Adrift

"You are not my son."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 19 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.11

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When a local teenager disappears, Gwen is drawn into an investigation that reveals a darker side of Torchwood. Hundreds of people have disappeared without trace, but why is Jack obstructing attempts to find them? The answer seems to lie in the rift, and as Gwen follows the trail she makes a shocking discovery.

Verdict

Adrift was a decent episode to continue our second series Torchwood rewatch, but in saying that I think this must go down as the weakest of the season so far. That's not to say that it was bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't quite the level of the vast majority of the rest of the series. I like the idea of it focusing on Gwen and going back to her routes at the police with Andy and dealign with a missing persons case. That seems like a simple case on paper and not really something for Torchwood, but Andy was in no mood for messing around as he showed Gwen the involvement of Jack. I thought the disappearance of Jonah was intriguing and the CCTV footage conveniently only displaying a frame every six seconds was slightly amusing as technology, even in 2008, really ought to be better than that. The mystery of the Rift was good and I liked learning more about here and the fact that it didn't just bring things through, it could also take. Owen barely appeared in this episode and was a non-factor, but the quiet use of the other team members to contribute with Gwen's investigation was terrific. I liked the simplicity of Tosh finding the negative spike on the Rift readings and realising that it didn't just bring aliens through, and Ianto pushing Gwen into the truth was nicely done. I thought her walking in on Jack and Ianto in sexual relations was amusing and the innocence of them not covering it up at all was fun. Jack's stubbornness in not letting Gwen investigate and reiterating that she needed to let it go was a little harsh and I liked how that pushed her into wanting it more. Andy's explanation for not turning up to Gwen's wedding was a little saddening and Rhys laughing at hearing that he still fancied his old colleague was harsh. Andy was on edge throughout though and it was bad treatment for Gwen to go off without him on the boat to the island the GPS tracker was sending her too. I felt very sorry for him to be honest and I do believe he deserved better. Gwen actually finding Jonah and seeing what he'd become was a bit of a shock although I don't think he should have looked so changed despite looking into the heart of a Death Star. He was injured, ravaged and forty years older despite only being missing for seven months. The reaction of his mum Nikki was awful though and despite being warned by Gwen she was pretty horrid and referring to him as 'that' despite his appearance was appalling. I didn't like that at all. It was nice that she finally accepted him as her son, but then we learned that he only had a four hour window where he wasn't screaming after going mad thanks to the star exposure. Some life. It was a bit harsh of Nikki at the end to blame Gwen for helping her find her son and what he'd become because now she'd lost all hope as she had the answer. That wasn't nice as Gwen shouldn't be blamed for the truth not being what she wanted. This was an important episode in the development of the relationship between Gwen and Rhys too as they discussed kids and their heated exchange at the park was something I just couldn't imagine with Gemma. How people can coexist in a relationship like that is beyond me! Regardless, this was still a strong episode.

Rating: 7/10

From Out of the Rain

"Would you like a ticket for the travelling show?"

Writer: Peter J. Hammond

Format: TV

Broadcast: 12 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.10

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When an old cinema reopens, past horrors emerge to stalk the streets of Cardiff. As bodies are found with heartbeats but no breath, Torchwood must act fast. Who are the Night Travellers? How can Torchwood capture these mysterious breath takers?

Verdict

From Out of the Rain was an excellent episode to continue our rewatch through the second series of Torchwood! I remember enjoying this story a lot when last watching it around eight years ago, and it definitely didn't disappoint this time around. I thought this was a fun and scary episode that really had a lot to offer. I loved the freaky nature of the Night Travellers and the pre-titles scene with the ticket given to the little girl and then her and the show disappearing before her stunned mother was brilliant. It set the tone and I have to say that one big positive for this episode was the atmosphere. It was sublime. I thought the two head Night Travellers who escaped from the film were magnificent as the main villains and they just looked and acted so freaky. It was quite chilling at times which was great stuff. It was fun for the idea of enemies to literally escape from a reel of film and the Electro Cinema was the perfect backdrop for that. I thought this was another standout episode for Ianto and he really is coming into his own now. He revelled in childhood memories at the cinema which was really nice and I am a sucker for the history of film and cinema, so this was right up my alley. I loved the idea of a little film showing the streets of Cardiff of a century past but the quick shift to the travelling show was good, and Ianto spotting Jack was a fun addition. I liked the anecdote and look into Jack's past and his knowledge of the Night Travellers was very good. The music playing was terrific and there was a lot going wrong with the likes of Tosh detecting the sea in the middle of Cardiff and then all of a sudden there being no trace. I thought the concept of the Night Travellers taking the last breath of their victims was chilling and the imagery of them having no saliva and no breaths but still a heartbeat was quite something! It's certainly a unique action and not really death, but it was as good as. I liked that the Night Travellers had a special silver flask to hold the breaths in and hearing the mermaid woman describe that she wanted to taste tears was eery! I liked it a lot. I enjoyed Jack and Ianto coming up with the plan to be rid of the Night Travellers by catching people made of film after eighty years on the tape on their own film and then exposing it to light. I enjoyed the logic and just as the whole show were coming through at the Electro, Jack was there to capture them all and when out in the open, he exposed the reel to the sunlight and just like that in a flash the Night Travellers were no more. I thought they were great special effects and I was just a big fan of that resolution. It was sudden and tidy. The ambitious ending was really well done as well with the child dropping the reel purchased at a car boot market sale and Jack getting the glimpse of the music suggested that the Night Travellers might not be all done. Overall, a really fun episode! I always enjoy when Gemma succumbs to a jump scare next to me and this episode delivered as expected.

Rating: 9/10

Something Borrowed

"I'm pregnant. It's not Rhys's. It's an alien.

Writer: Phil Ford

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.09

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Juggling work with her hen night the day before she's due to marry, an alien shapeshifter leaves Gwen carrying more than she bargained for. As everyone gathers for the ceremony, Jack must destroy her big day – unless one of the three mothers present finds a means to stop him.

