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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on May 6, 2020 3:21:03 GMT
I'm not completely done with this set yet, but I'm really enjoying it. And while there may not be an arc to this set, there is definitely a theme which is family. What it is it? How do you define it? What do you do to protect it? As with so much from BF, I like these characters so much more on audio than I did on TV. And their relationships are much more believable. I think I've always had the hardest time pinning down Jenny, but this is really her set. She shines in this one. And I adore Neve McIntosh in everything I've seen/heard her in, this is no exception. Even Strax is more than the comic relief in this. Very well done. I had the chance to personally meet and get photo's with Neve McIntosh and Michelle Gomez and I.. dropped the ball big time. Kicking myself still. I saw them from a few metres away though.
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Post by tuigirl on May 6, 2020 18:36:30 GMT
I am really enjoying this. I think this is even better than the last one. The stories are fun, have good pacing and atmosphere and it just flows right. Also, the dialogue is much less clumsy as it still was in the first set. The first story... well, it was good with an important moral message, although they might have overstated and repeated said message a few times to many. There is a difference between making a valid point and hitting you on the head with it. Until the moment of the Vastra recap, it was great. After that, it reminded me a bit of "Orphan 55" I am afraid to say. However. The second story was amazing from start to finish. It was fun, made me laugh, had some really great fun characters and I just LOVED the whole Scooby-Doo theme running through it. Especially Strax trying to do a case conclusion at the end. This really lifted my mood, that alone is worth extra points. Now onto the third and sadly last story. This is range is shaping up as something really nice in it's own right.
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Post by tuigirl on May 7, 2020 7:42:28 GMT
And the third story. Again a fun romp, playing around with the idea of "heritage" and what this means for the lead characters. While in the previous stories, this "heritage" thread did mainly concern Jenny and Vastra, this time it is Strax' turn. Plus, we again get some interesting adversaries and meet a few acquaintances from Volume 2.
These are not deep, philosophical stories, these are basically run-arounds, but very fun run-arounds. And this is something I crave right now- a fun diversion. And on that front I cannot fault this set of stories at all.
The pacing is good, the characters are well used and everybody is giving great performances.
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mbt66
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 3,081
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Post by mbt66 on May 8, 2020 9:49:13 GMT
I paced myself to one story a day.
There were a few minor issues, I agree with tuigirl that the first story pushed its message a little too much, but these stories were so much fun and such an enjoyable listen that I had to rate the release 5/5
Oh and I loved the seven percent solution reference.
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Post by IndieMacUser on May 9, 2020 10:51:54 GMT
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Post by nitronine on May 9, 2020 12:35:45 GMT
I think this is probably my favourite of the sets so far. Loved every story, the first in the set also made me like Jenny much more than I previously had, not that I ever disliked her, I just like her even more now!!!
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Post by johnhurtdoctor on May 9, 2020 13:01:31 GMT
In your review you say, "but it is all setup and saved for the final set which has been announced". I didn't know that the 4th set is the final one? Has this been confirmed?
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Post by themeddlingmonk on May 9, 2020 13:17:34 GMT
In your review you say, "but it is all setup and saved for the final set which has been announced". I didn't know that the 4th set is the final one? Has this been confirmed? I imagine they mean the final set of Heritage rather than the final set of The Paternoster Gang.
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Post by shallacatop on May 9, 2020 14:23:29 GMT
Just finished the set. Much like the other two, it’s a lot of fun and exactly what I’d look for in a spin-off for the trio. There were hints of the overall arc in this set, but I’d say the Heritage is more of a theme this time around, with glimpses of how it will no doubt lead into the finale.
As others have mentioned, I think the freak show aspect in Family Matters was very heavy handed, to the point where it didn’t really go into any great detail, and therefore fell flat. Jenny’s run in with her family makes up for that, though, and gives her some good material.
Whatever Remains is a straightforward Holmes-esque mystery, as joked about in the episode itself, with some intriguing backstory for Vastra and the first solid foundations to what the arc of the series could be.
Truth and Bone continues those arc foundations and also a welcome return of the Bloomsbury characters. These guys could easily have gone wrong, but I’ve enjoyed their appearances so far and I like their rapport with the Paternoster trio. I liked the Sontaran history too and how it relates to Strax & Stonn.
