The Jupiter Conjunction: Meh

I finished this one a few days back, but I've been so busy I can finally type this up now.
What can I say about this story? Well, I'll start with the positive things:

•  If you're looking for a "trad" story, this is a great example. I can easily see this being done during the era it's set in; except a few scenes would have required special effects that wouldn't have been realized on the screen very well.
• The cliffhanger for part two is great, even though I saw it coming. I doubted Turlough for a few seconds, but then I laughed out loud with delight. Ever since watching Enlightenment, I've been eagerly snatching up all the Turlough moments in this Big Finish trilogy that I hear. He's starting to become a very enjoyable character, as well as Tegan. I've heard numerous complaints that she's loud and annoying, but I think she's a really strong character.
• Everyone was utilized really well. The whole TARDIS team had things to do and had their little moments of glory, even if they fell by the wayside for parts of the story. (I'm looking at you, Miss Chained-to-a-desk.) 
• Finally, somebody thinks to take pictures of the alien menace! This turns out to be a major plot point, all provided by Tegan! Yay!
• The noise the Jovians made was quite freaky, especially once you knew what they did when they turned up in a scene. Besides being the effect they made when they appeared, it was also the transition sound for quite a few things, which startled me into thinking they'd suddenly appeared. Not sure if this was exactly good or not, but Big Finish succeeded in scaring me--something that's only happened on a few occasions.

The not-so-positive things:

• The idea of this story sounds pretty cool, from the outset: they're on a comet, they have to wear spacesuits, there's evil cloud things floating around. But the actual story turns into a very traditional Who-thing: the team being falsely accused of someone else's crimes, people getting chased around, etc. 
• All the female characters that weren't Nyssa or Tegan (I believe there were three or four of them?) were quite difficult to tell apart. I don't know if it's that they weren't memorable or they all sounded alike or what, but it just made the story confusing as I tried to tell one woman from another.
• It probably had to do with the fact that I listened to The Jupiter Conjunction all in one go (don't do this! Please take 24-hour breaks between each cliffhanger!), but the story just seemed...rather boring to me. It had chases, a good threat, and a suspenseful climax, but this story just didn't grab me at all.

I've been on a bit of a Fifth Doctor-era binge lately, listening to this audio trilogy and watching Enligtenment for the first time (I enjoyed it), and so my main question for Big Finish is: after Nyssa leaves in Prisoners of Fate (because I'm pretty sure she will) are we going to get some stories with just Five, Tegan, and Turlough? TARDIS Team Sassy is one I really liked on TV, even though I've only seen two stories with just the three of them. Sarah Sutton's had more stories with Peter Davison than Mark and Janet put together, so maybe it's time for her to take a break, and for Tegan and Turlough to get some time alone with Five? Here's hoping.

The Emerald Tiger: Best Music Ever

Barnaby Edwards said in his interview for this story that he wanted to make it a sort of Indiana Jones-style story. And boy, does it succeed! Where other stories are brilliant because they make you think, have you see the characters in a different way, or make you sad, The Emerald Tiger is brilliant because it is an action-adventure audio, with absolutely fantastic music. I found myself listening to the isolated music tracks over and over again.

I wish we could see this story, and on a proper budget as well. I had to manage with imagining the train crash, the Silver Ghost racing along the road, the excitement of the hot air balloon, and the jeweled creatures in the Valley of the Emerald Tiger. Barnaby Edwards' stories always have very good at sound design, as well as writing and directing. His stories aren't average, and like The Wreck of the Titan, you can expect action and (were the audio to be televised) a mind-blowing setting. 

There's a great moment in part three, I think, where Turlough, Lady Adler, the Doctor, and Dawon are swimming through the underground river. Turlough obviously isn't a very good swimmer, and as he gasps for breath and then slips back under the water, the sound effect changes so that it sounds like we're underwater as well. That's the part that really stood out to me, as well as the explosions at the climax. 

