Heroes - Collision

 Beware spoilers...

One of my favourite tropes when reading comics was the crossover or when two characters who didn't often meet crossed paths. This is the theme of this weeks episode as our cast of characters who have mostly been kept isolated from each other begin to intermingle. We get everything from teases as some regulars pass each other in corridors and full blown meet ups. Bar Mohinder and Nathans brief altercation I enjoyed this aspect of the episode in particular the ending which was a surprise. We get another good cliffhanger which leaves the viewer cursing the time they must pass before viewing the next episode and one of the best compliments I can give this show is that its rivalling Lost with the cliffhangers.

Claire gets a lot of action this episode, I enjoyed seeing last episodes cliffhanger from a different point of view. After escaping from the morgue she decides to take down her would be rapist/killer Brody - who I only just realised this episode is played by Matthew Lanter off of Timeless. Its good to see a character using potentially passive powers so aggressively. There's a lot of character stuff as she's reluctant to make a fuss and is only moved to so by hearing of another victim.

We get answers about Nikki's powers this episode - she's a Jekyll and Hyde character by the look of it. She takes on a stronger grittier persona when she blacks out - think Hulk without the CGI. We also get more teases regarding Linderman who remains tantalisingly off screen yet is connected to the Petrelli family.

Mister Bennet continues to be of interest despite remaining low key this week, despite the theme of the week involving characters crossing paths he has done the most interacting as of this point. He still does a bit but its hidden in the shadows and doesn't get much screen time.

Isaac does some more painting this week and what we see is mostly related to Claire which creates a good bit of tension in Claires scenes. We see a good little bit of plotting this week, its been established he needs to shoot up with heroin to paint the future so it takes him out of the picture (do you see what I did there) when Peter comes knocking at the door.

I love the juxtaposition of this episode where the one person who can't turn their powers on in Peter finally meets up with Mohinder and can't prove himself genuine when almost everyone this episode is going big on using their powers.

I really enjoyed this episode and its getting a 9/10. I've not seen any of Heroes since the initial broadcast and I got excited near the end because I thought Hiro was going to say THAT line. But I'm still excited because the ending reminded me of an episode yet to come that I'm really excited for now. 

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 30-21

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 30-21. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

30. The Wormery, possibly the most bat bleep crazy play in this ranking and I mean this in a barnstorming fun way. We have the sole appearance of Iris Wildthyme played by Katy Manning in the range who is a bonkers pastiche of The Doctor who first turned up in the books and has gone on to have her own spin-off range. Colin Bakers 6th Doctor is a wonderful foil for her, we have a vulnerable Doctor who is post trial and having issues. This leads to a story of wonderful melancholy, we're not in a Doctor Who story here - it feels like Big Finish have released this story in the wrong range - a feeling also put across by the cover. As I'm writing this entry my memory is being overloaded by wonderful memories. Like Zagreus the release beforehand this is a good gateway into other ranges and a story which has an unexpected cameo. If I could compare this play to something else it would be Twin Peaks, lots of surrealism lots of melancholy and lots of everything.

29. The One Doctor, a play thats become a Christmas tradition among Big Finish listeners as its fun panto. Similar to the 10th Doctor meeting someone who is himself dialled up to 11 in The Next Doctor the 6th Doctor does the same with Banto Zame imitating him. The jokes hit and its a fun Christmas family play.   

28. The Council of Nicaea, its the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem in a fantastic play where The Doctor and Erimem take opposite views and opposing sides in Emperor Constantines first council. Speaking personally I had no knowledge of the events in this play and was fully absorbed by the events. It speaks of how divisive religion can be in that it nearly tears the lineup of regulars apart. We would touch on The Doctor and Erimem disagreeing with each other and the unique perception Erimem has as a princess from ancient Egypt this however is the deepest this storyline would go.

