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 | A cinematic audio drama? HECK YES!! |
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| By: | Jared Star, Portsmouth, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 27 October 2021 |
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| Rating: |   9 |
Can I call an Audio Drama cinematic? That doesn’t matter because I will definitely use that word to describe this one. The setting is novel for Doctor Who and there really isn’t anything like it in New Who, Classic Who, or even the audios before and after this. It’s set in a sprawling, colorful, and beautiful futuristic city and it stays in that elegance for the entirety of the audio. Not once does it have characters run down gloomy corridors, or explore the slums. It keeps the beautiful, cinematic feel all the way to the end.
This is a story that takes a weird concept and runs with it. Initially, it seems like a basic euthanasia plot, but then a striking twist happens concerning “the end” that took me by surprise. I won’t spoil it, but it did feel a bit absurd upon first listening. Yet, over time they take this laughable concept and add just enough seriousness to it that I actually believed it. The cliffhanger of part 3 is what made me enjoy the concept of the end much more than I had previously.
This is the first episode I’ve heard with Flip or Constance and the fact that they are broken up gave me a great idea of what they were like without one overtaking another. I love these kinds of stories that seed companions or even the Doctor into the normal, everyday life of the world they are on and have each work on the inside. My only problem is that I wish this concept was pushed further.
As is surprisingly frequent with Big Finish, the ending was poor. The last 10 minutes or so were tacked on, messy, and took away from the original plot rather than create a great ending for it. It wasn't the worst ending, but it did end up being a bit of an annoyance really. That being said, this is still a sensational audio drama that puts you in the mindset of one of the most beautiful cinematic landscapes you can imagine!
