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Post by Prole Hole on Sept 21, 2018 8:15:23 GMT -5
WOOOO you loved Robophobia! It ought to be a cheesy follow-up but it's just such a fantastic play and I love the chemistry between Walker and McCoy - very different from the chemistry she'll go on to have with McGann but no less brilliant.
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Oct 1, 2018 17:24:40 GMT -5
Ferril’s Folly - 4th/Romana I. A tight thriller that pits the Doctor and Romana against a foe with magnetic abilities. The villain Ferril is a delightfully devilish creation, who is easily able to match wits with both Doctor and companion. Both Mary Tamm and Madeleine Potter give great performances here. The action is very fun, and the ingenuity in unraveling the scheme at the end is smartly played. Overall a solid story. B+
The Cold Equations - 1st/Steven/Oliver. An unusual story, the first episode of “Cold Equations” serves as an expository look at a decimated Earth far in the future from the perspective of a station orbiting it. This look at the future is fascinating and brimming with good ideas. The second half then almost entirely devotes itself to being a Gravity style thriller as Steven and Oliver navigate a damaged satellite spinning out of control. This half is extremely exciting even when most of it is Peter Purves talking about physics, a neat trick. Oliver’s character continues to deepen and become more interesting, and I’m excited for more stories with this crew. B+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Oct 13, 2018 20:56:01 GMT -5
House of Blue Fire - 7th. Like Robophobia, another 7 masterplan where McCoy plays the Doctor in complete control over an unraveling situation where only he knows exactly what’s going on. This time the Doctor has a much more active role in the proceedings, turning this into a game of speed chess. This story is very thrilling, with a truly chilling and surreal first pair of episodes. Sadly the midpoint twist turns the story into something slightly more conventional, but the characters are strong enough to shine through and make this something special. B+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Oct 28, 2018 15:50:26 GMT -5
The King of Sontar - 4th/Leela. A dumb story that’s so thoroughly impressed with itself, which is a major sin in my book. The villain of Strang feels so tacky and silly it weighs the whole story down like an anchor. Not that there’s much worth saving, bland characters, tired plotting, and a weak riff on Genesis of the Daleks all hurt the story further. The only bright spot is the consistency of Baker and Jameson’s work and the shades this story gives their relationship in the eleventh hour. If only the rest could be as good as the final scene. D+
The Evil One - 4th/Leela. The Evil One dives straight into the thorny Who issue of the telepathy of the Time Lords and only muddles this part of canon further. Deployed here it might as well be a kind of technobabble, one that is so powerful it raises more questions than it answers. The story unfolds in a simultaneously confusing and uninteresting way, with bland characters in every corner, including a disappointing turn by Beevers as The Master. Again, Baker and Jameson are the bright spots, and again the story is almost salvaged by great final scene that puts the Doctor and Leela’s relationship in the spotlight, but the rest just feels so tired. C-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Nov 25, 2018 18:29:21 GMT -5
River Song: The Unknown - A very straightforward, potboiler Who story with a time anomaly on a spaceship that’s putting reality and people’s memories in flux. This allows River to meet the 7th Doctor and though Kingston and McCoy have fine chemistry, nothing really sparks off them. The Doctor’s role in this story in general feels rote and not contributing much. None of the guest cast really leave an impression either, though at least none fall flat. This is very basic Who, and that’s fine, but it does leave me wanting more. B-
River Song: Five Twenty-Nine - A melancholy, dramatic story about River trying to save a family in the face of an unstoppable and unknowable threat. John Dorney’s script is very patient in setting up the characters of this piece, giving all of them little details and nuance that make them stand out. The dynamics of this old couple with an android daughter is endlessly fascinating, and serve as a great base with which the action of the story can play off of. The unknowable nature of the threat that’s consuming the world is fantastically creepy, and River’s desperation in trying to solve it or at least save even one life gives this story a very dramatic edge. By the time the heartbreaking ending rolls around, Dorney has more than earned investment in the story, thanks to never overplaying the melodrama and fleshing out his characters to an engrossing degree. Bolstered by an amazing performance from Kingston this is another standout of the range. A-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Dec 16, 2018 18:08:49 GMT -5
