The Raincloud Man
Over about 5 or 6 years of being a fan, I’ve had the privilege of listening to about two-thirds of the main range of Big Finish. The one’s that I haven’t heard I generally know a basic outline of the plot, at least the Doctor and companion. So when a story comes along that manages to prove me completely wrong of all preconceptions about it, that instantly makes it a hit in my books. The Raincloud Man is one of those tales; it managed to make me rethink about just how well I know Big Finish, and reinforces how much I enjoy them.
Charley Pollard was one of the first companions that I heard on Big Finish. Storm Warning was one of the first CD I bought from them. She has always been a companion whose stories I’ve bought. She has never been the best of companions to me, but her relationship with the 8th Doctor was electric.
So when the shift to travelling with the 6th incarnation began, I followed a few months later, buying the Condemned online. I was bitterly disappointed by that, the hype surrounding it made it a huge let-down when it arrived. I lost track of their stories, following them in the background instead, through rumours and Wikipedia; I learnt how their stories ended, without hearing it first. However, I also learnt (or assumed, I can’t quite remember which) that The Raincloud Man was the story in which the Doctor found out who she was. It may sound silly, but I was glad that I was wrong about that, that reveal would have outshined an otherwise amazing story.
In more ways than I would have thought, The Raincloud Man is a direct sequel to The Condemned. Both feature D.I Menzies and are set in Manchester, however, after misreading the production notes, I believed this would have no link to the first story (it was actually talking about having no links to Attack of the Cybermen, not the previous tale). In actual fact, this story relies heavily on hearing the last episode. The relationship between Menzies and the Doctor, why she works in the style she does are all explained her as a direct consequence of their last encounter. To fully enjoy this story, The Condemned is a necessity to have heard, otherwise; most of the plot will be lost in your mind. Overall, it is incredibly difficult not to compare the two, as they are each end of an overall arc, but I would say that the latter is defiantly a vast improvement on the first attempt. Think of The Condemned as the seed that is fully blossomed for when The Raincloud man is finished.
As a whole, The Raincloud Man is defiantly a story I should have bought years ago. It went beyond any expectations I had to deliver something that is unique in any form that I have heard, be that in books, on TV or audio. The creation story of the Cyrox was mind blowing, using Top Trumps for the final stakes was hilarious and Carmen’s back story (or lack of it) incredibly inventive. Like I say, this story is unique and brilliant. Everything about it just reeks of an extraordinary tale. As I said before, the main reason I bought this was because I thought it was Charlie’s reveal, but when I listened and found it wasn’t, I was even happier. I may have been missing a big shock, but in its place I had a story that knocked my socks off.
D.I Menzies’ return was something else I was excited about. In the Condemned, she wasn’t given room to shine, mainly because the plot overrode her all the way through. Here though, her character develops brilliantly. She has almost become the Sarah Jane of Manchester. She is perfect companion material, she even asks to travel with him at one point, but in ways, I’m glad she doesn’t. Too many adventures would turn her into just another woman in the TARDIS. With three stories featuring her, there is plenty of room for her character to be the best she can be without being drowned out by the other hundreds of companions before and after her. The playful attitude she has with the Doctor, her helpful sarcasm and down-to-earth nature make her almost one of a kind. I say almost, she was beaten by Lucie Miller about a year before.
If there has to be one downside, I found Charley’s behaviour during part 4 was wrong. We know how much she values and knows the web of time, so for her to ignore it was stupid and unlike her. If this comes into play later, then I will be relieved, but until then, it is one loose end that needs to be sorted. In Time Works, she tells C’rizz that he can’t go back in time and change the past, but she is willing to do that herself here. That idea doesn’t sit well with me.
Overall, this story is a must-buy. It has only one problem that I need to mention, and to many that go well for me to mention. If I were to talk about everything that is good in these 2 hours, then I would need more than one website and more time than it took to listen. All I can say is, go and get it (and the Condemned to understand it.)
Charley Pollard was one of the first companions that I heard on Big Finish. Storm Warning was one of the first CD I bought from them. She has always been a companion whose stories I’ve bought. She has never been the best of companions to me, but her relationship with the 8th Doctor was electric.
So when the shift to travelling with the 6th incarnation began, I followed a few months later, buying the Condemned online. I was bitterly disappointed by that, the hype surrounding it made it a huge let-down when it arrived. I lost track of their stories, following them in the background instead, through rumours and Wikipedia; I learnt how their stories ended, without hearing it first. However, I also learnt (or assumed, I can’t quite remember which) that The Raincloud Man was the story in which the Doctor found out who she was. It may sound silly, but I was glad that I was wrong about that, that reveal would have outshined an otherwise amazing story.
In more ways than I would have thought, The Raincloud Man is a direct sequel to The Condemned. Both feature D.I Menzies and are set in Manchester, however, after misreading the production notes, I believed this would have no link to the first story (it was actually talking about having no links to Attack of the Cybermen, not the previous tale). In actual fact, this story relies heavily on hearing the last episode. The relationship between Menzies and the Doctor, why she works in the style she does are all explained her as a direct consequence of their last encounter. To fully enjoy this story, The Condemned is a necessity to have heard, otherwise; most of the plot will be lost in your mind. Overall, it is incredibly difficult not to compare the two, as they are each end of an overall arc, but I would say that the latter is defiantly a vast improvement on the first attempt. Think of The Condemned as the seed that is fully blossomed for when The Raincloud man is finished.
As a whole, The Raincloud Man is defiantly a story I should have bought years ago. It went beyond any expectations I had to deliver something that is unique in any form that I have heard, be that in books, on TV or audio. The creation story of the Cyrox was mind blowing, using Top Trumps for the final stakes was hilarious and Carmen’s back story (or lack of it) incredibly inventive. Like I say, this story is unique and brilliant. Everything about it just reeks of an extraordinary tale. As I said before, the main reason I bought this was because I thought it was Charlie’s reveal, but when I listened and found it wasn’t, I was even happier. I may have been missing a big shock, but in its place I had a story that knocked my socks off.
D.I Menzies’ return was something else I was excited about. In the Condemned, she wasn’t given room to shine, mainly because the plot overrode her all the way through. Here though, her character develops brilliantly. She has almost become the Sarah Jane of Manchester. She is perfect companion material, she even asks to travel with him at one point, but in ways, I’m glad she doesn’t. Too many adventures would turn her into just another woman in the TARDIS. With three stories featuring her, there is plenty of room for her character to be the best she can be without being drowned out by the other hundreds of companions before and after her. The playful attitude she has with the Doctor, her helpful sarcasm and down-to-earth nature make her almost one of a kind. I say almost, she was beaten by Lucie Miller about a year before.
If there has to be one downside, I found Charley’s behaviour during part 4 was wrong. We know how much she values and knows the web of time, so for her to ignore it was stupid and unlike her. If this comes into play later, then I will be relieved, but until then, it is one loose end that needs to be sorted. In Time Works, she tells C’rizz that he can’t go back in time and change the past, but she is willing to do that herself here. That idea doesn’t sit well with me.
Overall, this story is a must-buy. It has only one problem that I need to mention, and to many that go well for me to mention. If I were to talk about everything that is good in these 2 hours, then I would need more than one website and more time than it took to listen. All I can say is, go and get it (and the Condemned to understand it.)