27. Storm Warning, its hard to believe now but this play and the following season (and seasons) is the closest we felt we would ever get to a new series. Paul McGann was the current Doctor and a few years after getting the rites to Doctor Who they finally got the current Doctor. Theres something magic about the opening narration - of which is one of Paul McGanns best skills. We have lovely introductions of the 8th Doctor and Charley, we have a fun setting in the R101, we have a fun plot and fun guest stars. This play is a snapshot in time where everything was fun and fluffy.

26. Phantasmagoria, the second release in the range and first "proper" release after the multi Doctor story Sirens. Its another fun and fluffy play with the 5th Doctor and rare appearance by Turlough. Turlough is at his best when he's being a rubbish companion and this is played to a hilt. Its 1702 in London and we have fun and fluff with demons, highway men and the Diablo club. Its another case of a fun romp going for gold in being a fun romp.

25. Circular Time, an absolute gorgeous collection of one episode stories with a vague theme of seasons of the year. With the lineup of the 5th Doctor and Nyssa this is Big Finishes first collection of one episode stories in a release and its absolutely fantastic. After a fun rompy story in Spring things get deep and as a listener it shows that not all plays have to by two hour plus epics as we go the opposite way and go intimate. David Warners performance as Sir Isaac Newton is one of the best one off appearances in the range. The second disc contains Autumn and Winter feels like a complete change in style it feels like two epilogues (one of which the epilogue to an entire era) and its an engaging change of pace. We get to go to places we may have only been in our own head cannons and in that respect it makes me think it makes me ponder. This release is one of the ones I've only heard once but it lingers more in the mind than others and I look forward to a revisit.

24. No Man's Land, we're back with the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex in World War 1. A fantastic concept of a story with the Doctor being asked to investigate a murder and accidentally arriving before it happens. Its a whodunnit, a war story and a psychological horror with plenty of twists and turns.

23. The Harvest, we have the debut of Hex as the 7th Doctor and Ace investigate the goings on at a hospital. This story feels like the start of an era and is a good jumping on point if you want to go through a TARDIS lineup in story order. There are links to other stories - however this story also works if you don't know about them. Its a very intriguing and espionage heavy story, the format is very good as we don't see things from The Doctor and Aces point of view but are introduced into the events through Hex. This play is for you if you enjoy a thriller and want to come back multiple times to see how the story works after later revelations.

22. Seasons of Fear, now this is a proper fun one - the 8th Doctor finally gets Charley to Singapore where all hell breaks lose. Its a quest with the TARDIS off to a different location every episode taking on the mysterious Sebastian Grayle and his unseen (until later) mysterious allies. This is Big Finish doing The Chase / Dalek Masterplan and it feels like its built on a foundation of playing cards yet a strong riff keeps it together. Theres a lot going on and its a story where centrally there is a lot of fun fluff yet a lot of tangental ties to other plays in this season - again it rewards a re-listen. There's a fun little mystery to who Grayles allies are and the clues are all there if you want to play the game and avoid spoilers. Possibly one of the most fun plays in the range.

21. The Natural History of Fear, we're in the 8th Doctors third season with this being the highlight. Its a twist story where we're thrown in and try to work out what on Earth is going on. I don't mean this in s frustrating way, all the way through this play the listeners ears are on edge as we strive to work out whats going on, listening for clues and looking for dual meanings. There are two minor problems that stop this being higher, its C'rizz second story and the listener isn't as familiar with Conrad Westmass voice as the story requires us to be. This added on to the nature of characters we've already met in this story lead us part way to some answers before we're meant to get them. Without doubt this is one of the best scripts Big Finish have ever produced and its a shame Jim Mortimore hasn't done more. This story works best out of context with the season and shines during what was a frustrating time for the range.

Heroes - One Giant Leap

 Beware spoilers...

This episode feels rather like Game of Thrones in that there are a lot of plot lines going on and we're only meeting up with each one for a scene or two. We'll start at the end this episode - thats a corking cliff hanger, waking up during your own autopsy is the stuff of nightmares and is a fantastic way to end a TV show. Contrasted with Isaac finding a drawing of Peter and Simone kissing under the red umbrella (a fantastic visual) this show really knows how to end an episode.

