Class: Volume 2

Class: The Audio Adventures #2

by Scott Handcock (Producer), Tim Foley (Writer), Tim Leng (Writer)

Three new adventures for the students of Coal Hill Academy, based on the television series created by Patrick Ness.

2.1 Everybody Loves Reagan by Tim Foley

When Reagan Harper joins Coal Hill Academy, everybody instantly loves her – everybody except for April. Is there really more to Reagan than meets the eye? Or are there other forces at work in Coal Hill?

2.2 Now You Know… by Tim Leng

Following a series of freak attacks on staff and pupils, Tanya and Matteusz find themselves investigating a mystery that dates back to the 1960s. Together, they hope to solve it – even if that means turning on one another to do so…

2.3 In Remembrance by Guy Adams

When an alarm is triggered at Coal Hill Academy, Quill and Charlie encounter a mysterious intruder prowling around school premises. Worse, they also encounter a Dalek. Their only hope of survival lies with the stranger: a woman who calls herself ‘Ace’…

Genres: Doctor Who, Class, Science Fiction

Audiobook

First published August 21, 2018

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still wishing that at least one of the stories would feature the whole cast, that’s probably my only gripe.

(2.1) Everybody Loves Reagan - The first story is rather typical of these Class audio-dramas. Well done. Good writing. Good acting. Good production values and sound design. Nothing really to complain about. Entertaining and engaging. Perhaps a bit predictable, but still a solid story. This one focuses on April, but Tanya and Ram also appear. (3/5)

(2.2) Now You Know ... - I really enjoyed this one. A large part was the subject matter hit some personal chords for me. And I loved the pairing of Tanya and Matteusz, unexpected and all. But it worked. What didn’t work was Matteusz not telling Charlie about what he and Tanya were up to. That seemed out of character and a bit hard to swallow, but not enough that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy this one. (5/5)

(2.3) In Remembrance - Charlie and Quill are on the focus here and I was worried at first about how this would play out but then ... Daleks! And Ace?! Well, it IS Coal Hill and everything, so why not!? Another one that was thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining and took the story in some unlikely directions. Loved it. Completely loved it. (5/5)

I missed not having some Charlie/Matteusz interaction in this set, but I suppose I’ll just have to wait for Class: Volume 3 and see what comes up then. Already waiting for that release (and Class: Volume 4, that’s how much I’m enjoying these). For continuity fans: these stories, like those in the previous volume, follow the events of Nightvisiting, the third episode of the series, and before the events of the fourth episode, Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart.

[Mikes Dw Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Remembrance:
I was never a fan of Class the series, Ive seen some people really like it and mention how good the audios are which I'll check out someday. If you like it that's great, id never take that away from someone. Just for me its how not to do a show. Doing a spin off that has no tie to Doctor who apart from the school name, which most people wouldn't even get anyway, trying to say this is what the kids are like and its not or like nothing I went through, the Inbetweeners get it absolutely right. The whole feeling of trying way to hard to be cool and edgy and say we are not doctor who!, it's not just class that does this, the Virgin new adventures were so try hard and look it's darker doctor who. It's cool when your teen but incredibly cringy once you look back on it, and sadly not even teens could into class, all this was never gonna work. Doctor who is so great because it doesn't need blood/gore to be scary, it can do that without it. A good horror can scare you without it, gore/blood doesnt scare you it just shocks you for a few seconds, the same as a jump scare.

Class also wasnt very well advertised, I was planning to watch the whole series but after episode 1+2 I never saw anything until the Finale. Plus I'll never not laugh at the class mates videos about how they mentioned the fans, your on set filming it right now what fans? But here was my second chance for class. And sadly just like the show it was aload of nothing but a Dalek is added in there.

I understand why big finish toned down that edgy dark feeling from the show but I was actually looking forward to seeing a more adult/darker Dalek story, do it right you and you can make them much more darker than we'd ever see with the Dr, such as in "Dalek empire". The story just feels like alot of nothing, things just happen at a location and keep going on. It just started to get good at the end and it was over.

So we have Ace and Miss Quill at the school trying to escape and stop a Dalek, while Charlie is trapped in 1963 (wonder why the year?). I love Remembrance of the Daleks but there a way to many stories that have been forced in that era/story. Now there was actually multiple Daleks in 1963, the main imperial and renegades from the show, the time war Daleks and Susan/the 8th Dr, a slyther underground and now this were a imperial Dalek is trying to fix the defeat. While trying to make a nice call back reference to an episode you've made it more convoluted with how many Daleks are around now. This is way I'm sometimes against the idea of doing a story set within another.
Ace comes back to try and stop the Dalek while wearing an evening dress and it's great to see her back and I loved the reference to A Charitable Earth that she created while also mentioning how the timelords taught her, it's was a good simple way of explaining who Ace is/where she's at. Sadly she gets pushed aside from the action here and becomes a mentor like the doctor towards Miss Quill. I really liked this idea but characters like Quill never change so your never going to get a nice ending/redemption arc or even a slight character change. I did Like Aces line to a Dalek she blows up, aggressive racist's tin.

