MR220 Quicksilver (spoilers)

Oh yes! Two main range stories for these cold winter evenings... perfect. 

I liked how Flip was brought into this one, it was a very well crafted story with some very good cliff-hangers.

My review for Planet Mondas now on Blog Finish:

blogfinishplanetmondas.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/220-quicksilver.html

Received the C.D. today, and I think they have used the incorrect illustrations. Have not tried to play them yet, still getting through the previous story. Does the picture on the discs matter?

I posted in another thread that this would have to be a hell of a story to match Aqutaine and Peterloo in my affections and be the top MR story of the year. I'll tell you what....this beats them. I did not expect to say that with the last release of the year.

A bunch of random thoughts:

What a wonderful opening - a succession of lovely scenes with Constance and Doctor both struggling to say goodbye. I said in my thoughts on Absolute Power that I thought it was now time to start thawing out Constance and this story certainly does that - moreover we learn why she's been so standoffish and formal. It's not just, as most of us thought, because she's from that era where women of her standing in Britain were like that..but she's found out her marriage is a sham. That would make anyone distant from emotional attachments and makes her brief encounter in the last story even more poignant.  When she believes her husband to be dead and Sixie asks her "Constance have you been crying?" When she replies "Not really, Doctor Smith" it's really quite heartbreaking.

But for such somber openings...this is a story that culminates with one of the greatest BF images ever - a 30foot tall Sixth Doctor . Why is THAT not the cover? I want Giant-Sixie. Flip only manages an "O...M...G" on seeing it and I was much the same listening. How wonderful.

When I realised the story was set in divided post-War Vienna, I was really hoping for at least a Third Man reference or two - it's one of my top 5 films of all time. I didn't seem to be getting one then...when Constance sees Flip coming out of "Cook's" house...she hides in the shadows with a cat just as Harry Lime did in that iconic scene. Add to that Flip and Constance walking through the sewers and I got my Third Man fill. Thanks Mr Fitton! You made this Orson Welles fan very happy! Simon Holub's cover also has the Ferris Wheel...I guess I just needed a cuckoo clock reference to have the lot

Joel Fry as Kinvar stood out to me on the guest star list. People might know him as a lead in Trollied or You, Me And The Apocalypse but I think geek-wise most will know him as Hizdahr zo Loraq - the weak husband Dany takes in Game Of Thrones to cement her hold over Mereen. He brought a nice vulnerability to the role here.

I've loved Flip since her very debut in Curse Of Davros When she used Abba's Waterloo to inform Napoleon how the Wars were going I was smitten in an instant and I was so excited to have her back here. It completely surprised me when she popped up. Saving most of the DW releases for a December marathon means Ive avoided a lot of the news so I didn't know to expect her here at all. It was wonderfully jarring where we've got the 1940s setting and then in a single edit, with zero warning we're thrown into the modern day - dance music, Gangnam Style reference et al. A true culture shock Lovely moment when Flip realises the TARDIS must be near as she can understand Russian - then Constance is just shocked Flip knows what the TARDIS is after assuming this was just the harpy that took her man.The line "What did you say young lady?" is delivered only the way Constance can.

And what to say of the relationship between Flip and Constance that develops so wonderfully over Episode 3 and 4? Flip absolutely brings out best in Constance. Just after Ace and Mel's trilogy we have another story with companions meeting but this works so much better. There's a greater contrast between the two and the relationship seems so much more real, perhaps because the characters do. They don't have to conform to TV characters as BF originals. When Constance goes to correct The Doctor and say "Mrs  Clarke, please" but instead says "Connie will do fine" it's one of the most charming moments of BF I've heard. She doesn't see herself as "the wife" anymore so she could have let the Doc call her Constance...but she's finally feeling so at ease and at home that she uses Connie, Flip's name for her, instead. A tiny little detail but one I absolutely adored. I teared up.

I mentioned the Third Man references - but they're not the only film reference of course. We end on that wonderful Casablanca drop "Flip, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship". I couldn't agree more. I'm absolutely elated at the end of this and can't wait for more Sixie/Flip/CONNIE stories. A beautiful friendship indeed.

Instantly one of my all time favourite Main Range releases.

That was really quite a lovely story, and a wonderful way to end the main range for the year.

I think the best science fiction serves to illustrate something about the human condition, and the alien invaders are just a vehicle to get to that point.

This was a touching character piece. I think it’s going to be remembered as one of the all-time classics.

Quicksilver is the perfect example of everything I love about the Sixth Doctor on audio. Absolutely one of the best releases this year and I can hardly wait for 2017!