|
Post by nottenst on Jan 23, 2018 14:47:42 GMT
Finished it last night and am listening to the behind the scenes disc today. Great really nasty set - Doctor Who meets the Game of Thrones in some respects (just about every "good" character dies). As I was listening to The Sky Man, it slowly was dawning on me (as apparently it came to mind of lots of us) that we were getting a variation on the origin of the Cybermen. I'm not entirely sure Cole really knew enough to do what he was doing, but I was swept away.
I was surprised that this did take us all the way to Utopia. I thought they might try another set, but still it is a nice satisfying set.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2018 16:09:20 GMT
Finished it last night and am listening to the behind the scenes disc today. Great really nasty set - Doctor Who meets the Game of Thrones in some respects (just about every "good" character dies). As I was listening to The Sky Man, it slowly was dawning on me (as apparently it came to mind of lots of us) that we were getting a variation on the origin of the Cybermen. I'm not entirely sure Cole really knew enough to do what he was doing, but I was swept away. I was surprised that this did take us all the way to Utopia. I thought they might try another set, but still it is a nice satisfying set. Yes I was hoping we wouldn't get to Utopia, but agree this was a fantastic set. Didn't try to turn The Master into an anti-hero but kept him evil.
|
|
|
Post by nottenst on Jan 24, 2018 18:07:48 GMT
Finished it last night and am listening to the behind the scenes disc today. Great really nasty set - Doctor Who meets the Game of Thrones in some respects (just about every "good" character dies). As I was listening to The Sky Man, it slowly was dawning on me (as apparently it came to mind of lots of us) that we were getting a variation on the origin of the Cybermen. I'm not entirely sure Cole really knew enough to do what he was doing, but I was swept away. I was surprised that this did take us all the way to Utopia. I thought they might try another set, but still it is a nice satisfying set. Yes I was hoping we wouldn't get to Utopia, but agree this was a fantastic set. Didn't try to turn The Master into an anti-hero but kept him evil. In the interviews they mention that there is room to have more Master and Cole adventures fitting in between these stories (and perhaps something more in addition to the Gallifrey episode between the first and second story). So, maybe we will have more.
|
|
|
Post by Ian McArdell on Feb 15, 2018 20:00:10 GMT
My take on The War Master set is up over at Cultbox. In short, I loved it... more please!
|
|
|
Post by mrperson on Feb 15, 2018 20:09:45 GMT
Yes I was hoping we wouldn't get to Utopia, but agree this was a fantastic set. Didn't try to turn The Master into an anti-hero but kept him evil. In the interviews they mention that there is room to have more Master and Cole adventures fitting in between these stories (and perhaps something more in addition to the Gallifrey episode between the first and second story). So, maybe we will have more. There's also a ton of room for stories occurring before this set, for that matter.
|
|
|
Post by iainmclaughlin on Feb 27, 2018 23:15:08 GMT
Listened to this on a long journey at the weekend. It's a bit brilliant, isn't it? That Jacobi fella could make a go of this acting lark. He really is just spectacular in every scene. Iain's short review - I loved it!
|
|
|
Post by fantasticalice on Mar 2, 2018 9:31:07 GMT
I'm entirely open to a War Monk box set. I can believe he'd Chameleon Arch himself out of self preservation and end up being a hero before his Monk personality is restored. Failing that, some kind of Suicide Squad with rogue Time Lords. Coming Soon: The Time War Meddler. Have McGann show up early on and throw MacQueen in there. Other than echoing how amazing this was this is the first time I've been open to MacQueen being the first in the Master's ne regen cycle. The Master said Earth is barely affected by the time war so perhaps MacQueen fled there after being ... renewed. Strangely it makes me impatient for MacQueen to have another tale as tThe Master is becoming like the Doctor: I want more. More Jacobi!!! More Beevers. More MacQueen. And I am curious to hear Dreyfus. I'd even be willing to buy The Collected Master. But I just listened to all 4 stories practically in a row. I've only ever done that with Diary of River Song and perhaps Doom Coalition 3 & 4. It's rare that I intend to listen to episode 1.... and go straight through. This needed it. I was a little skeptical in the Beneath The Viscoid because Derek Jacobi's 'Doctor' is so unbearably twee. But The Master's impersonation of the Doctor Always Is. It reminded me of Dominion in many ways. It's clearly a combination of The Master's opinion of his one time friend and his irresistible urge to make fun of him. It's as if he deliberately does a parody of The Doctor to see if people realize he's a fraud. And they didn't. I found him far more sinister in The Good Master. That, I think may actually show him at hos scariest. The Master.... being believable as a kind and skilled medical Doctor saving lives. The other Dr. Keller showed some rare compassion as well..... I may give my thoughts on the last two later in more detail but they were... terrifying in so many ways. Sky Man was so tragic and Paradigm... I already got Gallifrey Time War at my door yesterday and I may have to buy Cyber Reality too. Bring on the Beevers Box set next year Mr. Handcock! Thank you for an excellent production. This has been a rough chronic pain day today and 5 hours of The Master and BTS really put a smile on my face. I don't bring this up very often but Big Finish is what I listen to when I'm in too much pain to do much else and I always feel better after Big Finish. It's a huge part of my pain relief!!
