Forgotten Lives

"Dementia changes people."

Writer: Emma Reeves

Format: Audio

Released: November 2015

Series: Torchwood Monthly #3

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rhys

Synopsis

It has been four years since the Miracle, and Gwen and Rhys's lives have gone back to normal, very normal. They're raising their daughter (they've got pictures they'd be only too happy to show you), they're living in a nice house, and they're almost on top of the laundry. 

Captain Jack Harkness has been missing from the world and their lives for a long time. But late one night the phone rings, and they're summoned to an isolated part of North Wales. The Bryn Offa Nursing Home contains a dark secret, an alien threat, and someone who really shouldn't be there.

Gwen and Rhys are about to discover that Torchwood stays with you for the rest of your life.

Verdict

Forgotten Lives was a very good audio adventure to continue the monthly releases of Torchwood from Big Finish! I was delighted to hear Eve Myles back reprising her role as Gwen as she really is one of my all time favourite characters within the Doctor Who universe. I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with her nationality! Pairing her up with Rhys here was a no brainer and the pair have such good chemistry and just make an enjoyable couple. Gwen immediately getting called back into Torchwood action was fun and her getting a call from a Welsh woman who had supposedly got her number from Jack was an intriguing beginning. Taking the story to North Wales was great and the basis of a dementia home was fantastic. Mr Griffin claiming to be Jack was a lot of fun and the mentioning of Tosh and Ianto seemed to confirm it. The talk of the Evolver project was interesting and I liked how Jack required a bio stabiliser to improve his condition. Placing Jack's mind within an old man's body was excellent because he suddenly had the ability to die and perhaps imminently so! The use of Jack mentioning hot buns and Rhys remembering his childhood ventures to the best baps in the country being by a slag heap was a stretch, but simultaneously an incredibly fun way to introduce us to Torchwood Wrexham! Now that's a spinoff I would love to listen to! Jack's revival of sorts resetting his mind and realising that the old man was now Ceri who thought she was 15 was good and I enjoyed the description of her memories with an old woman and likening it to becoming a shadow. Gwen enacting a plan to go back to the care home to find out what was happening was great and the moment at the door with Gary knowing of the plan and having Ceri's phone was very humorous. It was wonderful to hear Gwen back as 'Torchwood Gwen' and Rhys reacting to that was brilliant. He was seemingly a lot more accommodating than what he was in the early series on television. Gwen threatening Gary with a vaporising gun was marvellous and her knowing that it was banned by the Shadow Proclamation was very good. Her belief that the care home was dealing with drugs that swapped minds was really good stuff and I liked how Jack, albeit still in the elderly body, stopped Gwen from shooting Gary dead. The mind swap element was a very clever way to include Jack in the adventure without John Barrowman present. His implementation of a lockdown at the care home was decent and his mentioning of the Evolved gave us a good presence to defeat. Jack explaining that his body was far away following the events of The Conspiracy and his search for answers about the Committee. The revelation that they were helping the Three Families cause the Miracle was outstanding and added so much to Jack's search for answers and this range as a whole. I'm excited for where things go from here. Eluned switching minds with Anwen was a little strange and I must admit I did find the voice off-putting. It just wasn't right for an adult to be acting and sounded like she did. The Evolved being the only people to have not been influenced and escaped the Committee was an intriguing development and with how things ended, I think we are far from the end of them featuring in the series. Jack having agreed to an Evolved experiment that was taking place at the care home wasn't much of a surprise and it answered a lot of questions regarding the events there. Their way of life including mind swapping was fascinating and a unique concept that I thoroughly enjoyed. It resulting in their people being nice to everyone because they could end up as them was fantastic! Jack revealing that he'd actually been trapped by the Evolved when they worked out he couldn't be killed was good and I'm sure will set up a future adventure. His tricking them to prevent their gift being spread seemed a little ambiguous and required a tad more explanation, but their retaliation of expanding through Gary was very good indeed. Jack offering his mind in order to free Rhys and Anwen was an admirable but expected sacrifice and I liked the line towards the end with Jack making it clear he would be back. I look forward to the reunion, but for now this was a great audio!

Rating: 8/10