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Post by Hieronymus on May 26, 2016 1:59:23 GMT
I really love The Harvest
I love it for the believable near-future setting.
I love it for a strong start to a well played and fun new companion role.
I love it for the surprises that you don't often get in Doctor Who these days.
And if you re-listen to some of Sixie's and McCoy's stories, there are subtle tie-ins to several, giving us a rare glimpse of how McCoy's Doctor manipulates event from knowing secrets.
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Post by kimalysong on May 27, 2016 21:40:51 GMT
Hex is one of my favorite companions but when I first saw a picture of him I got an entirely wrong impression. I expected him to be some tough rebellious kid. Instead he's really sensitive and kind. I also really love the relationship he forms with Ace where she's kind of a Big Sister to him.
I have a few more Hex stories (and now I need to relisten to the Settling another favorite of mine) but I am dying to get them all. One of my biggest sales hopes. People keep saying they want this and that on sale but I have waited for this for a couple years now. Okay rant over.
But yeah I do love the Harvest. It has Cybermen + It introduced me to Hex so what's not to love?
And the "Oh My God" .. "No I'm the Doctor but hello just the same" is such a great companion sees the TARDIS for the first time moments.
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Post by Ela on May 27, 2016 23:43:58 GMT
There's a lot of great banter in the episode.
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Post by elkawho on May 28, 2016 2:10:13 GMT
Hex is one of my favorite companions but when I first saw a picture of him I got an entirely wrong impression. I expected him to be some tough rebellious kid. Instead he's really sensitive and kind. I also really love the relationship he forms with Ace where she's kind of a Big Sister to him. I have a few more Hex stories (and now I need to relisten to the Settling another favorite of mine) but I am dying to get them all. One of my biggest sales hopes. People keep saying they want this and that on sale but I have waited for this for a couple years now. Okay rant over. But yeah I do love the Harvest. It has Cybermen + It introduced me to Hex so what's not to love? And the "Oh My God" .. "No I'm the Doctor but hello just the same" is such a great companion sees the TARDIS for the first time moments. I agree with you regarding so much about this story. I'm a big fan of Hex as well. I thought that this was a great introduction for him. And Ace is great in this one as well. Definitely a more mature character who acts and makes decisions with a lot of experience behind her. It is just such a different type of Cyberman story, it just keeps my interest throughout. The idea of a Cyberman trying to be more human was strangely fascinating to me. The Oh my God" moments were perfect. I mean, I think that would have been my reaction as well, every time. I couldn't take the wait and finally just bought those missing Hex stories months ago. They NEVER go on sale.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2016 3:24:11 GMT
This story is filled to the brim with excellent banter and interaction. Hex is my second favourite BF companion(after Evelyn and before Charley) and I love how the Cybermen are given something completely different then there usual convert, convert, convert. Best companion introduction story from Big Finish!
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Post by omega on Jun 9, 2018 23:32:35 GMT
DOCTOR WHO - MAIN RANGE » 58. THE HARVESTReleased June 2004SynopsisOn the morning of October 12th, 2021 Hex woke up. He was expecting to go to work at St Gart's in London as normal and, that evening, have a great time in the bar of the White Rabbit, celebrating his 23rd birthday. But after his ex-flatmate is wheeled into A&E following a bike accident, and the strange young woman from Human Resources tries to chat him up and an eight-foot tall guy in a Merc tries to run him down, Hex realises things are not going quite as he expected. Then in a Shoreditch car park he meets the enigmatic Doctor who explains that he's an extra-terrestrial investigator and something very strange is going on up on the thirty-first floor of St Garts. Therefore, aided and abetted by the Doctor and his other new friend 'Just McShane', Hex decides to investigate. Trouble is, everything that goes on at the hospital is being observed and noted by the occupants of the thirty-first floor. Occupants who are none too pleased that people are poking their noses into business that doesn't concern them. Occupants who will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that no one discovers the truth. Written By: Dan Abnett Directed By: Gary Russell CASTSylvester McCoy (The Doctor); Sophie Aldred (Ace); Philip Olivier (Hex); William Boyde (Subject One); Richard Derrington (Doctor Farrer); David Warwick (David Garnier); Paul Lacoux (Doctor Mathias); Janie Booth (System); Mark Donovan (Polk)
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Post by omega on Jun 9, 2018 23:38:40 GMT
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Post by Hieronymus on Jun 10, 2018 1:35:11 GMT
This ranks among the best stories Big Finish has released.
