The Sonomancer [AUDIO/2016.3.3]

★★★☆☆

  Well, this is a surprise. I vividly remember disliking my experience with The Sonomancer back in 2016, and now I can't figure out why. This is a very solid ending to a boxset, providing action, vivid alien worlds and kisses to the future; Paul McGann is always such a delight, and yet it's somewhere during Doom Coalition 2 that he finds the golden frequency (probably started in Scenes From Her Life and blossomed in The Gift) and doubles down on the excitement factor. Why did I hate this adventure again?

  Ah yes, I remember: River Song. She's a conversation topic and a half, isn't she? Thing is, I've warmed to her greatly over the years, like I've warmed to so many of Steven Moffat's characters. Similarly, I used to be against the idea of Dr. Song meeting the classic series Doctors, whereas now I think it's a cool idea every time. She doesn't meet the Eighth Doctor here, of course, not in the way she meets him during the next boxset, and that's also okay — Alex Kingston is such a talent anyway, and her secret bond with Helen Sinclair becomes a highlight of the entire series. 

  What about the rest of The Sonomancer? Well, the world of Syra is realised so well through ever-present seismic tremors and rock crumbling on feet. The Doctor and Liv get involved in fun shenanigans, and Helen does too. Liv even gets to have a mecha fight against the Eleven — how cool is that? Although this adventure isn't particularly the brightest or the most exhilarating, I maintain that there is not a dull moment... which, considering this takes place solely on a volcano planet, is a pretty impressive feat.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  One of the big surprises of 2022 has turned out to be just how much I enjoyed Doom Coalition 2 on relisten. I remember considering this one of the weakest boxsets Big Finish released in the 2010s, and yet now I'm here rediscovering it as a hidden gem. While Doom Coalition 1 starts very strong but ends in a fizzle, 2 manages to keep a consistent level of drama and excitement; plus, I consider 2 to have a more vivid sense of imagination (a broken TARDIS, a psychic weapon that's a curse, and several bonkers settings).