Verdict

Something Borrowed was another strong episode to continue the Series 2 rewatch of Torchwood! After watching the teaser trailer at the end of A Day in the Death, Gemma seemed to think that this had all the makings of a season finale which really intrigued me. Of course, that's not quite the level that things turned out to be but this was still a fun and hugely eventful episode! We finally get the wedding between Gwen and Rhys and that provided a fine backdrop for a Torchwood story and for everything to go wrong. Gwen waking up from her hen night pregnant was tremendous and the simple 'oh' reaction she had was the perfect sell. This episode really saw Rhys break into his own stride here with a standout performance to back up his role in Meat. He was outstanding and had some standout moments. He was stunned by Gwen being pregnant and delivered quite the look, before being angered by Torchwood once again. Fair play to Rhys, he's gone through a lot with Gwen ever since she took on the role at Torchwood and now his wedding day was going to be ruined. He was keen to go along with Gwen's wishes of still having the wedding which I was surprised by as that was quite the revelation, although trying to sell it to their families was a little bit outside the realms of believability. Gwen's friends were amusing as well in thinking they had gotten so drunk that they couldn't remember she was pregnant. Some of Rhys's friends were comic value as well with Banana a standout with a fun moment or two with Tosh. She was wonderful in this one and wanted Owen as a date which was good, and she asserted control when needed. Getting introduced to the families of Rhys and Gwen was great and the two mothers having a bitter relationship was fantastic stuff. I enjoyed the reactions of each to Gwen being pregnant, but the highlight absolutely came from the Nostrovite taking on the form of Rhys's mum and then Jack emerging to try and shoot her before proclaiming she was an ugly bitch! That was incredible and Rhys punching him was more than warranted. I thought the Nostrovite three-way method of reproducing was a little odd but it worked well here and Gwen being hunted by Carrie as the baby inside her flexed his muscles and was ready to be torn out was quite the threat. The wedding day itself was terrific and whilst there was more than one occasion where there was some incredible tension and awkwardness between Gwen and Jack, the hero got the girl as Rhys was able to use the singularity scalpel to destroy the alien baby and save Gwen. The final moments were a tame little affair as everyone enjoyed the wedding reception along with some retcon to ensure that everybody wouldn't remember Gwen being pregnant and the alien threat. As a whole, this was an incredibly eventful episode that finally saw Gwen and Rhys marry despite all of the efforts to prevent it. A great episode! 

Rating: 8/10

A Day in the Death

"You can't die twice."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: TV

Broadcast: 27 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.08

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Martha 

Synopsis

A victim of his newfound circumstances, Owen Harper believes he needs absolution. Will the lonely girl on the rooftop help him, or will it be a mission to retrieve an alien device that is proving more lethal by the second?

Verdict

A Day in the Death was a strong episode to continue along the Torchwood rewatch marathon! This rounded out the trilogy featuring Martha Jones and dealing with Owen's death by putting the focus all on him. I thought that was probably the right move given everything that has happened across Reset and Dead Man Walking, but I do think that there still could have been a much better utilisation of Martha as a character in this episode. She seemed to just be here as a physical presence and proof that there was a replacement ready for the medical member of the Torchwood team. Despite Martha making it clear that she didn't want Owen's job, it felt a bit easy. However, the episode for Owen was a very emotional one which was ironic considering that he no longer had any feelings to give. He was suspended from his role at Torchwood which did seem like a bit of an overstep, and the comedy that came from Ianto asking him to hand over his gun and security pass was gold. It was so simple but Ianto just has that look which can provide instant humour. I felt really sorry for Tosh in this episode as she once again proclaimed her love for Owen when it seemed like he might finally perish, even after his outburst at his house which was completely unfair in my view. Now, I'm not going to pretend I know what it will be like to die or even have the threat of death looming, but to belittle Tosh when she came over to see how he was doing and keep him company didn't sit well with me. Tosh had made an effort with her hair and makeup and he barely seemed to notice her, but I guess he doesn't know what he's missing! The conversation with Maggie on the rooftop was very dark and contemplating jumping was quite the pre-titles sequence. I thought the flashback to Maggie's car accident on her wedding day and the fatality for her husband and waiting to her anniversary to commit suicide was horrific and just eery, but when she saw Owen's gunshot wound she had a different perspective. Owen describing the nothingness of death didn't seem to push Maggie any closer to jumping which I guess was a positive. I liked that the alien threat took a backseat in this episode with the detection of alien energy coming from Parker's residence, and he was the only one that could risk going in. Him not setting off heat detectors was great stuff and I loved the simplicity of Parker announcing he was awake and had been watching. He was a charming old man, but he was dying after three heart attacks and believed that the mysterious alien Pulse was keeping him alive. After Owen's readings though, it was a placebo and it was simply hope that kept him going. That soon changed though as Parker was heading for death and the realisation that Owen had no breaths to provide CPR was chilling. Martha's goodbyes were nice and whilst the kiss to Jack was a little odd, it sparked a fun look on Gemma's face and she was delighted to see her leaving. I was not! Overall though, a very good episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Dead Man Walking

"We lost you, but I brought you back."

Writer: Matt Jones

Format: TV

Broadcast: 20 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.07

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Martha

Synopsis

Deep in shock, the Torchwood team have to face their darkest hour. In an effort to put things right, Captain Jack Harkness unleashes a primal force that uses Torchwood as a conduit to wreak havoc across Earth, aided by the Weevils and their newly appointed king.