Other reviewers have complimented Barnaby Edwards on the international cast he's assembled here, and everyone is at the top of their game. I looked up Vineeta Rishi, who played Dawon, and she was in televised Doctor Who as well--one of the med students in Smith and Jones.

Tegan was great, even though she wasn't in part three. Nyssa was very competent--most people seem to like her, but she seems like a rather weak character to me. (Sorry!) In this audio, however, she had plenty to do, despite being infected. In other stories where she's infected, like Kinda, she's out of the equation completely. Thankfully, Big Finish writers have learned from the mistakes of television writers. Mostly. For some reason, I loved Turlough in this story. He was funny, indignant, slightly cowardly, but showed his compassionate side when he was worried about Dawon and Tegan. This is the era of the show I'm least familiar with, but all the characters worked really well for me.

Although it's just shy of being on my list of favorites, I loved The Emerald Tiger and will probably give it a re-listen soon. If you like your Big Finish with lots of action and adventure, whilst showing off the best of all four regulars, this is the audio for you.

Audio Outfits

As I've mentioned previously, I like to be able to visualize what the companions are wearing in the Big Finish audios I'm listening to. It helps me to see the movie in my head. What's really a pain is when this outfit gets stuck in my head and I can't stop visualizing it, and then I realize that Peri's actually wearing a leather jacket on the cover, or somebody says something about the companion's outfit that's not what I'm visualizing at all. Gosh, I'm picky, aren't I? Anyway, here are some outfits. Some I've made on Polyvore.com, and some I just found online.

Barbara and Vicki from The Rocket Men:

A bunch of Evelyn's outfits:

The Sandman:

The Apocalypse Element:

Project Twilight:

The Marian Conspiracy:

Peri from The Reaping:

Tegan from The Butcher of Brisbane: (I think I Googled "ugly 80s dresses" and got this one. I love it.)

Peri from Point of Entry (complete with hat). This one was easy, because they specifically say what she's wearing, and I found the perfect dress. The hat was harder to find, though:

And that's all for now, folks! Hope they help you visualize the audios better, and sorry if they mess up your internal video.

This Audio Hurt Me - The Fourth Wall

Wow. I mean--wow. 

Ummm....

Yes, I absolutely ADORED The Fourth Wall. Rather like Jubilee, it's very funny (a lot more funny than Jubilee, at least in a more comfortable way) up until the part two cliffhanger when the crap hits the fan. Like I said in the title, this audio hurt me. I recall listening to it last night, and my chest actually started to hurt during the beginning of part three. Just like Jubilee, I shouldn't tell you what happens....but I really want to talk about it, so beware.

**Spoilers below!**

I knew that Flip was going to appear to die, at least temporarily, from the DWP. Dang it, I really wish I hadn't spoiled myself with this one. At least I didn't know any of the details, so how it happened and the Doctor's reaction was really quite a shock.

Flip was great for the first two episodes, totally taking the piss out of Lord Krarn, telling the screaming Jancey to shut up, and just mocking the entire program in general. Apparently not a lot of people liked Flip in The Curse of Davros,  but I loved her there and in this too, so it was very sad for me to listen to her die. It was handled really, really well, and the way the Doctor reacts (shouting the obvious) makes it even worse, because we know that he started to really care about her in less than a day. I loved the way she came back, too, I cheered and punched the air when it happened.

**Spoilers End**

Hats off to the acting of guest stars Yasmin Bannerman and Martin Hutson, who I actually took the time to look up. I usually need to be able to imagine everything just right in my head in order to enjoy the audio fully. This often comes down to me planning out companion's outfits so I know what they're wearing. About the beginning of part three, I started visualizing Yasmin Bannerman (playing Doctor Shepherd) as black, and it turns out she is! 

Even weirder, she played Jabe in the Ninth Doctor's second ever story, The End of the World! Way to go for Big Finish for keeping it in the family.

