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fangrrl_squees) wrote2008-03-09 09:21 pm
fangrrl_squees) wrote2008-03-09 09:21 pm
Entry tags:
BFA - Bride of Peladon
Right then, just some quick thoughts on the latest BFA DW story, Bride of Peladon by Barnaby Edwards (Fifth Doctor, Peri, Erimem)
Thirty seconds in, I was all bloody hell, are they doing some sort of homage to Hamlet? A guard patrolling the battlements whilst most of the palace population is distracted with other tasks (granted, preparing for a wedding, rather than celebrating one), a king brooding about the suspicious death of his parent, said parent's ghost walking said battlements and declaring they were murdered. Well, I can be forgiven for the comparison, can't I?
But it certainly helped establish the medieval, dramatic feel of the setting right away - no difficult trick on audio. And besides, the parallels were hardly irritating, just a bit surprising.
Not to get into too much detail - honestly, there are much more excellent, well-thought-out reviews on the Gallifrey site - I really enjoyed this one, which was a bit of a relief, as the last few offerings had left me a bit cold. The story - which features the Doctor returning to Peladon a hundred years (relatively) after his last visit, and a fair whack of suspicious deaths, political skullduggery, debates on the relative definition of honor and suchlike - moves along briskly and had just enough twists to keep me going. About the only bit that had me scritching my head was the sub-plot featuring Elkin and the tri-silicate miners. It didn't seem terribly connected to the main story - aside from providing a mining accident/mysterious death to upset the royal family and provide a bit of grounding for the salt/tri-silicate prison thing for Sekhmet - and then it was wrapped up rather hastily and off-screen (as it were).
The great big reveal with Sekhmet and the Osirans was a bit of a facer. I mean, yay for a tie-in with Pyramids of Mars (as soon a Sekhmet was mentioned, I figured that was where it was going) but did I miss any sort of past reference that had previously suggested a tie between Peladon and the Osirans? Peladon and Earth, yes, given all that faffing about the Earth Federation in Curse of Peladon, but that's about it... And, okay, I'll admit that Erimem's ploy of luring Sekhmet with poisoned blood was quite nifty. I've got a soft spot for the legend of Sekhmet, though, so I probably fall under the easily pleased category, in that regard.
However, my minor quibbling with such things is far overshadowed by my sheer glee that Peri was not bratty beyond words, for a change. Yes, yes, the character is only 19 but, well, let's just say that I think the recent releases have erred on the whining-and-petulant side of that age. (Just ask me how I feel about Return to the Web Planet, I dare you). Indeed, all performances were top notch (how did Nicholas Briggs not pass out from the hyperventilation?) and even my vexation at Erimem was reduced to a low buzz - although that might have been because I was asking the ether why King Pelleas was such a wet blanket, most of the time. We didn't have to carry over Hamlet's dithering, y'know - and I rather can't help thinking that he didn't get much of a choice when it came to the marriage proposal from Erimem.
Ah, yes, Erimem. Well, I warned you there'd be spoilers. She's out. She decided that the throne of Peladon beat gadding about space and time (fulfilling her destiny as a ruler which, admittedly, often on her mind) and since Pandora got herself conveniently killed... Well, I suppose we should be happy Erimem didn't settle down with the scenery-chewing Tepes in Son of the Dragon. On the one hand, it can't be denied that marrying the character off to a monarch is a very logical ending for her and one that Erimem clearly considers satisfying. On the other hand, whenever a character is written out via marriage - especially a female character - one can't help feeling just the tiniest, slightest urge to bang one's head against the keyboard.
Then again, as I mentioned in my earlier bitchfest about Rose's departure/return, they can't all be Earthshock and Absolution-like departures, I suppose.
I did enjoy hearing the Fifth Doctor echoing the words of the Eighth at the end of Absolution - everyone leaves. Granted, he sounded a little more upset than his later self, but not my much, you'll note...
The women in this story were so strong - from Peri calling Zixlyr out about his behavior, to Beldonia's beautifully acid opinions of her son's arranged marriage to Pandora and Pandora's attempt to deal with ditto - that the fellas were kind of left in the dust, a bit - even the Doctor. But I don't consider that a bad thing, just a change from the norm worth mentioning.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. Fangrrl says to give it a go. :)
(sorry to be so abrupt, my dinner just got put on the table! Have I mentioned what a great husband I have?)