Hiro and Ando are lots of fun this week as they follow the events in the comic - plus its a good easy way for Hiro to prove he isn't just insane. I like the fact their action in the episode ends just as the comic does, it echoes those youthful emotions of finishing a comic and not having to wait to find out what happens next issue. It looks like they're going on a road trip across America, no idea why but it looks like they don't know either.

We don't find out whats going on with Nikki but her husband is being built up for a late to the party arrival in a future episode.

The big thing about this episode is Sylar making his appearance on the show. He makes a fantastic overpowered debut feeling like a Dark Souls boss turning up in a Stardew Valley game. Already we have questions, what does he want with the girl? why does he have a similar map to Chandra and what is his connection to him? 

We're left asking new questions including who is this mysterious character popping up at the bar wating Matt?

Good stuff and its another 10/10 from me.

 

Heroes - Don't Look Back

Beware Spoilers...

This second episode reaps the reward of the first episode and is a more satisfying watch as a result. The repercussions of Peter jumping off the building in the previous episode hits deep. Nathan is denying it happened so it won't affect his political career, the mother is distraught and Peter is broken as he doesn't think he's special and now believes Nathan is. I spoke about the flight scene in the previous episode being a dog but the hovering scene goes the opposite way and is beautiful. Also the sketch is a good clue to what Peters true powers really are and is one of the elements that make a re-watch fun.

We're learning a few things about Claire and her family such as the fact that she's adopted and her caring nature. Already theres a feeling Claire is going to be a big factor in the series.

Niki's part of the episode is perhaps the most intriguing - I'd forgot what a slow burn the road to finding out what her power actually is and its fun. She's blacking out, seeing and odd reflection, it looks like she's killing people and from the skulls that pop up near the end she may have killed a lot.

Mohinder meets a new friend and finds a flash drive full of his fathers work, we also get the first appearance of Syler recorded on an answerphone and he gets a mention in another plot line of the episode. Theres a feeling that the show is getting the hooks out ready to hold us down for the long haul.

Matt Parkman played by Greg Grunberg pops up near the end of the episode and I'd forgot it took him this long to show up. By far the regular who went on to be the most recognisable imo. He discovers a hidden girl at a crime scene due to telepathy and is promptly arrested by Clea DuVall of all people - her of Girl Interrupted, Ghosts of Mars and The Faculty fame. I'd completely forgot she was in this!

Hiro after teleporting to New York finds out he's in the future by about a month, finds the dead body of Isaac, is arrested, witnesses an explosion and promptly teleports back to what we assume is the present. Blooming eck Masi Oka is absolutely charming as Hiro and should be doing more things that I'm aware of.

A brilliant second episode, sometimes a show just needs to get a tricky start out of the way so it can do what its designed for. In this episode see character arcs connecting, see more of their lives. This is without doubt near perfect TV and if you plan on watching the show I'd sit through at least this episode until you decide if you're in for the duration of season 1. I have to call out the one fault in this episode, I had no idea the dead body Hiro finds in the future is Isaac. One small yet pivotal lapse as the first time around I only picked it up from dialogue in later episodes.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 40-31

  Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 40-31. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

40. Sword of Orion, during this ranking I've said that quite a few stories could rise with a re-listen and this play is a case in point. When this story came out it was not the story I was hoping for, Cybermen in the internet age doing new things with technology - awesome! Instead we get a boring traditional story that felt like it was copy and pasted from somewhere else. However thats not the case, with a re-listen we have a wonderful story that captures the sense of fun and energy that set the tine for Paul McGann. It gets better with every listen and I've grown quite fond of it. Its certainly the best of Nicholas Briggs "not nailed to the plot" stories and has fantastic world building. The stories weakness on the first listen has become its strength, the market that the 8th Doctor and Charley find themselves in is wonderful, the ships crew become well rounded characters and it matters more when the Cybermen turn up and try to spoil everything. This story is a lovely traditional world building (for spin off series) moment that I get soppy about.

