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Post by barnabaslives on Sept 30, 2016 20:40:35 GMT
It's like the Nyssa overdose in the Fifth Doctor Main Range stories, I just want one year without Sarah Sutton because she's been in so many stories in the last seven years that the familiarity has bred disinterest in the character. Blasphemy! I must protest - if this malcontentment with familiarity is allowed to go on uncontested, next it may be uttered even against Doctors themselves... "Hey, why is Paul McGann in every last one of these 8th Doctor audios? Can't we have just one 8th Doctor audio without him in it?" - it is not a pretty sound, is it? Kidding aside, I think it might be somewhat up to one's accounting? On the one hand, I think it's true that Sarah Sutton has been in twice as many MR stories as any other 5th Doctor companion. Then again, in the last seven years there have been twice as many Tegan-Turlough-Nyssa stories as stories with just Nyssa, and I think that prior to that - believe it or not - Nicola Bryant was actually ahead of Sarah for appearances with the Fifth Doctor. At the very least, I believe that Nyssa has been used in stories in a consistently balanced fashion. That said, I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming stories with just Five and Turlough because that's something that hasn't happened for some time now, and I'd be delighted for any stories with just Five and Tegan because I can't seem to think of when that's ever happened much on audio.
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Post by omega on Oct 1, 2016 2:00:34 GMT
It's like the Nyssa overdose in the Fifth Doctor Main Range stories, I just want one year without Sarah Sutton because she's been in so many stories in the last seven years that the familiarity has bred disinterest in the character. Blasphemy! I must protest - if this malcontentment with familiarity is allowed to go on uncontested, next it may be uttered even against Doctors themselves... "Hey, why is Paul McGann in every last one of these 8th Doctor audios? Can't we have just one 8th Doctor audio without him in it?" - it is not a pretty sound, is it? Kidding aside, I think it might be somewhat up to one's accounting? On the one hand, I think it's true that Sarah Sutton has been in twice as many MR stories as any other 5th Doctor companion. Then again, in the last seven years there have been twice as many Tegan-Turlough-Nyssa stories as stories with just Nyssa, and I think that prior to that - believe it or not - Nicola Bryant was actually ahead of Sarah for appearances with the Fifth Doctor. At the very least, I believe that Nyssa has been used in stories in a consistently balanced fashion. That said, I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming stories with just Five and Turlough because that's something that hasn't happened for some time now, and I'd be delighted for any stories with just Five and Tegan because I can't seem to think of when that's ever happened much on audio. Those Fifth Doctor stories with Nicola Bryant as Peri also had Erimem in them, offering something different and interesting. We also got stories with other companions like Nyssa (Creatures of Beauty, The Game, Circular Time), Turlough (Singularity) and Tegan (The Gathering). The last time the Fifth Doctor had consecutive full cast with no other Doctor and without Nyssa was 2009 with the Key 2 Time trilogy. She's been in a Fifth Doctor trilogy each year since 2008 (Haunting of Thomas Brewster, Boy That Time Forgot and Time Reef are technically a trilogy). The 2014 trilogy with "companion" Hannah Bartholomew didn't do much for the Nyssa as a character beyond generic, albeit more technically capable, companion and the older Nyssa arc could easily have been cut a trilogy worth of stories (did we really need a sequel to Hand of Fear or the remake of Full Circle?) Half the time the writers seemed to write her as the younger Nyssa seen on TV instead of the older one who resembles Sarah Sutton as she looks today. Even the Richters Syndrome arc only appeared in a handful of stories.
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Post by kimalysong on Oct 1, 2016 18:23:32 GMT
I really really enjoyed Doom Coalition. Parts of episode 2 and 3 were little confusing because there was so much going on but I felt while listening I needed to know what was going to happen next. In fact I had planned to save episode 4 for Monday but after the cliffhanger of episode 3 I just couldn't wait.
I do kind of wish I had the time to re-listen to DC 1 and 2. I did not remember Padrac at all and he played such a pivotal role in this box-set. But that was my fault. I like that characters I wouldn't have thought of are coming back into the story.
I also enjoyed Thomas Cromwell in this story partially because I had only recently finished watching Wolf Hall. The Doctor's conversations with Cromwell were also highlights of this set.
