2.2 - The Sword of the Chevalier

I got the feeling that someone was a fan of the historical figure Chevalier D’Eon, and went to the trouble of writing a story for them. This often ends badly.

Ten is a good choice to do this story, but it is mostly silly. Ten's lines and mannerisms are written correctly, but Rose feels kind of lost and as an audio companion, she now plays second fiddle to the legendary Lucie Miller. Perhaps it was the writing, but I did not feel Billie Piper was given much to do.

Everything in this story has been done before and done better.

This is not a good story, there is a massive absence of tension and drama and an abundance of jokes that don't quite hit the mark. The performances, other than Tennant and Grace sounded like they were bored stiff. Billie Piper is just there for the cheque and not up to Tates level last year.
If the aliens had to obey a superior life form then just tell them to turn the bombs off. No need for a sword fight and sticking a sword in a computer. Just not a very well thought out story at all

The second story in this set takes us backwards in time to the English town of Slough in 1791. The Doctor and Rose in their travels meet the famous Chevalier d'Eon, a uniquely androgynous French diplomat, ex-spy, and soldier who fought in the Seven Years War. An enigma of sorts that even gives the Doctor a run for his money, she fascinates everyone around her and as the Doctor and Rose interact and are somewhat forced upon her, a mysterious spaceship lands nearby with a dark purpose for the people of the area. The Consortium of the Obsidian Asp have arrived and they have plans to kill.....Honestly I had never really heard of the Chevalier before now and so didn't really have any idea on what to expect going into this story and it's premise / characters. Thankfully, the story and the Doctor himself gives us some very nice exposition at the beginning of the audio which I normally disapprove but here felt it to be necessary and extremely interesting. It's a figure that I think deserves more attention especially in our modern times and changing attitude and I'm glad to have been introduced to her through this audio. The Chevalier herself is played by Nickolas Grace in a civilized and yet powerfully electric performance with subtle nuances here and there that surprised me for a story such as this. Her chemistry with Ten and Rose is wonderful and brings me back to earlier stories and their interactions with other figures such as Queen Victoria. Speaking of which, Tennant and Piper remain good although their attitudes in this one did start to bring back memories of annoyance at times reminiscent of their earlier stories. Piper in particular becomes a tour de force against the aliens in a scene and it really sells her place as a companion and where she's comes from her store days with Nine. The plot to this story however has problems and feels a little bit less tangible and strong than 'Infamy'. The connection between the historical figure / time period and the villain is somewhat tenuous at best and the Consortium aren't very memorable either falling more into the standard alien mafia menace compared to the rather more interesting Zaross from the previous story. The side cast and voices also really grated on me at times and the aristocratic nonsense that takes up a good chunk of the middle of the story didn't work as well as it should've. What really sells this one and keeps it good is thankfully the Chevalier herself who proves to be a fighter and essential to the climax in a fencing match that is one of the most action-packed I've heard from Big Finish in a long while. There are also a ton of references all around that made me giggle especially the specific mention of Blackadder that gave my ears a little jolt that I loved. In short, I did enjoy this story especially on how it touches and commentates on a historical figure that has an immense amount of levity and significance today. But it definitely feels like the middle child of this second set and a step down from 'Zaross' in terms of quality.  

This is the middle man of the set. Still it was quite enjoyable and the Chevalier is quite a charm. Great when the series adresses a history figure and this is one that the 21st century should have a little more acknowledgment of considering the way things have change these last few decades.

I will give it another listen soon but I think if I could I’d give a 7.5

However I’ll be rather generous with an eight because I love past adventures!