I loved the pathos Yasmin Bannerman brought into the role. She was a great temporary companion for the Sixth Doctor, and I was quite surprised that the Doctor blamed all the death and destruction on her decisions. She took full responsibility, however, which I feel doesn't happen a lot in Doctor Who stories. 

Also, it was amazing the difference between Martin Hutson's portrayal of Matthew and his portrayal of Lord Krarn. 

At one point in the story, the poor guy ends up talking to himself for several scenes! Highlight for spoilers: I was really sad when he died, and I thought that the Doctor might have found a way to save everyone killed by Lord Krarn and his Warmongers. He could have, but writer John Dorney said he wanted all the deaths to have an impact.
The Porcians were good, too. I found myself finding quite bad for them, and was glad that they were in the story as long as they were. They were actually pretty cute, and the concept of the Porcians being the galaxy's worst invaders was hilarious. (Until it took a turn for the depressing.)

One of my few gripes was that while Matthew got to help the Doctor out, and Olivia showed that she was better than her character, I was disappointed by how Nick/Jack was handled. The actual Jack character was wonderful, and I could see so many other action flick characters in him. But Nick wasn't much better, just a walking ego. ("And the Oscar for the biggest git goes to...!") I wonder if John Dorney did that on purpose, or if it was just a stereotype. I mean, I would hope that no famous actor would run from danger yelling "Out of my way! Talent coming through!"

All in all? If you have $12.99 to spare, or even if you have to save up a bit, you should absolutely go and buy The Fourth Wall. 2012 has been an amazing year for Big Finish, with the majority of the stories being good at worst. (Or so I've heard.) The Fourth Wall is a perfect example of one of their fantastic audios.

Destroy the Infinite Announced

In showing everyone once again just how prepared Big Finish is, they've announced a prequel to this month's Doctor Who Main Range release The Seeds of War. Although I have not heard that audio, I understand that  the villain in that piece is a strange being called the Eminence, which the Doctor mentions he's met (and fought, presumably) before.

Big Finish just announced today that the Doctor's first encounter with the Eminence is in an audio called Destroy the Infinite, which has already been recorded. Even though it's scheduled to be the sixth release in the Fourth Doctor Adventures, series 3.

Gentlemen at Big Finish, hats off to you. It's almost infuriating how you know things that are going to happen in the next few years or so, and then don't tell us the name of something about two months before it comes out. But I still love you.

PS: If you aren't already subscribed to the Big Finish podcast on iTunes, you should go do that right now! They're brilliant, and you really get to know David Richardson and Nick Briggs and Paul Spragg and all the other wonderful people who are behind the BF stories and plotlines. The latest three are excerpts from the BF panel at Gally, in which many questions are answered, and also Paul Spragg and Nick Briggs in their office, being cute and reading out emails.

Jago & Litefoot Series One....

...is now in my possession! Yes, it came in the mail two days ahead of schedule, so now I can (practically) listen from The Mahogany Murderers to Jago & Litefoot: Series 5 without interruption! Okay, so maybe I'm missing 2 out of 5 box sets, but who cares? (Well, me. If anybody would like to gift to me the series 3 box set, it's on Amazon for about $35.00.)

Singing Pirates and a Lesson

Doctor Who and the Pirates, Or the Lass that Lost a Sailor is quite a mouthful and also the first Big Finish play I ever listened to. I first learned about it when I was browsing the Doctor Who TV Tropes Page and saw something about a musical audio drama. I promptly bought it off iTunes (don't do this--you pay $4 more than what the Big Finish site offers) and listened to it just for the singing. I thought it was wonderful and hilarious, although the Doctor and Evelyn didn't make much of an impression on me.

