The Perpetual Bond

"This is where it all began."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: February 2011
Series: Companion Chronicles 5.08

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven

Synopsis 

When the TARDIS materialises in a familiar junkyard in the 1960s, the Doctor and Steven are soon embroiled in a mystery in the City of London. Who are the mysterious bowler-hatted businessmen with their deadly umbrellas? And what secret is young Oliver Harper desperately trying to conceal?

Contracts have beeb signed. A deal is in place. And the Doctor discovers that perhaps not even he can stop a terrible business...

Verdict

The Perpetual Bond was a very good Companion Chronicle audio! I really liked how this one continued on from where The Daleks' Master Plan left off and that is obviously an incredibly difficult time for the Doctor and Steven after all they lost in that story. Steven mentions how hard it was to lose close friends like Katarina, Brett and Sara in such quick succession and now the TARDIS had brought them to a very familiar junkyard in the 1960s. I thought a little more could have been made of the significance of the landing in 76 Totter's Lane but I did enjoy how happy the Doctor seemed to be at where they had arrived. Steven reflecting on briefly meeting Ian and Barbara in The Chase was a nice touch and I loved the idea of he and the Doctor going to visit them. Their reaction if he just rocked up and had actually landed in an era where he could have taken them home would have been something very special indeed. Instead, the pair got broiled up in galactic trade and some of it involved slavery! The revelation that the Fulgurites were actually in a contractual agreement with the British Government was startling but that's such a good concept to play with. The Doctor was actually in a position where his hands were tied because of galactic law and I liked how this was used in a First Doctor story for the first time, at least when it comes to what I have gone through from his era. This would never have occurred on television in the 1960s, but the beauty of audios and writing in hindsight means we can get new things from the First Doctor which is just wonderful. Peter Purves narrated the story very well as both Steven and the Doctor and I always enjoy his William Hartnell impression. It really is impressive. I thought the addition of Oliver having a full part and featuring heavily was good and I liked how quickly he was incorporated into the Doctor and Steven's parts of the story. They got on early and it was nice that they shared the link of being able to see the Fulgurite when they should not have been able to. I always find it interesting when the First Doctor is forced to tackle the issue of him being from a planet that isn't Earth and while he doesn't really dodge the bullet here, he doesn't exactly answer it either which is the right way to go I think. It's said that he's from another planet. Steven dealing with going into his past and referring to some of the technology and even the city of London as ancient is good as I think it can often be forgotten that he was a companion from the far future. The cliffhanger was good and quite a heartless comment from the Doctor in telling him that his time to go was now! I was a little taken aback to be honest. Oliver joining the TARDIS pairing at the end of the adventure was an intriguing move and I like how he is on the run and holding a secret from the Doctor and Steven. I'm sure it's going to come out at some point and probably cost him his place travelling time and space, but for now it adds a good dynamic to the TARDIS at a very interesting and difficult time. The ending of the Fulgurites and the Doctor using contracts against them was decent, but even though they were the enemy I didn't feel that they were the focus of the story. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10