I did kind of miss Mark Bonnar as the Eleven (he was excellent after all) but I also enjoy how the threat is so much bigger than I first imagined. It's not one rouge time lord...it's many. Now the title Doom Coalition makes even more sense. And I personally think villainous time lords make great villains. Each have been very different from the last. And Padrac's turn to villainy indirectly references the Time War! And while I am pretty sure the Doctor, Liv, and Helen will all escape from their predicament at the end I am still interested to see how and what "nothingness" will mean. Could there be another visit to the Land of Fiction perhaps?
That being all said my favorite story in this box-set was definitely Absent Friends. I love character pieces like this. This story to me was not only one of the best of Doom Coalition but one of Doctor Who. And once again I loved how it showed the consequences of Time Travel. My absolute favorite type of story introspective & beautiful.
Finally I also want to say that I disagree with the majority in this thread I love Liv & Helen. I am not really sure what Helen's purpose is or that it really matters that she has a purpose. I find her to be a compelling character. Yes she makes mistakes. Some of those mistakes are because she feels the need to prove herself based on the way she was treated in the past. But the fact that she isn't perfect makes her more compelling to me as a character. Now obviously I don't know what the ultimate plans for Helen or Liv are but to me they are two fully realized characters who I emphasize with and have come to care for. They both bring a human element to the story and I like that they also have each other and have grown close. I absolutely loved both their stories in Absent Friends.
Another of my favorite conversations was between River & the Doctor in episode 3 where the Doctor reluctantly admitted his feelings for them. As much as the Doctor doesn't want to care he can't help it. And as much as the Doctor tries to keep his companions out of danger they just can't leave him.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Oct 2, 2016 0:27:50 GMT
Sat down, fired up the iPod and planted the ear buds in to finish the set. Mixed feelings across the board. Nothing in the box set comes close to the exquisite pain & beauty of Absent Friends but that was never really the intention, was it? I feel like the writing, acting, direction & production are all top notch & on point but the box set suffers from being what it is....the 3/4 point of a longer story. The set exists to lay a lot of cards on the table, expose what the threat & stakes really are and to put our heroes in great peril ahead of the final set of stories. And it does all those things with all the style we have come to expect from Big Finish. I'm sure when I sit down and listen to the entire series this structural engineering won't feel like the flaw it does to me on its own.
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Post by Ela on Oct 2, 2016 18:01:58 GMT
Nope, you're not the only one.
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 2, 2016 18:28:53 GMT
Finished listening to it yesterday, I did find the plot a bit hard to follow in Eps 2 and 3 and was starting to wonder where it was going, but the finale pulled (nearly) everything into place, excellent boxset overall, John Dorney and Matt Fitton prove once again how talented they are, Helen and Liv are turning into a very likeable tardis team.
That cliffhanger...
As yes The Nine was hilarious, it may be because I didn't watch many of Smith's episodes, but did anyone else think McGann and Kingston had instantly believable chemistry? I certainly hope DC4 isn't the last we hear of them together...
After listening to the behind the scenes interviews I'm wondering whether Cardinal Oliistra might make an appearance in the last episode as a set up for the Time War stories...
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Post by Ela on Oct 2, 2016 18:48:26 GMT
As yes The Nine was hilarious, it may be because I didn't watch many of Smith's episodes, but did anyone else think McGann and Kingston had instantly believable chemistry? I certainly hope DC4 isn't the last we hear of them together... I've watched all of Smith's episodes, and I still thought McGann and Kingston had great chemistry. It would be lovely to hear more of them together.
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 2, 2016 18:58:53 GMT
As yes The Nine was hilarious, it may be because I didn't watch many of Smith's episodes, but did anyone else think McGann and Kingston had instantly believable chemistry? I certainly hope DC4 isn't the last we hear of them together... I've watched all of Smith's episodes, and I still thought McGann and Kingston had great chemistry. It would be lovely to hear more of them together. The Psychic wimple was a very ingenious move, but I wouldn't be opposed to River and 8 encountering each other face to face with no disguises, it's been a while since he 8th Doctor's had amnesia
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Post by Ela on Oct 2, 2016 19:00:15 GMT
I've watched all of Smith's episodes, and I still thought McGann and Kingston had great chemistry. It would be lovely to hear more of them together. The Psychic wimple was a very ingenious move, but I wouldn't be opposed to River and 8 encountering each other face to face with no disguises, it's been a while since he 8th Doctor's had amnesia Please!!! No more amnesia!!!
