Gallifrey: Enemy Lines
Well, wanted to love it.
I listened to it in one sitting, which was a problem.
You see, Enemy Lines is once again, a six parter that has no reason to be a six parter (OH BOY THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE) and although the first three and last parts are all exceptional, it drags incredibly in the middle, and it sort of feels like nothing is happening, even if a lot is happening. You know, Politics! And as such, listening to it in one sitting will put a damper on you.
I probably would have loved it a lot more if I had taken a break, but nonetheless, it's unbelievably strong when it needs to be.
The most notable thing about Enemy Lines is it promptly drops Romana III without any pomp or circumstance, leaving her firmly in the realm of what could have been (She was fantastic, come on)
and moves Ace to the side, giving her enough to do to make me happy, but she's also superfluous to the plot as all of her stuff could have been given to Narvin, who is axed exceedingly early so Ace has something to do. As much as Ace has some great dialogue and I love having her in it, she's never as awesome as she was in Intervention Earth. (Amazing Milkshake reference aside.)
It's incredibly a Romana and Leela story again, and Woah boy, if it feels like I've been all complaints, let me just gush about how this is probably my favorite Leela story written, and that's coming from someone who thinks Leela may be my favorite classic companion. Yeah.
Leela is so strong, so warriorlike, but she's also such a sweetie, at all times, and Enemy Lines has her and Romana's amazing bond put to the center IN THE BEST HECKING WAY.
Everything in Part Six is some of the best Big Finish stuff I've heard. Besides the two seconds of Brax crap at the end that I, and all other newcomers, didn't understand (and that's the first time that's happened.) The problem is, I'm always wondering, as I review it, why the huge Plutus and Kalbez plot tumor is in the middle going on for ages, when I (who am slow on the uptake) had figured out the whole thing VERY EARLY ON. You never trust Gallifrey side characters. If you had cut out the plot tumor, we would have an extraordinary four-parter that handled the Plutus stuff quickly and finished off with a bang with the extraordinarily good Watchmaker/Leela stuff. which is extraordinary. Part Six is the best 30 minutes of audio anything I've ever heard, it's unbelievable. But it's saddled with...less than that.
All in all, Enemy Lines is exceedingly good. In bits, as it makes Intervention Earth look like an failed experiment in retrospective. And also has a reeeeaalll iffy middle. But heck, if I wasn't whimpering at the right moments, bewildered by the amazingly cool alternate timeline stuff, and it's definitely solidified my love for the Gallifrey series. Already.
My Conflicting Opinions, Personified Under A Score Sheet:
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