Saturday, April 25, 2015

Journeying with Eight - Two More Big Finish

Once again into the full swing of an audio season with Eight, we have two adventures with C'rizz and Charley as we see what they get up to in the normal universe. Only the first one, we kind of don't.

Scaredy Cat
Now we get to the standard Who fare of travelling around the universe visiting nice places and things inevitably going tits up. Here we have a visit to a garden world to show C'rizz something nice, and discover a scientific research lab on there that shouldn't.


Everyone involved is super dodgy, and all told it gets a bit ridiculous. Especially when they drag out the Hannibal Lector type who they're experimenting on to cure evil. Though the Doctor's speech is pretty good.

C'rizz is getting more character development in his second season then he ever did during his original run. I know it took four episodes to even really use him during the Divergent Universe storyline, here we've had two proper looks at him. Though the constant reminders of "Reptile boy" are a touch too far. It was good in Terror Firma, but don't keep pulling the same joke/trick.

However, not a great serial. I said after Terror Firma that I hoped that this season didn't pull another like the last, where it fell apart after a great opening. After Scaredy Cat& I'm kinda worried it is.

Other Lives
This is an actual Eight Historical. A proper one. The only otherworldly influence is the Doctor, and the whole thing kicking off because two French nobles accidentally nick the TARDIS.

With an adventure under way and the TARDIS gone Other Lives looks at who would cope the best stranded in Victorian England. The answer is obvious. Charley. Wait. What?

It sells the Doctor's less than ideal circumstances quite well, with a number of complications all set up before the TARDIS is removed from the events. The Doctor carries on regardless knowing he can just run away. Once that's removed, then he has to face the music. And a rather mentally disturbed woman.

It's quite a nice little adventure, especially for what we see of C'rizz. There is a bit more of the “Reptile Boy” but it's taken to a nice conclusion, and C'rizz's behaviour is highlighted, and he's starting to get a bit worrying.

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