|
Post by Star Platinum on Feb 16, 2020 22:24:58 GMT
Shadow of the Past
I’ve been looking forward to this, I’ve been listening to Scales of Injustice lately so more Liz Shaw is nice.
I love the part one cliffhanger. This story is just early enough in this particular incarnation that he’s desperate enough just to consider the possibility. Add in the first few minutes of the reprise and you have a very good (if short blip in the story.)
I’m not crazy about how the Mim invasion force is handled. I know having a full on invasion isn’t something the companion chronicles lends itself toward, but just having the visiting timelord handwave the invasion fleet away feels like a dues ex machina.
This story wouldn’t be complete without a who is who between the Doctor and the Mim, but thankfully Guerrier writes it well.
There’s a good story in here, but when the main threat is whisked away so easily it really hurts the stakes. Still the framing story ends on a high note.
Not as good as his first doctor stories, but far from the worst this range has to offer (I’m looking at you, beyond the ultimate adventure)
6/10
|
|
|
Post by Star Platinum on Feb 22, 2020 5:48:32 GMT
Holmes and the Ripper
I love the opening theme for the Sherlock Holmes releases. I think it’s one of the best opening songs for a Big Finish series.
India does a good job as Kate, but at this point Charley is so ingrained into me that it’s a conscious thought that this character is not Charolette Pollard. Still, a story with India Fisher is always a pleasure to hear.
I like the juxtaposition of Holmes having to take his lead from a fortune teller. A man whose entire belief has him place such importance on the empirical, having him pushed to take thinks on a spiritual level is an interesting take.
I always love the deduction scenes. They’re one of my favourite bits about Sherlock Holmes.
The one thing I’ve always liked about stories like this and other mysteries is the recontextualization of the various scenes throughout the story. The first scene with Mary Kelly comes across differently when you know the full story.
I like the bit where Watson pretends to be Holmes. There’s a nice bluster to the character at times, and him promoting himself as Holmes (after all, who ever remembers the side kick?)
It seems Beth Chalmers fills a number of roles in this story, and I hate to say it but it hurts the story slightly. She’s an excellent actress, but with how often Big Finish use her, she ceases to be Mrs. Hudson or Mary Kelly or even Raine Creevey, she just appears to me as Beth Chalmers.
I enjoyed this story, but finding time for it was more difficult than I expected. These stories require more attention than casual listening can provide.
I’ll have to go over the ending again, things move fairly quickly in the last few minutes.
A solid first entry for this duo
8/10
|
|
|
Post by Star Platinum on Mar 17, 2020 2:15:17 GMT
City of Spires
I love this trilogy, it starts off good, but it ends in such a phenomenal way.
It’s good to see that Jamie hasn’t changed, he still has that strong sense of right and wrong he had with the doctor.
I love how tightly knit this trilogy is, it’s already started foreshadowing the next two stories. As for how much it reveals, it plays it’s cards fairly close to the chest, it lends itself more to temporal distortions rather than the land of fiction.
There’s a lovely pain to the doctors interaction with Jamie. He really is fond of Jamie, yet for Jamie to reject him so, that’s gotta hurt him quite deeply.
I feel bad for Mrs. Ciprion, she believes her husband does this under duress, where as the truth is anything but.
It leaves me with more questions than answers, but in a trilogy this strongly linked, that’s to be expected.
8/10
|
|
|
Post by Star Platinum on Mar 17, 2020 3:40:09 GMT
Point of Entry
I’ve been looking forward to this one, Barbara Clegg has two good stories to her name and Marc Platt is one of the best world builders that Big Finish has.
I’m not sure the rack seen is as well realized as it could be, the Doctor doesn’t seem overly troubled by his torture.
I want to commend Nicola Bryant for how she played the monster. Understated but with a menace none the less
I enjoyed episode 1 more than the second episode. I enjoyed the world building and the sound design in this story. It’s a nice showcase for how far Big Finish has come since the Marion Conspiracy.
I found this story couldn’t really hold my attention during the back half, to the point of not having any drive to finish it for a few days.
It has a really good pedigree, but I don’t think that it lives up to its potential.
6/10
|
|
|
Post by Star Platinum on Mar 17, 2020 5:41:22 GMT
The Time Vampire
I’ve never been able to make heads or tails of this story, hopefully I can figure it out this time.
I’m not sure why k/9 mark 2 is being built as a safeguard against the first one, I don’t recall him being possessed at this point both phantoms of the deep and keel is/telos were written years after this.
So I’ve listened to this one a couple times in the last few days and I still can’t make heads or tails of it. Normally I can figure out the more times wines stories, but this one is just a little too incomprehensible for me.
Maybe another time I’ll listen to it with a plot summary at hand.
|
|