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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Feb 1, 2018 21:19:05 GMT -5
The Great White Hurricane - 1st/Susan/Barbara/Ian. The promise of the First Doctor Adventures is wasted on this interminable story. Any sense of drama potentially there in a story about a massive natural disaster, gang warfare, and an abusive relationship is snuffed out by a complete lack of urgency or danger. Awful accents on a mostly mediocre guest cast also hamper the story. Not much is done with any of the regulars, as they plod through their stories with little major incident. David Bradley gets some good acting moments, but nothing else in this slog stands out. C-
The Crimes of Thomas Brewster - 6th/Evelyn/Brewster. Though I donāt have much love for Brewster, this story uses the antiheroic thorn in the Doctorās side well as an excellent foil for Evelyn in her own subplot early on. Meanwhile the Doctor spends time with personal favorite character Patricia Menzies, and their banter is still spot on (Iām super bummed this is her last appearance!). The story has some surprises, but mostly tells a slightly overstuffed tale juggling a lot of cool ideas. If I have one major complaint itās how Evelyn gets sidelined in the second half, but something had to give in this mostly fun adventure. B
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Feb 8, 2018 20:35:30 GMT -5
The Feast of Axos - 6th/Evelyn/Brewster. A surprising delight of a story set in a perfectly sonically recreated Axos. Though itās not the most obvious Who monster to bring back, āFeastā gets a lot of mileage out of the planetās anger over how the Doctor trapped it after their onscreen encounter, as well as the Doctorās regret over his actions. The story also does a lot with Brewsterās shifting alliance and distrust of the Doctor. Even when the end result is obvious, the journey is great character work. But the real highlight of this story is Evelyn. Stables gives an above and beyond performance, especially in the storyās standout scene at the end of episode 3. Add in a bunch of great intrigue in the side stories and you have a very solid drama. A-
Orbis - 8th/Lucie. A fairy tale that mostly serves to cut the Doctor down from being so infallible. It might serve that purpose too well though, with a nasty ending that left a sour taste in my mouth, with terrible consequences that were easily avoided if it werenāt for some major contrivances. I admire the attempt to do something different with the Doctor and Lucieās reunion, but it feels as cold as it is. The world of Orbis has some fascinating conceits, but other ideas that are either cliche or just bizarre and misguided. I still donāt quite know what this story was going for, but I do know Iām not a big fan. C+
Trail of the White Worm - 4th/Leela. A story handicapped by being only the first part in a two part story but also trying to be independent enough to stand on its own. So almost all of the characters introduced here fail to impress or leave any impact on the story as they donāt carry over into the next one. Baker and Jameson try to liven it up, and Beevers is always fun as the Master, but thereās a sense that this whole story is just stalling until the finale. C
The Oseidon Adventure - 4th/Leela. As absolute nonsense as āThe Android Invasionā which it is a sequel to, but in a fun way this time. The constant pile on of twists and reveals that certain characters are robots and/or the Master in disguise is just a giddy delight. The story itself is incredibly flimsy under any scrutiny, and the subplot with the Masterās human lackey from last story is a bust, but I was having such fun up to and including the last surprise. Beevers is again great as the Master, and Baker is such a good sparring partner for him. A fine mess. B
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Feb 15, 2018 22:22:04 GMT -5
Industrial Evolution - 6th/Evelyn/Brewster. A fun romp through Victorian London with evil robots. The story is a bit overly convoluted for its own good, but fun characters populate it, from noble idealists to fun sleazeballs. As Brewsterās send off, itās alright. Much better than his last one, but it offers no new insights into the character, and instead of offering a final statement on the character leaves the door dangling open for more adventures that wonāt come. Itās not much to write home about, but it manages to be engaging throughout. B-
Hothouse - 8th/Lucie. A dreadful bore that does nothing new with the Krynoids Seeds of Doom didnāt already do. The ātree hugger gone badā villain is such a tired concept and the story gets no weight or new insight from the revelation. Not only is the villain such a drag, spouting nonsense philosophy throughout. The post-amnesia Doctor isnāt much better, with a new edgy and cynical attitude that seems awfully un-Doctorlike. At least Lucy is great, and thereās some moments of genuine horror in the disgusting Krynoid transformations, but once the story lumbers to a lazy climax Iām done. D+
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Post by š huss š on Feb 15, 2018 23:15:43 GMT -5
It's been a while since I listened to the Eighth Doctor series, but I remember being so jazzed about it up through the end of the second series, and then there was this massive cliff dive when the third started. I'm with you here: "I still donāt quite know what this story was going for, but I do know Iām not a big fan." And then Hothouse also was a no. I can't remember when I felt it started to turn around.
