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Post by mark687 on Aug 28, 2020 10:04:29 GMT
Hmm. This sounds like fun. Question- how annoying is the Norton character in this? I got Goodbye Picadilly and that was ok-ish, but I did not warm to Norton who I found a bit annoying and I also thought the sexual humor was too juvenile. In parts it sounded as if the author was channeling his inner 14 year old (which I assume is an entry condition for writing Torchwood). How does this compare? I do love Andy, so I am contemplating getting this. Kinda annoying TBH it improves a lot when Andy turns up and there are a couple of interesting side characters as well. Regards mark687
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2020 10:14:20 GMT
Hmm. This sounds like fun. Question- how annoying is the Norton character in this? I got Goodbye Picadilly and that was ok-ish, but I did not warm to Norton who I found a bit annoying and I also thought the sexual humor was too juvenile. In parts it sounded as if the author was channeling his inner 14 year old (which I assume is an entry condition for writing Torchwood). How does this compare? I do love Andy, so I am contemplating getting this. I agree with your opinions about Norton. At first, I found him too camp and juvenile to exist among Torchwood's other more sophisticated (most of the time!) characters. It was like Kenneth Williams had wandered in from another production. But I've warmed to him, and found that his extreme personality is his way of surviving the more homophobic world of the 1950s on his own terms. I quite like that strength and individuality. There are times, though, when his quips become a bit much, and that's the genius of giving him a 3-disc set divided into roughly half-hour segments. That way, you can, like me, listen to the episodes at your own pace. That's what I've done, and I think I'll be listening to the last couple of installments soon - and I've had a great time with this so far.
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Post by Who Review on Aug 28, 2020 15:31:28 GMT
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Post by tuigirl on Aug 28, 2020 18:17:03 GMT
Thank you for your recommendations. I think I will take the plunge...
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Post by number13 on Aug 28, 2020 22:45:31 GMT
Thank you for your recommendations. I think I will take the plunge... Good!
I'm late to this part of the discussion (and still posting with my eyes shut to avoid any spoilers for Ep 6!) but as far as Norton being Norton goes...
If 'Goodbye Piccadilly' is Force 10 on The Norton Scale (Storm Norton - entendres fly everywhere, considerable damage to surroundings!) and 'Ghost Mission' is about Force 6 (Strong breezy Norton) then I'd say 'Parasite' so far ranges from Force 1 (Gentle Norton, no irony/sarcasm detectable) to Force 7 (Knowing comments, whole Norton plan in motion, difficulty moving against it!)
I'm confidently expecting Ep 6 to go well up The Norton Scale! We will see...
EDIT: I just realised that will only make any sense at all if The Beaufort Scale for wind speeds/phenomena means anything beyond the British Isles! (It was devised by an Irish officer in the Royal Navy and has been used in the U.K. and the Republic for over 200 years.)
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Post by tuigirl on Aug 29, 2020 18:26:24 GMT
Well, this was VERY clever. Very well done. I enjoyed myself. I am still ambivalent towards Norton, but Andy was great. This story is pretty much re-using a very used plot, but it borrows heavily from Girl with all the Gifts which is one of my favorites (I even once gave some of my students extra marks, because they went to the trouble researching Cordyceps for a paper. They knew how much I liked that story and were banking on making me laugh). Anyways. This is great. Very intricate and I guess I will have to listen to this several times to get all the ins and outs. My favorite type of story! Which gains by several re-listens. One little nitpick... I know, just a typo maybe, but it non-the-less kicked me out of story for a second. It is the "Reichstag". The building in Berlin. It is where the "Bundestag", the German parliament, resides. Germans keep these two very distinct. We have to, since this building represents so much of our history. Calling the building the "Bundestag" was a bit of a WTF? moment for me. But that is nitpicking on a very high level. In moments like these I must come across as VERY German. Oh well, proud representative on this forum. Otherwise, great effort.
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
Likes: 5,062
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Post by ljwilson on Sept 1, 2020 8:57:49 GMT
Well, this was VERY clever. Very well done. I enjoyed myself. I am still ambivalent towards Norton, but Andy was great. This story is pretty much re-using a very used plot, but it borrows heavily from Girl with all the Gifts which is one of my favorites (I even once gave some of my students extra marks, because they went to the trouble researching Cordyceps for a paper. They knew how much I liked that story and were banking on making me laugh). Anyways. This is great. Very intricate and I guess I will have to listen to this several times to get all the ins and outs. My favorite type of story! Which gains by several re-listens. One little nitpick... I know, just a typo maybe, but it non-the-less kicked me out of story for a second. It is the "Reichstag". The building in Berlin. It is where the "Bundestag", the German parliament, resides. Germans keep these two very distinct. We have to, since this building represents so much of our history. Calling the building the "Bundestag" was a bit of a WTF? moment for me. But that is nitpicking on a very high level. In moments like these I must come across as VERY German. Oh well, proud representative on this forum. Otherwise, great effort. It's always good to get a German perspective on all things German, keep em coming.
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Post by mark687 on Sept 3, 2020 11:58:48 GMT
You finished it yet number13? Regards mark687
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Post by number13 on Sept 4, 2020 13:38:09 GMT
You finished it yet number13? Regards mark687 Torchwood is never finished! Torchwood always survives! (But yes in this particular case, finished it last night after a relisten to eps 1-5, so...)
Episode 6 - The Liberty of Norton Folgate
The all-action nail-biter final episode I'd been hoping for and it did go The Full Norton! That scene on the Skylon with a 'killer Nazi Mushroom' is about as Norton as it gets and he came through in the end, job done, London saved, the Norton way.