Miss Quill really annoyed me here, she's always so arrogant and patronizing and ungrateful at everything. There's never a moment she stops being a massive negative Nancy to everything and everyone. We started to learn about her past I was really hoping to understand why this character is like this. While I like the idea of this freedom fighter giving hope to her people about something? While having to serve the enemy. We don't get much of a development or answers. The idea is good enough of this war breaking out and she fails to save anyone. But why not really explore that, how it changes people get into quills head, why is she still helping the prince/Charile then. To have her not change at all here feels like a waste of my time. Ace could of inspired her to start to be different to get involved with people on earth or help with the ace charity, do what she failed to do on her planet here. Add some drama here by having her refuse and be in a constant struggle, have the Dalek manipulate her to help it and I'll help you change your worlds history. It's all there and it's wasted.

really enjoy the scenes between her and the Dalek, the dialogue is pretty good and its interesting seeing the Dalek talk about it's morals and point out why humanity will never be supreme etc. I don't get this idea that a Dalek can't live without its casing nonsense. Or that a casing is apart of them and not a travel machine. But it is though. Big finish did a story a few years ago that I loved about how a Dalek from the first ever TV story would hate the new series Dalek because it would understand that they never left the casing.
I liked the idea that Daleks planned to leave them some day but have spent so long in them they are more embracive about it now it's a part of them. I think the scene/moment just need a bit more to it because it doesn't quite explain what it's point is. If it's apart of Davros's army then I can see that Davros could of reprogrammed it etc and maybe the renegades also wants to leave someday. Miss Quill eventually destroys the Dalek after making it believe it will help it. It's a good little twist that would of worked so much better had been written better. She's not a terrible character but I get the feeling she likes to be miserable and likes making/expects others to be too. Like a gatekeeper. Or like someone preaching about the planet and yet doing nothing about it.

Guy adams has written a few Dalek stories, some are pretty boring and has them doing nothing. But sometimes he comes up with some Incredibly fun and darkish ideas, such as in "Planet of the ogrons". The Dalek overseer was an incredible Dalek. Overall I really didn't like this, an it annoys me because there are good ideas and opportunities here but it's wasted. All I can say is how can anyone be made to pay £20 for a download of this for that. Thanks God for my friend.
Rating 2/5 5/10

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second set of three hour-long stories, each featuring two or three of the characters from the TV series is perhaps even better than the first. Class weas partly described at the time as the British answer to the earlier US series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the first two ‘episodes’ here are notably in that mode, while the third ties us in more directly to mainstream Doctor Who lore.

• Everybody Loves Reagan – The similarities to Buffy” are most clearly on display here. A new girl starts at Coal Hill and immediately starts making herself popular with… well, everyone except April. It’s clear to the listener that something is wrong here right from the start, despite nobody but April being able to notice it, and the depth of the issue becomes more serious as the story progresses. The resemblance to Buffy comes from the obvious focus on teen problems, from concerns about fitting in to worries about exams and so on. Teen angst made literal reality was very much what the US show was about, and this would have fit right in. But it also fits in well here, with some good use of the leads – Ram and Tanya supporting April in this one – and ties in to events that had happened earlier in the series. 4.5 stars.

• Now You Know… – The second story also deals with teen issues, if perhaps less directly than the first one did. This time Tanya and Matteusz are the stars, although it’s not really clear in-story why they won’t involve any of the others. Something deadly is once again stalking the school corridors, preying on people seemingly at random. (Well, that’s the theory; the connection should be obvious from the second victim, but it’s fair to say it wouldn’t be to the characters in the story). This leads Tanya on a quest to dig into the school’s past and, once again, some of the difficulties of school life. This element is well done, and there’s a great scene with the two leads trying, badly, to draw the monster out. A good story that will probably resonate with a number of listeners. 4 stars.

