Ex Machina

"All of Cardiff apparently dead and forgotten in a fortnight."

Writer: Alife Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: Torchwood Monthly 42

Featuring: Ianto

Synopsis

Ianto Jones is Torchwood. Ianto Jones is the defender of a deserted city, a lone crusader who keeps the empty streets safe.

One day he meets one of the few survivors. She needs his help – because she's being chased by a darkness. A darkness which says it loves her.

Verdict

Ex Machina was another great story to continue my way through the monthly adventures of Torchwood from Big Finish! I’m a massive fan of this range and I like how it gives a focus on an individual character, something that wasn’t always possible in the television series with five main characters all playing a part. But in this one the other four members of Torchwood were quite literally forgotten. The best way I can describe this episode is that it was basically Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane Smith? in Torchwood form. I’m honestly a little bit disappointed that the culprit at the heart of this story’s events was not the Trickster. It would have been perfect and everything felt like it was leading that way. I think that could have been really fun and that’s definitely a villain that could fit into the more adult oriented show that is Torchwood. Abigail was a fine character to come searching for Torchwood and the front put on by Ianto was hilarious. Claiming to be the tourist information board at Cardiff was amusing and hearing him deal with the challenge of feigning innocence regarding Torchwood and his name being Ianto was marvellous. He was Rhys Hughes of course. But that couldn’t last when Abigail revealed that her parents had gone missing, and in fact she couldn’t remember them at all. They weren’t just missing, they were forgotten and they weren’t the only ones either. Cardiff had become a ghost town which was intriguing given this episode’s proximity to Cyberwoman and the early part of Series 1. I liked the idea and it soon became clear that Abigail was mostly responsible because she had been the one to wish her cheating boyfriend and housemate were forgotten about. That was good stuff and emotional. I thought Ianto’s detective skills by looking for things like the number of toothbrushes or pairs of shoes in the house was terrific. That was Ianto at his best. I thought the build to the ending was good and whilst it was a little predictable how things would end, it was still a powerful moment as Abigail confronted the engine that supposedly loved her. It was the only thing causing her pain now and she needed it be stopped and reverse the disappearances it had caused. Cardiff needed to be restored. The anecdote from Abigail about Gwen getting her to Ianto before she too was forgotten was a nice touch too. I liked that even at this early point in Torchwood’s run she had the confidence in him to help put things right. The relationship built between Ianto and Abigail was really nice and she was genuinely hopeful that he could get some information on closure regarding the death of his girlfriend. That was good to explore and it was a little sad for Ianto to be lonely. He carried himself well and was a fine representative of Torchwood! The voice of the engine probably talked for a little too long and sounded a bit desperate and silly by the end with it proclaiming his love for Abigail, but it made for a decent enough villain. The focus was all on Abigail though and rightly so. Overall, a fine listen!

Rating: 8/10