39. Whispers of Terror, OMG its another one I get soppy about as its the first 6th Doctor story and third release over all. Along with Peri he's in an audio museum as Justin Richards pens a fun mystery which has some fun audio aspects. I have a fondness for this story as its the one I got along with Sirens of time and was a part of my first ever Big Finish haul. Of note are cast appearances by Lisa Bowerman and Peter Miles who are lots of fun.

38. 100, from part of the earliest haul its the final listen of the first 100 releases. A lovely collection of stories here as to celebrate the 100 release. Its nice that Colins 6th Doctor gets this moment as his Doctor has been repaired by Big Finish and he shares the stage with Maggie Stables Evelyn Smythe the companion who did so much for him. The stories are lots of fun with a menagerie of writers from the range - some of which haven't been around for a while. The first two stories are quite fun luring the listener into a false sense of comfort and then some rather interesting things happen on the final disc. A fun moment and a celebration rather than a play.      

37. Son of the Dragon, its a historical featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri, Erimem and Dracula - Yes Dracula! This isn't your Bram Stoker stuff this is full blown historical First Doctor era stuff going on here. A mighty stark story set in Eastern Europe sees enemies on all sides including among the companions as we visit an aspect of Erimem seen in an earlier story. Its good writing by Steve Lyons a familiar name from the book range with James Purefoy on good form as Vlad III.If I have to pick one word to describe this play its "stark" everything feels bleak and time travel feels like hard labour instead of fun - I mean this as a compliment. This is not one of the fluffy plays - its as far away as you can get with nothing in the shape of garlic and coffins to lighten the mood. Proper moody stuff indeed.

36. The Reaping, featuring the 6th Doctor, Peri and the Cybermen. Written by Joseph Lidster who I'd like to mention as a number of his plays have already been mentioned and this is the highest ranked. It gels with me which is largely a first for a full release story. Like the last one its also dark and theres a lot of things going on, Nicola Bryant is given some of her most powerful scenes, the Doctor feels like he's constantly a step behind and the Cybermen feel more vicious than usual. This play contains one of the best resolutions ever in a Big Finish release. Just when it looks like the Cybermen have won one of the best plot twists occurs that is so good I gave an expletive ridden gasp of shock.

35. Neverland, the finale of the 8th Doctors second season wrapping up the ongoing storylines that have been going on since Charley turned up and setting things up for Zagreus. This is a personal story for me as it marks the end of an era, I'd just left Uni and life was about to change and this story ends on such a good cliff hanger that I felt it was a good point to put things on hold and come back later. In hindsight this series foreshadows the format of Doctor Who when it returned to TV in the shape that we have a mystery thats been built up for most of the season, we get returning characters including someone whose been popping up in various stories and we're in the situation where its the companion in jeopardy instead of The Doctor - plus Charley is a Big Finish original companion! On first listen we have no idea if she's going to survive. A satisfying conclusion to the season with an impressive cliff hanger pulling us into everything that followed.

34. The Axis of Insanity, blimey its Simon Furman off of The Transfomers comics on writing duties. This play see's the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem visit a realm containing an elephants graveyard of broken time lines that has been taken over by an insane jester. This jester is so well performed it lifts the story and should be listened to for the performance alone. However theres enough fun and fluff from the characters and location that its not a one person play. Dare I say it, the play feels like it shouldn't work but work it does and its highly absorbing.

33. I.D. its our first two play release on this list for some time, we have the three episode long I.D. and the one part Urgent Calls. Colin Bakers Doctor is going solo on this release and its an interesting dynamic, I.D. is a very good story with an interesting cast including one time contender to be a companion if Sophie Aldred hadn't have locked her in the lavs and of all people Gyles Brandreth! Its very good cyber punk tech scavenging stuff. However the main reason this release is this high is due to Urgent Calls a lovely done in one play with a gorgeous format. The story is a string of phone conversations with a Whoish twist that leaves a lovely taste in the ears. I'd go as far as to say if this ranking was individual stories Urgent Calls would be top 10, maybe even top 5.

