Two adventures from the Monthly range with 6 and no regular companions.

Both of these are quite good, but today I wasn't concentrating well, so I often had to back up a minute when I realised I'd missed things, or pause things when I started inputting a character in Wrath of the Righteous (which didn't work out like I wanted because for some reason Mystic Theurge didn't work like I expected when input in that order). I couldn't keep my attention on just one thing at a time today, so I didn't give story the brain space it deserved.

Lure of the Nomad had the Doctor and a new companion arrive on an apparently deserted ship to answer a distress call, and then there's lots of running around finding things out and meeting the locals. Some of the locals are very unpleasant people, others are trapped, and one was an artist I thought the story might be making fun of but they seemed most sympathetic by the end. I didn't find it compelling but it did what it set out to do and had interesting corners in the ideas. I don't like the Myriad and have decided to believe they are lying or the future looks a but grim. It did a good twist, at least to me, and the Doctor got some good angst fuel. Pretty okay story.

Iron Bright was more interesting but also I was paying less attention. Not the fault of the story, I think. I was trying to figure out what spells to choose through much of the story, since getting a 40th level Legend statted takes ages. I thought I could do both but now I'm regretting not spending more brain on painting the story in my head. Excellent ideas, ( Read more... ) Lots of neat stuff. I should revisit the story some time I'm actually awake, alert, and focused.



I also finished listening to another Lost Story, Point of Entry with 6 and Peri, and I think it was quite good, but I also fell asleep listening to it twice and woke up to turn it off at some screamy bits and, also, empty the tumble dryer when it went beep. Probably not the story's fault this time, see also, didn't focus on the other adventures neither.


Honestly, filling up the time on days my sleep isn't cooperate is just awkward.

This attempt wasn't an unalloyed success and I shall return to the stories another time.

This morning I watched Mark of the Rani while eating my soup. I watched it on the iplayer instead of getting my dvds down, on the vague theory that they might be counting how many people go 'hmmm, I wonder who that person in that episode was' and go to the iplayer for more, which might influence the general existence of future episodes. Don't know, but, figured it was the same thing so I might as well.

Only when it is on DVD I can play it faster. Playing it faster is preferred for older TV. For it is not fast.

I noticed especially with establishing shots. They spent like a minute looking at people covered in coal doing coal things. They weren't doing plot things or having lines yet, just walking around covered in coal. I think we'd get like six seconds of that in a newer show.

I've been listening to a lot of 6 in audios so I thiught I'd remember quite well what he's like, but I forgot quite how much he was like it back on the tele.

Also I found he moves around a lot more than my audio imaginary Doctor. I imagine them doing things that make the plot go, but actual live acting just has him moving around jumping down off things or looking at stuff in ways the audios wouldn't mention. My imagination has been leaving that out.

After watching the whole story I concluded that (a) that was a proper Doctor Who story (b) the one in my head was the Good Bits Version, even if the Good Bits were just it being faster, and somewhat augmented by owning the novelisation much longer than the recorded episode, and (c) I think some of the people complaining about Doctor Who in endless comment threads elseweb have only been watching the Good Bits Version in their heads for some time.

Not that Doctor Who is ever without flaw, but I think maybe some of them should try writing their good bits version and see what they come up with. Or try Yes And ing the show a bit.

... yes I know there is a place for critique but reading the comment threads all season I see people watching every episode to say the exact same thing and like, why? If they want to watch the old thing it is right there also.



ANYway



I also listened to three connected Big Finish Audios, The Helliax Rift, Hour of the Cybermen, and Warlock's Cross.
Three different Doctors meet the same man at three points in his life. It's also three UNIT adventures so you see assorted changes in UNIT across some years the TV didn't keep a close eye on them. Also going from a general UNIT attitude of 'oh it's him again, keep him out of the way' to 'who is the Doctor? find out later, too busy'. Interesting progression over not so many years.

Helliax Rift was a bit of a horror story but at rather more of a distance than a Torchwood story would have done. ( Read more... )

Hour of the Cybermen is the most adventure shaped, but the connection to recurring characters from the first one is mostly sad. ( Read more... )

Warlock's Cross seemed to me the strongest story of the three, because of how it used 7 and Klein and the idea of roads not taken and wanting so badly to change the past. There was a really good bit with 7 ( Read more... )

So the juxtapositions make you think instead of just keeping you jogging along the plot.


I thought the third story was strongest but by keeping some of the characters and setting but jumping the timeline forward you got interesting angles.


Not ones that made me like UNIT more.

But interesting.


Good stories, liked them as a set.

Plan to listen them again when I am better at concentrating and not actively doing other stuff at the time.

Back at the beginning of the season I think I predicted the ending would be an RTD special made of Big Feelings, and I certainly have Big Feelings about that episode.

But the ones I have at the minute are Angry Sad, which is not my favourite set, honestly.

So.

( Read more... )

Big Feelings time wasn't fun this week.


I do however know I shall eventually have different feelings about a lot of it.

I have spent some time today listening to the Big Finish range The Lost Stories, with 6 and Peri.
Unfortunately I have concluded they could on the whole have remained lost with no great loss to my entertainment.
I don't know what specifically is displeasing me about how they're put together but they're making me feel better about my own writing on the bounce.

Which is not a kind set of thoughts but that's my opinion thus far.

Something missing, not clicking, planning to go back to other ranges instead.

Wish World: quite the most unpleasant world yet. The scariest thing Doctor Who has shown us, ( Read more... ) That was not a subtle story but it landed some hits.
I think I'll withhold judgement until next week though. How the whole thing works depends on what he does with the ending. Nicely done so far but who knows.

I will say though it is the most RTD thing to make *that* earlier episode turn out to be important. So I rewatched ( Read more... )


Also listened to this week

Susan's War 3, Grandfather Time: more Time War stories, this time with the guy who doesn't want to be called The Doctor but thankfully for the writers will still answer to Grandfather.
I liked these two. Sending Susan on diplomatic rescue missions suits her. And this one of her grandfather has an extra edge to his actions, which compare contrasts interestingly to his earlier self who was still refusing the war after Susan had signed up.
( Read more... )

These Susan's War stories give her plenty to do and I like that.


After the Daleks, a Doctor Who Early Adventure, picks up Susan's adventures when she was still trying to get into the TARDIS that last time, then keeps going until she actually chooses for herself from a number of available options. It does a lot of good stuff with the setting, not just the immediate leftovers of the Dalek invasion but politics and bad guys stoking hate of aliens just to win an election. It would be really nice if that story was never timely.

Susan and Jack have a lot in common, and it would be interesting for them to have a conversation about it. Also, Jack would get to the relevant era on the slow path, which is actually pretty worrying when you think they'd still have to wait for the Doctor to fix things. Except Jack is from after the Time War and we're only sure Susan was there Before. What that whole era looks like After the Time War is still a question.

But Jack got left behind and according to Big Finish ended up in the historical record in such a way you have to wonder if a conscientious time traveller had to leave him there. And Susan does something here that would put her on the record right away. So, interesting.



I continue to like Doctor Who, so that's nice.