Verdict

Dead Man Walking was another very good episode of Torchwood to continue my rewatch alongside Gemma! After such a monumental cliffhanger at the end of Reset with Owen being shot dead, starting with an autopsy seemed a little redundant as the cause of his death was pretty clear. But before Martha could get going Jack was quick to ensure that his body wasn't touched and a tense search ensued. I thought the search was a little dragged out and lacking in dialogue, but the eeriness of St Mary's Church and the Weevils being around was very good. I liked that he was out to find the other resurrection glove following on from what happened in They Keep Killing Suzie and the references to that episode and the terrible events that occurred there were great. Gwen nearly died so Suzie could live there and whilst the events and the details laid out there regarding the glove were pretty much dismissed by Jack in just saying that it was a different glove and now he would give it no choice but to work for him. The humour that came with Jack seemingly bringing Owen back for the code to the alien morgue was fantastic and Tosh proclaiming her love for him was sad because I knew that he'd be coming back. Their brief discussion about that was a little sad and it's a shame how events have proceeded since they agreed to go on their date. I do hope they'll get that at some point in the future. I thought Martha was slightly useless in this episode and there definitely could have been more of a use for a former Doctor Who companion. She was just there to keep track on the energy readings of Owen as he continued to be a dead man walking whilst his body was changing into something that was unrecognisable or unreadable in terms of energy signature. The human part of his body being dead was quite the concept! The moment where Jack released the glove and then Owen was still alive anyway was fantastic. I thought Torchwood tackling having Death as an enemy was done in admirable way and whilst the effects were a little too computerised, I was a big fan of the links back to the Black Death and the folklore of how it needed thirteen souls and then it would become unstoppable. Faith being a girl and not the religious practice was a little predictable but the moment where Owen realises he's the one that can stop it was brilliant. It was a shining moment for his character literally standing up to Death and his comments to Jamie and encouraging him to take on the chemotherapy again was so powerful. I was not a fan though of Martha being aged after her encounter with the glove and Owen as that just seemed pointless. She was then just randomly aged back to normal after Death was defeated which just didn't do a lot for me. Ianto had some moments to shine with his blunt humour and his research only taking him to weight watchers websites was a lot of fun. Overall, this was a very strong episode and now it seems that Owen is here to stay, but dead! No drinks, no sex, how will he survive? Well, I guess he doesn't need to worry about that as the energy dissipation could take a while yet! 

 

Rating: 8/10

Reset

"These attacks aren't random, they're clinical."

Writer: J. C. Wilsher

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.06

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Martha

Synopsis

Captain Jack calls in Martha Jones to investigate mysterious deaths. When the trail leads to a sinister medical testing centre Martha must go undercover, but have Torchwood underestimated how far the testing centre will go to reach medical breakthroughs?

Verdict

Reset was a great episode of Torchwood to continue along the rewatch with my partner Gemma. This is obviously a big episode as we see the first real crossover with Doctor Who with Martha joining the team and she does so in a brilliant way. Now, Gemma is not a fan of Martha in the slightest so I made a point of ensuring that she was not spoiled in any way and I was successful in that task. I was so excited to see what her reaction would be and it's safe to say it didn't disappoint! She's not a big Gwen fan either so the two of them interacting sparked an amusing comment. I thought the confidence that Martha oozed was excellent and she really did become centre stage immediately. I was a big fan of the way she arrived and the directing from her point of view initially was very well done. I enjoyed the premise of the episode with the reset and the concept of restoring the human body to its factory setting was quite spectacular. I think that's really good and the more mature nature of Torchwood allowed for a more violent exploration than might be the case in Doctor Who. We're not going to have HIV or hepatitis mentioned there so Torchwood was the perfect place and Martha getting to fully detail her medical knowledge was great. I loved the little moments Captain Jack and Martha got reflecting on the events of The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords and Jack's comment about relying on her to save the world was excellent. I thought the relationship between Martha and Owen was terrific and exactly what I would have hoped for. Owen was flirting and getting nowhere which is always fun, but for me the highlight was him agreeing to go on a date with Tosh. A night of pool and drinks sounded delightful and it was so sweet to see how happy Tosh was that he said yes. Copley made for a stern villain as the head of the Pharm and the experimentation and as me and Gemma are big fans of Dynasty, it was fun to see the actor who plays Anders in a different role and a quite awful accent! The interaction he had with Jack was brilliant and I liked how he immediately offered Martha a role on the study after she quickly revealed she had hepatitis. She was good in getting into places and now she had Torchwood at her disposal. Not bad for a member of UNIT! Jack's comments about the red hat and Ianto were terrific too. I liked the alien larvae and the parasitical nature of it and the after effects in particular led to a killing spree. The puncture wound to the eye was pretty gruesome. I thought the pace ever so slightly dropped midway through the episode but we had an emphatic conclusion with Martha infected and on the verge of death before Owen mastered the alien device to destroy it without impacting Martha. I thought that was a bit of a cop out and too convenient. However, there wasn't time to ponder on it as Owen was shot dead by Copley in an incredibly emotional ending. Jack's face said it all and it was so sad that Tosh wouldn't get her date. Gemma was horrified as he's her favourite member of the team and doesn't seem impressed that Martha is sticking around either! Overall, a very good episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Adam

"Memory is a very delicate thing."

Writer: Catherine Treganna 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.05

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When an alien with the power to change memories infiltrates Torchwood, the team is heavily affected: Captain Jack is caught up in memories of his lost family, Gwen struggles to remember Rhys, and it takes Jack's love of Ianto to reveal the truth.