• In Remembrance – The only story in the first two collections to have a direct link to the parent show this (as is probably obvious from the cover) involves Charlie and Quill running into a Dalek loose on the school premises… and into the present-day version of Ace. It’s a sort of sequel to classic DW episode Remembrance of the Daleks. You don’t need to have watched that to follow this, since the basics are explained, but it will likely help, and give it greater resonance. I say that it’s a ‘sort of’ sequel, since it deals with events of the prior episode, but doesn’t directly follow on from them, taking place (from the Dalek’s perspective) at the same time. Despite Ace guest-starring, this is largely Quill’s episode, digging into some of her personality and stuffed with sarcastic one-liners as she is forced to take desperate measures to protect Charlie. It’s great fun, and closer to traditional DW than the other episodes. 4.5 stars.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everybody Loves Reagan -

This story does well in what it sets out in its premise, but the problem is that the premise has been done before; and much better than this. April makes a good lead and Tanya and Ram serve as supporting characters well, but they have no real impact on the plot as they are just subject to the effects of Reagan. They are there to demoralise April and that’s it really, while April really does all the investigating and confronting Reagan. The story is effectively a copy of the Torchwood story ‘Adam’ except that story is allowed to move into much more graphic territory and have Adam be very malicious in his bid to survive; Reagan however is just dull. She does all the retconning but when confronted just makes a few empty threats and is easily fought off by April. Obviously her motivation is the same as Adam but even the performance is not as good, so taking an already derivative story and the replacement villain is mediocre at best is not a recipe for success. There is so little to be told plot-wise when there is such a small cast, leading the tampering with memory to extend to playground ‘I’m not friends with you anymore’ kind of things. The narrative is solid but there’s just nothing remarkable about the story, so the most I can really say of it is ‘it was fine’.

The performances were definitely the actors giving their best, but punctuating the villains motives and plan with a lazy quip didn’t do much for me. Normally I find stories with ideas that tamper with memory anxiety inducing, but here the outcome is so blatant that any actual suspense is self-sabotaged; losing most of its meaning and dramatic weight. Reagan is clearly a confused young character and possibly unaware of the extent or consequences of her actions, so obviously that will lead to April talking her round. I did love some of the infighting between the gang but that came and went, I was mostly waiting for anything actually big and interesting to occur; something I don’t count Reagan knocking a room full of people out then chasing April to the ladies toilet, to be. As usual for the Class stories the music and sound design is tremendous, and this story especially is very well directed, so even though the memory tampering isn’t done so well; it does end up being more effective by the smart cuts and different perspectives of the alternating characters. There is definitely stuff to love in this one, I just feel that when a story is very derivative it does limit how effective it can be.

Now You Know… -

This story really embraces what Class is best at to compensate for what the audios do lack on occasion; character drama. Tanya and Matteusz are a brilliant combination and the comedy of the story really elevates it from being just forgettable. There is real investigation carried out in solving this mystery that gives it a different feel to most Class stories which are usual lame abstract malicious entities. One of the stories’ merits is that it is satisfying seeing bad people being punished and learning a good lesson from it, even if the antagonist doesn’t even really do anything. It’s always a let down when a story has the whole ‘they aren’t evil they just don’t realise what they’re doing’ twist and this does that in abundance. I liked the references to An Unearthly Child but there isn’t much more to the mystery than a bullied kid who disappeared and is now haunting bullies, hardly masterful writing really. The resolution is quite literally them sitting down and having a chat and everything ends happily, uninspiring stuff. There just isn’t much to really get invested in, the story weirdly feels like its only 40 minutes long despite the fact it’s a full hour.

Vivienne Oparah and Jordan Renzo really are in their element with the comedy, and scene likes them trying and failing to be mean to each other to summon the enemy, are hilarious. I do like the ending a lot (not the dull final confrontation) in that a bully turning around and realising they’ve done wrong and apologising, is really beautiful stuff. So many people have been bullied so it really is like living vicariously through our protagonists in that you get to see what you hoped would happen in your life, play out on screen. It’s a shame that villain, in true Big Finish Class tradition is so boring and ineffective because the story really does hit the right beats right up until the usual ‘I didn’t realise what I was doing’. Class was never a show like that on screen, the villains were usually horrific and led to plenty of gore, so this obsession of trying to make you sympathetic toward the villains is quite perplexing. The shorter run time was probably a good thing in the long run as I can’t imagine what else there could be in this one to make it even a bit more interesting. Thankfully the music and sound design is lovely as ever, so in terms of the functional aspects, it is very difficult to criticise.

In Remembrance -

Having Ace show up in this story was clearly to draw Dr Who fans into listening to the set and I was surprised how heavily involved she was in the plot. With Charlie transported through a rift into the events of Remembrance of the Daleks and a Dalek from that story in modern day it is both a homage and an original idea. On paper it’s a great idea but it’s merits aside, there really isn’t too much captivating stuff in this. Ace and Quill have a great dynamic as Quill’s cynicism is matched against Ace’s optimism, and some moments where they get to understand the hardships both have gone through. The Dalek trying to use information of how the Daleks were defeated in 1963 with the intention to go back and change events was a great idea. It does add some suspense and stakes to the story but given it just sort of monologues for a bit then blows up in the past, it does sod all in the end. Quill’s cold nature almost working out a deal with the Dalek was interesting and allowed for exploring further the depth of her character. This is great as it was a show that only had 8 episodes so adding more layers to these characters makes things much more interesting. The B-plot with Charlie wandering around during the events of Remembrance amounted to nothing given all he does it run about a bit, bump into the vacant Tardis and then gets brought back.