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Post by Prole Hole on Feb 17, 2018 9:45:37 GMT -5
I never really took to Thomas Brewster - he's not awful or anything, and it's quite a good attempt to do something which is noticeably different from the "definitely a companion" or "one shot character" dichotomy, but that was done miles better with Klein, and he never quite comes alive for me (mostly because he seems like a low-rent Dickensian pastiche rather than an actual character). Industrial Evolution is OK but... not much better. Hothouse is just dreadful. š huss š - you made it to the 21st century yet? We'd still love to have you on the podcast!
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Feb 22, 2018 18:17:46 GMT -5
Yeah Huss, we'd love to have you!
Project: Destiny - 7th/Ace/Hex. The Forge has never been my favorite Big Finish element, a lowering tide that sinks all ships to coin a phrase. With the mythology tying it up with Hex and everything so convoluted at this point, Iām grateful Project: Destiny acts as a sort of button on its sprawling story. Nimrod was never a great villain, and here his transparent manipulations arenāt very menacing. More menacing is the alien infection sweeping London that leads to some incredibly chilling scenes, but not enough focus is given to give it punch or make it more distinct from what was in the last story I listened to, Hothouse. The solution to this story feels like a write-off and a dodge to a more complex solution involving honoring the sentience of these creatures that are still compelled to destroy the Earth. Instead we get a lot of drama about Hex no longer trusting the Doctor, something that would be more impactful if the Doctor wasnāt clearly right here and Nimrod clearly evil. The positive things I can muster is Lysandra is great, love a great McCoy performance, and the device of cutting forward in time each episode instead of directly seeing each cliffhanger through is interesting. Overall though, weak. C
A Town Called Fortune - 6th/Evelyn. A nice little historical that is a little too pat and neat but has strength in character. Maggie Stables is a wonderful narrator, and lets Evelynās natural kindness bleed through to her performance. The characters we meet make for a fascinating tangled web of love and loss that I wish we had a longer story to explore them. Still we get a lot of fun Western cliches that make for a very lively story, even if again everything resolves a little too simplistically. B
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Post by š huss š on Feb 22, 2018 20:09:55 GMT -5
We are edging closer and closer to the time when my laptop completely falls apart, I promise!
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Mar 1, 2018 21:22:43 GMT -5
A Death in the Family- 7th/Ace/Hex/Evelyn. A real masterpiece for Big Finish that has this crew at their best, in addition to being a lovely send off for Evelyn Smythe. McCoy, Aldred, and Stables can deliver some of the best performances across all of Big Finish and this sees all three on top form. Aldred especially is heartbreaking in episode 3, and delivers a mammoth monologue in episode 4 amazingly. Stables could not have finished her characterās story any better, bringing all the kindness and warmth she does so well to the fore. Oliverās Hex isnāt in the same league as those three, but heās also at his best here, more likable than heās been in ages. The Word Lord is also back, and just as genius of a villain as ever. This also serves as a great deconstruction of the 7th Doctorās masterplans, leaving open the question of how far he pushes his companions. Itās a fascinating story with so many fun narrative tricks, one of the best. A
The Beast of Orlok - 8th/Lucie. A take on Hammer Horror style gothic, with a murderous Baron, his evil golem, and a lot of other twists and turns. Actually this story is a little too overstuffed with characters and plot hooks and incident, but it is rather fun. McGann is much better form here than in the last two stories, this feels like a nice return to normal for the Doctor and Lucie. C+
Bernice Summerfield: The Tartarus Gate - Given Bernice Summerfield is the main reason to listen to this series, itās a near fatal move to sideline Lisa Bowerman for the first 15 minutes, and also the last. Jason Kane is not a great character, and itās a bore to be with him for so long. The story is also nonsensical even by Bernice Summerfield standards, throwing around ideas about godly possession and something called a time factory that is never fully explained but pivotal to the story. I never understood where anyone was or what they were doing or why, but at least the ideas were neat. C-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Mar 9, 2018 12:55:48 GMT -5
Lurkers at Sunlightās Edge - 7th/Ace/Hex. The Doctor fights Lovecraftian horrors in this surprisingly sedate adventure. Thereās a lot going on from the ruthless explorer holding Hex hostage, to the creepy insane asylum Ace is stuck in, but none of it feels fresh or interesting. The character meant to be the sympathetic fulcrum of the story just isnāt very interesting, and the performances are hampered by Big Finishās archnemesis of bad American accents. By the end of the story the Doctor hasnāt even done much, as the villain is undone by his own ambition and the monsters dispatched in a perfunctory way. What a comedown after the last Ace and Hex story. C-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Mar 15, 2018 21:28:34 GMT -5