Thirty seconds in, I was all bloody hell, are they doing some sort of homage to Hamlet? A guard patrolling the battlements whilst most of the palace population is distracted with other tasks (granted, preparing for a wedding, rather than celebrating one), a king brooding about the suspicious death of his parent, said parent's ghost walking said battlements and declaring they were murdered. Well, I can be forgiven for the comparison, can't I?
But it certainly helped establish the medieval, dramatic feel of the setting right away - no difficult trick on audio. And besides, the parallels were hardly irritating, just a bit surprising.
Not to get into too much detail - honestly, there are much more excellent, well-thought-out reviews on the Gallifrey site - I really enjoyed this one, which was a bit of a relief, as the last few offerings had left me a bit cold. The story - which features the Doctor returning to Peladon a hundred years (relatively) after his last visit, and a fair whack of suspicious deaths, political skullduggery, debates on the relative definition of honor and suchlike - moves along briskly and had just enough twists to keep me going. About the only bit that had me scritching my head was the sub-plot featuring Elkin and the tri-silicate miners. It didn't seem terribly connected to the main story - aside from providing a mining accident/mysterious death to upset the royal family and provide a bit of grounding for the salt/tri-silicate prison thing for Sekhmet - and then it was wrapped up rather hastily and off-screen (as it were).
The great big reveal with Sekhmet and the Osirans was a bit of a facer. I mean, yay for a tie-in with Pyramids of Mars (as soon a Sekhmet was mentioned, I figured that was where it was going) but did I miss any sort of past reference that had previously suggested a tie between Peladon and the Osirans? Peladon and Earth, yes, given all that faffing about the Earth Federation in Curse of Peladon, but that's about it... And, okay, I'll admit that Erimem's ploy of luring Sekhmet with poisoned blood was quite nifty. I've got a soft spot for the legend of Sekhmet, though, so I probably fall under the easily pleased category, in that regard.
However, my minor quibbling with such things is far overshadowed by my sheer glee that Peri was not bratty beyond words, for a change. Yes, yes, the character is only 19 but, well, let's just say that I think the recent releases have erred on the whining-and-petulant side of that age. (Just ask me how I feel about Return to the Web Planet, I dare you). Indeed, all performances were top notch (how did Nicholas Briggs not pass out from the hyperventilation?) and even my vexation at Erimem was reduced to a low buzz - although that might have been because I was asking the ether why King Pelleas was such a wet blanket, most of the time. We didn't have to carry over Hamlet's dithering, y'know - and I rather can't help thinking that he didn't get much of a choice when it came to the marriage proposal from Erimem.
Ah, yes, Erimem. Well, I warned you there'd be spoilers. She's out. She decided that the throne of Peladon beat gadding about space and time (fulfilling her destiny as a ruler which, admittedly, often on her mind) and since Pandora got herself conveniently killed... Well, I suppose we should be happy Erimem didn't settle down with the scenery-chewing Tepes in Son of the Dragon. On the one hand, it can't be denied that marrying the character off to a monarch is a very logical ending for her and one that Erimem clearly considers satisfying. On the other hand, whenever a character is written out via marriage - especially a female character - one can't help feeling just the tiniest, slightest urge to bang one's head against the keyboard.
Then again, as I mentioned in my earlier bitchfest about Rose's departure/return, they can't all be Earthshock and Absolution-like departures, I suppose.
I did enjoy hearing the Fifth Doctor echoing the words of the Eighth at the end of Absolution - everyone leaves. Granted, he sounded a little more upset than his later self, but not my much, you'll note...
The women in this story were so strong - from Peri calling Zixlyr out about his behavior, to Beldonia's beautifully acid opinions of her son's arranged marriage to Pandora and Pandora's attempt to deal with ditto - that the fellas were kind of left in the dust, a bit - even the Doctor. But I don't consider that a bad thing, just a change from the norm worth mentioning.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. Fangrrl says to give it a go. :)
(sorry to be so abrupt, my dinner just got put on the table! Have I mentioned what a great husband I have?)