World Enough and Time - A fizzy corporate satire that pits River and the 6th Doctor against a company bringing about the end of the world for very confusing and unclear reasons. Everything Kingston and Baker are serving in this story is fantastic, the two have wildfire chemistry and both nail the humor they’re given as well as engage as leads. Unfortunately so much else around them falls flat from the weak jokes about white collar bureaucracy to the inscrutable plan of the villains that attempts to answer questions from the previous two stories and never quite makes them clear. One highlight is a great performance by Sarah Powell as the villain, but her charisma is not enough to elucidate what’s going on. Though not a total misfire thanks to its two charming leads, “World Enough and Time” fumbles executing its standout elements. B-
The Eye of the Storm - A mess of a finale that fails to satisfyingly conclude the arc of the boxset while also shortchanging the story it sets up. Set in the Great Storm of 1703 and featuring Daniel Defoe, these parts of the story work the best but also feel let down by the actual story going on. When the story tries to answer any remaining story hooks and dangling threads from the previous installments it fumbles, leaving me more confused than when I started. The central romance between Isaac and Sarah that forms the emotional core is charming, but ultimately is not given enough room to breathe between all the technobabble salad being churned out around them. The story is also far too packed between River and two Doctors, with neither Doctor having that much of an impact on the story. It’s a frustrating conclusion, and a disappointing way to end this arc. C
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Feb 11, 2019 17:50:22 GMT -5
The Phoenicians - 1st/Susan/Barbara/Ian. Marc Platt clearly knows his stuff, this historical is filled with rich historical detail and fascinating characters. It’s a shame then that it is dramatically inert at almost every turn. The main villain in king Pygmalion is thoroughly unthreatening, every bit of danger the main characters get into feels ripped from the most tired Doctor Who cliches, and the story just stops at points to exposit about Phoenician history and mythology. It’s a shame because Platt characterizes the regulars well and has great ideas to play with, from the role of women in an ancient society to the dangers of using myth as history. None of these are dug into at all however, leaving us with an underwhelming story that feels entirely surface level. C+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Feb 25, 2019 17:59:05 GMT -5
Tick-Tock World - 1st/Susan/Barbara/Ian. There are interesting ideas present in this script, directly reminiscent of The Space Museum and other surreal, out-of-time Doctor Who stories. Unfortunately, through the mess of technobabble and lack of incident everything errs more on the side of being confusing or boring. Credit where it’s due, the guest characters this week are all fun to be around, even if their arcs come to very unceremonious ends. Also the way the story plays with the Doctor and Susan’s relationship, retroactively presaging their separation, is interesting and sweet, especially thanks to a solid performance from Carole Ann Ford. However, the story is ultimately a disappointment, every plot beat feels perfunctory, the alien monsters are some of the most bland in Who canon, and the resolution is purely limp. The 1DA cast is still very good, they deserve better stories than this. C+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Mar 11, 2019 16:03:27 GMT -5
Destroy the Infinite - 4th/Leela. A bog standard story with terrible pacing and thoroughly unmemorable characters. This is my first time meeting The Eminence and they are such boring villains, though the human good guys in this story aren’t much more interesting. It’s so frustrating to encounter a Doctor Who story this committed to doing nothing new, and the fact that this is supposed to set up many Eminence stories to come is extra embarrassing. D+
The Abandoned - 4th/Leela. A really trippy story, maybe too trippy. The first half is almost entirely elliptical dialog that’s difficult to understand but has a pleasing poetry to it. I really admire this story for trying something different and truly mind bending. Unfortunately the first half is hard to be riveting thanks to a lack of specifics and the second offers far too many expository details which simplify the story too much. A shame because I like that FDAs actually tried something new. B
Missy: A Spoonful of Mayhem - A boxset of Master only stories feels like a tall order, it makes sense it would start with something familiar. This riff on Mary Poppins hits obvious beats, but it is a delight to hear an amazingly on form Michelle Gomez interact with teenagers. The biggest problem with the story is the lazy narration that might be necessary to condense the story into an hour but always stops the momentum in its tracks. And the arc of the kids growing to love Missy but then feeling hurt by the inevitable betrayal is fairly rote, though helped by both of them having well fleshed out personalities. Still, it’s Gomez who is centering and saving the story here, and she makes me really excited to dig into more. B-
