10 Saddest Doctor Who Companion Exits
4. Lucie Miller in To The Death
Sheridan Smith as Lucie Miller is one of the greatest Doctor Who companions not just on audio, but ever. Her chemistry with Paul McGann and the sharper, wittier banter between Doctor and companion injected energy into the Eighth Doctor range. Despite originally leaving in Death in Blackpool, she is a recurring presence throughout McGann's fourth series.
So, it was heartbreaking when she was eventually killed off in the devastating fourth series finale To The Death. With all hope seemingly lost and faced with a Dalek dominance over Earth, Lucie pilots a spaceship into the heart of their compound and detonates it. The resulting explosion creates a time warp that wipes out the Dalek armies.
It's a characteristically heroic and determined ending for a companion who was always fiercely independent. Her death is the catalyst for the Eighth Doctor's shift from a romantic adventurer into the hardier, wearier version that McGann plays from Dark Eyes onwards. It's refreshing to hear a companion's death have such a fundamental impact on the Doctor's character and outlook. It's just one of the many reasons that McGann's work at Big Finish is some of the very best for any Doctor.