Victory of the Doctor: Didn't You Kill My Mother?

"I have to exterminate the loser."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 6.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Valarie 

Synopsis

Another day, another set of clients needing arbitration. However, this case is special. It's the kind of case that could make a career. It could definitely earn you a promotion. The case? Lockwood versus Hendricks.

Verdict

Didn't You Kill My Mother? was an excellent start to the Victory of the Doctor sixth series of Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! This release is one I have been anticipating ever since concluding the Everywhere and Anywhere fifth series and this series since Valarie came along has been nothing short of excellent. It might go down as the best run from Big Finish in quite a while and that's the beauty of having continuity and a story arc developing with each series. It's something the Ninth Doctor Adventures could learn from, and the emotional stakes as we head to this finale are incredibly high! The Paradigm Daleks are on the brink of universal domination and we all know that Valarie is destined to die, so how will we get back to Chicago in 1893 and will that actually be her fate? I'm a huge fan of her character but I certainly hope her demise stays. It's raw emotion and sublime storytelling. I love how much of a threat the New Paradigm of Daleks are being presented as and it's a much better job than what we saw on television with Victory of the Daleks and barely The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang. These are new Daleks and they're actually proving difficult to stop which I really like. The makeup of the legal case here between Valarie and Hendricks was really intriguing and having the Doctor as the arbitrator was good fun. The details were hazy which would surely create all sorts of legal loopholes, but just having Valarie and Hendricks in a small room together was superb. Valarie is a really emotional character and here she was faced with the woman who essentially killed her mother. It's powerful stuff but hearing her defence was fascinating. Referring to what Valarie considered the victims as soldiers was a big moment and one our part-cyborg companion didn't agree with, but Hendricks was building a way to defeat the Daleks. It's not a bad defence, especially with the Doctor holding the power over the decision! It was nice to get a little reminder of events regarding Hendricks and her efforts, with the Surge obviously being the most successful to date. Whilst it did save Roanna, Valarie didn't appreciate her girlfriend being a test subject. Valarie still hasn't met the Daleks which she was keen to point out which was fun and considering their presence has been felt for the last few episodes that's an often forgotten fact. She's had one hell of a run though! I thought Tim was a sensational character and his true nature was bold and audacious to say the least! A sentient Dalek time machine that was far more than Hendricks' consultant. The way that was built to and revealed was excellent and full of anticipation. He was built by the Cult of Skaro themselves which felt like good continuity with where Dalek chronology was at on screen at this point in the Doctor's timeline, and was supposed to infiltrate TARDISes on Gallifrey. A magnificent idea and I'm usually a fan of new types of Daleks or Dalek technology. The possibilities really are endless and the way he interacted with the Doctor here was good fun. He was the only other lawyer and the Doctor quickly deduced that his surname wasn't Doctor and the use of 'the' when introducing himself was correct. There was no exit and the only way out was to decide the case by using a Dalek blaster on the loser. That's not too far removed from the Dalek legal system I might expect, but it was powerful stuff! I was really impressed. The conclusion was very eventful with Tim taking matters into his own hands and deciding Hendricks was the guilty party and serving her punishment, although a new AI version was brought in to keep the timelines intact. Some consultant that is! Overall, an incredibly strong opener and a fun little take on law. 

Rating: 9/10