If anything I think excluding Charlie from the story would have improved things as the character drama being constantly interrupted detracted from the enjoyable narrative at play. Even the Quill/Ace stuff does play out to excess, there are so many scenes of ‘you don’t know me I’ve seen… (insert events of TV story here)’ that I can bear. I think the overuse of nostalgia and continuity references is the stories biggest fault, and instead of more comedy and drama it’s just needless callbacks. Nick Briggs gives a fairly original Dalek performance and gets to use plenty of dialogue he wouldn’t normally, so I did really appreciate the story in that aspect. The story did also add some more information about Ace’s life in the 21st century, technically overcomplicating further her already ludicrously complicated timeline, I just am thankful I love her else I would have completely disengaged by that point. Ultimately the story amounts to a few chase scenes, a few prat falls, and scarce comedy. This story is really written like a normal Dr Who story and that was a huge mistake, especially with an actress like Katherine Kelly who plays any comedy tremendously. The story evades any more adult themes or dialogue and just plays out as a normal Dalek story with a few minor outliers.

[Daniel Cork · Rating 4 out of 5]

After really enjoying the first volume of Class, I realized I really wanted to give this second set a go as soon as possible. I can already tell it's going to be quite an interesting set from the cover alone. Miss Quil and Charlie teaming up with Ace to defeat an Imperial Dalek? What on Earth?!

Everybody Loves Reagan:
April has set up an after-school club where students can discuss their feelings in a safe environment. But when nobody shows up, April is ready to call it quits until Reagan arrives and unfortunately for her, the new girl's about to destroy her life. What is Reagan up to and how has she managed to get everybody in the school to like her? Worst of all, why has everyone turned against April? Only April knows the truth and only she can stop her.

Tim Foley has written an incredible script that is heartbreaking, unsettling and very intense. This is a very psychological story that messes with the characters' heads and the perceptions of people around them. It's a story that delves into the pain and misery hiding in every one of us and why it's important to remember the trials we've faced. A brilliant story for April. 10/10

Now You Know...:
A mysterious and malevolent force has been knocking out students and teachers across the school unconscious. But why and what is it for? How does this entity connect to a devastating tragedy that happened over 50 years ago? Tania and Matteusz are determined to learn the truth and put an end to these attacks. Not all stories end happily.

Tim Leng has written an emotional and devastating script about the harsh reality of bullying, bigotry and revenge. It's hard to go into this one without spoiling it, but it's a very well-written and dramatic script that will no doubt leave some people in tears. 8/10

In Remembrance:
Charlie and Miss Quill investigate a break-in at Coal Hill Academy only to bump into a mysterious woman in a fancy getup, as one of the deadliest creatures in the universe arrives through a tear in space and time. Charlie is sent back in time where he meets a younger Ace. Quill and Ace must team up to defeat a Dalek, but in doing so will Quill learn something about herself?

Guy Adams has written a really fun sequel to Remembrance of The Daleks. It's admittedly a run-around, but it gives us more insight into Quill's mind as she has to put with one of The Doctor's previous companions. 8/10

Overall: 26/30

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, I found the audio stories more engaging than the first three episodes of the TV show. The first two stories, "Everybody Loves Reagan" and "Now You Know," both play with the theme of popularity. In the former, Reagan from Manchester is replacing unpleasant memories of students at school, becoming popular and making April an outcast in the process. In the latter, Tanya's former friend is in the in crowd and very much a bully, though there is a threat that is attracted to bullying. The way that Tanya and Ram pretend to bully each other and feel bad about it in the process is pretty funny.

And of course, there's "Remembrance," a Charlie and Quill story that ties into Remembrance of the Daleks. As such, Ace is in the picture. This helps to reinforce that Class is in the Whoniverse, as apart from Twelve's appearance in the pilot and the name of the school, there's very little tying Class to the Whoniverse. They probably didn't want to include Sylvester McCoy in this so that it could realistically feel like a TV episode, but I kinda wish they went ahead and gave Sylvester McCoy a little cameo.

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in this set were far superior to the ones in the first volume, especially the final story, "Remembrance." It was great having Ace back and a present day Ace, not the eternal teenaged Ace that we usually get. It was nice to see some development in her character and see where she's gone with her life since her tenure with the Seventh Doctor. Katherine Kelly was the stand out cast member once again; Ms. Quill is definitely the best character.

[Aura Steel · Rating 4 out of 5]

2.1 Everybody Loves Reagan by Tim Foley 3*
2.2 Now You Know… by Tim Leng 4*
2.3 In Remembrance by Guy Adams 4*

[Luiz Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

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