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Post by tuigirl on Jan 22, 2019 15:40:39 GMT
Wow, this is great fun. I loved the Bekdel test. The banter between River and Missy is great. Now just started Animal Instinct and Beevers is awesome, too. Great also to meet one of River's supposed students.
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Post by mark687 on Jan 22, 2019 16:00:54 GMT
That was very good.
Lifeboat in particular you can really buy into the fact now that Roberts was Beevers and will be Jacobi if he can keep a grip on himself, in a series showing how far the Master will go for survival, his solution here is the most unique and surprisingly affecting.
Misters Beevers and Jacobi are their usual "Masterful" selves.
Which leaves Missy, to be clear I'm talking Missy as a character not Michelle Gomez performance, which she dose with aplomb.
I'm still on the fence on the character, completely crazy Feminine while's stick, with a Hate/Love thing the Doctor seemly now a core motivation. She's entertaining, I still don't think she's practically as threatening or as nuanced as her processors are.
Which leads us to the leading lady.
Alex Kingston has a particularly good chemistry with Beevers (so much so I wouldn't mind a re-match, she's clearly having fun with him) and with Gomez in Bekdel too but and as I mentioned earlier Lifeboat is a standout EP with excellent performances and direction all round.
Regards
mark687
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Post by sherlock on Jan 22, 2019 16:35:24 GMT
A solid set overall.
{Spoiler} The Bekdel Test
A solid audio debut for Missy. The dynamic between her and River was great and plot well done.
Animal Instinct
Equally good. Nice to see River actually having some students, and the discussion of her less than pure morals was good.
The Lifeboat and the Deathboat
A more toned-down turn from Eric Roberts mixed with a creative story. A solid return and hope they do more with this incarnation.
Concealed Weapon
The first half felt a bit padded. You’d have thought River wouldn’t be quite so certain it was the Doctor based on the life signs, given she’s had numerous encounters with the Master by this point. When the Master did finally enter the story it upped a gear and was quite a solid runaround for Jacobi’s Master.
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Post by sillytilly on Jan 22, 2019 18:28:11 GMT
Listened to The Bekdel Test and that was such a joyful hour of fun. River and Missy are as great as you would expect them to be together. Plenty of standout moments. My favourite would be the whole sequence on River winding up Missy with the guessing of who she is. Michelle just plays that brilliantly. Plot is pretty simple to follow and Michelle and Alex make it. It’s the interactions between them. I can see myself giving this plenty of relistens in the future. I’ll probably save the rest until tomorrow.
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 22, 2019 18:36:05 GMT
Animal Instinct is another great story. We’re launched into the middle of events and the story doesn’t really let up from there. It’s always good to have River as a Professor - it doesn’t happen often enough - and responsible for some students.
Geoffrey Beevers’ Master is brilliant and he’s no disappointment here. He’s almost a companion of sorts in this one and it works well. Like The Bekdel Test, there’s a nice contrast between River and the Master. River’s ethics and morals are questioned and highlights how she isn’t quite like the Doctor, but is nowhere near like the Master.
The story itself is rather straightforward. That’s not a criticism; it’s refreshing to not only have a story in River’s field of work, but also to have something that isn’t timeline driven by the two leads.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jan 22, 2019 20:26:38 GMT
Michelle Gomez. My how I’ve missed her.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2019 22:40:37 GMT
The dying question ive wanted know tho since i heard that first trailer
Is Missy scottish or RP english?
Genuine question because i haven’t listened to it yet 😂
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Post by themeddlingmonk on Jan 22, 2019 22:47:47 GMT
The dying question ive wanted know tho since i heard that first trailer Is Missy scottish or RP english? Genuine question because i haven’t listened to it yet 😂 Mostly RP English. You can hear undertones of Scottish a lot of the time but it never sounds like it did on tv. Though to be fair it seems to take place before Series 8 so maybe she just hasn’t decided to keep the Scottish accent yet.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2019 22:55:40 GMT
The dying question ive wanted know tho since i heard that first trailer Is Missy scottish or RP english? Genuine question because i haven’t listened to it yet 😂 Mostly RP English. You can hear undertones of Scottish a lot of the time but it never sounds like it did on tv. Though to be fair it seems to take place before Series 8 so maybe she just hasn’t decided to keep the Scottish accent yet. Thats fair, i mean i suppose shes not really got an accent in deep breath so maybes it was a conscious choice to do it less Scottish?