|
|
|
Post by literatedead on Mar 3, 2018 4:52:22 GMT
It's funny to listen to something so well-received by the rest of the fandom and realize that... well, I didn't like it.
Not to say I hated it, per-se; the performances were fantastic (Jacobi just owns this set beyond my own expectations, and those were already quite high), and there were plenty of good ideas. But I think this set really wasn't for me. I haven't felt so utterly out of sync with a BF release since I listened to Frankenstein (though I didn't loathe this one the same way I did with that release).
And I think that's it. I don't handle nihilistic bleakness as well as others do. We're in a culture right now that adores bleak and cruel, and I simply am not in that mode. I was, years ago, but that doesn't befit me anymore. The same way that everyone I know adores Game of Thrones and I couldn't get past the third episode before walking away. It is just very much not for me.
I get the idea of the set, I really do. But by the end of the first disc I had this sinking feeling that I had made a mistake in picking this one up, and it only became worse as the set went on.
Beneath the Viscoid was the weakest for me, but starting at the weakest story seems to be a habit with newer boxed sets. The characters are stock and the end result is so obvious I was counting the time until it ended. I even foresaw the last bit of cruelty long before it hit (particularly as it reminded me of a certain part of the movie Heavy Metal). I can't say it's a 'bad' story, per-se; just one that does what it says on the tin and no more.
The Good Master felt like a better version of the first disc; in fact, this is the point where it feels like the story truly begins. It's a similar story, but it feels like there is more of a payoff to the events. There's a narrative building that makes it feel more fulfilling than the prior story. I admit I am not one-hundred percent clear on what was going on through the whole thing, but I don't plan on going back and trying to decipher it.
The Sky Man was the definite standout of this set, as has been said multiple times before. You know from the beginning it's going to end in heartbreak and horror... moreso if you're familiar with the carefully plotted cruelties of James Goss and his knack for weaving engaging tragedies and building horror. This one has such a gradual swing from tragedy to horror that it works quite well. I am, unfortunately, left with more than a couple questions (just what happened to those villagers who confronted the Master, for example?), but it's not enough to spoil such an engaging tale of good intentions gone very wrong.
The Heavenly Paradigm was... okay, albeit frustrating. As with most Master stories, the end goal feels a bit cheap and petty (that's always been my gripe with the character; while he is often an interesting villain, so rarely do his plots fit the grandiose persona... though there are exceptions). It feels like a comedown after the more grandiose stories that preceded it; after Dalek war and the chaos of the hospital and the building tension of the village we have a finale with three people sitting around talking angrily. Most disappointing was the 'departure' of Cole, reducing a character who held importance for so much of a set to a shrug before moving on to other matters. Even knowing it was going to end badly, I think I just expected... well, more of a punch. I get that it makes sense for the Master, but it doesn't sit well as a narrative choice. And the story ends as expected once again, dashing us onward through talking about results before throwing the narrative forward to the inevitable end.
I've heard talk about possibilities for further stories, particularly focusing on extra stories with Cole. But for me, knowing what a shrug the end result of his character is, I can't say I would be up for any form of followup. But that's just me.
