2.4 - Seizure

The doctor liv and helen answer a distress call from the eleven and arrive in a dying tardis and something sinister is chasing them

This story is very atmospheric and really makes you feel afraid of the ravenous whose origins and motives we're still not sure about. The dying tardis is also an interesting setting for the story and it means our characters have to fight against their own surroundings which keep changing due to the tardis dying. The eleven doesn't do that much in the story and the ending with the pilot was a bit predictable but this is overall a pretty good story that leaves me excited for ravenous 3 which comes out today.

Following on from an amazing two-part story and with no real hints or ties to anything else in this set, I went into the Series 2 finale of this set, "Seizure", having no idea of where it was going to go or how it would ever live up to the fantastic Krampus epic I had just heard.

When the TARDIS team intercepts a distress call from the Eleven onboard a dying TARDIS in the middle of the vortex, the Doctor, of course, forces the team to land and find out more. Exploring the inner corridors of a ship that’s going insane and full of the memories of its ghostly crew, they rapidly come face to face once again with the Eleven. But even he’s scared shitless by what’s stalking in the darkness. For a Ravenous has appeared from the nightmares of the Time Lords and it is hungry.....

"Seizure" is an intense and claustrophobic nightmare of a story that gets more than a little influence from stories like "The Shining" or "Alien". The dark corridors of the dying ship are rendered hauntingly well and the premise is simple enough to where there's little distraction from anything else that's going on. There are no side ventures, extra plots, detours, or anything else going on here; only a group of people trapped on a dark ship with a mysterious monster stalking their movements and wanting to consume them. This simplicity in the script and the soundscape works exceptionally well and it’s peppered with lots of interesting small details regarding how Time Lords link up telepathically with their TARDISes. Combined with a creepy soundtrack and a decently written script by Guy Adams and it all makes this story especially terrifying. Make no mistake; this is one of the scariest stories that Big Finish has ever done with a truly creepy as hell monster stalking our team.

The Ravenous itself may not be the most unique monster out there but it’s certainly one of the freakiest with a terrifying screech echoing off the walls as well as a scary logical mind behind it. This is Hannibal Lecter mixed with a Xenomorph with the face of a decayed clown and it’s more than enough to give the most sensitive listener nightmares while giving us just enough detail about its origins to keep it interesting and wanting more. With that kind of monstrosity stalking the halls, the cast is forced to fire on all cylinders and McGann, Walker, and Morahan are all fantastic as always. The outright terror in McGann’s voice, once he hears what’s onboard, is palpable and only adds to the tension and the fear. Mark Bonnar as the Eleven is great though he doesn’t get quite as much time as normal and again the sounds and voice of the Ravenous are freaky and perfect for what they need to be with this kind of story.

Everything coalesces together on the most terrifying cliffhanger you could possibly imagine that feels like something out of a Saw movie. This is one that’s going to be an immensely long wait for fans to see resolved similar to how "Doom Coalition 3" ended itself and I for one can’t wait. It’s not quite as strong as the Krampus two-parter and I really wish this one had been longer to get more out of the premise and the monster itself considering it’s the main arc of the saga and one that we’ve never heard of before. But "Seizure" ends the set on a terrifying note that leaves us shocked and hungry for more.....

The Doctor, Liv, and Helen respond to the Eleven's rescue by flying to a dying TARDIS where they're quickly separated from Liv and from Liv and for the first time we really encounter the Ravenous.

The story has a great sense of atmosphere as they move through the dying TARDIS, helped by an outstanding sound design that helps to build the terror of the moment.

I think the story's big failing is the presence of the Eleven. If there was a big purpose for the story, it was to make us feel how terrifying the Ravenous was. Having a calm person lose it over the Ravenous and having the Doctor scared does that. Having a character who is very manic and known for shouting and screaming a lot undermines it.

It's still not a bad story, but would have been better without the Eleven.

This is the only story in the box-set that actually feels like a "Ravenous-2". Signature ravings of the Eleven, titular monsters, fluid Tardis architecture, etc., etc. I was really enjoying listening to it, until... the story ended. Just like that. See you in April 2019. If it weren't completely unresolved, I would, probably, rate it higher.