Mondas Passing

"The Zeus spacecrafts had started their launches early in the year. He'd even seen the snowcap base and General Cutler on the news. Poor old Cutler..."

Writer: Paul Grice

Format: Novel

Released: March 1998

Printed in: Short Trips Vol. 1

Featuring: Polly, Ben

Synopsis 

20 years after departing the TARDIS, Polly and Ben reunite on New Year's Eve, 1986, to ensure that they've seen the year through after the attempted Cybermen invasion that they helped defeat. For them, it happened 20 years ago but now it was happening once more. Mondas was coming. 

Verdict

Mondas Passing was a touching, emotional and very good short story! Not long after watching The Faceless Ones, in which Polly and Ben depart, I thought this would be a good time to read the story featuring the brilliant pairing twenty years on from their departure during the events of The Tenth Planet. It's an intriguing idea catching up with a companion, or in this case companions, after they've left the TARDIS during an event they played a major part in and know how it's going to turn out but can't help but think that history may alter and won't be as they remember it. I was actually quite saddened to learn that at this point in time, Polly and Ben had gone their separate ways and married other people. But as was wonderfully evident in this story, the feelings between the pair were strong. They couldn't just throw away the struggles, escapes and victories they'd shared and celebrated together could they? I loved the reminiscing of past experiences with The Power of the Daleks, The Highlanders and The Macra Terror particularly favourable references. I was intrigued to learn Ben's feelings about Jamie and I have to say I was very surprised. Because of the time that Jamie came from he obviously wasn't as intellectual as Polly and Ben but the former being the beautiful sweet girl she is wasn't too pleased with Ben's comments either. Jamie was a great companion! I liked the wondering as to if the pair of the Second Doctor and Jamie would still be travelling together. The reference to the regeneration was nicely thrown in and I also liked the little references to a novel and audio that I'm yet to blog. So I look forward to those! Thankfully, The Five Companions restores the relationship between Polly and Ben, that was always going to occur after The War Machines, with Polly considerably older in that story and revealing that she and Ben did marry in the end which is lovely (Lucky Ben!). They just simply had to get together. It wouldn't be right if they didn't. Overall, an intriguing idea, good story and quite touching! I do love Polly, and her sweet nature was so nice throughout. 

Rating: 8/10