chicafrom3 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chicafrom3) wrote2021-05-27 08:22 pm
chicafrom3) wrote2021-05-27 08:22 pm
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I'm known by all manner of people as Trouble. Or That Annoying Buffoon in the Stupid Coat.
I guess at least for now I'll be writing PDA reaction posts two books at a time? It feels sustainable. We'll see.
A Five & Peri adventure, set immediately after Planet Of Fire; Peri talks the Doctor into getting involved in a treasure hunt that gets more complicated than she expected. Five isn't my favorite Doctor (er, let's not hedge; he's my least favorite Doctor . . . please refrain from throwing stones) but I adore Peri and I love her very different dynamic with both her Doctors, so I was looking forward to seeing how Bulis handled that.
. . . Which turned out, really, to be my one big disappointment; the two of them spent most of the novel separated. When they were together, they had some really great moments, but . . . Peri spent a /lot/ of this book tied up and playing hostage and damsel-in-distress to motivate the Doctor to go on the actual treasure hunt. (Which is . . . screen-accurate. But still disappointing.) The Doctor does get one rather endearing Doctor-in-distress moment that he relies on Peri-by-communicator to get him out of, though -- and once Peri gets away from her hostage-taker Gribbs, and joins up with Red (er. . ., spoilers), she at least gets to be something other than a ransom and have some fun with her quest.
With that caveat, I did largely enjoy it. In typical Five-era style, the Doctor and Peri don't have much of an impact on events; they show up and are swept along in the plot. The supporting characters are interesting enough to carry it along, which is important for that style of story, and the quest storyline (while sometimes veering into the ridiculous) mostly stays on the side of fun. The reveal about Red was just unexpected enough to work for me, mostly because Red as a character up until that point hadn't worked for me; he didn't fit into the worldbuilding until the reveal.
And it particularly works as a first adventure for Peri, who hasn't quite got the hang of space-and-time adventuring yet:
And then later,
The Sixth Doctor meets Mel, properly. With bonus Brig.
This is a book with a lot of ideas. Like. A /lot/. By the time the bad guy with the stolen cyber-constructed boy revealed that he was working for the Nestene to get a new body but thought he was calling the shots and also had a secret manor full of alien tech he'd stolen from UNIT . . . I was a little exhausted.
I'm also not 100% sold on the decision to have the Doctor actively trying to avoid Mel (by . . . landing in 1980s Brighton and seeking out a computer expert) and overall I think Big Finish handled the Six/Mel anachronistic first meeting better, but there's a lot to like in Business Unusual. Once the Doctor and Mel get past antagonizing each other at first contact (there's some really unpleasant stuff in their first conversation that . . . let's just say hasn't aged well and leave it at that) they actually have a very sweet dynamic; Russell's Six voice is lovely, his Mel (aside from that initial meeting) is a charmer, and Mel's American friend Trey is a doll, I love him. It's too tragic that he and Joe don't get to end up together.
Someday the Doctor will get around to passing out this questionnaire to all their companions.
The ending, in which the Doctor turns down Mel's request to travel with him in the hopes that by doing so he'll be able to prevent the events of Trial of a Time Lord, and she decides to stowaway on the TARDIS because it's her one chance to see the stars -- only to find out that he's predicted her actions and come to terms with having her as a traveling companion, is really sweet as well.
You do have to wonder what's going to happen to Ciera, Cillian, and the teenagers in the ambulance, though.
A Five & Peri adventure, set immediately after Planet Of Fire; Peri talks the Doctor into getting involved in a treasure hunt that gets more complicated than she expected. Five isn't my favorite Doctor (er, let's not hedge; he's my least favorite Doctor . . . please refrain from throwing stones) but I adore Peri and I love her very different dynamic with both her Doctors, so I was looking forward to seeing how Bulis handled that.
. . . Which turned out, really, to be my one big disappointment; the two of them spent most of the novel separated. When they were together, they had some really great moments, but . . . Peri spent a /lot/ of this book tied up and playing hostage and damsel-in-distress to motivate the Doctor to go on the actual treasure hunt. (Which is . . . screen-accurate. But still disappointing.) The Doctor does get one rather endearing Doctor-in-distress moment that he relies on Peri-by-communicator to get him out of, though -- and once Peri gets away from her hostage-taker Gribbs, and joins up with Red (er. . ., spoilers), she at least gets to be something other than a ransom and have some fun with her quest.