And here's where the lesson part comes in. For a month or so, this was the only Big Finish play I owned. I bought others, yes, but I saved them for the longest time and didn't listen to them. I've probably heard ...and the Pirates about fifteen times, which is not the thing to do with these plays. If you're going to re-listen, WAIT A WHILE. The impact and enjoyment just decreases each time. Yes, I practically have ...and the Pirates memorized, but I barely listen to it now because it's just gotten old.

I'm not saying don't listen to this play (I mean, besides The Scorchies it's the only Big Finish musical) but I'm saying that you shouldn't listen to Big Finish plays too many times. And don't spoil important parts of the plot for yourself, either, which will take away the gasp-and-ohmygosh-ing factor of the cliffhangers. People always say the best way to listen to a Big Finish play is to wear big headphones and sit down and listen with no distractions, but more important is to not listen to a play too many times. Pay attention and you won't have to listen to it again to understand it. You can only experience the shock of the end of Jubilee part two or The Kingmaker part three once.

Some Audio Favorites, Part Two

What it says on the tin. Part two of my favorite audios post.

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

Sadly, the last three parts of this tale don't live up to the first, but the first part makes up for that. The atmosphere was intense--I could visualize everything, from the dewy path the Doctor and Evelyn walk down to the foggy moor at night to the fougou Evelyn and the Doctor explore with a flashlight. Plus, you get the bonus of the Brig thrown in!
I have to say, the cliffhanger of part one is, for me, the scariest moment of Big Finish that I've heard so far. That awful laugh is terrifying, and the fate of that poor girl and Evelyn's reaction kept my hand clamped to my mouth for at least five minutes.
The Curse of Davros

Philippa Jackson. Holy cow. You want to see Rose done well, go and listen to The Curse of Davros and explain to me what it is that makes this character so good. She's not that different from Rose--they're both working-class teenagers with lousy boyfriends--but for some reason, I really felt a connection with Flip, where I loathe Rose.
I already knew the massive...thing...about this audio that shall not be said here, but that only lessened my enjoyment of it slightly. I loved the sound design, and the music, and the use of present-day England and nineteenth-century France, and most of all Flip. Well done Johnny Morris, Colin Baker, and especially Terry Molloy. Now please bring back Lisa Greenwood!

The Mahogany Murderers

Ah, Professor George Litefoot....*sighs* I mean, what? Sorry!
I'll say it: Professor George Litefoot is an absolutely brilliant character, always one step ahead of everyone else and yet incredibly vulnerable and alone. I have completely fallen in love with him and Trevor Baxter's portrayal of him. Henry Gordon Jago is wonderful, obviously, but Professor Litefoot holds a special place in my heart (which he shares with the Sixth Doctor and Martin Freeman's John Watson).
I saved this audio for the longest time before finally listening to it all in one night...and I adored it. It was absolutely hilarious, and I instantly knew that Jago & Litefoot were made for each other. Call them what you will--a couple, bros, married--but I honestly believe they are soul mates. Don't look at me, go and listen to one of their audios. You'll spot it within the first three minutes or so.
This is the beginning (well, in Big Finish, at any rate) of their adventures together, and whether you like the story or not, you'll like them.

Some Audio Favorites, Part One

I figured I ought to have this kind of post as one of my first ones, to give any readers of mine out there (pfft like I'm gonna get readers) an idea of audios I like. Here we go!

Point of Entry

It was about halfway through this one when I realized how amazing it was. I was able to visualize everything so well, like Peri and the Doctor's clothes, the astral plane part of the story takes place on, the rain on the curfewed (apparently that's not a word) streets...Peri as Queen Elizabeth was hilarious, but the rest of the audio was serious and a bit scary. The sound of those flies buzzing around....ugh.
On a weirder and slightly fetish-y note, I really liked the visual of an unconscious Peri and Six being carried out of the burning house. It was really sweet how Tom wouldn't leave them to burn alive and insisted he and Kit get them out of there. When I finished the audio I was just like, "Wow. That was incredible." I've heard other people say this is a good one, which I doubted until I heard it. Fantastic job, Big Finish, and of course to Nicola and Colin.

