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SFF: Big Finish's Torchwood Monthly Range, cont'd
I've made it through all but two of the 1-42 episodes I got on sale (like, major sale. They need to have another, I need more Torchwood in my ears). Those two are the Andy one with the guy from Ghost Protocol, and Save Our Souls. I just wasn't in the mood for Queen Victoria, ok. Oh, and the one with Michael Palin. I'd forgotten I skipped that one.
All told, though, I am absolutely LOVING Big Finish's TW stuff. They're doing it almost like an anthology, with the tone all over the place. Some episodes are sad, some depressing, some bleak, some ridiculous (looking at you, Expectant), some are a combination. And they're all really great sketching in things or just adding to the Torchwood mythos.
NEEDS MORE SUZIE AND YVONNE, though. I might have to actually buy the TW: London stuff.
The Hope - unlike the previous Andy and Owen outing, this is an absolutely excellent episode. It starts out a little bit rough (women in prison, meh), but then it swiftly relocates to the moors, where it cracks on and is *mwah* so so good - the atmosphere is eerie and you feel like you're in the fog with them, more often than not. I feel like they're really trying hard to traumatize poor Andy. Meanwhile, Owen is once again feeling empathy with a sociopath. Sian Phillips as Megwyn Jones is amazing in the role, so very fragile and at the same time, well, earning her nickname. There's some excellent fridge horror moments, the more you think about the background story that lies beneath the actual plot (those photos!)
The Vigil - I found this one half-frustrating, half-good. I am very tired of White Racist People being treated as some sort of hero (listening to the interview at the end, it sounds like that wasn't the intention at all, but it doesn't help, because there's never a moment where Tosh is like, "You're a racist dickhead, I'm glad you're dead.") Toshiko is her amazing self, and this is mostly a two-hander, and I feel she works better with whatsisface's mum. But her bits with the dude are also telling, and very early Tosh (letting everyone else take credit, doing all of the work, and I wish she'd pushed back more--though she starts to, so, good). Also, a part of me wonders if Suzie thought he was a liability and that's why they 'accidentally' left the MacGuffin Machine behind.
Smashed - FFS. I don't even know how to rate this one. On the one hand, it is really awful - like, you can't even think too hard about the premise or the solution, or it all falls apart. On the other hand, it's bleak and terrible. On the third hand, it's also hilarious and laugh out loud funny more often than not. The plot: Gwen has to stay drunk in order not to succumb to an infection, and maybe even save the town. It does a much better job of the politics than Green Life, at least. Also, interesting that Gwen states up-front the bank has stolen all of Torchwood's money. Hrm.
The episode is dedicated to Helen Griffin, who was the best thing about Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, and I'm saddened to know she can never reprise that role.
Dead Man's Switch - Bilis Manger. I can't decide if I like him or hate him, but he's so quietly creepy and off in a way that doesn't quite register until you're staring at him as he explains that you're dead... This episode is three little horror stories in one, and I loved how they were all interesting in their own ways, and how very vibrant all of the characters were. I even think the end was good. It makes sense, that he always has... a reason? A plan? Whatever it is, I liked his attempts to be Human even if he utterly failed.
Also, damn right that's the choice I would make.
Expectant - omg This episode's premise is, "Someone said to John Barrowman, let's get Captain Jack Pregnant, he said, FUCK YEAH." And it is fucking hilarious. It pulls in ALL of the stupid pregnant woman cliches, and Barrowman is utterly fabulous at them. I was laughing so hard through most of this. Even when I shouldn't have been - ALSO. There's a whole confrontation that is SO TORCHWOOD, and displays the exact same lack of planning that Children of Earth did when they stormed Thames House. It's also pre-Kate, I think. Not entirely sure.
Ianto has several good lines, my favorite being "Invasion fleets can be gossipy."
Fortitude - Where DMS was a quiet little melodrama/horror, this one is a bombastic, OTT bit of nonsense. It's full of critique in regards to Queen Victoria's reign, and doesn't pull ANY punches on how history views what she did. Nor does it make her all warm and fuzzy. She's really not a nice person, and she's so very ruthless. It was also interesting seeing the historical things like dudes locking their cheating wives up brought in. Not that that was ok, either.
It was nice that there wasn't a 'good' guy in this. Just terrible people being awful. Honestly, the only thing I thought deserved to survive was the storm.