Missy: Divorced, Beheaded, Regenerated - The Master meets The Meddling Monk sounds like a boringly obvious box checking exercise, which is why writer John Dorney smartly puts the focus on not continuity implications but on letting the sparkling chemistry between Gomez and Monk actor Rufus Hound shine. Their banter is continually delightful and carries the entire story. It has to, there is next to nothing going on plotwise. The Monk is impersonating Henry VIII, Missy impersonates his wife, and the two play a game of chicken to see whether they will create a paradox. The let down of this story is the introduction of the Gramoryans who truly scrape the bottom of the barrel in bog standard Who aliens. Still, their inclusion is the only thing keeping this from being perfect, as it is this is still the most fun Big Finish has given me in a while. A-
Missy: A Broken Clock - Writer Nev Fountain aims for Rob Shearman level meta complexity and existential crisis and while he doesn’t quite reach those lofty heights I commend the attempt. The true crime riff is fairly simple and not particularly incisive, but thankfully the meta elements come in early and quickly set up tons of mysteries. These mysteries don’t reach 100% satisfying conclusions but they’re still fascinating, and one of them is particularly both clever and sweet. This also features another all time great Master moment when Missy tells a hapless civilian about his upcoming death. My one quibble is most of this could be a traditional Doctor lead story, though with a massive rewrite to Gomez’s caustic dialog and final ending aside, but I’m very glad to have it in any form. A-
Missy: The Belly of the Beast - A truly haunting story about the nature of self and memory wrapped up in a highly entertaining and action packed package. Recalling the best aspects of previous mind bending Who stories like “The Natural History of Fear”, “The Belly of the Beast” gleefully pushes me to my limit trying to keep up with its mounting mysteries and tension. The fact that said mysteries have almost gleefully anti-climactic solutions makes it even more fun as they reflect the monstrosity of Missy and the tragedy of its central characters all the more. Casting Missy as a cruel ruler of a slaving operation and posing her as the antagonist in the narrative, distant from the story’s protagonists but still present, is a smart move to give her back some power. While the previous story felt more anonymous on a plot level this could only be a story about the Master in some form, and the details are delightfully specific to Gomez’s incarnation. It’s the strong writing of the central characters here, Missy’s almost literal pawns, that really push this story over the top, and had me rooting for them and devastated by the ending. This boxset as a whole feels like it has pushed Big Finish creatively in a very fun way, and I’m really looking forward to a potential sequel. A
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Mar 18, 2019 14:33:39 GMT -5
The Eighth of March
Emancipation - River/Leela. Pairing a new and classic companion is something I’m shocked Big Finish have waited this long to do. And choosing River Song and Leela as that inaugural pair is a stroke of genius, the two are so different but have enough similarities to catch on like wildfire. Kingston and Jameson are two of Big Finish’s most reliable performers and continue to turn in the great work we expect from them here. The story is a fun and twisty one too, and maybe loses the thread near the end but there’s enough great ideas to keep it engaging throughout. Wisely the emotional climax is grounded in both characters’ point of view, and really highlights why this is such a good pairing, one I hope Big Finish returns to. A-
The Big Blue Book - Ace/Benny. A way too confusing story that has a hard time conveying or justifying all the technobabble and unusualness at its core. So many elements just don’t connect to each other (why books??) and there’s a couple twists too many. However I admire the big swings it’s taking, and certainly its insane petty criminal villains are a change of pace. I wish more was done with the Ace and Benny pairing given their rich history but nothing new is learned. Still, the story is paced well and never boring, and Aldred and Bowerman turn in good work, so I’m charitable. B-
Inside Every Warrior - Paternoster Gang. I may be biased towards this story because this is the first Paternoster Gang release from Big Finish and it feels so good to be back with them. And with their schitcks toned down from the over the top level they were at in “Deep Breath” it feels comfortable just hanging out with them and their easy chemistry. McIntosh and Stewart still have gangbusters chemistry and I could listen to Starkey rant for days. The mystery story is intriguing until its solved halfway through and then the story becomes frustratingly linear. I appreciate the big swing in trying to bring class struggles into the story but the message completely muddles itself and it’s never quite clear where the sympathies of the story lie. That said, it’s nice to be trying something new, and even the familiar is characters I’m excited to have back. B
