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Post by kennysmith on Oct 6, 2021 16:09:30 GMT
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Post by Kestrel on Oct 18, 2021 4:33:32 GMT
Finally got around to finishing this set, and I have some thoughts. Stamina's running low, so bullet points it is. 6DA 2.1: One For All- Not a whole lot to say about this one--it failed to resonate with me and didn't leave much of an impact.
- The idea of the Eleven getting hitched is pretty fun, and he's arguably the only Time Lord villain really capable of being in a believable relationship, but I feel like this story was too preoccupied with its plot to really put in the legwork of explaining just what, exactly, these two lunatics see in each other to warrant them staying together throughout the set.
- That said the chemistry between our antagonists here is (perhaps unsurprisingly) really solid.
- Overall I found this one kind of hard to follow. Might be a "me" problem, though. In general I tend to find plot-driven stories less compelling, at a fundamental level, than character-driven stories.
- Also, doesn't splitting the Eleven up into 11 separate entities kind of defeat the point of the character? It might've been more interesting if we'd seen the separate incarnations behave differently, free from the cacophony of their normal lives, but they all more or less act the same as when they were all jockeying for control over just the one Time Lord brain.
- Ultimately a decent opener for the set, but doesn't do much for me beyond establishing characters and world details that will be used more effectively in the following stories.
6DA 2.2: The Murder of Oliver AkkronHoly shit, y'all, this was I need to stop swearing fantastic!- Up front, I must admit: I a, a sucker for a good murder mystery. That said, I think this episode did a poor job of establishing just what, exactly, the mystery was: I didn't realize I was supposed to be curious about which version of the Eleven committed the murder until listening to the BTS track. Hell, it wasn't even clear to me in the story that this wasn't the same Eleven we all know and love--and definitely didn't realize he was supposed to be the "good" incarnation until the BTS track, again. So just as a mystery, it kind of fails.
- On which note the premise of the interrogation bookending the Akron scene doesn't really hold up. There's only one individual to punish, so what's the point in determining which of the Eleven's many personalities was responsible? How would that knowledge affect... anything?
- And also the ending was kind of slapdash of overly complicated.
- But none of that really matters in light of just how much of an astonishingly good performance Mark Bonnar delivers here. He's never been better, and I think this one story very nearly elevates Bonnar's Eleven to a similar level of iconic as Beevers' Master.
- Quote of the story: "It has to be the truth then? Ah. How dull."
- I've said this many times before, and will likely continue to whinge on about it until the day I die: the truest test of a writer's skill? Placing two characters in a scene and captivating the audience through dialog alone.
- Stories like this--what in other mediums might be called bottle episodes--are kind of like speedruns to me: an entire genre in and of themselves. The purest possible test of a writer's ability. (And no small test for the performers, either!) While this one had some issues, overall it was a delight to listen to--I found myself hanging off of nearly every word. Bonnar really shows his chops here, ably demonstrated that he's just as good--if not better--and exuding quiet menace as he is hamming it up (EG Doom Coalition).
- The tension in the dialog scene(s) with Akron is remarkable. I absolutely adore the "reveal" when we are privy to the Eleven's mind, and learn (in an expected twist) that the internal cacophony is as loud as ever. The fact that he's capable of suppressing that chaos for so long really heighten's the Eleven's threat. He's only up against one man, where before the stood against the universe itself, but the Eleven has never felt so threatening.
- Don't really go for numbers, but I'd say this is a 4/5 scripts elevated (hah) to a solid 4.5 by Bonnar's standout performance.
6DA 2.3: Elevation- More like Elevenation, amirite?
- The cliched route of the "evil split personality" for Constance was a bit disappointing, but it was nice that they ended that subplot in a less cliched manner than how they usually play out. Not quite Persona-esque, but kinda-sorta almost?
- And speaking of overdone cliches, I'm really glad they sped through that, "is the Eleven a goodie now?" bit so quickly. God knows we've seen enough of that particular bait-and-switch in this franchise.
- Quote of the story: "And I AM BORED!"
- The performance there is just... above and beyond. Bonnar is really on his A-game this set. I wonder if Big Finish is dangling the idea of an Eleven spin-off set/range? If so, yes please!
- Runner-up: "Here's the Doctor: a traveling space clown."
- I take it the referendum is meant to be something of a Brexit metaphor? IE a society collectively deciding to (metaphorically) pick up a pistol, carefully load it, press it against its collective forehead, briefly consider that it might be a bad idea, and then pulling the trigger? I know it's a big deal and life imitates art and whatnot, but honestly I'd much rather SF not preoccupy itself reimagining the big events of the deeply stupid past few years.