Dissected - Oof. This one was really good, but the emotional journey was a bit claustrophobic.
So. It's Gwen and Martha, and there's a lot of underlying tensions between them, which sort of spill out during the episode. And Gwen is kind of an asshole to Martha, while Martha is just tired. And it's a great bridge between Martha in UNIT, and Martha post-UNIT. But, wow, did I spend some of it white-knuckled with the tension between them.
It's also got a great framing conceit which never lets up, not even in the end.
I want more stories with Martha and Gwen just hanging out with some bolly, but I don't think that's ever in the cards.
Tropical Sounds and Other Relaxing Beach Sounds - So, in concept, this one seems awesome and cool, and I quite like Michael Palin! In practice, it hits my second-hand embarrassment squick something fierce, and I barely made a third of the way through. Maybe at some point, I'll manage, but not right now.
Iceberg - This is an excellent Owen episode, and I love the dawning horror and realization as it finally clicks for him. I also love that he is as much of an asshole as he normally is. This is very early Owen, series one Owen, if you will. I also loved how fucking bleak it was. Because Torchwood is wonderfully bleak, and it's great when it digs into that in a good way (which this did).
Dinner and a Show - Set between series one and series two, this one is Ianto and Tosh running about saving people from aliens at the opera. It has a half-drunk Tosh, and a fed-up, done with everything Ianto, and it is fucking brilliant. There's some great character beats, and musical mockery, and the ending is perfect and makes me miss this team so fucking much.
Save Our Souls - Skipped for the moment (another Queen Victoria ep)
Red Base - Andy Davidson just can't win! Even when he goes to fake Mars. This was a cute little story (which sounds like faint praise, but it's very fluffy despite all of the dead people). The author cheekily named the AI Dave, and it's about as creepy as you'd expect.
Ex Machina - It's early Ianto, who is such a love. It's very recent to Cyberwoman, so there's a bit of a character beat with that episode (and when the ending hits, holy fuck, my heart). The story is a fairly basic SF concept, but I still loved the execution, even as it felt a bit too light in some ways. On the whole, this and Red Base were nice, light fare. I'm terrified about what comes next (er, when I get them, that is)
This one also plays with memory loss and perception in different ways than The Office That Never Was, but unlike that one, this one didn't make me frustrated and irritated.
All in all, I am loving this range.
All told, though, I am absolutely LOVING Big Finish's TW stuff. They're doing it almost like an anthology, with the tone all over the place. Some episodes are sad, some depressing, some bleak, some ridiculous (looking at you, Expectant), some are a combination. And they're all really great sketching in things or just adding to the Torchwood mythos.
NEEDS MORE SUZIE AND YVONNE, though. I might have to actually buy the TW: London stuff.
The Hope - unlike the previous Andy and Owen outing, this is an absolutely excellent episode. It starts out a little bit rough (women in prison, meh), but then it swiftly relocates to the moors, where it cracks on and is *mwah* so so good - the atmosphere is eerie and you feel like you're in the fog with them, more often than not. I feel like they're really trying hard to traumatize poor Andy. Meanwhile, Owen is once again feeling empathy with a sociopath. Sian Phillips as Megwyn Jones is amazing in the role, so very fragile and at the same time, well, earning her nickname. There's some excellent fridge horror moments, the more you think about the background story that lies beneath the actual plot (those photos!)
The Vigil - I found this one half-frustrating, half-good. I am very tired of White Racist People being treated as some sort of hero (listening to the interview at the end, it sounds like that wasn't the intention at all, but it doesn't help, because there's never a moment where Tosh is like, "You're a racist dickhead, I'm glad you're dead.") Toshiko is her amazing self, and this is mostly a two-hander, and I feel she works better with whatsisface's mum. But her bits with the dude are also telling, and very early Tosh (letting everyone else take credit, doing all of the work, and I wish she'd pushed back more--though she starts to, so, good). Also, a part of me wonders if Suzie thought he was a liability and that's why they 'accidentally' left the MacGuffin Machine behind.
Smashed - FFS. I don't even know how to rate this one. On the one hand, it is really awful - like, you can't even think too hard about the premise or the solution, or it all falls apart. On the other hand, it's bleak and terrible. On the third hand, it's also hilarious and laugh out loud funny more often than not. The plot: Gwen has to stay drunk in order not to succumb to an infection, and maybe even save the town. It does a much better job of the politics than Green Life, at least. Also, interesting that Gwen states up-front the bank has stolen all of Torchwood's money. Hrm.