Overall, not a bad set, nor one I would criticize too much; but I have absolutely no plans to revisit it in the future. This one's for the rest of the world; I've had enough nihilism for now.
|
|
|
Post by nottenst on Mar 9, 2018 1:50:56 GMT
Yes I was hoping we wouldn't get to Utopia, but agree this was a fantastic set. Didn't try to turn The Master into an anti-hero but kept him evil. In the interviews they mention that there is room to have more Master and Cole adventures fitting in between these stories (and perhaps something more in addition to the Gallifrey episode between the first and second story). So, maybe we will have more. Well, the Gallifrey: Time War 1 set had the episode I missed in this set. It fits in very nicely and was recorded at the same time as this set. In fact, for a slightly better experience I'd say people should listed to "The Devil You Know" right after "Beneath the Viscoid."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2018 4:06:55 GMT
This was a superb set that I enjoyed thoroughly, but it's interesting to see some say it was too bleak for them, because my one complaint, if I had one, would be that it wasn't bleak or dark enough for my tastes. This Master spent a lot of time acting terribly nice, and even though it was an act, I just wish there had been one story in the set at least where he showed his teeth a bit more, as those are the moments for me where Jacobi's Master really comes to life and shines extra bright. That aside, this was a great set, Jacobi was a joy to listen to, and I'm very glad that there's a nice gap between stories one and two where who-knows-how-many more War Master stories could be easily slotted in between. I'll definitely be looking forward to any more Jacobi Master releases.
|
|
|
Post by Whovitt on Mar 18, 2018 4:27:05 GMT
This was a superb set that I enjoyed thoroughly, but it's interesting to see some say it was too bleak for them, because my one complaint, if I had one, would be that it wasn't bleak or dark enough for my tastes. This Master spent a lot of time acting terribly nice, and even though it was an act, I just wish there had been one story in the set at least where he showed his teeth a bit more, as those are the moments for me where Jacobi's Master really comes to life and shines extra bright. That aside, this was a great set, Jacobi was a joy to listen to, and I'm very glad that there's a nice gap between stories one and two where who-knows-how-many more War Master stories could be easily slotted in between. I'll definitely be looking forward to any more Jacobi Master releases. I thoroughly agree! I'd love to hear him being really nasty more often (like he was at the end of Beneath the Viscoid) I'm not sure if you've heard it or not, but Episode Three of Gallifrey: The Time War ( The Devil You Know) covers the time in this gap With the teasers being given out by Big Finish though, it looks like we're almost guaranteed a second set, but it will likely be chronologically placed before this one
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2018 4:38:22 GMT
I'm aware of the story, and own the release, but I haven't had a chance to hear it yet. I thought that story might be largely self contained, which is why I thought other adventures might also fit in that slot, but sounds like the end of that one leads into the second story of this set, then? But of course you're right. For some strange reason I never even thought of other adventures being set before the first story in this set, which is rather obvious now you point it out. Must be just too used to stories fitting between other stories, perhaps, to spot when something doesn't have to...
|
|
|
Post by Whovitt on Mar 18, 2018 4:57:41 GMT
I'm aware of the story, and own the release, but I haven't had a chance to hear it yet. I thought that story might be largely self contained, which is why I thought other adventures might also fit in that slot, but sounds like the end of that one leads into the second story of this set, then? But of course you're right. For some strange reason I never even thought of other adventures being set before the first story in this set, which is rather obvious now you point it out. Must be just too used to stories fitting between other stories, perhaps, to spot when something doesn't have to... It's heavily suggested the Gallifrey story pretty much fits dead between Beneath the Viscoid and The Good Master, but I suppose you *could* put another story there (but it would be a bit of stretch). It is fairly uncommon for Big Finish to release things out of chronological order, so it is a little bit of a weird idea, but it's an exciting one
|
|
|
Post by Ela on Mar 22, 2018 5:26:07 GMT
I very much enjoyed this. Derek Jacobi as the Master was that perfect mix of evil seeming to be nice, and I enjoyed all the stories. Wasn't actually expecting the Master to have a "companion" but it worked very well to have Cole with him starting from the second story. The Sky Man was fantastic and as many have said, I thought it was reminiscent of Cybermen, though a type of Daleks also crossed my mind. I wasn't expecting the stories to bring us right up to the Chameleon Arch and was thinking, well, that's it then, but in the extras they seemed to hint that there's still a place for other stories. Sure hope so. Finally: Will we ever have an extras with Daleks in which at least one actor does not comment about how odd it is to hear Nick talking while still using his ring modulator when he's not actually playing a Dalek?