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Post by theotherjosh on Jun 10, 2018 2:26:35 GMT
This ranks among the best stories Big Finish has released. Indeed. Possibly the best introduction to a companion as well.
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Post by omega on Jun 10, 2018 3:16:36 GMT
This ranks among the best stories Big Finish has released. Indeed. Possibly the best introduction to a companion as well. Even better than Evelyn's introduction because we're seeing the Doctor enter Hex's world rather than Hex entering the Doctor's world. The first episode follows Hex nearly the whole way through, except for the C-Program scenes, and we learn about him through what are typical or expected interactions for him. Very New-Who, and this was released nearly a year before Rose was aired!
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Post by Timelord007 on Jun 10, 2018 7:03:36 GMT
Phenomenal audio drama, tense, action packed, creepy, dramatic, excellent performances & a fantastic tease of a link to Hex's character.
Has to be a 5/5 from me.
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Post by slithe on Jun 10, 2018 9:23:19 GMT
Unsurprisingly, I am going to echo the comments that have been made in earlier posts - this is an unbelievably good release. It still ranks as one of my most favourite Big Finish stories of all time and still feels remarkably fresh and relevant.
For me, this is one of the few times that Big Finish gets the Seventh Doctor *right*. Whilst there had been a few gems in McCoy's run, these were few and far between (lets be honest, some Seventh Doctor stories up to this point were utter duds) and it seemed as if McCoy would never get the renaissance magic that Baker and Davison experienced. Big Finish, in this story at least, seems to change this. For a start, the Seventh Doctor is put into a story that seems entirely suited for him - he has arrived several weeks/months earlier, keeps in the background as a humble janitor (and so is widely ignored), knows far more than he lets on and gets others to do a large share of the dirty work for him (Ace/Hex). Only at the very end does the Doctor step out of the shadows and take an active lead. In essence, everything that Cartmel (and the New Adventures Books) wanted to do with the character is done here and done well. The subdued approach of the Doctor here is also welcome - McCoy being 'angry' does not always work well (rather shouty and lots of rolled 'Rs' if I'm honest) and the manipulativeness of the incarnation comes across far stronger for it. The Doctor knows that Hex will become interested in Ace (it is questionable whether the Doctor has encouraged Ace to flirt/use her sexuality to draw Hex to her) and will gradually develop an interest in her and (just like Ian and Barbara at the beginning) will follow her back to the TARDIS. It is also a good idea to set the story in the near future (2021) rather than the 1980s/1990s and makes a welcome break from the approach in earlier releases/TV stories.
This story, as has been hinted at already, is also very close to the New TV Series and An Unearthly Child (the first ever episode in 1963). It echoes these stories in many ways as we get to see Hex's world and his interplay with the cast and characters. Yes, we see references to the Doctor and Ace, but these are kept (for the first episode at least) to a minimum. This allows the listener to get to grips with the cast, characters and makes the storytelling more powerful. Unlike Evelyn, who's introduction scene is with the Doctor at the back of her lecture theatre, Hex is shown to us as an 'ordinary' man who ends up being part of something far more sinister. We understand the world he works and lives in, which helps to make him far more rounded and 3-Dimensional. Interestingly, Big Finish give McCoy a new male companion - something that was absent from the entirety of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors run on TV. Although Hex comes across as a 'nice' guy - it is questionable how much a male character would be manipulated by the Doctor (something that is developed throughout the Hex arc).