Verdict

Adam was an outstanding episode to continue the second series of Torchwood! I think this is probably the best of the series so far and I love that it just wastes no time at all in getting things started. Right from the off Adam is treated as part of the team and it's clever to have the last piece of the puzzle in Gwen have no idea who he is, only for the power of his touch to be demonstrated as he enacted memory manipulation to make her think that he was Torchwood. He'd been around for three years as far as everyone else on the team was concerned which was fun but in truth he'd only been around for two days and had embedded himself into the Torchwood team very nicely! The side effects of some memories getting loose or even lost was good and the reaction of Gwen when she sees Rhys in her home and has no idea who he is works so well. It's a stellar performance from both Eve Myles and Kai Owen and it must have been so tough for Rhys to be looking at his fiancé and she have no idea who he was. I can't imagine Gemma doing the same to me! It would be awful. As if that wasn't enough, it was super fun for the roles of Tosh and Owen to essentially be reversed here with Owen the nerdy one and Tosh flaunting herself and extorting confidence, something that was far removed from the normal team we're used to. The moment where Owen professes his love for Tosh was sublime and I thought it was tremendous stuff from Burn Gorman to shift his character so much. Tosh being in a relationship with Adam, or so she thought, was intriguing and Adam didn't seem too fussed on her, at least until it came to the bedroom and him asking if she'd die for him which seemed an odd choice of foreplay. Trying to get Gwen to remember Rhys was good stuff but the comedy highlight was from Jack and Adam running to Gwen's house after her call. The urgency and panic was quite something and then the reaction when seeing Rhys was marvellous. Adam himself made for a fantastic villain and he was so simple but incredibly effective. The power of touch to manipulate memory was brilliant and I loved that it was a diary of Ianto's that revealed the truth. Why wouldn't Adam be within it? Adam implanting him with fake memories of murdering three girls was brutal stuff. It was up there with Jack being reminded of letting go of Gray's hands which was an incredible insight into his past and will obviously have a big influence moving forward on the rest of the series. Adam even trying to implant himself on Jack's memories of playing ball with his father and brother was very good, but Jack defied the temptation and took the amnesia pill to forget Adam, just like the rest of the team. It was a pretty simple and neat conclusion but I really liked how he was close to infiltrating the team. He was lured by Jack in particular which was intriguing and I really liked how the object that was being looked at throughout the episode having come through the Rift contained sand, which was hugely significant for Jack. Overall, a stellar episode! 

Rating: 10/10

Meat

"It just keeps growing, no matter how much we cut it."

Writer: Catherine Treganna 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 6 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.04

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Rhys discovers the truth about Torchwood and becomes part of the team as they investigate a mysterious alien meet supply. Meanwhile, Gwen feels guilty that Rhys has been put into so much danger.

Verdict

Meat was a decent episode of Torchwood to continue our way through the second series! It really is an explosive story and it starts in a grim way with a fatal road traffic accident involving Rhys's haulage firm, but from there it quickly sparks into action and intrigue with Rhys finding out that Gwen's special ops involvement with the police is a lot more than she has been letting on. I loved that he finally got knowledge of Torchwood and he had to pay for it in a nearly fatal way. The confrontation between Rhys and Gwen at home was excellent and I thought their story was by the far the highlight of the episode. Rhys taking his own initiative was good to see and I really enjoyed his sneaking around to get the truth about Gwen, and it was his turn to lie. Jack seemed a little weird in his relationship with Gwen during this episode and it's clear that he has considerable feelings for her which seems slightly strange, but he made a lot of concessions for her and unnecessarily got up close and personal when it came to discussing Rhys and her involvement in the situation at the warehouse. The idea of alien meat being harvested was very cruel and I found it very humorous that this was all taking place in Merthyr. It's not the town with the best reputation in South Wales and was a perfect place as the basis of operations for a dodgy supply. The special effects of the alien creature itself really haven't aged well which was a shame but the emotion displayed by Jack when seeing it, and the section that was being cut to shreds, was fantastic and really did evoke sympathy. I thought the subtle hints at a relationship between Tosh and Owen was done well whilst Ianto didn't have a lot to do before going around with the taser. I thought Rhys getting to go inside the Hub was great and the initial face up with Jack was full of tension, but he was quick to offer Torchwood a way in to the warehouse and stop the alien meet frenzy. That was really good and his way to try and pick up where Leighton left off with the deliveries was good stuff. I thought the meat element of the episode wasn't overly exciting and I thought we could have had a bit more to do with the criminal organisation and it didn't seem too logical for a team with Torchwood's resources and experience to have to sneak in. I think that if the Merthyr bandits were threatened by the police then they'd soon be abandoning their warehouse and destroying the evidence. I thought it was a sad end for Owen to have to quickly improvise and change plans and enact a mercy killing on the creature after it was getting out of control. Rhys getting shot in the melee was good but I did think Gwen would be a little more shocked after the threats and backing she had given him throughout. The conflict regarding retconning him was very good and I loved that Rhys talking about aliens and planets and wanting to know all Gwen had experienced led her to refuse to give her fiancé the drug. The reactions of Ianto and Tosh showed just how big it was for Jack to let her go against the rules, but he clearly cared about her a great deal, seemingly too much perhaps. Overall, a very decent episode!

Rating: 7/10

To the Last Man

"Chunks of the past erupting in the present."

Writer: Helen Raynor

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30 January 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.03

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Once a year, for a single day, Tommy Brockless is defrosted in the Torchwood Hub to make sure he's still functioning. He is kept alive until the day he is needed, under strict instructions from Torchwood 1918. When ghosts appear at a hospital, it's clear that the time has come...