River Song: The Boundless Sea - An off start to The Diary of River Song as River is put in a fairly bog standard, low stakes story involving a mummy from the Byzantine Empire. Itās not a bad story, it hits its marks well, but thereās little to distinguish it as a River story, which is something desperately needed to differentiate it from so many other Doctor Who spinoffs. Only thing livening it up is a good ending, but itās too late to save it. C+
River Song: I Went to a Marvellous Party - Much better than the last story, āMarvellous Partyā is a great twist on the murder mystery that gets more interesting once the mystery is solved. Justin Richards packs the story with quite a few twists and some bite against the storyās imperialist villains. Most importantly, River is in much better form here, feeling more in tune with how she was written by Moffat, but not a carbon copy so you can tell itās another writerās work. She gets many moments that are uniquely her, including a fantastic climax, all assisted by a great performance by Alex Kingston. The first promise this range shows. B+
The Four Doctors - 5th/6th/7th/8th. Manages to avoid the trap most Doctor crossovers fall into of no one getting proper dues by splitting the story into four loose acts, each one headlined by a different Doctor. Though this means we get very little of the four Doctors interacting, it does mean we get a story that moves at a brisk pace and never gets too stuck in place. Itās disposable, but fun. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Mar 24, 2018 19:05:13 GMT -5
River Song: Signs - A quiet masterpiece, āSignsā employs a loose, dreamlike structure to full effect, constantly keeping me on my toes. The relationship between River and āthe Doctorā is fully fleshed out and a delight to see. Even when things are not as they seem on the surface, the new layers only deepen the relationship at the core of the story. River herself is also fleshed out to possibly a greater degree than she ever got on the show, with a fully formed personality that is allowed to be explored independent of the Doctor. Itās a small miracle of a story, and one that justifies the entire existence of the range. A
River Song: Rulers of the Universe - A fine conclusion that doesnāt dazzle, but does what it sets out to accomplish very well. It has a lot to juggle both wrapping up the two dangling story threads of the season and introducing River to the Eighth Doctor. Though they canāt directly interact, Kingston and McGann still have fabulous chemistry, and their interplay is delightful. The resolutions to both the Rulers and the sporeship threads feel expected, but also earned and not lazy. Thereās fun in this story, and it sets good precedent for boxsets to come. B+
Wirrin Dawn - 8th/Lucie. A mediocre story that brings back the Wirrin to little effect. Itās a very serious, military story, the kind that is quite boring without the right touch. The scares and action is visceral, but ultimately there doesnāt feel like much point. The story keeps hopping from crisis to crisis without ever finding a center, the closest it gets is invoking the body horror of the Wirrinās first appearance and even then it feels like itās competing with āHot Houseā. Just fine. C+
Bernice Summerfield: Timeless Passages - A twisty and fun adventure that finds still new blood in the time travel story. Part of this is the fun in hiding the time travel nature into late in the game, part of it is also a very fun narrative spiced up by a very fun and creative villain. Even before these ideas are sprung at the midway point, the story avoids boredom by being a quiet meditation on the importance of the written word (and by throwing in some clever meta gags). Great stuff thatās the meat and potatoes of Bernice Summerfield. B
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Apr 7, 2018 10:04:10 GMT -5
The Scapegoat - 8th/Lucie. A story with interesting ideas but too many of them competing with each other to get full attention. The setting of occupied France is a super weighty one and it feels brushed aside once we start getting into the alien weirdness. Said alien weirdness is gruesomely strange, but I never really felt the dramatic heft of it. Most of the action is discussion between the characters without a lot of actual action. The theatrical setting is fun though. B-
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Post by Prole Hole on Apr 11, 2018 4:08:44 GMT -5
Urgh - Wirrn Dawn. If ever there was a "bring back a monster, because recognition!" story it's that one. Oh wait, and all the other times they do it on the 8th/Lucie range. So frustrating, and the setting just feels... weird for that Doctor/companion pairing. I'm not saying you couldn't have them work well in a story with that sort of Saward-esque military set-up, but that's definitely not it.
