‘The Death and Life of River Song: Last Words’ Review – A Futuristic Detective Story With A Heartbreaking Twist

Long ago, River Song died in a library, her consciousness uploaded to the library’s mainframe. But is there life after death for everyone’s favorite intergalactic archaeologist? Welcome to Big Finish Productions’ latest River Song story, The Death and Life of River Song: Last Words. Written by Robert Valentine, Last Words offers a very Doctor Who spin on a pulpy detective story. Told over four interconnected episodes, Last Words sees River Song explore the ramifications of her death (and newly-found life afterwards) while desperately trying to help the human race avoid certain destruction. It offers a thrilling, emotional, and mysterious trek through the darker underbelly of the Doctor Who universe. But at its heart, it’s a hopeful story – one about loss, salvation, and what happens after “The End”.

Pulpy Detective Story Meets Doctor Who

Thousands of years after her death, billionaire Garrison Clay (Greg Wise) resurrects River Song (Alex Kingston) to search for a missing scientist. But the closer River gets to her missing scientist, the more danger she finds herself in. For what begins as a simple missing person investigation quickly morphs into the beginnings of a global conspiracy of apocalyptic proportions. Humanity finds itself on the brink of destruction, moments away from solar cataclysm. And while there are forces at work to save humanity, those plans might not be what they seem. It’s up to River to find the missing scientist and unravel the strands of this conspiracy. But the clock is ticking – for humanity and for the temporary body she finds herself in. One final adventure, one last mystery to solve. And then it’s happily ever after for River Song – or so she hopes.

In Last Words, Rob Valentine offers a very Doctor Who take on futuristic pulpy detective noir. River plays the role of the reluctant detective, forced into action by forces outside her control. Her quest takes her into the underbelly of a futuristic Earth, the digital world of a virtual reality simulation, and the pristine halls of a secret government facility. Put simply, it’s all a bit Blade Runner meets Chinatown but with a distinctly Doctor Who twist. Along the way, River meets a variety of red herrings, backstabbing foes, and morally gray aides – none more morally gray than Samael Avner (Jamie Parker), a quasi-detective who deftly walks the line between friend and foe. River Song’s always been well-suited for detective stories – just look at her Melody Malone appearances for proof. And that remains the case as Last Words delivers an endlessly enjoyable futuristic detective story in all the best ways.

A Few Too Many Ideas Held Together by a Strong Emotional Center

That said, Last Words suffers a bit from a wealth of ideas, plotlines, and themes, and not enough room to explore them. You’ve got River’s search for the missing scientist, the global conspiracy, River’s feelings about her life after death (and subsequent mortality), Sam’s quest for justice, and a heaping of social commentary. Honestly, it’s a testament to Valentine’s writing that Last Words works as well as it does given how much is going on. But the frantic pacing of the box set’s latter episodes results in a few characters’ motivations and some of the series’ grander questions going underexplored. And that’s a shame given just how well Valentine builds out this apocalyptic world. But the more you think about the nitty-gritty details of the story’s grander conspiracy, the more questions arise. It’s a good mystery, but it feels a bit underexplored in ways that leave you scratching your head.

On the flip side, however, Valentine tells an emotionally captivating story about overcoming loss. While River’s come to terms with her death and subsequent afterlife, she’s been cruelly ripped away from the life she’s finally built for herself. Once again facing her mortality, River tries to pick up the pieces of her new life while desperately searching for a way home. And on the other side of the coin, Sam’s a man left wholly destroyed by his pain. All he has left is a quest for justice and a sense of vengeance. The two make for quite a pair, two sides of the same broken coin – a dynamic Kingston and Parker play brilliantly. Their relationship easily carries the story even as its plot unravels a bit under the weight of its lofty ambitions. And that meaty character work makes Last Words a story worth remembering.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Rob Valentine’s The Death and Life of River Song: Last Words breathes new life into the continuing adventures of River Song. While crammed with more ideas than it can fully explore, Last Words delivers a very Doctor Who take on a pulp detective noir. Alex Kingston brings a heartbreaking sense of loss to River but she tempers it with real, genuine hope. This is a River Song who’s come to grips with her death and with the ending of her relationship with the Doctor, and that makes for a fascinating character study that Kingston proves eager to delve into. Though Last Words doesn’t quite explore all of its grander ideas to their fullest potential, it nails its emotional center brilliantly. Put simply, Last Words is a must-listen for fans of the character and an exciting new direction for River’s ongoing adventures.

The Death and Life of River Song: Last Words is available now from Big Finish Productions.