The episode is dedicated to Helen Griffin, who was the best thing about Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, and I'm saddened to know she can never reprise that role.
Dead Man's Switch - Bilis Manger. I can't decide if I like him or hate him, but he's so quietly creepy and off in a way that doesn't quite register until you're staring at him as he explains that you're dead... This episode is three little horror stories in one, and I loved how they were all interesting in their own ways, and how very vibrant all of the characters were. I even think the end was good. It makes sense, that he always has... a reason? A plan? Whatever it is, I liked his attempts to be Human even if he utterly failed.
Also, damn right that's the choice I would make.
Expectant - omg This episode's premise is, "Someone said to John Barrowman, let's get Captain Jack Pregnant, he said, FUCK YEAH." And it is fucking hilarious. It pulls in ALL of the stupid pregnant woman cliches, and Barrowman is utterly fabulous at them. I was laughing so hard through most of this. Even when I shouldn't have been - ALSO. There's a whole confrontation that is SO TORCHWOOD, and displays the exact same lack of planning that Children of Earth did when they stormed Thames House. It's also pre-Kate, I think. Not entirely sure.
Ianto has several good lines, my favorite being "Invasion fleets can be gossipy."
Fortitude - Where DMS was a quiet little melodrama/horror, this one is a bombastic, OTT bit of nonsense. It's full of critique in regards to Queen Victoria's reign, and doesn't pull ANY punches on how history views what she did. Nor does it make her all warm and fuzzy. She's really not a nice person, and she's so very ruthless. It was also interesting seeing the historical things like dudes locking their cheating wives up brought in. Not that that was ok, either.
It was nice that there wasn't a 'good' guy in this. Just terrible people being awful. Honestly, the only thing I thought deserved to survive was the storm.
Dissected - Oof. This one was really good, but the emotional journey was a bit claustrophobic.
So. It's Gwen and Martha, and there's a lot of underlying tensions between them, which sort of spill out during the episode. And Gwen is kind of an asshole to Martha, while Martha is just tired. And it's a great bridge between Martha in UNIT, and Martha post-UNIT. But, wow, did I spend some of it white-knuckled with the tension between them.
It's also got a great framing conceit which never lets up, not even in the end.
I want more stories with Martha and Gwen just hanging out with some bolly, but I don't think that's ever in the cards.
Tropical Sounds and Other Relaxing Beach Sounds - So, in concept, this one seems awesome and cool, and I quite like Michael Palin! In practice, it hits my second-hand embarrassment squick something fierce, and I barely made a third of the way through. Maybe at some point, I'll manage, but not right now.
Iceberg - This is an excellent Owen episode, and I love the dawning horror and realization as it finally clicks for him. I also love that he is as much of an asshole as he normally is. This is very early Owen, series one Owen, if you will. I also loved how fucking bleak it was. Because Torchwood is wonderfully bleak, and it's great when it digs into that in a good way (which this did).
Dinner and a Show - Set between series one and series two, this one is Ianto and Tosh running about saving people from aliens at the opera. It has a half-drunk Tosh, and a fed-up, done with everything Ianto, and it is fucking brilliant. There's some great character beats, and musical mockery, and the ending is perfect and makes me miss this team so fucking much.
Save Our Souls - Skipped for the moment (another Queen Victoria ep)
Red Base - Andy Davidson just can't win! Even when he goes to fake Mars. This was a cute little story (which sounds like faint praise, but it's very fluffy despite all of the dead people). The author cheekily named the AI Dave, and it's about as creepy as you'd expect.
Ex Machina - It's early Ianto, who is such a love. It's very recent to Cyberwoman, so there's a bit of a character beat with that episode (and when the ending hits, holy fuck, my heart). The story is a fairly basic SF concept, but I still loved the execution, even as it felt a bit too light in some ways. On the whole, this and Red Base were nice, light fare. I'm terrified about what comes next (er, when I get them, that is)
This one also plays with memory loss and perception in different ways than The Office That Never Was, but unlike that one, this one didn't make me frustrated and irritated.
All in all, I am loving this range.