Across the Darkened City

"Daleks do not tolerate deformity."

Writer: David Bartlett

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 2.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

On the planet Shade, The Chaons, an invading race of strange, amorphous creatures that ravenously absorb energy, have reduced the city there to a desolate ruin. Separated from the Doctor and Vicki, Steven has to join forces with an unexpected ally to find his way back to the TARDIS. Ahead, lies a nightmare journey through the dark – a test of endurance and trust.

Verdict

Across the Darkened City was an outstanding Companion Chronicles audio adventure! I was excited by the prospect of the First Doctor meeting the Daleks once again over the course of this boxset, but when reading each synopsis for the four stories that comprise the set it wasn't obvious which adventure they would feature in. But they take about four seconds to make an appearance at the start of this episode and that really sets the tone in a positive way. I didn't really get my wish of the First Doctor encountering his greatest foes once again, but that didn't take away from this story in the slightest! Steven has a real history with the Daleks going back to The Chase, so pairing him with one on a joint mission to access a transmat across a pitch black terrain on an alien environment was excellent. It was such a fun idea and it provided so much intrigue and emotion in the audio. It was really fascinating to hear Steven's feelings towards the Dalek develop over the course of the hour and at times later on he forgot just what he was embarking across the city with. The idea of this particular Dalek with the broken casing being superior, and thinking itself so, was tremendous and I liked how it actually started an argument with other Daleks when it came to saving Steven's life and ensuring he wasn't needlessly exterminated or robotised. When so many others were casually killed, this Dalek designated two-one-zero saved Steven's life because it needed him. That was a scary prospect. I loved the idea of a genetically mutated Dalek because there's so much potential there, and I must admit that the twist at the end with the Dalek then wanting to kill Steven rather than give the coordinates needed to get back to the Doctor and Vicki was magnificent. I'd almost given hope of the Dalek being evil! How wrong I was. I liked that the Dalek didn't turn out to be the sole enemy of the story though with that designation going to the Chaons instead. Having something even the Daleks were afraid of was exciting and frightening and I thought the entire concept behind them was very good. It worked well on audio and Peter Purves did a stellar job in the lead role and highlighting the fear they invoked. It was great as well hearing him accidentally refer to the Dalek as two-one before stopping himself at giving such a creature a name, showing how much of a relationship they actually developed. Steven's vulnerability of not being able to see through the city was excellent when coupled with the Dalek having to exit its casing and go into another's. The disgust and impurity that was greeted with on Skaro took me by surprise, but the epilogue with Two-One-Zero seemingly going on to become the Dalek Emperor in search of the Human Factor was extraordinary! A little prequel to The Evil of the Daleks? Gloriously done! We did get a little cameo of the Doctor at the end when Steven was reunited, but it wasn't really needed as Steven shone throughout in the lead role. A wonderful outing for the companion. Overall, a magnificent audio adventure! 

Rating: 10/10