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 2, 2016 19:05:27 GMT
The Psychic wimple was a very ingenious move, but I wouldn't be opposed to River and 8 encountering each other face to face with no disguises, it's been a while since he 8th Doctor's had amnesia Please!!! No more amnesia!!! There's only been a few times: TV Movie The Eight Doctors The Ancestor Cell Halflife Minuet In Hell Mary's Story Something Inside Orbis Etc.
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Post by Ela on Oct 2, 2016 19:12:58 GMT
It's the "Etc." that gets me!
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Post by mark687 on Oct 2, 2016 19:22:05 GMT
Please!!! No more amnesia!!! There's only been a few times: TV Movie The Eight Doctors The Ancestor Cell Halflife Minuet In Hell Mary's Story Something Inside Orbis Etc. Not to mention the BBC EDA Books
Regards
mark687
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 2, 2016 19:38:17 GMT
There's only been a few times: TV Movie The Eight Doctors The Ancestor Cell Halflife Minuet In Hell Mary's Story Something Inside Orbis Etc. Not to mention the BBC EDA Books
Regards
mark687
It was only {Spoiler} 38 of them!
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 2, 2016 19:40:38 GMT
The Psychic wimple was a very ingenious move, but I wouldn't be opposed to River and 8 encountering each other face to face with no disguises, it's been a while since he 8th Doctor's had amnesia Please!!! No more amnesia!!! If the 8th Doctor were to write a autobiography that would be a great title.
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Post by mark687 on Oct 2, 2016 19:42:53 GMT
Not to mention the BBC EDA Books
Regards
mark687
It was only {Spoiler} 38 of them! LOL
Regards
mark687
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 2, 2016 19:48:47 GMT
There's a part of me that hopes if BF ever write a lead into story into NOTD, that the 8th Doctor gets amnesia just before he lands on Cass's ship for old times sake, explaining why he didn't mention more than five companions on Karn, then again naming them all might have been a bit anticlimatic: i.imgur.com/nfk8xTZ.png
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Post by elkawho on Oct 3, 2016 4:31:04 GMT
Am I the only one who had fun listening to The Nine? while listening I was just thinking this just needs the Macqueen Master joining the party I personally don't need Daleks in the DC series, I want more Eleven (and Six, and more Nine, and Ten....). River and the Eighth Doctor are great together, more please! It just goes to show how great Paul McGann is. I can't think of anyone that he doesn't have great chemistry with. Grace, Charley, Samson, Gemma, Lucie, Susan, Alex, Fitz, Benny, Izzy, Mary, Molly, Liv, Helen, Romana II and, now, River. Even Four. McGann can work with anyone and make it sound like a match made in heaven. Edit: I left out Alex MeQueen. His Master and McGann are amazing together.
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 3, 2016 15:45:47 GMT
Oh boy, yes. I crave for more audios with a variety of companions. Specially Benny, Fitz and Mary. Since I also enjoy a ton his chemistry with Liv and Helen, can we have the DC boxes PLUS normal audios in the main range with Eight? 'The Company Of More Friends, a new boxset range' anyone? Still waiting to hear that audio with the killer guitars, or maybe they could bring Fitz, Izzy or Mary into the short trips range...
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 3, 2016 15:53:03 GMT
I'm laughing so hard right now! What really made laugh was the second picture, even the Doctor was frowning trying to remember know how many there were (there's been at least Two new companions since-Josie and Helen, plus Chang Lee from the TV movie, 'Daphne' from Prisoner of The Sun, William Shakespeare, the Jellyfish people from Orbis and Cass...)...then he carries on muttering to himself taking no notice of anyone else...it actually seemed quite in character
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Oct 3, 2016 16:20:28 GMT
Am I the only one who had fun listening to The Nine? while listening I was just thinking this just needs the Macqueen Master joining the party I personally don't need Daleks in the DC series, I want more Eleven (and Six, and more Nine, and Ten....). River and the Eighth Doctor are great together, more please! It just goes to show how great Paul McGann is. I can't think of anyone that he doesn't have great chemistry with. Grace, Charley, Samson, Gemma, Lucie, Susan, Alex, Fitz, Benny, Izzy, Mary, Molly, Liv, Helen, Romana II and, now, River. Even Four. McGann can work with anyone and make it sound like a match made in heaven. Edit: I left out Alex MeQueen. His Master and McGann are amazing together. I really want an multi doctor 7/8/War story at some point, would lend itself very well to exploring the Doctors morality...
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