|
|
|
Post by dangerwillrobinson on Oct 4, 2018 9:40:35 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Audio Watchdog on Dec 5, 2018 23:58:44 GMT
So late to the party for the final episode of this set. So wrapping my brain around the end. It is because of The Master's misguided effort to rid the universe of murderous Daleks that ends up making them more powerful thus turning the tide of the war in their favor? And thus forcing The Doctor's hand to steal and use/not use The Moment?
|
|
|
Post by dasmaniac on Jan 5, 2021 3:37:03 GMT
Just finished episode 2 and wow. This is terrific. Really strong writing. Well rounded cast of characters. If the other sets have the same quality, I'm in.
|
|
|
Post by Kestrel on Jan 13, 2021 7:49:28 GMT
Just finished episode 2 and wow. This is terrific. Really strong writing. Well rounded cast of characters. If the other sets have the same quality, I'm in. There's some fluctuation IMO, but WM1 serves as a good baseline: other stories sets are a bit better, all are a bit worse. But every single War Master boxset is pretty excellent, representing Big Finish at their best, I think. Note that the War Master also pops up a bit outside the WM range. IIRC, he's also in: - The Diary of River Song
- Gallifrey: Time War
- Masterful
- Ravenous
- UNIT: The New Series
So if you want to hear everything you'll have to branch out a bit.
|
|
|
Post by Kestrel on Mar 27, 2021 20:16:26 GMT
Well, it hasn't even been a full year yet since my first time 'round, but I cannot resist the Jacobi's Siren call any longer: it's time for a relisten! Some thoughts I had the second time through: WM 1.1: Beneath the Viscoid- At the end of this episode, the Time Lords send out the big Recall Order, which leads directly into both Gallifrey Time War 1 and Susan's War.
- So: prior to this story, the Master was working with the Daleks, who deposited him—unsupervised--on the Viscoid so that he could retrieve his TARDIS. Why would the Daleks do this?
WM 1.2: The Good Master- Presumably picking up immediately after the preceding episode, but possibly much, much later (given the ambiguity of the situation), the basic premise here is simply that the Daleks are hunting the Master. Given how early in the Time War the prior episode occurs, I like to think that this one occurs much, much later, given that this trilogy precipitates the War Master's flight.
- So there are all these little bits of whispered dialog—where a character will whisper one thing, but then say something else. What are these? Some kind of telepathic echoes? Or maybe they're the characters' "real" thoughts leaking through, indicating that their dialog is the result of the Master's hypnotic influence or something? I dunno—too subtle for me.
- Love how the Master just casually reveals that he's been injecting lethal doses of medication to random patients just to see what would happen. And that he'd "received no complaints." What a fantastic sense of humor this Master has.
WM 1.3: The Sky Man- Is it just me, or does Cole sound an awful lot like Hex?
- Once again, in a perverse mimicry of the Doctor, we have the Master adopting a Human pet/companion and setting off on a random adventure, with the goal of saving a planet.
WM 1.4: The Heavenly Paradigm- The stinger here—the short scene leading into the story, before the War Master title theme plays—is just absolutely, completely perfect.
- "Morality gets in the way of all the best decisions."
- Honestly I think this is the weakest story of the set, but even so, I think it ranks among the best Big Finish stories to date. Really strong, solid storytelling all-around, with great performances from all involved.
- Listening to the commentary, Nick Briggs is absolutely right about how such a key element of the Master's character is his sense of humor—being, so often, "unintentionally insensitive." I think that's really the main appeal of the Master, right? It's not just that he's so charismatic, but that he's so captivatingly amusing.
Really love how the this set (and the corresponding War Doctor set) invert the usual Doctor/Master dynamic. In the one, we see the Doctor in the roles that typically belong to the Master; and here, we have the Master inhabiting roles that typically belong to the Doctor. It's a fantastic dynamic and I'd very much like to see Big Finish revisit it in a future War Master set, especially sense the last (and next) set feel somewhat uninspired....
|
|
|
Post by Tim Bradley on Mar 30, 2021 20:31:43 GMT
Hello everyone! Just to say, I'm currently listening to 'Only the Good' in 'The War Master' series. I've heard the first two episodes already and I'm enjoying it so far. Tim.
|
|