32. Night Thoughts, a fantastic scary night time monster / whodunnit story featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex. Oooh, this is another good one, full of twists, good characters and the 7th Doctor infuriating everyone by keeping secrets and getting things wrong until they go right. This entire team is a triumph and Hex has added so much to what including the books could be described as the most over used double act in Doctor Who. Also possibly one of the most memorable endings.

31. Medicinal Purposes, Doctor Who does the Burke & Hare body snatchings with a Doctor Who twist. Robert Ross on writing duties makes a near faultless debut - sorry your other play is so low! With a historical that at one point takes an unexpected turn with good results. a mystery turns into a battle of wits that in turn leads to an ethical decision. Leslie Phillips is giving a career best performance as Knox - one of Big Finishes best original creations. He has a voice I could listen to for days! This play is so rich, it draws you in, refuses to let you go and when it ends your left in a hell of a state. On note in the guest cast is David Tennant who is a pivotal presence in this story. The story features the 6th Doctor and Evelyn who go through the ringer again, if ever there was a TARDIS crew that deserved to land on the planet of milkshakes and fluffy bunnies its these two. Sometimes the good guys don't win, sometimes they only survive and this is one of those times.

Heroes - Genesis

 First episode done and its time for my thoughts on Heroes - Genesis,

Its a strange watch in 2020, these days we're used to super powered antics on streaming services and in the cinema but back in 2006 we were still two years away from the Robert Downey Jnr and Jon Favreau kicking the MCU into life. The big shows of the day from my POV were Lost and a newly returned Doctor Who so super hero wise we're in uncharted territory.

We're introduced to a number of characters who we don't know at this point are linked by fate with the added aspect that some of them are developing powers - some are ever so subtle, some we don't know about yet but the connection is powers are developing among certain people. We see, flight, teleportation, healing factors and the ability to predict the future via the medium of ketting up & getting the paint brushes out.

The filmography and making of the eclipse a central point of the episode along with Claires home footage of her emerging powers are the high points of a very poorly directed episode. The flight scene looks like the director has locked himself in the lav and took LSD just before filming.

Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohinder is a good choice as narrator and his monologue sets the tone well. In fact him Claire and Hiro are the most memorable characters and we don't yet know who are going to be the main players. The strongest aspects of this episode are the introduction of the paintings of the future and the questions over who has and hasn't got powers - as well as what exactly are some of the power.

Its a very good watch second time around as there are a lot of nods to later and earlier incidents. Also I paused it as the flight picture is blatantly Peter and not Nathan - something I never noticed before.

However there are a lot of problems - I've mentioned the direction so I won't be going there again. The main take I got from this episode is that The Wachowski Sisters would be along a decade later to do this properly a decade later with Sense8. Its too network orientated, instead of feeling like a world encompassing story all the characters are in America already. Also theres a lot of low level misogyny going on, the female characters are either characterised by looks - being a cheerleader or a stripper - or by being someones mum in one occasion both.

Its a 6/10 from me as I'm enjoying a lot of the mystery and introduction of characters, however a lot of the basics of being a TV show need a good going over.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 50-41

 Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 50-41. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

50. Unregenerate! Ooooh, we're into the top 50! I've no idea why there is an exclamation mark in the title but what the hell it looks good! What do you mean I've used up my quota of exclamation marks? This is a good one, starting off with a good situation that has the listener demanding to know whats going on. We know the 7th Doctor is in trouble and Mel is given the role as psuedolistener to find out whats going on. Its also a fairly tight play despite the flashy nature of the plot, although it does proper let rip when we get to the cliff hangers. It feels odd having the season 24 team in something that feels very late 7th Doctor era (possibly Virgin New Adventures era) although it doesn't jar, possibly the Doctor is realising he has to make changes if he wants this incarnation to work out. A tight low key story with some brilliant WTF moments.