Ace herself seems more mature here and less the 1980s TV Teenager (even then it was still cringeworthy). Aldred seems to be better served here as a mentor for a young recruit (particularly when we know who Hex is) and seems to be more independent. A positive character development. I am not sure about all the 'McShane' business and it does seem a bit silly. Aldred's interplay with Olivier is good and it is clear that there is some chemistry between the actors, which bodes well for future releases.
The story itself is an interesting one. Sadly, I knew the plot twist before I actually listened to the story (there is also an almighty clue on the packaging with credit given the Pedlar & Davies!) It made for an interesting idea - the Cybermen trying to go back to flesh in exchange for modern technology to a European Government (how optimistic that looked in 2004!) The idea that Cybermen could lie was also a good one. However, the inclusion of the Doctor to 'resolve' the process is a bit superfluous - the process cannot be reversed and the medical teams will fail (the Cyberleader will eventually die of infection). The end also turns a bit too much into a shoot-out, with brute force rather than brains being used (would the authorities really not hear a gun battle in a hospital!?) Abnett also fails in the third episode when Hex has to 'describe' what he sees - a potentially weak part of a good story.
A strong story that gives hope for the forthcoming adventures of the Seventh Doctor. It sets up a good story arc with links to the past. Highly recommended.
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
Likes: 5,062
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Post by ljwilson on Jun 10, 2018 10:21:48 GMT
And it also has a breathless, but not intrusive, modern electro techno soundtrack bleeping away behind the action.
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Post by mark687 on Jun 10, 2018 10:45:50 GMT
Not a lot to add
Another strong introduction to a new Companion.
Hex is believable and likeable, also its the start of the more mature Ace and a new relaxed TARDIS team dynamic is forged (possibly through fate.)
Its also the 1st of one the strongest loosely linked trilogies BF have ever done (what this, The Reaping and The Gathering do with the Cybermen and the Companions involved is extraordinary. 3 stories I recommend anyone has in their BF collection.)
Regards
mark687
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Post by omega on Jun 10, 2018 11:03:34 GMT
Not a lot to add Another strong introduction to a new Companion. Hex is believable and likeable, also its the start of the more mature Ace and a new relaxed TARDIS team dynamic is forged (possibly through fate.) Its also the 1st of one the strongest loosely link trilogies BF have ever done (what this, The Reaping and The Gathering do with the Cybermen and the Companions involved is extraordinary. 3 stories I recommend anyone has in their BF collection.) Regards mark687 There's a subtle link I've not seen anyone comment upon in regards to that. In this story Hex's former flatmate, who ends up in A&E and part of C-Program is Damian Boyd. This story is set in 2021. In The Gathering, set in 2006, one of the characters Jodi Boyd talks on the phone to someone called Max, presumably her partner or boyfriend, about a kid called Damian, saying she'll be late getting home. Based on this evidence, the Damian that Jodi refers to is the same one who winds up in A&E on Hex's birthday. Fun fact, we'll meet Jodi's voice actress next week for LIVE 34. In fact, the voice actress for System turns up in The Gathering, which has rather unfortunate implications for the origins of System and whose hands the early System was in, which may come into play later on in the listen-through (which involves Ingrid Oliver in a pre-Osgood role).
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Post by slithe on Jun 10, 2018 11:07:09 GMT
There's a subtle link I've not seen anyone comment upon in regards to that. In this story Hex's former flatmate, who ends up in A&E and part of C-Program is Damian Boyd. This story is set in 2021. In The Gathering, set in 2006, one of the characters Jodi Boyd talks on the phone to someone called Max, presumably her partner or boyfriend, about a kid called Damian, saying she'll be late getting home. Based on this evidence, the Damian that Jodi refers to is the same one who winds up in A&E on Hex's birthday. Fun fact, we'll meet Jodi's voice actress next week for LIVE 34. In fact, the voice actress for System turns up in The Gathering, which has rather unfortunate implications for the origins of System and whose hands the early System was in, which may come into play later on in the listen-through (which involves Ingrid Oliver in a pre-Osgood role). Did not spot this... Makes the lose trilogy far stronger than I first thought.
