Primord

"They escaped only to be imprisoned again."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: May 2019

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 5.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo, Liz, Brigadier 

Synopsis 

Prisoners are escaping from incarceration all around the country and UNIT have been called in to aid in the search. But the Doctor is unwilling to agree to the Brigadier's request for help as he and Jo have opted to take a holiday – they're going to visit his old assistant Liz Shaw, now working in Cambridge University.

But, unfortunately for Jo, the Doctor can't relax for very long. Soon the Time Lord and his friends are facing an old enemy – creatures they'd long since thought they'd put to ground. 

The Primords have returned – and this time the danger may strike very close to home.6nu cxm b

Verdict

Primord was an excellent story to kick off the fifth volume of Third Doctor Adventures! This was really fantastic from start to finish and was ever so close to receiving a perfect rating from myself. There was just something nagging in my mind to prevent that, but it was still a sublime start to the series! I loved that we would be getting a return for Liz but not set during Season 7 so we got a delightful pairing of both Liz and Jo! That really is a dream combination and the humour that came from their conversation about the Doctor was reminiscent of what happened when Donna and Martha met in The Sontaran Stratagem. It was good fun, but the Doctor didn't exactly see it that way! The excitement in the Doctor's voice was clear when it came to him arranging a visit to Cambridge to see his old companion and it was rather fun for the Brigadier to be a bit miffed at not getting the invite. The moment the pair saw each other again was lovely and I really liked how there was a reference to The Sentinels of a New Dawn as their last encounter. Great continuity across the multiple ranges of Big Finish. I thought it was hilarious to hear the Doctor actually thinking he would have a holiday in Cambridge alongside Liz, and whilst he did get something close on the first night there as they enjoyed a bottle of wine, things soon moved into normal territory. The Brigadier also heading to Cambridge with UNIT being seconded to deal with a large number of escaped inmates was great and it was clear that events would soon bring everyone together. I just was not anticipating that Liz would be the culprit! Hearing her have a Primord in her laboratory was a good surprise and I was really intrigued to hear what she was up to. I loved the idea of the Primords returning as they were a very memorable element in Inferno with the Doctor literally seeing a world end the last time he encountered them. Liz's involvement there made her position all the more surprising, but then we discovered that the Primord she had under control was actually her fiancé Michael. The Doctor's approach to her and the experiment changed instantly which was nice to hear. Of course he would help with a cure! Jo feeling a little insecure around Liz because of her lack of scientific knowledge was a little sad, but she got to flaunt her charm later on to seduce Callahan and get her and the Brigadier past the red tape. General Sharp was a very good villain and the bravado between him and the Brigadier was terrific. Sharp's reaction when he was relieved of command was marvellous. The Doctor suffering from headaches because Liz had actually infected him with their handshake was a nice touch and her being a Primord all along was an unexpected revelation! It worked very well. The threat of the Primords without them actually doing an awful lot was a clever approach and the Doctor having had a cure all along was a clever conclusion that complimented the action well. The ending with Michael being shot by Sharp was a horrifying moment for Liz and the Doctor, especially after the cure and the latter even commenting on how rare it was for everyone to survive. Overall though, a superb audio!

Rating: 9/10