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4 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Planet of the Drashigs

It's getting better, honestly this was quite good. The mystery of building disappearing was quite engaging and it worked well with a unique historical figure.

I like that Ann Kelso is getting to use her investigative skills. There was noticeably more chemistry between Jane Slavin and Tom Baker.

I think the ending is a bit deus ex machina with Ada Lovelace creating things out of thin air using "block-transfer computations", but this doesn't really detract from my enjoyment of this story.

Next Story: The False Guardian


thedefinitearticle63

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This review contains spoilers!

Poor Big Finish - first Mary Shelley, now Ada Lovelace?!? I'll be honest - I preferred Spyfall.

I don't think this is Tom Baker's best performance - there wasn't too much of an impact upon me as I finished this story, and I've already mentioned how much I hate Jane Slavin as Ann Kelso. However, I did enjoy a few scenes where he gets to bond with Ada Lovelace.

It seems Big Finish stole something off me, with the Plague Doctors being the monsters (Even though I'm not... releasing the story... until next year... even though I wrote it... 5 years ago... Wibbly wobbly.) They sounded very creepy and reminded me of the Clockwork Droids, and their plan was very reminiscent of them, with machines going wrong and trying to sort a problem they have in the future with someone from the past. They're creepy, but the Block Transfer Wars seem very interesting, yet the story hardly focuses on it.

I got some Foe From the Future vibes when listening to this, with the church disappearing and things changing around everyone. There are some cool locations here, which add to the atmosphere of a good historical, but whilst writing this review, none come to mind.

Finty Williams as Ada Lovelace and Robert Forknall as Byron. Imagine if they were played by their TV counterparts - that would've been fun! I'm not too annoyed with the different casting due to the fact that this is in the future, Byron's dead and Lovelace is a lot older than when she met the Doctor briefly - and got her mind wiped again! I liked how the story focused on the struggle she faced as a maths genius as a product of the sexism of her time, it was handled maturely, and if Spyfall wasn't also juggling the Master plot, I could see this being dealt with in a similar way - because of this, Ada is the highlight of this story, and I'd listen to it just for her.

This is a very average story, but the performances of the side characters really boost this and make it far more interesting than it should've been.


Ryebean

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This one was fine it has good elements I Love me a story with Ada Lovelace and Ann is still kinda iconic I love her so far her and 4th just work so well together


Rock_Angel

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"Генеральный план Синдиката", часть 3

Очень сюрреалистичная пьеса, которая каким-то образом объединила в себе три вещи - историческую драму, первые компьютеры и... "Терминатора".
Это было очень любопытно обставлено, и подвязка к Аде Лавлейс сработала просто идеально.
Мне очень понравилось. Типичный псевдоисторический сюжет, но он хотя бы интересно использовал свой сеттинг.

"The Syndicate's Master Plan," Part 3

A very surreal play that somehow combined three things - historical drama, the first computers, and... "Terminator."
It was very curiously furnished, and the connection to Ada Lovelace worked just perfectly.
I really liked it. A typical pseudo-historical plot, but it at least interestingly used its setting.

(Translation generated by AI, so mistakes are possible).


Five_Hundredth_Drax

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