this was weird. i still dont know why there was such a prominent subplot about the oppressed gondolier underclass

There are many things to be critical of in this episode; the plot is nonsensical, the dialogue is preposterous and the acting is hammy. And yet, to quote Roger Ebert's review of The Mummy, "I was not bored, and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased." I had a lot of fun switching off the critical part of my brain and getting swept up in the pantomime drama of it all. I cheered when the day was saved by love and I gasped at the impending heartbreak foreshadowed by Charley and the Doctor's final exchange. A good fun way to spend a couple of hours.

I've realised since listening to this story and loving it that it seems to be a controversial one without much of a consensus on it's quality, both loved and hated. And obviously by my rating I'm here to defend it, because it might be heavy on tropes that have been done before, but that's not a bad thing when it's done well with so much charm like it is here in my eyes. This was the 3rd Big Finish audio I ever listened to after Storm Warning and Sword of Orion, and this one holds a special place as the one which drawed me in to the world of audio for good and made the 8th Doctor really click for me.

The atmosphere and dialogue throughout are brilliant, which really capture a historic and traditional Venician setting, even if that technically wasn't what it was supposed to be. That could be one small criticism of the story, I completely forgot it was meant to be set in the far future, which could be explained away by the strong desire to preserve somewhere as historic as Venice leading to the future there looking just like the past, we can never tell what the future is going to look like. Such an explanation could've been done in just a few lines of dialogue, but is unfortunately missing from the story. I feel like the far future setting was written in to avoid having to do the explaining that would have to happen to fit this story into our own history. Nevertheless it's a very engaging and charming setting in every aspect and whether it's the past like it feels or is actually in the future doesn't feel too relevant while listening.

I can see why some people would think the ending is cliche and predictable, but it's actually the part of the story I love the most. The day was saved with love which has been done a million times before, but here it is done really well and it lands perfectly for me. It beautifully emphasises the beauty and power of humanity which I always think Dr who does best. I loved how the Doctor figured it all out in a beautiful speech, but ultimately all his words couldn't save the day, only humanity could. It's sweet and fantastical and I love it.

All in all it's a gorgeous story in a gorgeous setting which will always hold a special place in my heart for not only being where 8 and Charley settled in to their parts brilliantly in my eyes but also for it's wonderful charm and sentiment. 4.5 stars feels slightly generous but 4 stars isn't enough, it's an 8.5/10 for me.

I enjoy it, I will say it’s an improvement over the last one for me (sorry sword of orion fans), but yeah this one is excellent. Would I say it’s a favorite? Not sure, but if we are talking about the first run of 8 and Charley, it might very well be.
The Setting is really nice and the Performances, as well as the banter between our leads, is pretty entertaining to listen to.
As others already pointed it out in great detail, the dialogue is just fun. While it may end up not being the most original story, it still offers a lot of great moments and is overall a superb outing for this very likeable Tardis Team.

This one has a much more interesting plot than “Sword of Orion”, but while it keeps you engaged, it is a mess. Duke Orsino married a woman called Estella, but then lost her in a game of cards (huh), she got pissed and “killed” herself, cursing him and Venice to be destroyed in 100 years time. Why 100 years? No clue. Moving on. Now it’s doomsday and we have 1) people just there for the party (who apparently are OK with dying), 2) the Gondoliers, an oppressed amphibian race (who are eagerly awaiting the sinking of the city, because then it’s all theirs), and 3) the Cultists who worship Estella and think she’ll come back to life and lift the curse. Charley gets mixed up with the Gondoliers, the Doctor with the Cultists. Pietro the Gondolier has an incredibly stupid and pointless plan: he makes Charley tell the Duke she’s Estella to distract him from going after the remains of the real Estella, lest he somehow resurrects her and stops Venice from sinking. But the Duke was not even going to do that in the first place, so it all comes to nothing. Then in the end we find, surprising absolutely no-one, that the mysterious old lady the Doctor and Charley met when they first arrived was Estella all along. And she’s an alien. She and the Duke sacrifice themselves to save the city with her magic alien will-amplifying jewels (?). The Cultists are sad, the Doctor has one throwaway line about how he hopes they treat the Gondoliers better now (they absolutely will not), and that’s the end.    

All the side characters were soooooo hammy and overdone. It was exhausting, and I didn't care for them. The Doctor has some great moments, and some things about his character come to the fore. He really is trying to just show Charley a good time, and is guilty that he’s been putting her in so many life threatening situations. He’s so scatterbrained he only noticed she had left to talk to Pietro, like, an hour afterwards. He gets lost in thought, deaf to all around him, constantly. People are shooting at him, he’s planning a trip to Venice. That exchange with the curator that goes “I’m good friends with the Duke” “Are you really” “No”. He’s snarky all the time, but in such a soft tone that people don’t even understand. Stealing the jewels, lying about knowing where the portrait is, keeping the information that the coffin is empty from everyone, talking about Liza Minnelli… Good stuff, good stuff. Charley’s character is beginning to crystallize. Mostly, she wants to have fun and see new things! She wants to meet people, not go see some paintings. She complains about how the TARDIS looks too old and Gothic and has too much wood paneling (SLANDER - maybe that’s part of the reason the TARDIS dislikes her). She’s still impressed by the Doctor and has full faith in him, but she mocks and snarks at him every chance she gets. She’s sympathetic to the struggles of the Gondoliers, but with an air of superiority, I guess I could say. A rich girl who is a nice person and does care, but doesn’t fully grasp the implications and nuances of social/racial struggles. This is not a criticism; it’s great to see, and gives her room to mature. 

The Doctor and Charley’s back and forth is delightful. They both tend to talk fancy, making for some very polite-sounding teasing. They clearly care a lot about each other already and are having a good time. There’s some foreshadowing here about her and the Doctor's relationship, or at least I think there is. “She loved him, of course she stepped into the flame”, “it was all about love in the end”, Charley thinking dying together is the peak of romance, the kind of ominous tone and music when the Doctor says he’s not going to abandon her, his best friend... hmmmmmmmm.