But I really shouldn't like him! He uses random people like kitchen paper to mop up his problems, he manipulates everyone around him and he just killed the whole of Torchwood. True he was only trying to murder his boss and the rest was 'collateral damage' but that's a Norton-sized 'only' we have there! So I really shouldn't like him... but thanks to Samuel Barnett and James Goss, I definitely do! (From a safe distance. )
And someone was nudging Lyme's life along the convenient path, so I got that bit right. (Yeh it was Norton, of course, pulling Andy's strings too, of course.) And Lyme survived the experience, good! (From the ending, I think Norton has thoughts of saving Lizbeth too - Web of Time, fixed events? Not where he's involved...)
I loved the whole story; the characters, the shifting tone and the intricate plot made it a terrific six-parter which held my attention throughout - and I'm hoping for more. To go all 'Casablanca': TW Soho, this could be the beginning of a beautiful series...
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Post by mark687 on Sept 4, 2020 15:04:55 GMT
Well then Ducking for Cover Very well performed but predictable in the extreme. Solved the overall plot by the middle of Meet Mr Lyne, speaking of Mr Lyne he had every character trait / function (including the Sci-FI one) I expected him to fill Heyhoe, Bell and The Last Drop were the most interesting elements so of course they must not survive Possibly I would've combind Ep 3 and Ep4s cliff-hangers together at the end of Ep3 and put The Dead Hand as Ep 4 to switch up a bit ( Deed Hand's still the best overall EP though) Andy valiantly tries to help divert focus from NOT FABULOUS I think I've figured out why I don't like Norton (with apologies everyone) hes an anti Jack Harkness without the charm/ a modern Conservative who thinks hes a Liberal but would never sacrifice power for principal) So to sum up Very well performed, intriguing initial set up that quickly becomes It's Norton Folgate's World your just living in it. Regards mark687 PS Yes i know i rated 4 (based on performances) PPS Norton Fans don't be too Rough LOL
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Post by barnabaslives on Sept 26, 2020 3:42:38 GMT
Went to listen to a couple more stories and ended up finishing the set. I don't know if the stories were full of great surprises but they were very good stories and very well performed which is what matters more to me.
I gave all the stories a four - nothing earthshaking but all solid, and the set as a whole a five for the way I thought it held up in quality all the way through.
Hooray for Andy and his first foray into Seventh Doctor territory - I think, lol. I like Andy because he isn't like that but just this once was really interesting.
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Post by nottenst on Apr 29, 2021 15:35:55 GMT
I listened to this over the past month (rotating with a bunch of other audios) with the final two episodes today. Overall, quite well done. An amazing body count there. I feel sorry for Andy who thought he was pulling the strings until Norton revealed that he was the master.
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Post by sidestep on Nov 30, 2022 12:24:32 GMT
I love the mini-episode structure in this. It divides the story into manageable sections. And I like how the story is told from several different povs, occasionally revisiting the same scene but from a different, expanded perspective. Norton is still himself but…nicer? More human? But not to the point of being ooc, mind. I didn’t like him too much in his earlier Torchwood appearances 😬 (Ghost Mission 👻, Goodbye Piccadilly & God Among Us part 2) he seemed too abrasive & brash & sneaky with multiple hidden agendas. Which is why it took me so long to buy the Soho bundle (if not for the subsequent international price increase, I probably would’ve put it off much longer) despite the glowing reviews — I didn’t much like Norton in the TW I already had. Here, he is very capable, fast talking, dynamic & energetic, (still scheming), but way more likeable imho. I’m so happy I took the plunge. I’m enjoying this story so much. 😊 This group is different from the TW1 crew & TW3 & TW LA, & yet still recognizably Torchwood. Lizbeth Heyhoe has become one of my favorite characters. She exudes competence & dedication. I like her moral compass. My only prior exposure to this character were various trailers, which wasn’t much of a sample size. Here in their own series, we get to know her & the other characters, Lyme & Rigsby properly. I like the fleshing out of Lyme’s backstory. I love the lines, the dialogue, & voice acting of the entire cast. It immerses the listener into the story. Fantastic writing. I’m loving the story so far, & surprisingly, the mould isn’t bothering me too much. (I hadn’t bothered to read the synopsis or even the chapter titles before buying, so I had no idea there’d be mould. 😱 Lol. So far my mould phobia hasn’t triggered). Amazing how it all played out in the end. It sticks the landing. 🎖 For those who don’t much like Norton but are interested in listening to a fantastic, well-written story, with multiple layers, consider giving this a chance. My favorite Norton quotes : ”I know you’ve had your doubts about me in the past, Andy, but this time, I’m the hero.” And “l’m doing my best! I don’t always get it right, but I try!” This made me a bit emotional, because it was a terrible day for Norton, he lost his friend, London was about to be destroyed & he thought he was going to die. Enjoyed this immensely. 👍🏻 I’m proceeding to Ashenden.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Jan 5, 2023 10:45:13 GMT
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Post by nardole on Aug 29, 2023 3:39:02 GMT
Thinking about picking this up but haven't yet dived into the story continues range. Is that necessary for this?
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Post by The Brigadier on Aug 29, 2023 8:03:47 GMT
Thinking about picking this up but haven't yet dived into the story continues range. Is that necessary for this? Not really. I would recommend maybe picking up or relistening to Ghost Mission and Goodbye Piccadilly first though, as they lay the basic foundation to Torchwood : Soho. Everything else with a focus on Norton ( The Torchwood Archive, Outbreak, the story continues range) branches off from those two.
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Post by tuigirl on Sept 4, 2023 21:01:54 GMT
Thinking about picking this up but haven't yet dived into the story continues range. Is that necessary for this? Nah. I dived in and I have no previous knowledge. Basically just got this because of Andy.
The real question is- how much of Norton can you handle before you just want to strange him. He is a bit too much for me.
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