Narcissus - New UNIT. By far the least interesting story on the set, instead of taking big swings it tells a fairly straightforward story that attempts to and botches a pat moral about self-confidence. Still, it’s never unentertaining, the story moves at a brisk pace, Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver give fine performances (though feel like slouches in comparison to the last three stories), and the concept is at least somewhat interesting. However after a boxset that felt fresher than usual this feels like a bum note. C+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 14, 2019 16:15:58 GMT -5
The Lives of Captain Jack: The Year After I Died - A painfully straight forward story elevated by a great central performance by Barrowman and some solid worldbuilding. It’s a shame every beat of this story about a philanthropist preying on the poor is predictable because on paper it is an interesting hook and it does a good job examining the consequences of The Parting of Ways. Between the loudly over the top villain and uninspired end, this story falls just short of impressing. B-
The Lives of Captain Jack: Wednesday for Beginners - A two hander between Jack Harkness and Jackie Tyler that is a fantastic showcase for both characters. This is such a good story for Camille Coduri to sink her teeth into and she does so much making Jackie a full rounded and sympathetic character. James Goss adds so much detail into Jackie’s life which both makes the character vibrant and gives stakes to the threat to her rapidly being consumed estate. Coduri and Barrowman get along like a house on fire, their chemistry is palpable and so much fun, and does a lot to paper over a fairly standard story. Would love to see another pairing of these two. A-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 23, 2019 16:22:41 GMT -5
Lives of Captain Jack: One Enchanted Evening - A romp of a story pairing Jack with Voyage of the Damned’s Alonso, playing off the Doctor’s wingman moment at the end of “End of Time”. The story is mostly carried by Barrowman and Tovey’s electric chemistry which is really sold in their first scene together and then once they are separated I really bought them moving heaven and earth to see each other again. The rest of the story is far more shallow. Themes of what it means to be a hero are brought up but never explored and the ridiculous campy villain (played by Katy Manning having a ball) is never given much definition, but this story works so well on that surface level I can’t dislike it at all. B+
Lives of Captain Jack: Month 25 - A very solid conspiracy thriller undone by fumbling some very intriguing questions in Jack’s backstory. Addressing his time in the Time Agency and his missing two years is such an intriguing gift that Guy Adams wastes by answering those questions in dreadfully boring ways. However the story has some delights, with the relationships between Jack and his best friend as well as between Jack and his future self being very well conceived. It’s a shame on a meta universe level this story is such a disappointment, the bones of it are very solid. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on May 29, 2019 16:39:27 GMT -5
No Place - 10th/Donna. An attempt at horror found footage which doesn’t quite work due to its repetitive nature. This story features not just the incomparable team of the 10th Doctor and Donna but also Sylvia and Wilf (in his audio debut!) and they’re all sidelined to focus on a mostly anonymous guest character. The constant sequences of underwhelming jump scares and “spooky” happenings all feel flat, with no build and no great character depth (save for some lovely scenes between Donna and her mother) this is mostly a bore. Which is a shame, there’s some great ideas here, if anything the story would be stronger cut down in time. C
One Mile Down - 10th/Donna. If the last story could be shorter, this definitely needs the extra length it would cede. Writer Jenny T. Colgan has so many ideas going on in this story and all of them are at least fascinating, from critiques on capitalism and colonialism, to a fun twist on the Judoon. None of them are given the proper time to shine however, each missing an extra step to really give the why they’re being presented to us. I feel like with a stronger script editor and more space to develop what’s going on under the surface this story could really sing, as it stands, it can’t break free of being typical Who fare. C+
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jun 10, 2019 16:25:13 GMT -5
The Creeping Death - 10th/Donna. A kind of Goldilocks story compared to the last two, not too overstuffed, not too thin, Creeping Death is just right in terms of content fitting the hour long format. It’s a brisk story that’s well paced, well structured, and utterly forgettable. It’s a shame because writer Roy Gill nails the particulars of the Davies era so well it’s transporting, but nothing he does really makes this stand out from those previous stories. Tennant and Tate are brilliant as always, several of the guest characters are fun, but there’s not much to chew on here, it’s simply a pleasant listen. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jun 25, 2019 17:02:39 GMT -5