Verdict

To the Last Man was a very decent episode to continue the second series of Torchwood! I thought this was a solid continuation of the series and it was nice for Tosh to step into the limelight in a similar way to what happened in Greeks Bearing Gifts and it seemed her heart was broken once again here. I liked the idea of two different time zones merging and threatening to erupt causing devastation, and Tommy was at the heart of that as the bridge between both time zones. It was an intriguing start with him being at the hospital in 1918 and then also cowering in the present with Tosh and instructing the Torchwood team of the twentieth century to take him to ensure that his past would go as planned and he could end up in the future to save it. It was a little complicated with the timey wimey nature of the story, but it worked pretty well for the most part. It was a nice reminder that Gwen is still relatively new to the Torchwood team despite everything she has been through and this would seem to confirm that it hasn't yet been a year since the events of Everything Changes. I wonder if that was a continuity error, but I liked the detail nonetheless. Tosh was clearly trying to impress after having the date marked in her calendar at home and coming to work all dressed up, something Owen noticed which was nice as he seems to be a lot more accommodating towards her this series. That was also evident towards the end of the episode in the hospital where he was looking out for her and didn't want her to be broken if the time came for her to say goodbye to her war hero. Jack recalling his experiences of World War One and the aftermath was brilliant and him revealing the fate of Tommy really was terrible for Tosh. It turned out he would go back to being shellshocked, the reason he was in the hospital in the first place, and after going through the gap and sealing off the Rift, he would revert back to his normal self and the memories that the classic Torchwood team erased would be returned. That must have been tough for Tosh to deal with as she had clearly fallen for him, but I was a little confused by the awkwardness of their kissing and then going back to her place any way. Their relationship just seemed odd which was a shame as I felt Tosh deserved better. Gwen and Ianto had very quiet episodes but the moment where Tommy asked for tea and everyone looked towards Ianto was a magnificent moment giving rise to me and Gemma both audibly laughing. I really enjoyed it. I'd have loved a bit more of the Torchwood team from 1918 and there was a harrowing comment from Ianto about all the members always dying young. Some warning! I wasn't a massive fan of the conclusion with the mind probe having to be used by Tosh to push Tommy into using the key, and it wasn't a big surprise as she did tell him that he would return to France and they'd find his body. I'd be sceptical! It was nice though that Tosh got to say goodbye and she really went through a lot in the episode. Jack receiving the instructions from the temporal lock was a nice touch and I loved his reaction when it opened. Tosh being important to sealing the bridge and preventing two time zones colliding was great, and the little threat of that we had was good. Overall, a decent episode! 

Rating: 7/10

Sleeper

"She has no idea she's not human."

Writer: James Moran

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23 January 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.02

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When a burglary turns into a slaughter, the team suspect alien involvement. Before long, the whole planet, and the entire future of mankind, is in danger.

Verdict

Sleeper was a very good episode to continue the second series of Torchwood! I must admit that prior to watching this with Gemma from the name alone I couldn't remember anything about the episode which made me question how good it would be, but within ten minutes my memory returned of some details and what we got was quite an emotional tale! Starting with a burglary was good and I liked the mystery of how the burglars got killed. It seemed like it would have to be either Beth or Mike, but she was seemingly innocent and he had gotten injured so there was quite the kerfuffle! Gemma was confused alongside me and it wasn't until this moment that I remembered it was Beth who wasn't all she seemed. To her credit, Gemma guessed the basis of what the truth was with Beth being inhabited by an alien, and I guess the episode title should have given that away really. I liked the tension amongst the Torchwood ranks in this story with Jack showing his ruthless streak rather brilliantly. I was impressed with that and the completely different approach he had towards Beth compared to Gwen was startling. He was aggressive and wanted to push her to the extreme when it came to the mind probe, but Gwen was less eager and believed that Beth was human. Of course, Beth was far from human and the humour that came with Owen breaking two needles and a scalpel on her skin was terrific. He was obviously delighted when the truth about her came out! The concept of the Sleeper Agents was excellent and it was quite scary to think of an invasion that was so detailed. They gathered information and would only carry out an attack once they had gathered enough information to ensure success. Going so far as to make their agents believe they were human was fool proof and it was very emotional to see how much Beth loved her husband and reacting to finding out the truth about what was contained inside her. The reaction to seeing a Weevil was good and I was impressed with how scared she was about the situation. Going so far as to freeze her seemed logical but her immediate escape really plunged the episode into action. It was an exciting finish as the other agents activated and we had the Councillor murdered in front of his wife and children and a petrol explosion taking out military pipelines. The abandonment of a child on more than one occasion was a little sad and too much for Gemma, especially with the car crash on the pram sound effect. But I thought that uncomfortableness really sold the threat of the Sleeper Agents. The last agent headed for the nuclear warheads was good and I was initially thinking that the invasion was on too small of a scale in Cardiff, but when weaponry like that is introduced then it's a whole new ball game. The calmness of Jack in being a dashing hero to save the day was fun but they wouldn't feel a thing if they were released. I thought Tosh's device of disabling the transmitter and forcefield was a little naff and easy, but I'm not sure what else could be done to take them out when they seemed that indestructible! Jack's running over the final agent was brutal, but I liked the twist at the end with Beth threatening Gwen in order to get herself shot because she didn't want to live as an agent after what she did to her husband. Overall, a strong episode to keep moving the series forward! 

Rating: 8/10

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

"I saw the end of the world... I knew this was where I belonged."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 16 January 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.01

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

The mysterious Captain John Hart is determined to wreak havoc, and needs to find something hidden on Earth. With Gwen's life in danger, and cluster bombs scattered across the city, whose side is Jack on?