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 22, 2019 23:09:08 GMT
I thought The Lifeboat and the Deathboat was a strange one. The first 30 minutes don’t really seem to do anything. The last 20 minutes are very exposition heavy with twists that don’t feel earned or satisfying. It doesn’t help that the guest cast are generic throughout.
It doesn’t seem like we get much from Eric Roberts’ Master really, as he only really comes to light in the final third. He’s a little more subdued and he’s desperate to survive; it’s nothing unexpected, is it? I don’t think it was the right way to approach an incarnation that we have very little of. I’m not sure I want to hear more from the Roberts Master really, which is no disrespect to the man himself.
I don’t want to come across as being too harsh on it. The story isn’t bad, it’s just a missed opportunity and what we get is all rather meh. For me anyway.
I’m looking forward to Concealed Weapon, though!
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Post by Star Platinum on Jan 23, 2019 6:11:25 GMT
I’m surprised no one has commented on the first story “canonizing” the fatal death.
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Post by cr1980 on Jan 23, 2019 8:15:39 GMT
I’m surprised no one has commented on the first story “canonizing” the fatal death. Well I laughed.
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Post by xlozdob on Jan 23, 2019 10:50:30 GMT
I’m surprised no one has commented on the first story “canonizing” the fatal death. I missed that. What did they say? I remember Missy saying something about Tersurus but I thought she was referencing The Two Masters.
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 23, 2019 12:22:00 GMT
Concealed Weapon was brilliant. I'm not sure if that or The Bekdel Test is my favourite, but I'd say Concealed Weapon is the best of the set. It throws us into the story straight away and it's tense throughout, building up for the reveal of the Master. We know what the reveal is going to be, but it builds up so well that it doesn't actually matter. Derek Jacobi is excellent and his sparring with River is a highlight. The final two minutes of the set present us with a real twist and shows just how cunning the War Master is. I'm looking forward to finding out how this story links with Rage of the Time Lords.
I think the set as a whole has been great. I wasn't too keen on The Lifeboat and the Deathboat, but the other three I had a blast listening to. I'd consider Beevers, Jacobi and Gomez to be my favourite three incarnations of the Master, and I found this set reinforced that. Alex Kingston goes from strength to strength as River and I'm glad Big Finish have been able to do so much with her, and there's plenty more to come in the next year. It's been nice to have a set that's four standalone stories that have thrown River straight into the centre of the action and with a crew in three of them. I'd like her to be paired with her on screen crews in future sets, whether that's the Library gang or Ramone & Nardole. It'd be a bit different to these audio ones that inevitably die at the end.
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Post by Digi on Jan 23, 2019 12:43:02 GMT
I just finished Lifeboat/Deathboat, and am a little confused. Admittedly it's been quite a while since I listened to "Mastermind," but I seem to recall it having a very different story as to how the Master survived falling into the Eye of Harmony at the end of the movie.
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jan 23, 2019 13:06:48 GMT
I'm onto second story now.
V good indeed .
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jan 23, 2019 13:20:48 GMT
I’m surprised no one has commented on the first story “canonizing” the fatal death. Missy is always talking nonsense she
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Post by themeddlingmonk on Jan 23, 2019 14:04:12 GMT
I just finished Lifeboat/Deathboat, and am a little confused. Admittedly it's been quite a while since I listened to "Mastermind," but I seem to recall it having a very different story as to how the Master survived falling into the Eye of Harmony at the end of the movie. Yeah you’re not mistaken. It’s funny because Eddie Robson said in Vortex that he checked to make sure no one else at BF had already used Roberts and explained his escape from the Eye of Harmony. If we never get another Roberts story from BF, then you can kind of link Lifeboat/Deathboat to the DWM comics, and then you can sort of handwave his fate at the end of that as being put back in the Eye of Harmony leading to Mastermind, but honestly he’s got so many contradicting escapes that it’s becoming silly and I would be very much surprised if they didn’t use Roberts again.