I barely even remember The Scapegoat, which says something....
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Apr 12, 2018 16:01:22 GMT -5
Probably should have mentioned Scapegoat is the one with the alien goats, maybe I should stop being so spoiler light since my audience of two is very familiar with these stories.
The Cannibalists - 8th/Lucie. The most fun story in this season of Eighth Doctor Adventures by far, āCannibalistsā succeeds by passing the Iād think low bar of having a fascinating setting and engaging characters. Itās a story where every other character besides our protagonists is a robot, and right off the bat the sound design on the voices is amazing. Just uncanny enough to work, with some great performances leaning in to the voice effects. Thereās also the beautiful ambient noise of the abandoned space station, and the crunching sounds the cannibal robots make tearing their enemies apart, this is a treat on the direction side. The story hits some interesting beats and fun turns as well, including a great twist at the end. But mostly this is about immersion in a fantastical setting, and it succeeds much better at that than the last five stories. B+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Apr 20, 2018 9:31:50 GMT -5
The Eight Truths/Worldwide Web - 8th/Lucie. A fun but inessential adventure. The twists on the Eight Legs from Planet of Spiders are minor, mostly leaning into the cult aspects of the original story. A lot of the technobabble, especially involving the stellar manipulator doesnāt make sense or register. But the story isnāt without pleasures. Lucie is in fine form even though she spends a lot of the story possessed. The other side characters are fun and bring a variety of perspectives and roles to the story, including a welcome return of The Headhunter and Karen. Itās a just fine conclusion to a season that never rose far above that. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 5, 2018 22:03:54 GMT -5
Prisoners of the Lake - 3rd/Jo. An absolute slog that rehashes the worst cliches of Pertweeās era with very few of the worthwhile parts. The story is packed with incident but very little of it is meaningful or builds to any point, making the whole thing feel pointless. Treloar gives a good performance as the Third Doctor, and Katy Manning as Jo is always a treat, but neither is given great material to work with, which raises the question of what the point of it all is. D
The Guardian of the Solar System - 1st/Sara/Steven. A piece built on atmosphere that also uses Saraās history well. Thereās not much substance to the main story, like the last Sara starring Companion Chronicle the wraparound story is vastly more interesting. This brings a great conclusion to that arc that makes the whole story worth it. B+
Echoes of Grey - 2nd/Zoe/Jamie. Like the last Companion Chronicle, āEchoesā trades more on atmosphere than actual action, but the atmosphere is intriguing and tense. The protagonists remain fairly passive in this story that is mostly resolved for them, but there is enough intrigue to the story to keep me hooked throughout. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 10, 2018 18:58:41 GMT -5
The Havoc of Empires - 3rd/Jo/Mike. A very fun and light fusion of diplomatic mission, comedic farce, and murder mystery. āHavocā builds on characters that embody many familiar tropes but avoid becoming cliches thanks to deft writing. The story also manages to avoid the usual pitfalls, building around an engaging mystery, though it does fall apart a bit near the end. This is a banner story for Jo, who spends most of it pretending to be a military official. Katy Manning plays both the comedic and sympathetic aspects of this perfectly, and is a great foil for Tim Treloar (perfectly settling into the role) and Richard Franklin (having a lot of fun). A very solid outing that sets the line on the right foot. B
Find and Replace - 3rd/Jo. A truly bonkers story that has Katy Manning play against Katy Manning as Iris meets Jo. It also throws in Huxley from Ringpullworld for some more meta fun. Ultimately thereās not much meat to the story but itās a fantastic character study for both Jo and Iris. Both characters are a lot of fun, making this a very enjoyable story. B+
Heroes of Sontar - 5th/Nyssa/Tegan/Turlough. A fun romp with a very joke heavy script. Some hit, particularly the Sontaran stuff, some miss, mostly Tegan and Turloughās sniping at each other. The story does do a great job fleshing out the Sontarans, making them almost pitiable figures, while still keeping whatās fun about their officiousness. The Doctor is also in fine form this story, getting to unravel a mystery with relish. Unfortunately Nyssa is cast in the very cliche role of companion suffering mysteriously too much to do anything, which is a shame. Overall though, itās good. B