Night's Black Agents

Jamie is my second-favorite companion (Sarah Jane being the first) and Six is my favorite Doctor, so it's no surprise that I loved this audio. I haven't heard the trilogy this is set in the middle of yet, but I can't wait to.

About two minutes into this one I practically threw my headphones across the room--or on the ground, at least. I just want to see (or at least hear) Jamie and the Doctor together, and I loved that it was ingrained in Jamie's subconscious to trust and care about this weird man. I also love Frazer's voice, and hearing him impersonate Colin was a real treat. Great story, great acting, but it won't make sense unless you've already heard or know what happens in The City of Spires.

Voyage to Venus

I'm not sure if I'd even seen The Talons of Weng-Chiang before pre-ordering this audio. I don't think I had. All I knew was that the Jago & Litefoot audios were really good, and here were two for a dollar each. When I did get the audio, I listened to it on a night when I was really tired, and taking a break from all the homework I had. It instantly cheered me up and left me with a smile on my face. Funny, clever, and visually stimulating (you can see the colours and everything!) this is a good jumping-on point for Jago & Litefoot. At least, it is if you're cheap like me and don't want to wait for a Big Finish sale to buy the box sets. 

(Yes, I own three of the box sets now, plus The Mahogany Murderers and Voyage to the New World. You could say this was the start of my obsession with Professor George Litefoot. Enough on that coming up.)

Thoughts on Jubilee: Second Time Around

Ah, Jubilee. I remember listening to it last October. I listened to one part each night, and when I finished part two I rolled around in my bed for several minutes, repeating the last few lines to myself in shock. The next day I kept repeating them in my head, finally racing up to bed at 10:00 precisely to hear the next part.
And proceeded to cry myself to sleep in the middle of part three. I had to finish the rest of the play the next day.

I'm not going to spoil it for you here if you haven't heard all of Jubilee yet. When everyone talks about it as a really good play, they fail to mention how SCREWED UP it is. Which was fine for me at the time, since I knew next to nothing about the play. I'm glad nobody spoiled it for me. (Like the DWP did for The Curse of Davros, but that was my fault entirely. They did tell me to turn the podcast off if I hadn't heard it yet.) But why do people never talk about Jubilee, besides putting it on a "Best of Big Finish" list?
Thinking about the play after finishing it the first time, I came to reflect how important Evelyn is to the story. She's the only one who hasn't gone completely mad. Rochester, Miriam, the dalek, Farrow, Lamb (although he's just a product of the broken society), and even the Doctor(s)--they're all rather insane, aren't they? The Doctor has centuries of prejudice against the Daleks, but Evelyn's met them before and she can even sympathize with this lone dalek from the get-go. We feel awful for it, in a way the tv episode based on this play cannot hope to compare to. One wonders what "Dalek" would have been like, had it been adapted from the play more faithfully.
The second listen, I was struck even more than the first time just how philosophical Shearman gets. It's beautiful. And painful, yes. From the Doctor's first line, we are dropped into a tale about the dangers of ignoring and changing history to suit our own ends. Doctor Who has taught me just how similar the past and future are to the present. People love, hate, die, dream, have families, talk, laugh...things we don't think about when reading a textbook. That's not the reason I love the show so much--not a major one, anyway. It's a perk, for me. What I'm getting at is that I know the Doctor's right. He tells Evelyn that "you haven't seen history! Just someone else's present day!"
And then the sickening thing is, she see her own present day. And everything is so wrong, and so different and scary, it's not a past, present, or future she knows. This audio belongs to Evelyn, the afore-mentioned only sane person and the one the dalek chooses to save time and again. She's so brilliant and compassionate, it's a small wonder I decided to cosplay as her. (That, and I had all the right clothing.) A truly wonderful companion, and I hope she returns to Big Finish soon.
Although not in an audio as emotionally scarring as this one...