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Post by x2magneto on Jan 23, 2019 15:42:09 GMT
Listened to 3 out of the 4 stories tonight. This might just take the number 2 spot behind Volume 3: Die Scum. What really strikes me is how well the one and done story type suits River. It could be just that these stories were formatted so that that fairly basic straightforward plots allow for great character interplay. The plots and locations thus far have been fun backgrounds for character exploration. "We gotta get from point A to point B, but while we're on our way how about CHARACTERIZATION!" Good, even excellent stuff all around. The Bekdel Test: This one feels allot like Beneath the Viscoid. in that it is the breeziest listen. It leans into fanservice enough to meet any obligations required to entice 'still on the fence New Who fans' to pick this one up, and yet you'll find its a really nice story disguised as a piece of business. Michelle Gomez makes it all so effortless. It's no wonder she has a set already recorded. Guess I'll have to buy it. Sigh. Animal Instinct: THE Master in all of his glory. He has no time for flamboyance and showmanship. There is only the next goal and the obstacles in his way.God help you if you impede him. River Song and Extra Crispy get along way too well, and that becomes the central theme of the story, It's so uncomfortable and yet it is a great reminder of where River is on the spectrum. Even more disconcerting is that I came away from this story thinking River as a companion might be a bridge between Doctor and Master. The Lifeboat and the Death Boat: Mister Eddie Robson, you sir, are on my watch-list. Thus far, this story is my favorite. Granted I was eager for this one the moment Eric Roberts was announced. Love the set up, the twists, and how it handles it's interplay. Some, I admit will likely be put off by how reserved and stiff Roberts comes across, however it works very well for me in this set. Surrounded (thus far at least) by Masters who soar over the top in delivery, and camp up their interactions with River, the Bruce Master comes across as unnerving, cool as a cucumber, and taking advantage of Roberts' at ease charm. Kinda crazy to even say that considering at one time, the Bruce Master was the top in over the top. These days though, Michelle Gomez and John Simm make the 96 Master look like a walking Valium. Another thing that might push some away is that this story ends up revealing that some of this narrative is handling some business. If you get a handle on what that business is, and of course, if you're an unashamed fan of the Bruce Master, you'll give this piece of the story the benefit of the doubt for now. Can't really go further on that without spoilers. Well, {Spoiler} the story introduces this psychic time hopping killer whose backstory is never quite filled in all the way (which was my first ALERT moment) and then she ends up as essentially a new companion for this incarnation, thus sort of opening up an avenue quite explicitly for further appearances of this duo.
I'll be listening to the last story tonight and I'll post my final thoughts.
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Post by sherlock on Jan 23, 2019 16:39:46 GMT
I just finished Lifeboat/Deathboat, and am a little confused. Admittedly it's been quite a while since I listened to "Mastermind," but I seem to recall it having a very different story as to how the Master survived falling into the Eye of Harmony at the end of the movie. Just re-listened to Mastermind (great story btw) and yeah, the account the Master gives there of escaping the Eye (where he remains stuck in the Eye itself until he can influence Edward Grainger) is in no way compatible with The Lifeboat and the Deathboat. I suppose Lifeboat and Deathboat could be, with some loose interpretation, be connected to the DWM comics and the ending of those comics could, with some loose interpretation, be linked to the situation recalled in Mastermind. But any future use of Eric Roberts’ Master would likely break that (and I do hope they can use him again based on his showing in Lifeboat and the Deathboat). Ah well. Both are enjoyable listens regardless of contradicting each other.
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