The Big Finish Catch-Up September 2016

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First up is the 8th Doctor and Charlie in the main range, what can I say? This story is so emotional, Charley has been an ever present part of the 8th Doctor stories since Paul McGann started with Big Finish. Despite the end of the previous story I didn't expect her to leave. At the start it genuinely feels like The Doctor has lost her and throughout the story it feels like he wins her back but events in the final act take an unexpected twist she's gone. I'd seen a poster advertising a spin-off range for her but this was only a few years back and I assumed she was safe for a number of years to come. The end looks to set up her up for a solo series and its such an unexpected set up and given a fondness for Charley I will seek it out at some point. 10/10 I haven't spoken about the story but its brilliant.

As you can see from the picture next up this month was the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem. Talk about an emotional breakdown two companions gone in two releases! Given this teams previous release Erimems exit was heavily hinted at but I thought it was going to be padded out - possibly with a story or two that looked like she was going to die only to survive at the last minute. Her exit does make sense, is on character and despite events in "Son of the Dragon" having a slight similar flavour I didn't see it coming. There's a lot going on in this story - a kind of sequel to the two televised stories featuring Peladon and as is fitting for the majority of the story the listener isn't sure who the good guys and bad guys are. There are lots of nods to the two TV stories and as a fan I think I enjoyed this more than a casual listener would - a lot of fan buttons were pressed! Easily this is 9/10 for me but for a casual listener I'd say give a few stories with this TARDIS crew a listen to first. It genuinely feels like Erimems story line has come to a natural conclusion and as a character looking back it feels like she's someone Big Finish have tried to do something different with 'The Council of Nicaea' and 'Son of the Dragon' being a case in point. 

With a heavy heart I say goodbye to these characters but equally I look forward to what and who comes next.