49. Caerdroia, we're back in the divergent universe with the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz but don't worry this is a fun one. This is the most joyful this arc ever got and theres still the odd dark moment. We're thrown into a series of set pieces that hold together, laugh at the audio format and examine the nature of The Doctor. We're nearly at the end of this arc and it feels like it, things actually matter in this story, we finally get answers and there is a chance to change the status quo. The listeners opinion of this story is going to be based on what you make of Eeyore and Tigger. Personally I enjoyed them and I think Paul McgGann did too.

48. Project Lazurus, lets go back in time to 2003 where for a period of a few months the range went experimental. In this case we have two interlinked two part stories featuring the 6th Doctor with Evelyn and then the 7th Doctor. This is one of the most continuity heavy plays although its not over the top and is rewarding. Its the second (and third) appearance of Nimrod and The Forge and its a good sequel. Its bloody dark as well which you would expect after the first story. Listening to this blind was one of my most rewarding listens as the first two parts flew by at the speed of sound. Evelyn goes through the mill and this is a pivotal story for her. The start of part three and a different incarnation of The Doctor rocking up with no warning is why I listen to the releases blind with no knowledge - as a result its one of my favourite moments in the range.

47. Project Twilight, its the first appearance of The Forge and Nimrod in a play thats a good one off listen as well as setting elements up for the future. Its the 6th Doctor and Evelyn in action with a good thriller set in a London casino. This story is noteworthy for me as its why I listen to the stories blind with no knowledge of anything - the writer gives away the nature of the villains of this story on the inlay notes. As a result it spoiled the first listen and this one is lower in my rankings that it should be. Caven Scott and Mark Wright the writing team have more than made up for it penning some top quality releases one of which is further up this ranking. 

46. The Nowhere Place, its another Nicholas Briggs written story and this time he's doing horror with the 6th Doctor and Evelyn. I'm pleased that Nicholas Briggs would take over the range when Gary Russell moved on as I firmly believe he's one of the most consistent creators in Who. This is one of my favourite horror stories in Who and essentially its done with little more than a door and a bell.  

45. Live 34, this was another shock to listen to blind. The format of the story is that of a radio broadcast covering the events of an adventure featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex. This is a case of how the story is told rather than whats actually happening lifting the play. We're hearing this story at points in the form of propaganda by the bad guys. Of note is a guest appearance from Andrew Collins off of 90s radio which lends the play a sense of realism.

44. Memory Lane, its the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz in a surreal play involving a never ending street and the mystery of an astronaut. The image of spring and the snooker world championships gives this play a sense of nostalgia. The mystery of what is going on is delightful and theres some nice moments about culture. In lesser hands this story would be forgotten filler but its lovely in every way.

43. Threes a Crowd, an absolute cracking thriller featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem. I love these types of stories as Big Finish do them so well. Set on an isolated space station with the thinning population living their lives with little social interaction - something is blatantly wrong and its up to The Doctor to find out what. Plus Erimem experiencing a science fiction setting is fun and Deborah Watling gives a good turn as Auntie.

42. Time of the Daleks, set in the 8th Doctors second season with Charley along for the ride this play written by Justin Richards whose doing what he does best - writing a romp. This is one of the best examples of a fun story the range has to offer. Theres a little bit of continuity which doesn't hamper the story as the season is nearly at its climax. The dialogue is cracking the jokes are good, there are a few good twists and the plot rockets along - utter fun!

41. Eye of the Scorpion, I've not heard this one in a while so this ranking is based purely on vague memories. However it introduces Erimem to the range joining the 5th Doctor and Peri. Its got a few good jokes, a good Elvis one and a really good memorable finale that makes use of archaeological / historical fact. Its also quite a surprise to see (or hear) us get a new regular. The Egyptian setting is wonderful and its quite nice to see Peri take centre stage for an episode as members of the court plot Erimems downfall.