A damaged alien computer is being guarded by UNIT troops, but the soldiers simply vanish…
Usually the Brigadier would call in the Doctor – but on this occasion the Time Lord is being kept out of the loop. Instead, it’s up to Elizabeth Shaw to oversee the project to repair this alien technology, and recover the missing men.
And then Liz vanishes too.
Trapped inside the machine, Liz faces a battle for survival against a lethal defence system. And this time, she must save the day without the Doctor at her side…
THE COMPANION CHRONICLES: BINARY
From Eddie Robson comes “Binary,” the ninth release in the sixth series of Companion Chronicles, and one of the more unique uses of the format. The story itself isn’t especially interesting, but the performances and style manage to hold the attention throughout.
“Binary” is one of a rare few Companion Chronicles that isn’t narrated at all. Instead, it is a true “full-cast” audio production starring Caroline John as Liz Shaw. It is also unusual in that it features three cast members instead of the usual two – ironic, given the title. It’s great to hear John’s voice in this sort of story: she was always a very capable narrator but this is like hearing the soundtrack to a brand new Liz story. Hopefully there will be another attempt at this format before the range finishes; I think variety benefits every range, no matter how successful.
As for the story, it’s fairly straightforward as these things go: Liz is attempting to repair an alien computer in a UNIT vault when she is miniaturized and trapped inside it, forced to repair it from within. There’s an AI with questionable motives, a horde of “monsters” running around trying to kill her, missing scientists also trapped inside, and so forth. And in keeping with the season 7 aesthetic, she’s faced with a moral dilemma, discovering that the situation isn’t as black-and-white as she thought. The title is a clue about the story: it can refer to the two aspects of the computer’s AI, or Liz’s decision whether to stay with UNIT or head back to Cambridge. It also refers to the format, as every scene is a dialogue between either Liz and Childs (Joe Coen) or Liz and Foster (Kyle Redmond-Jones). The problem is that none of this is especially interesting: the plot is entirely predictable, especially once the computer’s projection ability is revealed, and we don’t actually learn anything new about Liz. Yes, she’s far too qualified to be the Doctor’s assistant, and yes, she’s frustrated by this and wants to go back to Cambridge where she’ll be appreciated. This isn’t revelatory at all and yet it’s the foundation of the story.
As mentioned above, the performances are excellent across the board, especially John. Liz was always an underappreciated companion and it’s great to have a story that puts the formidable talents of both the actor and the character at the forefront. Both Coen and Redmond-Jones are threatening and sympathetic in turn; there’s no over-the-top villainy to be found here. Lisa Bowerman ably directs the piece, and the sound design from Matthew Cochrane is so minimalist it’s hard to notice. Another peculiar feature of “Binary” is that it features no incidental music. I’m not sure why that decision was made, because it adds nothing to the story, but at least it doesn’t actively hurt it either. Overall, “Binary” is another solid, unmemorable story. Its two biggest selling points are Caroline John’s performance and the oddities of the format; otherwise, there’s not a lot going on here.
Not bad.
6/10