Aliens Among Us: Aliens & Sex & Chips & Gravy

"A whole city invaded by aliens... and no one's even noticed."

Writer: James Goss
Format: Audio
Released: 10th August 2017
Series: Torchwood 5.02

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Tyler, Mr Colchester

Synopsis

Has Cardiff really been invited by aliens? Tyler thinks he's found a lead - the daughter of the mysterious Ro-Jedda is getting married and has booked a private party. If Torchwood can infiltrate it, there's a chance they'll end up closer to the truth. Free bar, canapes, and the chance to find out what's really going on. What could possibly go wrong?

Soon Torchwood are on the run for their lives, and learning more than they ever wanted to about alien life.

Verdict

Aliens & Sex & Chips & Gravy was a great continuation of Aliens Among Us! Series 5 of Torchwood is well underway now and we have a wonderful typically Torchwood title to get us on our way. It's a ludicrous name really but that's part and parcel of all things Torchwood and that is definitely part of its appeal. I was quite surprised that this early on in the series that we had a story that barely featured Captain Jack. After all, the spinoff show is based around him and even though his importance has perhaps dwindled, to only include him over the phone for a brief conversation in the second episode of the kickstart fifth series was very surprising. I was also a little shocked that Tyler was given similar treatment after bringing Gwen and Mr Colchester to the private party. Of course, it turned out to be quite the revelation that he was actually on a date with Jack. Gwen's reaction to that was quite funny. Now, while I'm talking about her I am going to get ahead of things a bit but I am glad that the bugging question of whether Gwen was actually Gwen was answered at the end of this episode. Listening throughout the audio, I knew that it wasn't Eve Myles that was voicing one of my all time favourite characters but I figured that she must have been unavailable for recording or something. Thankfully, it's all part of the story and the real Gwen, voiced by Eve Myles, is somehow trapped within this alien imposter. What importance she has for the whole aliens among us story I'm not sure yet but I get the feeling that the Sorvix may not be the real threat. We did get to learn a lot about them though and one thing for certain is that they know how to drink! Downing a bottle of vodka just sounds horrific but Madrigal managed it with ease. The way they sucked the male stripper dry by seemingly devouring him through their backs was quite disturbing. Mr Colchester's reaction to that sold just how awful that was. I really liked how he established himself here and I enjoyed the banter he had with Gwen when he seemed to imply something negative about Cardiff and Wales. I have had very similar moments in my two years at university thus far so I enjoyed that. The hen night turning into another massacre in Cardiff was quite a shock and I am intrigued again by the mention of the Red Doors movement. I expect that to feature more prominently in the business end of this series, or at least this boxset of it. I thought the reference to Something Borrowed was magnificent and it's intriguing that this Gwen imposter maintains all of the original's memories. Quenel was an interesting character and her relationship with Mandrigal was good. The unhatching was intriguing. Mandrigal not wanting to marry Osian is a good story and I am also very eager to find out just how the mysterious Hatch Mother, or Ro-Jedda as the synopsis tells us, has control of the city. Cardiff has been invaded and infiltrated and nobody has noticed. I really like that. Their reliance on the Rift will probably come back to haunt them but Torchwood doesn't exactly seem in a stable condition to put up a fight. The ending where the truth about Gwen came out was very shocking, not in the fact that she was actually an imposter but because she shot Mary! Gwen's mum is now presumably dead and I dread to think of the wrath that will be built in the real Gwen because of that. It's still early days in the series but things are definitely shaking up. Overall, a very good episode!

Rating: 8/10