Big Finish's synopsis:
"The Umbrella Man is back. But when the Doctor recruits UNIT's Scientific Adviser Elizabeth Klein for an off-the-books mission to the apocalyptic final days of Hitler's Germany, he isn't expecting Klein's hapless young assistant, Will Arrowsmith, to be joining them too.
The Doctor isn't the only alien creature seeking to loot a very particular secret from a Nazi base in Dusseldorf, however. Strange and sinister beings are converging on the same time/space location in search of the scientist Schalk, whose experiments are the key to a devastating power...
The power of Persuasion."So, the umbrella man is back but unfortunately, I've yet to see a positive review of Persuasion and so I started listening to it with incredibly low expectations. Well, I was pleasantly surprised and I actually think it's quite good! Certainly not as good as The Chimes of Midnight, but still, good.
This is the first story I've listened to that features Klein, and of course, the first I've listened to that features Arrowsmith. I think they're both good, likeable characters and I can't wait to hear more. I just hope Arrowsmith stops being so clumsy because it'll get old after a while!
The villains in the story, the Shepherd and the Khlecht are both very good. The Klecht are pretty funny with the way they destroy stuff, actually. "Heeey guys, good news!"
There are quite a few settings, and while they are pretty good, I can't say I'm overly impressed by any of them. Unfortunately, I didn't really get the feel of the setting that I generally get with Big Finish's audio dramas... It's probably because there isn't any great music or sound design.
My favourite lines are "Hello there, I do hope we're intruding!", "Looks like the first in line to punch you on the nose, Schalk!" and this incredibly long piece of dialogue from Arrowsmith: ''My heart rate has increased and I've started to perspire. I admit I didn't expect to find this so alarming, I have already passed through numerous peculiar rooms full of the most bizarre and unexpected things. I've seen cupboards the size of cathedrals, and what I think must have been a fridge freezer full of vegetarian food which extended as far as the eye could see. There are libraries stacked with impossible books, a cinema showing films in five dimensions, though I have yet to see the slightest sign of the Doctor... Somehow being here... it feels more like stepping into a man's mind than into a real place.''
The title Persuasion is more than appropriate because the words "persuasion" and "persuade" are used countless times throughout the story. Hell, it revolves around something called a Persuasion Machine. It's nice to see such a simple, one-word title once in a while.
The story runs at a very nice pace. It didn't feel slow at all to me.
While in the TARDIS with Mr. Arrowsmith in episode 4, McCoy is very enthusiastic which is, of course, fantastic (oh hey, that rhymed!). When Hinterberger realises that Arrowsmith can record audio with his dictiphone, he sounds extremely happy. Very good acting there!
...And, since there isn't much more to say, I guess I'll let you find out the rest for yourself!
Overall, a pretty good story, but not without it's fair share of flaws. It's much better than people have been saying it is and it certainly doesn't deserve the awful reputation it has. I've heard that the next story in this trilogy, Starlight Robbery, is a lot better and so I can't wait for the chance to listen to that - the trailer makes it seem very interesting!
Not absolutely amazing, but not bad either. I recommend giving it a listen, as long as you're already familiar with Klein. If you're not, then you might want to listen to Colditz.
Overall Rating: 7/10
You can buy Persuasion for £12.99 download or £14.99 CD here.
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