The Tigers' Second Quest review

[The Supreme Dalek]

Okay, since the board ate up my previous review, this one will necessarily be of my impressions after I have heard it several times rather than fresher thoughts when I originally posted.

Warning: Some spoilers ahead. But then, if you've been visiting the websites, you pretty much already figured out what is going to happen.

The Tigers' Second quest is another in a line of professional releases by Everlasting Films. For those familiar with their fan-audio work, this again is leaps-and-bounds superior to Doctor Who. I think it's safe to say the acting is on the same level, being that they hire professional actors for Doctor Who. But the soundscape is much, much, MUCH more slick and glossy. If you heard Tigers' Quest and compared it to Doctor Who, you'd know exactly what I mean.

Okay, enough comparisons to Doctor Who.

The story takes place about six months after the end of Tigers' Quest. Tiggra and Clairese have their long-sought-after family, and the Killers are still a threat.

Story-wise, there is a great deal of similairty between Second Quest and the original Tigers' Quest. The humans continue to hunt the tigers, there is still a drought, and Laskey is still the bad guy. Except in Tigers' Quest the protagonists always won. In this story, they almost always seem to lose. And even when they are successful, it always is with the caveat of "for now", knowing that a "later" will come. Thus the story is more depressing than the original.

Second Quest benefits from being more tightly written. Clocking in at a half hour shorter than Tigers' Quest, things tend to happen at a much more rapid pace. That's a good thing. Not saying that TQ dragged, but doing it twice would have been overkill.

The four cubs of Tiggra and Clairese are very well handled. There is an old addage in show business that you should never work with children or animals. This is a story where the children (cubs) could easily have taken over as they are very cute and anyone who has been in a large family or raised children themselves will recognize the sibliing squabbling and smile. Yet the cubs are never allowed to overshadow the story or detract from the real dangers that are present. Oh sure, they get into trouble which helps to magnify the plot, which I suppose is their obligation. But it never feels forced. This story has a wonderful, natural feeling to it.

Laura Post returns to her role as Clairese, but David Ault takes over from Phil Snyder as Tiggra. Post has a beautful singing voice and we are privileged to hear her in all four songs. Ault, on the other hand, doesn't do as well, and his solo in Nature's Song is difficult to get through. He does better in We Live In Symmetry and Is This Destiny, though. Acting-wise, again Post really brings to life her character and the dangers the tigers face. Ault is passable, but at times he just misses the mark.

Of course, it would be wrong not to mention that David McAlister also returns to reprise his role as Edward Laskey. Laskey is the central villian in the piece, and he does a great job at it. He's the Bad Guy without being over the top about it. Now here is where I will digress a bit. I read the book Tigers' Quest (which the audio drama by the same name is based on) and I have to say that Laskey fared poorly in the move to audio. He is a much more rounded character in the book, almost sympathetic. He's still the Big Game Hunter and still the antagonist, but his reasons are much more clearly defined in the novel. I guess something had to be cut when Tigers' Quest came in at over 2 hours. Pity. It will be interesting to read the Second Quest novel and see how Laskey fares.

For those looking for the good Doctor Who, Jeffrey Coburn, to also reappear in this sequel, his character Dr. Erwin gets mentioned but never appears.

Jarerd Cowing takes over the musical reins from Simon Smith. Song-wise, Jared does much better, the songs seeming to be a part of the plot, helping to tell the story. Simon's songs in Tigers' Quest seems artificially tacked on. Forever Love is a beautiful song a mother sings to her cubs. There is even a music video of it on YouTube. It bears checking out. Is This Destiny is a heart-pounder. This is one case where Ault does a good job bringing the emotion of it together.

On the other hand, when it comes to the atmosphere music, Cowing's music isn't as good as Smith's. It seems minimalistic, compared to Smith's almost orchestral score. This is emphasised even more when you listen to the soundtrack CD where you can hear the music without everything else getting in the way. If only they could take Smith's music and combine it with Cowing's songs. Now THAT would be a great combination!

For those looking for a happy story, The Tigers' Second Quest isn't it. There's a truly heart-wrenching scene where Clairese comes upon Windie waiting...well, I won't spoil it. You'll know it when you hear it. Even the ending offers no relief because it's more of a cliffhanger. Yes, the story is over, but you're left wondering -- desperately, actually -- as to what happens next. Fortunately, a second sequel is in the works and it seems to promise to tell us.

If you are an animal lover, this is another Must Have. If you like good audio drama, this is another Must Have. You won't be disappointed. In fact, you might even find it better than the original, being more better paced.

I can't wait for After the Quest.

The Supreme Dalek