The Perpetual Bond

Companion Chronicles #5.8

Released: February 2011

Listened: 2/23/20

The setup here is strong, with Oliver getting a cold open, and then Steven clearly grieving from the events of “The Daleks' Master Plan,” and then the TARDIS landing in Totter’s Lane, perhaps as a kindness. Oliver has a serious problem, which isn’t revealed in this story, but it’s ruining his life enough that he wants to leave and never come back. He’s capable and quick-witted, which is always key in a potential companion, a bit confused by what’s going on, but he adapts quickly. His voice is engaging, and sounds a little bit like James Joyce from the UNIT series. The Doctor is clearly suffering some shock from having lost two companions recently, and he comes off as rather cold, much like he sometimes gets in the new series when he’s pushed far enough. He’s quite willing to let unscrupulous characters suffer the punishment they’ve unknowingly set up for themselves, which is more of a new-series thing. On top of that, it’s got great 1960s flavor. On the whole, it’s a good episode.