Bernice Summerfield: The Worst Thing in the World - An insane, fizzy satire of modern media, set on a planet thatās one big TV studio. The parodies of types of programs are really funny, and get even wilder as the story unravels and insanity sets upon the setting. It culminates in a climax that is truly out there, and exemplifies all the great, weird heights this range can reach. A-
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Post by Prole Hole on May 11, 2018 6:22:40 GMT -5
Heroes of Sontar is a great Tegan story, and it's just so lovely to listen to Janet Fielding shining through the character - great work for her. I really love the conceit of the older Nyssa as well, and I love where that story is going to eventually go. This is properly inventive use of companions that really helps to highlight that Big Finish don't need to just play "follow the leader" when it comes to the way they use companions. Turlough's a bit overdone, but fine. Surprisingly decent, given my fairly strong dislike of the Sontarans.
Fine and Replace is just straightforwardly fantastic fun.
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 19, 2018 10:51:10 GMT -5
The Sands of Life/War Against the Laan - 4th/Romana I/K9. A curious story that takes a lot of Doctor Who cliches and doesnāt necessarily do an original job with them, but manages to inject enough life and weirdness to make it compelling. This is a great story for Romana, with a great performance from Tamm. Hayley Atwellās president character is also fascinating, and you get a great performance from David Warner too (as a corrupt capitalist) though his character starts to grate by the end. Indeed the whole story falls apart in the second half, once the intriguing premise of an alien invasion for a breeding cycle is set up it spins its wheels while the Doctor fails to negotiate between the resentful aliens and the trigger happy humans until a last second reprieve. The ending is a very good resolution, but it feels like it comes a little too late. C+
Kiss of Death - 5th/Nyssa/Tegan/Turlough. A fun little labyrinth story with one solid twist, one creepy monster, but not much more to it. Whatās good about this story is we get more insight into Turlough, and Strickson carries the story well. Beyond that the guest cast is mostly forgettable, so the story just kind of coasts from its constantly moving action. Itās fine. B-
Peri and the Piscon Paradox - 5th/6th/Peri. A mindbending adventure that tells the same story from two perspectives, one from Periās past and one from her future. This allows for a lot of great gags that draw on the irony from the two perspectives, that second half in general is a hoot as it deconstructs everything that came before. But it also contains a surprising amount of pathos as the older Peri is forced to reconcile how off course her life has gone, and Nicola Bryant is a revelation in this part. Probably the best Peri showcase there is. A
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 23, 2018 21:27:13 GMT -5
Rat Trap - 5th/Nyssa/Tegan/Turlough. Another story where the Doctor and companions explore an underground labyrinth right after Kiss of Death is a bit excessive, and this does nothing to distinguish itself. The characters are flatter, the villains less interesting, and thereās no new insight into any of our regular characters. A misfire. C
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jun 1, 2018 12:00:26 GMT -5
The Invasion of E-Space - 4th/Romana II/Adric. A fairly standard battle with space pirates, which is a weird sentence to type but itās true. Nothing about the story particularly stands out, but itās not unpleasant either, with some engaging characters. B-
Quinnis - 1st/Susan. A story of contradictions. A travel to a mysterious fourth universe lets us into a setting that is at times mystical and strange and others bog standard primitive culture. The central conflict swerves wildly between engaging mystery as we learn more about Shrazer and infuriating as a whiny and self-loathing version of Susan does not make for an interesting protagonist at all. Itās a shame because Marc Platt can still dazzle when he wants to, but he needs to do it in a more engaging story with better characters than this. C+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jun 12, 2018 17:46:26 GMT -5
Phantoms of the Deep - 4th/Romana I. Though it has the trappings of a typical Earth based drama set in a remote location, āPhantomsā has enough interesting ideas at play to make it entertaining throughout. The submarine drama, the ghosts, the mariner kept suspended for a century, thereās more than enough unusual drama and fun elements to give this a kick. B