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Post by omega on Jun 10, 2018 11:13:17 GMT
There's a subtle link I've not seen anyone comment upon in regards to that. In this story Hex's former flatmate, who ends up in A&E and part of C-Program is Damian Boyd. This story is set in 2021. In The Gathering, set in 2006, one of the characters Jodi Boyd talks on the phone to someone called Max, presumably her partner or boyfriend, about a kid called Damian, saying she'll be late getting home. Based on this evidence, the Damian that Jodi refers to is the same one who winds up in A&E on Hex's birthday. Fun fact, we'll meet Jodi's voice actress next week for LIVE 34. In fact, the voice actress for System turns up in The Gathering, which has rather unfortunate implications for the origins of System and whose hands the early System was in, which may come into play later on in the listen-through (which involves Ingrid Oliver in a pre-Osgood role). Did not spot this... Makes the lose trilogy far stronger than I first thought. With Gathering as the connective thread. With the Reaping it has the Doctor and Kathy Chambers doing the stories in different order (The Reaping is set in 1984 Baltimore with the Sixth Doctor and Peri, while The Gathering is set in 2006 Brisbane with the Fifth Doctor during the Peri and Erimem period, while they're in Monte Carlo), and with The Harvest there's the System origins. Both The Gathering and The Harvest have attempted reverse engineering of Cyber-technology for medical purposes.
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Post by mark687 on Jun 10, 2018 11:15:55 GMT
Not a lot to add Another strong introduction to a new Companion. Hex is believable and likeable, also its the start of the more mature Ace and a new relaxed TARDIS team dynamic is forged (possibly through fate.) Its also the 1st of one the strongest loosely link trilogies BF have ever done (what this, The Reaping and The Gathering do with the Cybermen and the Companions involved is extraordinary. 3 stories I recommend anyone has in their BF collection.) Regards mark687 There's a subtle link I've not seen anyone comment upon in regards to that. In this story Hex's former flatmate, who ends up in A&E and part of C-Program is Damian Boyd. This story is set in 2021. In The Gathering, set in 2006, one of the characters Jodi Boyd talks on the phone to someone called Max, presumably her partner or boyfriend, about a kid called Damian, saying she'll be late getting home. Based on this evidence, the Damian that Jodi refers to is the same one who winds up in A&E on Hex's birthday. Fun fact, we'll meet Jodi's voice actress next week for LIVE 34. In fact, the voice actress for System turns up in The Gathering, which has rather unfortunate implications for the origins of System and whose hands the early System was in, which may come into play later on in the listen-through (which involves Ingrid Oliver in a pre-Osgood role). I was trying to be subtle but those are some of the links
Regards
mark687
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Post by omega on Jun 10, 2018 11:22:35 GMT
There's a subtle link I've not seen anyone comment upon in regards to that. In this story Hex's former flatmate, who ends up in A&E and part of C-Program is Damian Boyd. This story is set in 2021. In The Gathering, set in 2006, one of the characters Jodi Boyd talks on the phone to someone called Max, presumably her partner or boyfriend, about a kid called Damian, saying she'll be late getting home. Based on this evidence, the Damian that Jodi refers to is the same one who winds up in A&E on Hex's birthday. Fun fact, we'll meet Jodi's voice actress next week for LIVE 34. In fact, the voice actress for System turns up in The Gathering, which has rather unfortunate implications for the origins of System and whose hands the early System was in, which may come into play later on in the listen-through (which involves Ingrid Oliver in a pre-Osgood role). I was trying to be subtle but those are some of the links
Regards
mark687
Ingrid Oliver was also in Earth Aid, and another of the guest cast, Patterson Joseph, was in Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways.
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Post by Tim Bradley on Jun 10, 2018 14:20:45 GMT
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