Verdict

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was an outstanding episode to kick off the second series of Torchwood! This is as good as it gets when it comes to series openers and it followed on well from where we left off in End of Days with Jack departing Torchwood for the TARDIS, but it doesn't exactly add up with the end of Last of the Time Lords and Jack headed back to the Hub in broad daylight, only for him to not be around at all and then show up in the dark at the end of what was a brilliant pre-credits scene! The image of a Blowfish driving a car and even stopping for an old lady to cross the road was fantastic, and later finding that he was high on cocaine reminded us perfectly that Torchwood was very much aimed at an older audience than we're used to. The threat of the family was an action-packed start to the episode and the image of the Blowfish being shot through the head was pretty spectacular. Jack's arrival was tremendous and the development that has clearly occurred for the Torchwood team whilst he was away is fantastic. I love that Gwen was the one to lead the team in Jack's absence and the idea of just shifting back into the hierarchy of previous was not going to work now. The arrival of Captain John was sublime and his comment about wondering which artery the would-be killer severed was very good, but he knew that he was bluffing and shoved him off the roof in brutal circumstances. He was an excellent character and the initial meeting with Jack in the abandoned club was superb. The message on the vortex manipulator was good stuff, and once again Jack abandoned the team to deal with someone from his past. The kiss followed by the bust up was amusing, and the exploration into Jack's past here is a teasing start to the series. Gwen pushing that they knew nothing of Jack's past was great and I thought John's initial take on Jack having a team was tremendous. He even wanted to know if they had a name! It was really fun stuff. The plot worked well in splitting the team apart to find the three canisters that supposedly were threatening the city with radiation, but it all turned out to be a con within a con which was fantastic. John's comments about the luck of evolution and dust was amusing with the only reward being money. That's what this mission was all about for John whilst exploiting Jack, but when Jack challenged him and threw the final canister that was enough jibber jabber for the time agent and he pushed Jack off a roof onto a bench in a brutal death. John challenging Ianto to then go and save everyone else was excellent and I loved how he managed to do it. The moment the four Torchwood members point their gun at John when he's assembling the canisters was very good, but the reaction of Hart when Jack emerged and revealed he couldn't die was just tremendous. It was sheer brilliance. The twist at the end with the bomb threat after John was conned by the woman he killed was very good and attacking himself to Gwen was nicely done. Owen's resolution with the DNA injection was great and I liked the tease at the end after the Rift reverted back to the moment John arrived and him revealing that he'd found Gray before departing. The little flashback of hands loosening was just enough to keep us guessing for the rest of the series. But for now, a fine start to the series! 

Rating: 10/10

I, Kamelion

"Stop with this act, you are not a robot!"

Writer: Dominic G. Martin

Format: Audio

Released: January 2022

Series: Interludes 01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Turlough, Kamelion

Synopsis

The planet Tairot is a haven for technology, dedicated to improving the quality of life for its inhabitants one cerebral implant at a time. And yet with no memory to guide him, Kamelion finds himself to now be one of those inhabitants, taken from his self-imposed exile and forced into a human body. A seemingly permanent one.

With a new conspiracy unfolding around him, Kamelion begins his quest to find answers. Why have the Doctor and Turlough become public enemy number one? What is the truth behind the planet's technology? And most of all... how does an android dream of electric beasts?

Verdict

I, Kamelion was a great little story to kick off the Interludes series of bonus adventures! I must admit that when I completed my listening of Forty earlier this year, I completely forgot about this and it was only when the second and third Interludes were announced that I remembered I had this get through! I was quietly pleased with what I listened to as I didn't envisage a story with this title being overly exciting, but it was an intriguing look into the character of Kamelion and a fine utilisation of his robotic and shape-shifting abilities. I thought Dan Starkey did a fine job with the narration with his impression of Turlough in particular impressing, and the characterisation of the Fifth Doctor helped him find the voice of this incarnation. The body switch story is not new to Doctor Who but the added layer of a robot swapping with an organic was really well done. I liked that concept a lot and it provided a difficult predicament for Tara. Her husband was right in front of her but he had no idea who he was or where he was located, and kept calling himself Kamelion! I can't imagine what it must be like to be looking at your signifiant other but have them completely clueless on your identity. That must be tough. It took Tara a bit of time to be convinced by the situation, but when she did I liked how much she was able to help. With the title, it was always going to be the case that the Doctor and Turlough were a bit on the back burner, but their getting captured and blamed in a public way was excellent and was all that Tara needed to be convinced of her husband's fate. Kamelion coming to terms with the simple acts of breathing and experience a number of emotions was terrific, and I liked the distinction that he didn't understand them just because he was human now. Kamelion questioning his purpose was strong stuff and I liked him being in isolation. Having Phoenix in the form of Kamelion was good and I liked the moment where Kamelion in his human body confronted the Doctor and essentially asked for help. The Doctor would of course oblige and retrieving the memory banks and essentially resetting him to an earlier time worked well and was a neat resolution, but that brief moment where Kamelion stalled on whether he wanted to return to his robotic form was brilliant. He didn't know if he would be able to remember his experiences and feelings when he became a robot again, and that was really good to challenge and present. For a story with a robot at its heart, this was very emotional stuff! The Tairot world was very good as the backdrop and I liked how everyone came together by the end with the ruthless head of technology in chains. Phoenix was very pleased with that situation when everyone was back in their rightful place, and I also loved how appreciative he was of Kamelion for helping his wife. As a whole, this was a really strong exploration into Kamelion's character and a much welcomed bonus adventure! Overall, a great listen.

Rating: 8/10

Heritage: Spring-Heeled Jack

"People have gone missing in droves."

Writer: Gemma Arrowsmith

Format: Audio

Released: October 2019

Series: Paternoster Gang 1.06

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

People are being stolen from the streets by a monster. By all accounts, it has burning eyes, breathes blue flames, and can leap the heigh of a building at a bound.

While Vastra and Jenny fend off an over-eager member of the gutter press, Strax dives into dangerous waters.

Is this Spring-Heeled Jack of legend, returned to terrorise the capital? Or are there more sinister forces at work?