The Dalek Contract/The Final Phase - 4th/Romana I. Such an alsoran Dalek story, with the addition of Cuthbert not enough to give it anything new. I donāt know why Big Finish bothers to bring back the Daleks when they have no new ideas with the characters, only to highlight how creatively bankrupt they are in that moment. At least for Mary Tammās final story sheās given some good material to stand out with. C-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jun 23, 2018 10:50:26 GMT -5
Thin Ice - 7th/Ace. The Cold War setting is cool, while the emphasis on the Doctor and Ace relationship is flawed but interesting. Beyond that itās not a very compelling story, the Ice Warriors are per usual completely perfunctory here, the human drama is so dull and every episode runs too long. Though itās supposed to be this big event kicking off the legendary season 27, āThin Iceā feels so boring and typical, I donāt know why this is worth it. D+
Bernice Summerfield: Summer of Love - A bawdy, raunchy sex comedy with an open mind and a lot of fun awkwardness. Most of the humor comes from the charactersā discomfort with the alien event that has them constantly horned up, but it gets good mileage out of a premise that only Bernice Summerfield could do, unless Big Finish starts a Lexx or Farscape line. Itās lightweight and silly, but appreciatively so. B
Bernice Summerfield: The Oracle of Delphi - Another comedy, this time in ancient Greece. The story is very rote, but the humor keeps it light on its feet and I am fond of Paul Shelleyās Socrates. Another solid hit for a line that has finally found some consistency. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jun 28, 2018 19:27:57 GMT -5
Bernice Summerfield: The Empire State - A fun and twisty time loop story that gets a lot of excitement from unraveling its central puzzle. Thereās nothing too standout beyond that, how many different ways can I say Lisa Bowerman is fantastic, but itās notable as a testament to how consistently successful this season has been when this series is usually so unpredictable. B+
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Post by š huss š on Jun 28, 2018 21:01:17 GMT -5
unless Big Finish starts a Lexx or Farscape line
I hope someone has pitched that to them.
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Aug 19, 2018 19:22:59 GMT -5
The Invention of Death - 1st/Susan/Barbara/Ian. A lyrical story set on a truly unique world. The immortal aliens at the center of āInventionā who donāt know the concept of mortality and by extension curiosity are fascinating figures, alien in their worldview, yet still grounded enough to be compelling characters. As the title implies, there is a grand tragedy at the center of the story, one that plays out slowly, through no evil intentions but just tragic accident and natural reaction. Itās a delicate script, one that plays out the character dynamics perfectly. It also contains many moments of lightness and general pleasantness that makes this TARDIS crew feel very grounded and enjoyable. Overall, this is the kind of great story that justifies not just this experiment with recast 1st Doctor stories but also reminds me why Big Finish is such a force for good for Doctor Who. A
The Barbarians and the Samurai - 1st/Susan/Barbara/Ian. An alright historical that fully steeps itself in its setting and creates compelling characters, the baseline for what you want. Iām a bit trepidatious about the obvious cultural tourism of the white Andrew Smith writing for Japanese characters, itās clear for all the terms he throws around his knowledge of the culture is surface level. But the characters remain compelling nonetheless and are boosted by great performances. Storywise, itās a bit meandery but never fully loses the thread and I like the conclusion. In the end this is just a solid story, but still better than the mixed success and misfire from the last boxset. B
The Crime of the Century - 7th/Ace/Raine. Another lifeless story from this season, which makes me think Cartmel should have given these scripts a few more passes before tossing them to Big Finish. Thereās so much incident in this story, many ideas floating around, and none of them are compelling or interesting. Raine is a fun character and her rivalry with Ace is a neat angle, but everything else is such a bore, why bother talking about it more. C-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Aug 26, 2018 14:01:31 GMT -5
Animal - 7th/Ace/Raine. Thereās nothing much to recommend here, but nothing much thatās bad about it either. Brigadier Bambera is fun to have back, I still enjoy Ace and Raineās chemistry, and McCoy doesnāt phone this one in. Sure the story is an also ran of so many killer plant stories that have come before, but the college setting is neat and the linking back to Crime of the Century is fun. Passing marks. C+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Sept 3, 2018 12:21:02 GMT -5
