Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
- Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
- Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”
Speaking of which: I must admit, I somehow always forget that Army of Death essentially brings the story of Mary’s journey with the Doctor to an end. It’s done in an extremely low-key way, and still had the potential to lead to more adventures. But the very clear implication is that their travels together really are over.
Indeed, it’s actually rather disappointing that we didn’t get more adventures with Eight and Mary. All the stories featuring this pairing are rather strong ones, and have presented something radically different to all the other eras of Eight’s life, while still being true to the character.
Still, I’m glad that this particular TARDIS duo is given some kind of an ending, at least. And I’m grateful that we got these stories at all. Like The Silver Turk and The Witch from the Well, Army of Death is a really enjoyable Doctor Who story, one that’s full of horror and intrigue. A strong ending to a far too brief era.
Next. Why River Song worked so well with the Eighth Doctor. dark
Have you listened to Army of Death, or any of the audios featuring Mary Shelley as a companion? What do you think of the rumors of her possibly meeting the Thirteenth Doctor in Series 12? Do you think she could work with any Doctor? Let us know in the comments below.