Zagreus for the 8 millionth time.
May. 17th, 2009 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceebee_eebeeSo, I know all anyone wants to talk about is Trek, but fuck that noise. All I've cared about for like the last 3 years is Big Finish, and even the brilliance of a new movie in my first fandom isn't going to change that. ;-)
My point? I'm listening to the Zagreus-era audios again and FREAKING RIGHT THE HELL OUT again. I honestly think Zagreus is a work of staggering genius. Sure, it's not perfect. There are things I would change, and I certainly think the last hour is too drawn-out. But...
Do I still need to cut for spoilers for years old audios? Ugh. Better safe than sorry.
Ok. So, first of all. You all know I think Colin Baker is almost godlike, but his performance as Tepesh blows me away. I'm talking shivers down the spine, must replay the scene a million times kind of blown away. His rage at Rassilon, his pain over what was done to his species, even while making it obvious what a monster he is in his OWN way. FUCK. ME.
I think maybe all the history on Rassilon is what makes this story arc work so well for me. To actually see (hear) the true depth of perversion and obscenity and genocidal lunacy the entire Time Lord culture is based on. Well...it messed with my brains the first time I listened to this audio and it still does. I think making Rassilon so CLEARLY horrific is one of the most dramatic things BF has ever pulled off.
Oh, and let's not leave aside the fact that I STILL FUCKING CRY every time I get to the showdown between the TARDIS and the Doctor. I think the first time I listened to it was the first time that I realized the TARDIS might actually be my favorite character in DW. And using Nick Courtney as her voice makes it just that much more gut-wrenching.
Combine that with Romana being massively (and unsurprisingly) bad-ass, the birth of Romana/Leela, Lisa Bowerman being UTTERLY adorable in her cameo, and Peter Davison acting his ASS off as Reverend Townsend. Well...I love this audio. I'm going to go so far as to say Top 10.
And then Scherzo...where do I even begin? I'd forgotten that Shearman wrote that one. It's one of the most emotionally painful audios I've ever listened to. The Doctor is so cruel but in such a perfectly...Doctor way. And even when he finally admits that he loves Charley, there's nothing romantic or kind or loving about it. It still hurts. I know people have issues with this one, but I think it's absolute tops.
But then we get the Creed of the Kromon. And I don't think I'm overstating it when I say there are aspects of this audio that I loooooooooooathe. I'm not a HUGE C'rizz fan but I think he's ok. And I love the Oroog to the point where I wish he could have been a companion. But they rape Charley in this audio and it's as if no one even seems to realize that's what's happening. They take her away for forced reproduction. Use her body against her will. Even the language the Kromon use when forcing her to ingest the liquids and shit make it clear it's fucking RAPE. And no matter how many times I try to give this audio another go, I still get horrified by how blase the Doctor is when the Kromon state outright that they are taking her away for reproductive purposes. I don't know. I don't actually think this is what Philip Martin was going for, but I can't seem to respond to it any other way. And the fact that she doesn't remember any of it at the end and that they never even DEAL with it again, just makes it all that more distasteful to me.
Anyway. I have no idea if anyone is going to read this or even gives a shit about these audios anymore. But this is what I've been doing all day and I had to share my thoughts, as disjointed as they are.
So, to sum up. COLIN BAKER KICKS ASS. ;-)
My point? I'm listening to the Zagreus-era audios again and FREAKING RIGHT THE HELL OUT again. I honestly think Zagreus is a work of staggering genius. Sure, it's not perfect. There are things I would change, and I certainly think the last hour is too drawn-out. But...
Do I still need to cut for spoilers for years old audios? Ugh. Better safe than sorry.
Ok. So, first of all. You all know I think Colin Baker is almost godlike, but his performance as Tepesh blows me away. I'm talking shivers down the spine, must replay the scene a million times kind of blown away. His rage at Rassilon, his pain over what was done to his species, even while making it obvious what a monster he is in his OWN way. FUCK. ME.
I think maybe all the history on Rassilon is what makes this story arc work so well for me. To actually see (hear) the true depth of perversion and obscenity and genocidal lunacy the entire Time Lord culture is based on. Well...it messed with my brains the first time I listened to this audio and it still does. I think making Rassilon so CLEARLY horrific is one of the most dramatic things BF has ever pulled off.
Oh, and let's not leave aside the fact that I STILL FUCKING CRY every time I get to the showdown between the TARDIS and the Doctor. I think the first time I listened to it was the first time that I realized the TARDIS might actually be my favorite character in DW. And using Nick Courtney as her voice makes it just that much more gut-wrenching.
Combine that with Romana being massively (and unsurprisingly) bad-ass, the birth of Romana/Leela, Lisa Bowerman being UTTERLY adorable in her cameo, and Peter Davison acting his ASS off as Reverend Townsend. Well...I love this audio. I'm going to go so far as to say Top 10.
And then Scherzo...where do I even begin? I'd forgotten that Shearman wrote that one. It's one of the most emotionally painful audios I've ever listened to. The Doctor is so cruel but in such a perfectly...Doctor way. And even when he finally admits that he loves Charley, there's nothing romantic or kind or loving about it. It still hurts. I know people have issues with this one, but I think it's absolute tops.
But then we get the Creed of the Kromon. And I don't think I'm overstating it when I say there are aspects of this audio that I loooooooooooathe. I'm not a HUGE C'rizz fan but I think he's ok. And I love the Oroog to the point where I wish he could have been a companion. But they rape Charley in this audio and it's as if no one even seems to realize that's what's happening. They take her away for forced reproduction. Use her body against her will. Even the language the Kromon use when forcing her to ingest the liquids and shit make it clear it's fucking RAPE. And no matter how many times I try to give this audio another go, I still get horrified by how blase the Doctor is when the Kromon state outright that they are taking her away for reproductive purposes. I don't know. I don't actually think this is what Philip Martin was going for, but I can't seem to respond to it any other way. And the fact that she doesn't remember any of it at the end and that they never even DEAL with it again, just makes it all that more distasteful to me.
Anyway. I have no idea if anyone is going to read this or even gives a shit about these audios anymore. But this is what I've been doing all day and I had to share my thoughts, as disjointed as they are.
So, to sum up. COLIN BAKER KICKS ASS. ;-)
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