Doctor Who: Wicked Sisters (November 2020)
Nov 21, 2020 19:54:40 GMT
elkawho, whiskeybrewer, and 2 more like this
Post by Kestrel on Nov 21, 2020 19:54:40 GMT
I went into this on a whim, purely out of interest in Leela... and I was not disappointed!
I'd say the first story in the set was probably the weakest for me--the humor didn't land well for me, and I found the resolution to be far too abrupt--I literally had to stop and rewind a bit, because the problems were "solved" so quickly I didn't even notice! And the second story was also a bit abrupt in its resolution--AFAIK Big Finish doesn't work with any hard time constraints, and I think these stories would have benefited with an extra two or theee minutes in the back-half to just give the climax final acts a bit more space to breathe.
But overall... I really enjoyed this set, and my lack of familiarity with Abby and Zara was no impediment. The two actresses have great chemistry with one another, and in general their dialog was fast and snappy and enjoyable to see, or rather hear, directed at pretty much anyone.
But the real standout character of the set? That's gotta be Leela. I didn't think it was possible for me to like Leela any more than I already did. But here we are. And her last line in the finale? (Not counting the, "No!") Perfect. It's almost enough to make me want to jump into the 4DAs, but I dunno... as fun as Leela was as a companion, I much prefer this version of her--the Gallifrey version--Leela is just so much more compelling when she's not stuck playing second fiddle to the Doctor.
Speaking of whom, did I interpret the resolution correctly in that the Doctor now "looks his age?" In that future sets might feature "new" covers of Peter Davison as he looks now? If so, I am much more enthusiastic for this new 5DA range. Davison's always been the "least" of the Big Finish Doctors for me because his voice has changed so much... I just can't picture his current voice coming out of his (much) younger self's mouth. Obviously this would only be a cosmetic change, and couldn't be permanent, but I really hope that's what they're doing here.
And we gotta talk about the Sontarrans in the middle episode, right? The second story was much stronger, with a very fun dynamic with the Sontarran Strategist. I love how amicable the relationship is, despite the inevitable necessity of conflict. And it's always fun to really sink your teeth into an alien psychology like this. This is the kind of meaty idea-driven writing that Doctor Who needs more of.
Though, again, the conclusion was very abrupt. And also pretty unimaginative. Once again the Doctor defeats his foe with the press of a button, having accomplished all of the requisite clever bits off-screen. This kind of resolution is just... kinda dissatisfying, overall.
...And... that's pretty much all I have to say. I think Abby and Zara were introduced in a MR audio, so I'll probably try and give that a listen, too, though I'm a bit more iffy in the Graceless spin-off. Perhaps if there's a sale?
Oh! Also gotta say it was delightful to hear Lisa Bowerman start talking in the BTS stuff. Had no idea she was involved and was very pleasantly surprised.
I'd say the first story in the set was probably the weakest for me--the humor didn't land well for me, and I found the resolution to be far too abrupt--I literally had to stop and rewind a bit, because the problems were "solved" so quickly I didn't even notice! And the second story was also a bit abrupt in its resolution--AFAIK Big Finish doesn't work with any hard time constraints, and I think these stories would have benefited with an extra two or theee minutes in the back-half to just give the climax final acts a bit more space to breathe.
But overall... I really enjoyed this set, and my lack of familiarity with Abby and Zara was no impediment. The two actresses have great chemistry with one another, and in general their dialog was fast and snappy and enjoyable to see, or rather hear, directed at pretty much anyone.
But the real standout character of the set? That's gotta be Leela. I didn't think it was possible for me to like Leela any more than I already did. But here we are. And her last line in the finale? (Not counting the, "No!") Perfect. It's almost enough to make me want to jump into the 4DAs, but I dunno... as fun as Leela was as a companion, I much prefer this version of her--the Gallifrey version--Leela is just so much more compelling when she's not stuck playing second fiddle to the Doctor.
Speaking of whom, did I interpret the resolution correctly in that the Doctor now "looks his age?" In that future sets might feature "new" covers of Peter Davison as he looks now? If so, I am much more enthusiastic for this new 5DA range. Davison's always been the "least" of the Big Finish Doctors for me because his voice has changed so much... I just can't picture his current voice coming out of his (much) younger self's mouth. Obviously this would only be a cosmetic change, and couldn't be permanent, but I really hope that's what they're doing here.
And we gotta talk about the Sontarrans in the middle episode, right? The second story was much stronger, with a very fun dynamic with the Sontarran Strategist. I love how amicable the relationship is, despite the inevitable necessity of conflict. And it's always fun to really sink your teeth into an alien psychology like this. This is the kind of meaty idea-driven writing that Doctor Who needs more of.
Though, again, the conclusion was very abrupt. And also pretty unimaginative. Once again the Doctor defeats his foe with the press of a button, having accomplished all of the requisite clever bits off-screen. This kind of resolution is just... kinda dissatisfying, overall.
...And... that's pretty much all I have to say. I think Abby and Zara were introduced in a MR audio, so I'll probably try and give that a listen, too, though I'm a bit more iffy in the Graceless spin-off. Perhaps if there's a sale?
Oh! Also gotta say it was delightful to hear Lisa Bowerman start talking in the BTS stuff. Had no idea she was involved and was very pleasantly surprised.