I’m a little indifferent to the return of Jago in the next set, but the Paternoster Gang has stood on its own two feet so far, so I can’t fault his inclusion. I’m sure it’ll be a bit of fun ahead of the finale.
Hats off to Joe Kraemer, who is an absolute coup for Big Finish, yet is rarely mentioned. His music for this range is brilliant.
As much as I’ve been enjoying these sets, I think I’ll bow out after Heritage 4. They’re not doing anything wrong, and they’re exactly how I’d like a Paternoster Gang spin-off to be, but I think I’ll have scratched the itch for content with them. We’ve had a bunch of fun stories that have took on different genres, been character pieces for the trio, taken advantage of their defective nature and have put in a story arc to boot. 12 stories is essentially the equivalent to two series of The Sarah Jane Adventures and I feel that’s more than substantial.
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Post by tuigirl on May 9, 2020 14:28:22 GMT
Hats off to Joe Kraemer, who is an absolute coup for Big Finish, yet is rarely mentioned. His music for this range is brilliant. I have to agree. The sound design and the music is just perfect. It fits perfectly to the stories.
And I agree- these Paternoster sets are very well done, all-round.
How long will they keep to be interesting and "fresh"? We will see. For some reason I think the scope for the Paternosters is narrower than it was for Jago and Litefoot.
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Post by shallacatop on May 9, 2020 15:10:55 GMT
Hats off to Joe Kraemer, who is an absolute coup for Big Finish, yet is rarely mentioned. His music for this range is brilliant. I have to agree. The sound design and the music is just perfect. It fits perfectly to the stories.
And I agree- these Paternoster sets are very well done, all-round.
How long will they keep to be interesting and "fresh"? We will see. For some reason I think the scope for the Paternosters is narrower than it was for Jago and Litefoot.
I think it depends from person to person on a number of different factors. Personally, I like the Paternoster Gang and I love their appearances on TV and the fact they carried three out of their five appearances. I never expected a spin-off, due to the complexities of the setting and the prosthetics, but I’ve always felt that a couple of specials (airing Boxing Day?) would’ve been lovely. A run of 12 Big Finish stories more than satisfies that to me, and the fact they’ve delved into the characters and their history has been the icing on top. Jago & Litefoot by contrast are characters I like, but I’ve never felt the need to explore them further, particularly in their own range. Their Big Finish appearances in Doctor Who ranges are more than enough for me. There are characters I’d buy ever release from them, though: the War Doctor and River Song to name a couple.
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Post by Who Review on May 12, 2020 5:49:55 GMT
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 2, 2020 12:47:57 GMT
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Post by nottenst on Sept 3, 2020 21:28:32 GMT
Just finished it this week. It seemed the Heritage theme is really taking hold now. I enjoyed it all. There are some good sound designer interview tracks as well. I'm looking forward to the next set.
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Post by Ela on May 2, 2021 3:45:37 GMT
I had a great time listening to this set. Love all the characters and the stories were good.
Imagine my surprise at learning that the chicken story is an actual local legend. I just thought they were spoofing the Hound of the Baskervilles till I heard the extras.
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Post by masterdoctor on Oct 31, 2023 23:09:32 GMT
Family Matters by Lisa McMullin
A really fun episode, bringing in Jenny’s mum and dad and allowing for some great character moments between Jenny and Vastra. I do think the plot is quite light and could have used a little more time devoted to it, but that a rather minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.
Whatever Remains by Robert Valentine
A solid tale furthering the overall arc of Heritage all while presenting a fun mystery for the gang to solve. The insights to Silurian culture is great, and I do find it really interesting when Jenny and Vastra’s relationship and follies are explored. I will say that this could have been a tad shorter, with five to ten minutes shaved off for stronger pacing.
Truth and Bone by Roy Gill
And for the penultimate set’s finale, we see the return of Ston and Tom, as well as some Sontaran visitors! Loved this one, the time flies by and while the plot is thin, the pacing is still quite strong and makes up for it in some cracking interactions between our three Sontaran actors. I look forward to revisiting the final set, though my memories of the set are that it is a bit weaker than the others, so I’m curious to see if that remains true.
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