Scan barcode
thetasigma906's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mrcoldstream's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
🙏🏼55% = 825 points = Average!
Part 1 of this story slowly but surely builds tension and atmosphere as Five and Nyssa land in Alaska and slowly get involved in the strange events going on there, all the while we slowly learn about the ambitious Shaun Brett, his right-hand man Tulung, and their ongoing project.
The rest of the story kind of falls apart as a very uneven pace, murky action sequences, and silly, reanimated dinosaur skeleton monster thingies disrupt the initially promising atmosphere. The scope of the story remains very limited, and the audio format doesn't do its ideas justice.
Stephen Cole tries to inject some environmentalist and cultural themes into the plot (such as Native American beliefs), but they feel a bit heavy-handed. The Permians as a very evolved pre-dinosaur species is a good idea on paper, but the execution makes them fall pretty flat.
Despite some dramatic build-up, Part 4 never goes anywhere interesting and remains a bit flat and disappointing. The climax comes and goes with a little fanfare.
The dialogue is clunky in places, particularly when describing the Permians.
Nyssa was never my favourite companion, but she and Five make for a pretty well-oiled TARDIS team, and Sutton slips back into the role with no problems. Peter Davison is as reliable as ever in the lead.
Shaun Brett is arguably the most compelling villain in the Main Range so far, and the story puts a great effort into exploring his motivations, emotions, and ambitions. Tulung is a great sidekick as well, even if Neril Robert's accent can feel a bit forced at times. Andrew Fettes, as Gaborik, suffers from the same problem. Overall, the supporting cast ends up being pretty forgettable.
The snowy and remote Alaskan setting makes for a great landscape for a Doctor Who story! The sound design helps to bring it to life effectively, but the effect wears off after a while since a lot of the story is set indoors.
Part 1 of this story slowly but surely builds tension and atmosphere as Five and Nyssa land in Alaska and slowly get involved in the strange events going on there, all the while we slowly learn about the ambitious Shaun Brett, his right-hand man Tulung, and their ongoing project.
The rest of the story kind of falls apart as a very uneven pace, murky action sequences, and silly, reanimated dinosaur skeleton monster thingies disrupt the initially promising atmosphere. The scope of the story remains very limited, and the audio format doesn't do its ideas justice.
Stephen Cole tries to inject some environmentalist and cultural themes into the plot (such as Native American beliefs), but they feel a bit heavy-handed. The Permians as a very evolved pre-dinosaur species is a good idea on paper, but the execution makes them fall pretty flat.
Despite some dramatic build-up, Part 4 never goes anywhere interesting and remains a bit flat and disappointing. The climax comes and goes with a little fanfare.
The dialogue is clunky in places, particularly when describing the Permians.
Nyssa was never my favourite companion, but she and Five make for a pretty well-oiled TARDIS team, and Sutton slips back into the role with no problems. Peter Davison is as reliable as ever in the lead.
Shaun Brett is arguably the most compelling villain in the Main Range so far, and the story puts a great effort into exploring his motivations, emotions, and ambitions. Tulung is a great sidekick as well, even if Neril Robert's accent can feel a bit forced at times. Andrew Fettes, as Gaborik, suffers from the same problem. Overall, the supporting cast ends up being pretty forgettable.
The snowy and remote Alaskan setting makes for a great landscape for a Doctor Who story! The sound design helps to bring it to life effectively, but the effect wears off after a while since a lot of the story is set indoors.
nerdy_elle's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
reading_erika7's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
lessa_riel's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
a mediocre doctor adventure which is made more fun by the sarcasm of monica. ‘im glad our crisis have an order’ and when faced with mortal panic in a group ‘oh good we can form a society’. Her lines elevated this story to a properly enjoyable listen.
librarycobwebs's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Cool concept and love when Doctor Who is a way of depicting and exploring different cultures but I don't know if the story was that compelling.
lavender_ani's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
jepha's review
3.0
This has all the makings of a great Doctor Who story but somehow the pieces never quite come together. The resolution is quite disappointing, but the monsters never felt like that great a threat.
It didn't help that the American accent really was a bit naff haha "Look out Nisser!"
It didn't help that the American accent really was a bit naff haha "Look out Nisser!"
faiazalam's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nwhyte's review
The Land of the Dead takes the Fifth Doctor, but this time with Nyssa, to contemporary Alaska besieged by creatures from the Permian era. I would defend Nyssa against the likes of The Guardian who put her far down the list of companions, but Sarah Sutton is not especially outstanding here. Davison, however, is, and has a brilliant rapport with guest actor Lucy Campbell, whose performance here is memorable but appears to have done almost no other acting work apart from a bit part in another Stephen Cole Big Finish audio. Also the story is surprisingly good, with the archaeological delvings of the scientific researchers mirrored in the psychological delvings of the two main male characters into the circumstances of the tragic accident involving their fathers from decades before. The two actors slightly struggle to bring it off but it kept my attention.