River Song: The Lady in the Lake - A very twisty and fun runabout dealing with multiple timelines, a constantly regenerating cast, and real great concept of an assisted suicide theme park. Writer Nev Fountain has no shortage of strange ideas for this story and it shows that he had a blast cramming them all in. Alex Kingston is always great in her role as River, especially when interacting with herself. I felt I was in good hands with this start to the boxset. A-
River Song: A Requiem for the Doctor - A mixed bag of the story that ultimately I have to credit for its unusual strengths over its few weaknesses. Jac Rayner has such a poetic voice in her script, the lovely dialog is the real highlight. The murder mystery is intriguing and even if the solution is too simple, it builds to a great emotional climax. The rivalry between River and Brooke is a good hook that puts River in an unusual position for her. The biggest flaw is surprisingly Peter Davison, who feels very checked out the whole story. Nonetheless, this is another solid installment, a good historical on its own with an intriguing set up at the end. B+
River Song: My Dinner with Andrew - A straight up farce, densely plotted with real manic energy. The character of Andrew is a delight, especially envisioned by a much more keyed in Davison than we got last story (he also has a lot of fun playing a killer robot). Kingston does a good job keeping the energy up and she has a great foil in Jonathan Coote. Frances Barber returns as Madame Kovarian and while the character isn’t given much to do here it’s fun having her back. Like “Lady in the Lake” this is a very twisty, heavy on time travel story that I’m impressed it’s pulled off at all let alone this well. A-
River Song: The Furies - A fairly fine conclusion to the boxset that feels like it should be so much more. I like how it keeps the action of the story to a small character drama (distracting half-assed killer robots aside), I like how it tries to be a character arc for Brooke that reflects River’s, and I like the dive more of Madame Kovarian’s cult. However none of these elements feel properly followed through, lacking real thematic depth and weight that could have made them feel special. Also the solution to the mystery established in the previous story feels unearned and not particularly creative. I still enjoyed parts of this story a great deal but it’s a let down considering what came before and what it tries to do. B
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Jul 31, 2019 16:05:21 GMT -5
Suburban Hell - 4th/Leela. A very paint-by-numbers story in a moderately interesting setting. Suburban England feels more of a 10th Doctor locale than one for Tom Baker, but nothing interesting is done with that contrast, with the time travel gimmick at the center, or indeed anything else. It’s listenable, but that’s it. C
The Cloisters of Terror - 4th/Leela. Another formulaic story that at least has solid character work and a spooky atmosphere propping it up. The motivation for the story’s conflict is interesting enough, with a suitable twist. Outside of a rushed conclusion nothing here feels off. A perfectly fine story. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Sept 2, 2019 16:43:26 GMT -5
The Legacy of Time: Lies in Ruins - 8th/River/Benny. First off, retconning River to be Benny’s student in archeology school is a brilliant idea, I love it so much. Really, everything about pairing these two is genius and it makes me very happy. It’s a shame their fun banter is often in this story cut short by the addition of Ria, a one-off companion for the 8th Doctor that far too quickly tips her hand that something is “off” about her. Mostly though she exists to make River and Benny jealous, which is not a new dynamic and not particularly compelling here. What is compelling is how those two play off Paul McGann in a very dark but fascinating story as the Doctor is pushed to the brink of war once more. This is a familiar story that justifies itself far better, as it brings out the best in all three actors involved, and makes for a memorable start to the boxset. B+
The Legacy of Time: The Split Infinitive - 7th/Ace. A very middle of the road adventure with Counter Measures and The Rocket Men, neither of whom leave much of an impression to justify why this exists. The action is fun and the split timeline gimmick is interesting enough, but none of these characters feel particularly special or necessary. McCoy’s Doctor and Ace are doing a good job, but they’re not elevating their game either, so the whole thing is whatever. B-