Verdict

Spring-Heeled Jack was an outstanding story to conclude the second series of Heritage adventures for the Paternoster Gang! This was definitely the best story from the spinoff range so far and was just all three characters at their best and a brilliant Victorian setting and plot at the heart. I really had no complaints, this was everything I could ask for from the series. I liked the mystery of the start and that dark atmosphere was established very early on with the disappearance of Jimmy right in front of his partner Elizabeth. She was clearly distressed by the incident and went to the Paternoster Gang to enlist their help, and with Jenny's reaction to the titular perpetrator of the disappearance she had certainly come to the right place! I mentioned in my blog entry of The Screaming Ceiling that I hoped we would see Jenny come to the forefront for this finale and I was certainly not left disappointed. She was keen to investigate based on the supposed presence of Spring-Heeled Jack who was an intriguing figure of legend. Vastra was once again showing Doctor qualities in not believing that the actual legend could be the person or thing responsible for Jimmy's disappearance, and he was not the only one who had been lost in the last fortnight in London. The feel of the audio was really impressive and eery, so having bubbly journalist Gwendoline Platt arrive on the trail of a good story was a fun twist. She was a marvellous character and I adored how Jenny pretty much despised her publication because of the details it revealed about ongoing police investigations and crimes. Gwendoline failed to see the danger and was only in it for a story, so much so that she barely registered the fact that Elizabeth was also taken by Jack right in front of her! Talk about being consumed by your work, that really didn't go down well with Jenny. I thought Strax had another glorious outing and the humour that came from him ending up with a solution to clogged chimneys when going off to investigate the large footprints on top of buildings was brilliant. He loved the sound of Jack as a potential something to engage in combat and his comments about Jenny being neither captured nor dead when she was used as bait were just terrific. I thought the truth about Jack being a Tomanu was a nice logical explanation to events, and the species were actually one involved in saving. Jimmy had been in league with the creature all along which was a good surprise. The fact that the potential victims were people close to death was a fantastic concept, so not only did he remove them from dying, but Jack removed them from time altogether! That was nicely done and the way it was incorporated into the Paternoster Gang themselves with Gwendoline being the next victim intended was great, and she was indeed soon forgotten as Vastra and Jenny reminisced of that journalist reporter and this case. Overall, a simply brilliant audio adventure to conclude the boxset! 

Rating: 10/10

Heritage: The Screaming Ceiling

"I demand to see your spooks!"

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: October 2019

Series: Paternoster Gang 1.05

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

In one of the earliest cases of his illustrious career, Thomas Carnacki heads to the Highlands to embark upon the terrifying investigation of Castle Kraighten.

On arrival, he finds that another party of sleuths has been engaged – surely these amateurs of Paternoster Row have nothing to teach the great Ghost Finder?

But this is no ordinary haunting. A room in the castle has a mouth in its ceiling. And it screams...

Verdict

The Screaming Ceiling was a terrific adventure to continue the second boxset of Heritage! The second series of stories for the Paternoster Gang improved in a big way with a really fun and enjoyable outing. I thought the format really helped the listener and it was a stark reminder of things throughout to hear from Thomas Carnacki in retrospective, especially with the twist and red herrings he had laid throughout the story. I kind of expected him to be more than he seemed, but his failure to focus on the humans in stories revealed his true nature. I thought his arrival to the Highlands was very amusing and that seemed the perfect place for a ghost story. Vastra was keen to echo sentiments of the Doctor in mentioning that she believed in things that humans perceived as ghosts, without actually believing they existed which was good. She once again oozed leadership of the Gang, but the highlights absolutely came from Strax. His firm assertion that he could kill anything, even the dead, was a glorious moment and hearing refer to a portrait of the Queen as a repellant woman was magnificent. This was Strax at his best. I thought Jenny had another pretty quiet story which was a bit of a shame, but I remain hopeful she will get a starring role in the boxset finale. The interaction between Carnacki and Dorothy was amusing and both he and the Paternoster Gang being called to investigate the mysterious goings on at Castle Kraighten was very good. Carnacki liked to think that his reputation preceded him, but nobody had ever heard of him! That was the basis for some good humour, and it was a nice touch for him to have knowledge of the Gang. The concept of a room with a mouth as its ceiling was very intriguing and painted quite the image in my head, especially with it screaming! I feel like I should have guessed from the fact the castle had a mouth within one of its rooms that it would turn out to be sentient, but the extent of the time passed was something that struck me. It can't have been fun to be in essentially a coma for around eighty years, but it provided a relatively simple resolution in the end to take out Dorothy's connection to Kraighten itself. It did all tie together nicely with the building constantly getting people lost within because of its size and seeming to be a bit jumbled to prevent Strax and Carnacki getting back to where they were required. I thought the anecdote at the end from Carnacki was a lot of fun and after trying to big up his reputation throughout as a ghost finder, he admitted he was not cut out for the job after the Paternoster Gang had eventually dealt with the Kraighten threat. However, Vastra was less dismissive of his abilities and seemed like she might be willing to train him up after all which was nice because Carnacki really was a brilliant character! I'd like to see him back alongside the Paternoster Gang in the future, but for now this was a really fun and eery adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

Heritage: Dining with Death

"I did not take the easier path, now you must take yours."

Writer: Dan Starkey

Format: Audio

Released: October 2019

Series: Paternoster Gang 1.04

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

When negotiations between two warring alien races are sabotaged, Madame Vastra offers Paternoster Row as neutral ground upon which to continue their diplomacy – and to celebrate the treaty with a feast.

While Strax frets about hosting two species with very different dietary needs, Jenny investigates the dissenters who want to halt the peace process.

But a deadly plot is brewing, and the diners may not survive the cheese course...

