Doctor Who spin-off review: The Diary of River Song: Series Three

Before we review the latest box set, let’s catch up on the previous volume of The Diary of River Song, in which River is reunited with the last person she ever wanted to see: Madame Kovarian of the Silence!

The third series of The Diary of River Song takes a rather different look at the character compared to the first two. In some ways, this follows on very naturally from themes and developments in Series Six of Doctor Who.

This isn’t solely because of the return of Madame Kovarian, who makes a big appearance in this box set. It’s also because it focuses on themes of family and River’s lost childhood.

After hearing River have some amazing adventures in volumes one and two, and getting reminded of all the unique qualities she has that make her such a brilliant character, it makes sense to explore more personal themes for this volume.

But of course, along with following on from events that featured the Eleventh Doctor, we also have a much earlier incarnation showing up in this volume, as River meets the Fifth incarnation of her husband. How well do these two get on? And who the heck is Brooke?

Let’s find out by taking a look at the third series of The Diary of River Song…

River Song comes face to face with the Grim Reaper, (otherwise known as Kevin,) in The Lady in the Lake.

(Photo credit: The Diary of River Song/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Lady in the Lake

From the very beginning of The Lady in the Lake, Nev Fountain lets us know exactly how complicated things are going to get in this story. Not just in terms of timey-wimey shenanigans, but also in terms of emotion, too.

Which actually rather suits his writing. Fountain is a master at both writing bizarre comedy and heartbreaking tragedy, usually in the same story. His Doctor Who audio stories The Kingmaker, Peri and the Piscon Paradox and The Widow’s Assassin have all demonstrated this brilliantly. The Lady in the Lake is no exception.

It’s a little difficult talking about The Lady in the Lake without giving too much away. Even the central concept is so interesting and so brilliant that it’s better to let it surprise you.

I will say that it deals with some key mythology from Series Six, specifically the events from A Good Man Goes to War, so it sets up the rest of the box set just right. It also takes a good look at how much River wants a family. While she does often meet her husband, she still lives a lonely life, and this episode explores that beautifully.

Death and comedy

The Lady in the Lake also explores mortality, too. What it means to truly face your death. Some embrace it, perhaps all too easily, in some cases. Others fear it, and go to great lengths to avoid it. What would you do to avoid death itself?

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Like I said, Fountain mixes in comedy with his tragedy. And even while the story is heavily focused on death, Fountain still finds ways of getting plenty of comedy from it. Particularly with “Kevin”, a man dressed like the Grim Reaper for the entire story. For someone who’s dressed as the embodiment of death, he’s a pretty likable guy.

The Lady in the Lake is not just a story filled with brilliant twists and turns. It’s also one of my favorite River Song episodes yet. Worth getting the third series alone for.

River, the Doctor and Brooke investigate a mystery in 18th century Venice in A Requiem for the Doctor.

(Photo credit: The Diary of River Song/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

A Requiem for the Doctor

The second episode begins almost like a typical Doctor Who pseudo-historical story. Which surprisingly doesn’t often happen in River’s own series. Even when the Doctor makes a guest appearance, because of the nature of the story and the situation, it still clearly feels like River’s series.

For this adventure, the Doctor is travelling with his two brand new companions, River and Brooke, to investigate a historical mystery. Specifically: what happened to Mozart’s requiem?

Along the way, we have a story that begins with your classic “whodunnit?” aspect, only with a few key twists. For one, the city of Venice in the Eighteenth Century certainly adds a different flavor to the story. And of course, this being the Doctor Who universe, there’s at least one sci-fi twist or two along the way.

But of course, there’s more here than just a simple mystery. There’s a strong, feminist angle with this story. One that explores both the good and evil in both men and women. A Requiem for the Doctor explores themes of revenge, cruelty, hatred and of course, love. And how sometimes, these things can be far too closely linked.

The new girl

As well as all of these elements, the episode also explores the character of Brooke. Who is she, and why hasn’t River ever heard of her?