- Like... there's a reason why, "if this was Fiction, no one would publish it," was and remains such a common sentiment.
- Overall, holy hell, this is a fun story!
- The ending seemed a bit off to me. The Doctor is just going to trust the Eleven's wife with a time machine? And trust her to keep the Eleven locked up? Seems pretty shakey. Like Batman delivering the Joker to Arkham for the thirtieth time, it feels like something that we can only reconcile if we frame our heroes as deliberately creating their own nemeses.
- Best outing with the Eleven? I'm tempted to say so, but I also really liked Dark Universe. I'm definitely very excited to see more of The Eleven in the future after this set, which was not a feeling I got after Doom Coalition.
All things considered, my initial skepticism of the idea when it was first announced has now evolved into a firm and intense dislike: the move to three-story boxsets was a very bad idea. So far it has only seemed to have detrimental effects--if a there's anything beneficial to the new format, I cannot see it.
The Eleven is, overall, a good set--but only that. Only "good." It could have been great--it should have been great... all it needed was just one more solid story to balance out the weak first episode and supplement the fantastic second episode. It's hard not to sit here, after listening to everything, and not feel regret at the unrealized potential.
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Post by Sir Wearer of Hats on Oct 18, 2021 9:09:20 GMT
I would like another The Eight story, and more love for the Twelve, but the Eleven is so much fun he deserves a box set, and the odd encounter with the wider Whoniverse. And if the TV Ravagers ARE the BF Ravagers …. The Eleven on TV needs to happen.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2021 6:23:10 GMT
I would like another The Eight story, and more love for the Twelve, but the Eleven is so much fun he deserves a box set, and the odd encounter with the wider Whoniverse. And if the TV Ravagers ARE the BF Ravagers …. The Eleven on TV needs to happen. I haven’t started this box set yet will probably do this at weekend. The Eleven though i have all praise for Marks performance but after this he needs a breather am sure maybe a few years without himbut he is also soon to appear in UNIT too.I really am of the LESS is more variety ,leave a bit of mystery as each appearance of some foe or the other tends to dilute the mystery and the threat.We have Rani,Monk,every version of The Master we can think of...time to get creative Big Finish....but hey i may change my mind after this set...who knows.
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Post by Kestrel on Oct 27, 2021 2:43:30 GMT
I would like another The Eight story, and more love for the Twelve, but the Eleven is so much fun he deserves a box set, and the odd encounter with the wider Whoniverse. And if the TV Ravagers ARE the BF Ravagers …. The Eleven on TV needs to happen. I haven’t started this box set yet will probably do this at weekend. The Eleven though i have all praise for Marks performance but after this he needs a breather am sure maybe a few years without himbut he is also soon to appear in UNIT too.I really am of the LESS is more variety ,leave a bit of mystery as each appearance of some foe or the other tends to dilute the mystery and the threat.We have Rani,Monk,every version of The Master we can think of...time to get creative Big Finish....but hey i may change my mind after this set...who knows. I think he really displays far more range in this set than in any of his prior outings as the Eleven. The second story, especially, is very different and refreshing. Sort of like a take on the Master with the twist that he is genuinely unstable/chaotic, regardless of the other "personas" rumbling about in his brain. I don't know that this set will change your opinion on The Eleven per se, but I suspect you'll think better of Mark Bonnar--he can definitely do more with the character than it seemed.
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Post by tuigirl on Feb 10, 2022 16:40:20 GMT
Finally got around to listening to this (and also felt in a mood where I thought I would appreciate it and not be overly critical). This was good. It was by no means perfect, and there are certainly a few better Sixie stories out there (and also a couple of better Eleven stories). But this was one of the best BF releases I had been listening to in a while. The writing felt fresh and original and they really tried to breathe some fresh air into the character of the Eleven. It plays wonderfully to his strengths. The performances were top notch and pretty stunning, with the actors able to flex their muscles with all the different voices and characters. It certainly is one of the best performances by Mark Bonnar as the Eleven yet! But I also enjoyed Constance and of course Colin. Colin does bring his usual energy to this, but I agree, he does sound a bit older than usual (but of course I know he is not getting younger and I am glad he still is able to do these audio plays and still is able to bring so much energy and enthusiasm to it. So I am not complaining, far from it!). So yes, this is a very good and enjoyable release. Not only for Sixie (and Eleven) fans.
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