The Diary of River Song S5 review: Missy invites River to check her hearts. River refuses
The series in which River runs into Missy, the decomposing Master, “Bruce,” and the War Master, in four separate stories, not connected unlike other DORS series.
I was split on the River and Master stories I liked the most in this series, but one of them was “The Bekdel Test.” The writer of this episode, Jonathan Morris, admitted that yes, the title is a play on the Bechdel-Wallace Test. The test does inspire the plot of the episode, by the way-a younger River (some time after “The Wedding of River Song,” imprisoned in Stormcage) is recruited to be in a supposedly impossible to escape security programme. Missy (who has met River before, in later installments of this audio, but has not met Twelve yet) is also in this programme, because they supposedly know something other parties want to know about. Morris’ writing keeps this story from only being a standard escape caper and a reminder of Missy’s final fate in the TV show (one I hate, but I guess Big Finish can’t retcon canon), and Michelle Gomez is (once again) hilarious as a mildly flirtatious Missy.
I don’t know-I thought the next two stories were a bit silly, but they’re not bad? They’re not really my taste, though. “Animal Instinct” is set after River becomes a professor, and it sees her taking a student that sounds like he’s somewhat dressed as Eleven in his tweed jacket on his final exam. They uncover the decomposing Master (Geoffery Beevers), mistaken as a god and buried in a healing attempt gone awry, and aid him in trying to survive. (Yes, this Master’s fanon name is alluded to in this audio.)
“The Lifeboat and the Deathboat” is, at least, set while the Master is in the body of Bruce (from the movie). (How this Master appears in this story is a bit of a spoiler for the movie.) River is stuck between this Master and his companion, who is not who she seems, and a captain that’s hellbent on murder. As I said earlier, both are well-acted stories, and the stories are decently written, but they’re both not really my taste.
I haven’t been following anything Big Finish has done concerning the Time War, including but not limited to the War Master audios, but based off of “Concealed Weapon,” it’s a shame that the War Master/Professor Yana was only limited to one episode in the TV show. Derek Jacobi is incredible as this Master, making him equal parts creepy and charming as he kills River’s crew (presumably some time after “The Husbands of River Song”) in yet another attempt at survival.
Have I said before that previous DORS series weren’t my favorite DORS series? Yeah, that. And I’d say this series isn’t my favorite series, but it does have fun exploring how the Masters come in and out of River’s life without sliding into tedium.
This entry was originally posted at https://merryghoul.dreamwidth.org/384789.html. Comments on either site are fine.
I was split on the River and Master stories I liked the most in this series, but one of them was “The Bekdel Test.” The writer of this episode, Jonathan Morris, admitted that yes, the title is a play on the Bechdel-Wallace Test. The test does inspire the plot of the episode, by the way-a younger River (some time after “The Wedding of River Song,” imprisoned in Stormcage) is recruited to be in a supposedly impossible to escape security programme. Missy (who has met River before, in later installments of this audio, but has not met Twelve yet) is also in this programme, because they supposedly know something other parties want to know about. Morris’ writing keeps this story from only being a standard escape caper and a reminder of Missy’s final fate in the TV show (one I hate, but I guess Big Finish can’t retcon canon), and Michelle Gomez is (once again) hilarious as a mildly flirtatious Missy.
I don’t know-I thought the next two stories were a bit silly, but they’re not bad? They’re not really my taste, though. “Animal Instinct” is set after River becomes a professor, and it sees her taking a student that sounds like he’s somewhat dressed as Eleven in his tweed jacket on his final exam. They uncover the decomposing Master (Geoffery Beevers), mistaken as a god and buried in a healing attempt gone awry, and aid him in trying to survive. (Yes, this Master’s fanon name is alluded to in this audio.)
“The Lifeboat and the Deathboat” is, at least, set while the Master is in the body of Bruce (from the movie). (How this Master appears in this story is a bit of a spoiler for the movie.) River is stuck between this Master and his companion, who is not who she seems, and a captain that’s hellbent on murder. As I said earlier, both are well-acted stories, and the stories are decently written, but they’re both not really my taste.
I haven’t been following anything Big Finish has done concerning the Time War, including but not limited to the War Master audios, but based off of “Concealed Weapon,” it’s a shame that the War Master/Professor Yana was only limited to one episode in the TV show. Derek Jacobi is incredible as this Master, making him equal parts creepy and charming as he kills River’s crew (presumably some time after “The Husbands of River Song”) in yet another attempt at survival.
Have I said before that previous DORS series weren’t my favorite DORS series? Yeah, that. And I’d say this series isn’t my favorite series, but it does have fun exploring how the Masters come in and out of River’s life without sliding into tedium.
This entry was originally posted at https://merryghoul.dreamwidth.org/384789.html. Comments on either site are fine.