Earth Aid - 7th/Ace/Raine. Easily the most successful story in āseason 27ā, though not by much, Earth Aid at least gives its regulars interesting things to do in a very tight and interesting story. Ace having to pretend to be a starship captain is a fun, tense dynamic, Raine is really proving how much fun she can be improvising solutions as she goes along, and the Doctor works well in an active but still backseat role. I also like how it ends with the companions saving the Doctor rather than the other way. Still, the other characters have less than zero personality, and the Metatraxi fail to justify their use throughout the season as they are stripped of the one interesting thing about them. Ending the much hyped season on a failure, even if it is minor, is such a disappointment. C+
The Perpetual Bond - 1st/Steven/Oliver. A nice little thriller all about outwitting a slave trading alien race, feature some great characterization of the first Doctor. Steven is also good here (Peter Purves does great work in these), and Iām intrigued by the new addition of Oliver, who gets a solid, traditional intro as an out of depth human not knowing what heās in for. Nothing remarkable, but very delightful. B+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Sept 10, 2018 17:54:35 GMT -5
Recorded Time and other stories: Recorded Time - 6th/Peri. A fine romp involving Henry VIII trying to change history and make himself immortal. Maybe too many ideas happening at the same time in this one, but at least it moves and has a great comic scene in the beginning. B Paradoxicide - 6th/Peri. A satisfying time loop story thatās not much deeper than that. The villainous matriarchal society feels thinly sketched and the twist can be seen coming from a mile away. C+ A Most Excellent Match - 6th/Peri. A bonkers Jane Austen parody that is a ton of fun and gives Peri and the Doctor a lot of fun roles to play. Goes off the rails in a very fun direction, though the drama at the end doesnāt quite land. B+ Question Marks - 6th/Peri. A tense, thrilling amnesia story that offers the right amount of clues at the right times. The characters are all well drawn, the mystery unfolds in a beautifully patient way, and it ends with a killer twist. Exemplary form of what Doctor Who can do in the short format. A-
The Forbidden Time - 2nd/Polly/Ben/Jamie. A creepy, atmospheric tale that what it lacks in story substance it makes up with fascinating ideas and great character details. This is definitely the most Iāve liked Polly and Ben, with writer David Lock fleshing them out in fun ways. Jamie is also given fun stuff to do, his half of the story told through recordings lends a great atmosphere. The Vist are simple villains, but with help from a very creepy design they get the job done. Overall, this is solid and enjoyable. B
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Sept 20, 2018 15:26:11 GMT -5
Robophobia - 7th. A brilliantly tense thriller that takes the set up of Robots of Death and adds some fun twists. The slow unfurling of new information is perfectly paced, and the guest cast is very strong, particularly Nicola Walkerās Liv Chenka. McCoy is on a very good day here, acting at peak mysteriousness and coy, which is very fun playing off of the hapless other characters. The mystery satisfies at every turn, and even though the ending is a bit weaker than what came before it, I loved this story. A-
The Doomsday Quatrain - 7th. A setup where the Doctor meets Nostradamus takes a few twists in this strange story. Though the initial big twist in episode 2 is satisfying, and built to well, after it thereās nothing left of interest and the story deflates. The Doctor squares off against two foes of very cliche strains, stupid brutes of aliens that are easy to outwit and conivingly evil intellectuals who he has to moralize to. A step down from the previous āRobophobiaā because the guest cast contains some similar archetypes that are markedly less nuanced and interesting. A bit of a dud, but at least the ending is strong. C+
The Sentinels of the New Dawn - 3rd/Liz. A fairly rote story involving time travel, a doomed future, and an ancient society that makes none of these points that novel or interesting. The standout of this story is Caroline John as Liz, being given a proper sendoff story with her Doctor. Sheās characterized well and John gives a solid performance, itās just a shame thereās not a bigger, better story around that. C
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