With that caveat, I did largely enjoy it. In typical Five-era style, the Doctor and Peri don't have much of an impact on events; they show up and are swept along in the plot. The supporting characters are interesting enough to carry it along, which is important for that style of story, and the quest storyline (while sometimes veering into the ridiculous) mostly stays on the side of fun. The reveal about Red was just unexpected enough to work for me, mostly because Red as a character up until that point hadn't worked for me; he didn't fit into the worldbuilding until the reveal.
And it particularly works as a first adventure for Peri, who hasn't quite got the hang of space-and-time adventuring yet:
'I suppose it could have been worse,' she said, trying to make light of her misfortune. 'I only lost my staff.'
'Yes, it could have been much, much worse,' said the Doctor coolly. 'Even if you'd been able to remove your pack quickly enough, how long would you have survived if we hadn't been here to pull you out?'
The full enormity of it struck her, and she felt giddy for a moment. She had been thinking that there could have been more dangerous things waiting for her at the bottom of the shaft than water, but now she realised it might only have prolonged the inevitable if she'd been alone. 'I guess I really could have died down there.'
And then later,
Why had she been so keen to come along? And to have dragged the Doctor into trouble as well was dumb stupid, she told herself scathingly. Of course she'd always longed for excitement and adventure, but this was not quite what she had bargained for. Were suffering and danger inseparable adjuncts to any adventure, she wondered.
All right. She'd just have to master her feelings and try to keep a clear head, and be ready to act when the time came. She was no superhero and was not sure how much physical violence she could inflict on anyone, however deserving. But if the opportunity arose, she would force herself to hit Gribbs over the head with the nearest blunt object. Dynes too for that matter - preferably with one of his own cameras.
The Sixth Doctor meets Mel, properly. With bonus Brig.
This is a book with a lot of ideas. Like. A /lot/. By the time the bad guy with the stolen cyber-constructed boy revealed that he was working for the Nestene to get a new body but thought he was calling the shots and also had a secret manor full of alien tech he'd stolen from UNIT . . . I was a little exhausted.
I'm also not 100% sold on the decision to have the Doctor actively trying to avoid Mel (by . . . landing in 1980s Brighton and seeking out a computer expert) and overall I think Big Finish handled the Six/Mel anachronistic first meeting better, but there's a lot to like in Business Unusual. Once the Doctor and Mel get past antagonizing each other at first contact (there's some really unpleasant stuff in their first conversation that . . . let's just say hasn't aged well and leave it at that) they actually have a very sweet dynamic; Russell's Six voice is lovely, his Mel (aside from that initial meeting) is a charmer, and Mel's American friend Trey is a doll, I love him. It's too tragic that he and Joe don't get to end up together.
The Mel he knew, the future Mel, who was well versed in time travel and adventures he himself had yet to experience, would be totally unperturbed by incarceration and would probably be using her charm to free herself. But this Mel might not be quite so adept at the prison / escape / recapture / escape again routine that all his travelling companions had to get used to. ‘Maybe I should have some kind of written test,’ he muttered. ‘Question 1: Are you allergic to rope? Question 2: Which would you prefer to be tied up in: a) a castle; b) a spaceship; c) a cellar? Question 3: How long do you want to wait before you realise that the Doctor has got held up in rescuing you and opt to find your own way out: a) one hour; b) one day; c) one week?’ Hopefully Mel would go for option c. Otherwise there might be trouble.
Someday the Doctor will get around to passing out this questionnaire to all their companions.
The ending, in which the Doctor turns down Mel's request to travel with him in the hopes that by doing so he'll be able to prevent the events of Trial of a Time Lord, and she decides to stowaway on the TARDIS because it's her one chance to see the stars -- only to find out that he's predicted her actions and come to terms with having her as a traveling companion, is really sweet as well.
You do have to wonder what's going to happen to Ciera, Cillian, and the teenagers in the ambulance, though.