The Legacy of Time: The Sacrifice of Jo Grant - 3rd/Jo. A wonderful showcase for Katy Manning, possibly at the expense of everything else in the story, but that’s worth it for Katy Manning. Her work with Tim Treloar is extraordinary, helped by the fact that he has elevated his performance a lot since the last time I’ve listened to him play the 3rd Doctor. This story also features the Kate Stewart era UNIT, but her and Osgood are pushed so far to the sidelines that, barring a tear jerking scene from Redgrave late in the story, they don’t leave much impact. Still, I don’t need them too, this is a story celebrating not them or even the 3rd Doctor but Katy Manning herself who’s been a Big Finish veteran from the early days and it’s wonderful to see her done right here. A-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Sept 9, 2019 16:34:45 GMT -5
Legacy of Time: Relative Time - 5th/Jenny. The story is nonsense and I couldn’t make sense of it, but Davison and Tennant’s interactions are a delight, which makes sense given she’s known him all her life. This is my first time meeting The Nine and I got his deal but all his stuff still felt uninteresting and distracting. There’s just not much to talk about here. C+
Legacy of Time: The Avenues of Possibility - 6th/Charley. I love Six and Charley, and I really love DI Menzies so what a disappointment this story wasn’t great. Part of it is both characters are given the short shrift thanks to an overly complicated story and the intro of two new characters standing in for an absent Jago and Litefoot. The alternate 1951 is mildly fascinating, how unfortunate nothing else here is. C+
Legacy of Time: Collision Course - 4th/Leela/Romana. An appropriately spooky first half shows off why Louise Jameson and Lalla Ward are two of the best actors Big Finish has on call. I love the chemistry they have with Baker. When it turns into a massive Doctor pile-up, the quips they get in are fun but it really becomes pure fanservice with no story tension at that point. And then three more Doctors show up (with the 10th being there in direct violation of his character arc!!) and it’s just a cruel tease of a longer story that could have used Tennant, Bradley, and/or Hines for more than just showing up and being shooed away. Fun but dissatisfying. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Oct 20, 2019 15:53:33 GMT -5
White Ghosts - 4th/Leela. A solid runaround with some good twists and a creative monster in killer plants. The mechanics of how the monster functions is delved into a lot and satisfies, and the guest characters are interesting enough to make the twist land. I dunno though, overall the story is whatever. B-
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Nov 14, 2019 18:54:57 GMT -5
Diary of River Song Volume 4
Time in a Bottle - Mostly set up, with some interesting ideas but none of those ideas are given the proper oxygen to really be interesting. This is disappointing because the set ups for the arc are the least interesting parts, I wish we had more time with the original ideas in this story. B-
Kings of Infinite Space - A much more entertaining romp in the style of The Chase and the highlight of this boxset. It has a strong character arc for River and is very well paced. Not every moment lands but what we have is pretty entertaining. B+
Whodunnit? - A very shallow pastiche of murder mysteries followed by a confusing and unenlightening second half makes this story fall short of its potential. I like Doctor Who stories that aren’t afraid to get weird but this doesn’t get weird enough, nor does it commit hard enough to the genres it’s trying to emulate. The inclusion of Kafka feels too clever by half without earning it. C+ Someone I Once Knew - A solid conclusion to a just OK boxset. Tom Baker is a lot of fun here and has great chemistry with Kingston. The story around the main villain Dante is an interesting spin and fairly entertaining and thematically interesting but is missing an extra spark to make it unique. The ending is rather deus ex machina, but I suppose that’s what it has to be and does satisfy emotionally, so overall, whatever. B
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Post by Nathan Ford's Evil Twin on Nov 25, 2019 17:01:58 GMT -5
Piece of Mind - Another botched attempt at comedy from Big Finish. Writer James Goss is playing with some good ideas here, and Barrowman and Baker are very up for playing big. There is a lot of theoretical fun with Jack playing the Doctor too, peaking with him marrying a whole alien race. However with a joke success rate this low and dramatic tension so flat thanks to a boringly linear story this is a misfire. C
What Have I Done? - A very solid two hander dealing with guilt and fear in the WWI trenches. Barrowman and Atilla Akinci are a fantastic duo to center this around, really selling this very small and human story. The details of the story are uninventive and the twists fairly predictable but I was very sold on this from the power of the performances alone. B+
Driving Miss Wells - A paranoid thriller that feels more like torture porn for its protagonist than everything else. The beats of Trinity Wells seeing things and not being believed is so repetitive. Which is a shame because Lachele Carl gives a great lead performance and Barrowman is a good sounding board for her (though Jack’s personality feels off here). Wish I could enjoy this more but the story never finds the second gear it desperately needs. C+
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