Joanna Horton does a great job portraying Brooke, who comes across as a very modern companion. She’s reminiscent of companions like Donna, Lucie and Flip, which makes her an interesting contrast to Davison’s Edwardian cricketer.

We join her right in the middle of her travels with the Doctor. To say much more would be to spoil things, but you can probably guess that there’s more to her than meets the eye.

The “villain” of the piece is also a wonderfully written character. They believe that what they’re doing is right, and they do have a very strong motivation for their actions, no matter how horrific they are. They’re a very interesting and well-written character.

Jac Rayner proves herself to be an excellent writer for River with A Requiem for the Doctor. Which really isn’t surprising, considering that this isn’t the first brilliant archaeologist that she’s written for. A simple story with a lot of interesting themes and drama, A Requiem for the Doctor is a very satisfying episode.

River Song has a date with Andrew, while a familiar face returns in My Dinner with Andrew.

(Photo credit: The Diary of River Song/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

My Dinner with Andrew

John Dorney seems to be a master at writing stories that are a mixture of both timey-wimeyness and pure farce. We got a really classic example of it with the Doctor Who audio The Trouble with Drax, and here’s another perfect example: My Dinner with Andrew.

I really liked the title character in particular. Andrew comes across as a really likeable chap who’s just ended up in way over his head, thanks to River. Dorney has written a very sympathetic character with Andrew, and it’s aided with a really great performance by…well, actually, I’d rather not say.

But of course, the major character that this episode brings back is Madame Kovarian. With her return, the stakes are raised far higher for River than ever before. And despite the episode coming across as rather light and comedic, there’s still a strong sense of jeopardy to it. With Kovarian and the Fifth Doctor in exactly the same location, you can probably guess what the former’s plan is.

There are also some nice connections and references to the events of Series Six, as River puts into action a rather desperate and very morally questionable plan. Once again, we’re reminded of just how far River is willing to get the job done in this episode, certainly further than her husband would go. But is she about to go too far this time?

A great mix of clever time travel with some brilliant wit and comedy, My Dinner with Andrew is another strong story from John Dorney, one that sets things up for the final episode in a big way.

What happens when someone as dangerous as Madame Kovarian wins? River Song’s about to find out in The Furies…

(Photo credit: The Diary of River Song/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Furies

Now, judging by the cover, you might think you know where the story is going with The Furies. But it actually goes in a very different direction, in terms of plot. Regardless, in terms of character exploration, this is a fantastic story for River.

Out of all of the episodes in this box set, this is the one that deals with the consequences of Series Six the most. It also deals with a lot of unresolved issues.

We saw River taken away from her parents by Madame Kovarian in A Good Man Goes to War, but we never saw the emotional consequences of that, from River’s point of view, at least. We know that she was raised to kill the Doctor, but not much more.

So the scenes that are heavily focused on both her and Kovarian are incredibly satisfying to hear. We find out exactly what River’s childhood was like, and how she really feels about what Kovarian did to her.

We actually get the first direct mention of Amy and Rory in The Diary of River Song with this episode, which fits really well. After two series of focusing on her as her own character, it’s nice to be reminded of that strong family connection.

The return of Madame Kovarian

Frances Barber is great to listen to as Kovarian. Considering it’s been several years since she’s last played the role, she brings back the character so effortlessly in this series.

With both her performance and strong writing, we get a villain who is vicious, nasty and controlling. But we also have a character who’s clearly deluded and in fact rather pitiful. Because she genuinely believes that she’s saving the universe, despite causing nothing but damage everywhere she goes.

With a strong, bittersweet ending, The Furies rounds off the third series of The Diary of River Song very nicely. Your enjoyment of the whole box set might be affected by how much you enjoyed Series Six or not, as this feels like a very natural sequel to it.

But if you’re a fan of River Song, and want to find out more about her character and just how terrible her history was, while also getting a few good stories in the process, then The Diary of River Song: Series Three is strongly recommended.

Have you listened to River Song’s third box set of audio stories? Which is your favorite episode? Would you like to hear more from Madame Kovarian? Let us know in the comments below.