Post by 🐍 cahusserole 🐍 on Apr 15, 2014 22:21:10 GMT -5
I only started listening to Big Finish last summer. This surprises people like Douay-Rheims-Challoner, who thinks I'm some sort of Who guru. I'm absolutely not. One of the reasons I started in on Big Finish was for this specific audio, the giant five-(well-technically-eight)-Doctor-spanning anniversary special. I listened to it last November, when it was first released, and it was amazing. I listened to it again two weeks ago for research into my Legacy of the Daleks review. I had a more measured response to it this time around. It's not perfect, but it is pretty fun. You don't need to really know anything about the Big Finish expanded Who-niverse to get into it. It's not like it takes a giant mental leap to grasp that Charley is Eight's companion.
Good points:
The Fourth and Eighth Doctors working together. Baker and McGann are wonderful. Scouse-off!
The Sixth Doctor. More and more I'm coming around to Prole Hole's way of thinking, that Colin Baker is the MVP of the Big Finish Doctor Who range.
Geoffrey Beever as the Master. God he's so evil. And so much more sinister than any other incarnation of the character. It's obvious he relishes it, but it's not in the super over-the-top campy way you sometimes see.
The Seventh Doctor's reaction at seeing Peri. Maaaaaybe he goes a little overboard with the solemnity, but it really worked for me.
Less good points:
The billion companion cameos. They talk about this in the behind-the-scenes stuff, how it was difficult to write because it was basically everyone having to say the same thing and hit the same character beats. And they're right! Like, it's nice that you got everyone to come back for this, but it's overly long and indulgent. And none of them really get to DO anything.
The Bob Dovie & Son scenes. Like, I get that Nick Briggs wanted his son to be in it. But really, not his best idea.
Soundtrack. Oh my god, I hated the background music in this. And the theme! It's terrible!
I think the script could have used a little more editing. I wanted it to be longer—more Doctor interactions, different or more in-depth development for the companion cameos, more Doctor/Master moments. And at the same time I wanted it to be shorter and tighter. Someone get that kid out of there. And for real fuck that music.
The Light at the End is available here from Big Finish. In the end, is it worth it? Yes. I mean, maybe not the $25 version, but the $12.99 one? Sure.
Good points:
The Fourth and Eighth Doctors working together. Baker and McGann are wonderful. Scouse-off!
The Sixth Doctor. More and more I'm coming around to Prole Hole's way of thinking, that Colin Baker is the MVP of the Big Finish Doctor Who range.
Geoffrey Beever as the Master. God he's so evil. And so much more sinister than any other incarnation of the character. It's obvious he relishes it, but it's not in the super over-the-top campy way you sometimes see.
The Seventh Doctor's reaction at seeing Peri. Maaaaaybe he goes a little overboard with the solemnity, but it really worked for me.
Less good points:
The billion companion cameos. They talk about this in the behind-the-scenes stuff, how it was difficult to write because it was basically everyone having to say the same thing and hit the same character beats. And they're right! Like, it's nice that you got everyone to come back for this, but it's overly long and indulgent. And none of them really get to DO anything.
The Bob Dovie & Son scenes. Like, I get that Nick Briggs wanted his son to be in it. But really, not his best idea.
Soundtrack. Oh my god, I hated the background music in this. And the theme! It's terrible!
I think the script could have used a little more editing. I wanted it to be longer—more Doctor interactions, different or more in-depth development for the companion cameos, more Doctor/Master moments. And at the same time I wanted it to be shorter and tighter. Someone get that kid out of there. And for real fuck that music.
The Light at the End is available here from Big Finish. In the end, is it worth it? Yes. I mean, maybe not the $25 version, but the $12.99 one? Sure.