Verdict

Dining with Death was a decent story to kick off the second series of Heritage from the Paternoster Gang! I'm delighted that there is another trio of adventures with the brilliant threesome of Vastra, Jenny and Strax and starting off with some peace making was a decent direction to go in. I think it's terrific that Dan Starkey got to write this one and he really did allow Strax to shine without having him overbearing in a lead role. The role of the Sontarans in general here was fun and the revelation that they were actually one of the enemies as part of the peacekeeping. The dinner setting for that was fun and fitted in really well with the Victorian setting of the series and was a good use of exploring the past. That's a big benefit of the series and I'm keen to take that further in the future. Vastra always seems in control of the Paternoster Gang and that was no different here. She was the one chosen to act as a medium for the peace discussions and I loved how she reacted to being thought of as human. She didn't take offence but wanted to point out that she was actually a survivor of a species that ruled the planet over 65 million years ago so she was more than able to speak for the planet! Vastra was terrific in affirming that Earth was protected and if anyone could speak for it then she was certainly well placed after all she has done. Her conversations with Strax were great and I loved the Sontaran's reaction to being told he should play along with being thought of as a human. Well, that was an incredible insult to Strax and his honour as a Sontaran! The moment where Vastra also told him to reveal who he actually was and stuck to his human guise and mentioned the glories of association football was a delight. I thought it was good to have Jenny go off on her own and investigate the gasworks, and it was a stark reminder of Victorian society when she had to pretend to be a man. She wasn't the most convincing in that role, but she embraced it which was brilliant to hear. I thought the story perhaps went a little too long considering the entire basis was a peace discussion, but the dialogue was still pretty strong and never bored. The Flambo family were an amusing bunch and it was just nice for the Paternoster Gang to be interacting with some aliens rather than typical Victorians. That was a good change of pace and something I admire from the story direction. The ending could have benefitted from a slight injection of excitement or pace, but it was clear that peace was never going to be achieved as initially intended. Strax was humorous here as he was throughout, and he never seemed like somebody that was going to embrace peace. His highlighting of Rutan technology was a great moment too. Overall though, this had a very solid story at its heart and I think it just went a bit longer than required, but it was still a good start to the second series!

Rating: 7/10

The Iron Maid

"The armies of the dead are on their way."

Writer: John Pritchard

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Companion Chronicles: Second Doctor 2.03

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

"I saw a wheel up in the heavens – a wheel of fire and swords... And I saw a heap of armour that was waiting for a Maid to put it on. I feared that it was meant for me, but a voice said otherwise – that another Maid was coming and she would save our country from its enemies..."

The TARDIS has arrived in France in the fourteenth century – a time of devastation and despair. In an empty church beside a crowded graveyard, Zoe meets a woman who claims to see a dreadful future waiting for the world.

Verdict

The Iron Maid was another strong story to continue what is shaping to be a very good and consistent second volume of Companion Chronicles for the Second Doctor! This time around it was the turn of Zoe to take centre stage and whilst I fully appreciate the format of this range, there really was not a lot of time for the Doctor or Jamie to feature which was a bit of a shame given the talents of Frazer Hines available for both of those roles. I enjoyed how things started with the discussion of history after landing in fourteenth century France, and that in of itself was a really strong pace to set a story. It seemed to fit this trio well and it was actually a nice change for even Jamie to be somewhere in his past. Zoe not even knowing what France was made me chuckle and the time she is from really did think humanity of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries were primitive! She didn't hold back with that opinion which was fun. I liked the mystery of a wheel in space coming towards the planet but leaving no imprint, and I was stunned that Zoe made no reference or even reacted to the title of her first serial being mentioned. There was a missed opportunity there. I liked that the village had been slightly tormented for half a century and the result of the fallout and scraps actually coming from a future war was terrific. I was a big fan of that idea and the particular war being the Great War was really good. France in the fourteenth century was a much different world to the society and times of that conflict, and finding the armour that was bulletproof was really great. Marie was a fantastic character and I really enjoyed her relationship with Zoe throughout. They got on well and she was almost confiding in the futuristic companion about the visions she was seeing and the deadly prediction of the world's future. Zoe was trying to reassure her that she need not worry about her world because the danger she was seeing was six centuries into the future, but her religious tendencies wouldn't allow her to fully believe that. Jamie going off into the woods and having the threat of walking into World War One was a strong threat. The merging of the time zones was a fun and exciting conclusion with Berger on hand to cause a bit of chaos. He was a typical character and his acknowledgement of the Highlanders was very good and something I very much enjoyed. The ultimate conclusion was a little straightforward and easy with the Doctor intent on letting the time glitch amend itself, but it was neat and we'd had a strong story for the 67 minutes that made up this adventure. I liked the descriptions of sounding like stone because that was a bit strange and off-putting, and really added a bit of eeriness to a historical that mixed well. Overall, this was a really strong adventure and a nice chance for Zoe to shine in a setting where that might not have been likely. 

Rating: 8/10

The Last Beacon

"Enjoy your trip below."

Writer: Gareth David-Lloyd

Format: Audio

Released: April 2018

Series: Torchwood Monthly 20

Featuring: Owen, Ianto

Synopsis

A signal in a Welsh mountain is calling an ancient battlefleet to Earth. Owen Harper and Ianto Jones head up into the Brecons to stop it.

The problem is – Ianto really loves camping. 

Verdict

The Last Beacon was an excellent continuation of the Torchwood Monthly adventures from Big Finish! I thought this was a quite delightful episode and could be something of a sleeper in the range. It was so much fun to have the pairing of Ianto and Owen together and they really did work so well together. The very concept of them nothing packing their bags and catching a bus to Hengoed in the Brecon Beacons was marvellous and just something so fun to think about. I loved the placement of the story as being somewhere early on in Series 1 with Ianto still out to prove himself, especially with everything that went down in Cyberwoman. Owen understood that and Ianto was often keen to deny the suggestion of calling the likes of Jack and Gwen in for help. Owen didn't get on well with people, especially when he was referred to as Chepstow which was an amusing comment. I wouldn't consider the Brecon Beacons to be the most Welshy of regions in my nation, but Owen was clearly an outsider and didn't fit in with his accent. The author being Gareth David-Lloyd allowed for some really strong local knowledge and you just wouldn't get an episode based in Hengoed from an English writer. They wouldn't have heard of it for sure! The humour that came from the numerous kebab shops all being called Yummies was brilliant and Ianto didn't care about the one-star hygiene rating when it came to picking up some food. Hearing of his connection and past with the village was a nice touch as we learned about Ianto's nan and his bus rides to see her, and also how he dealt with it following her death. Owen understood that. The scenes in the pub with Kerys and Jemma were a lot of fun and the way Owen and Ianto managed to bring them around after a misunderstanding about getting a cheeky shag in was fantastic. The teenagers that Owen got alcohol for were also a fun element of the story, especially when it turned out they were up to something sexual at the old rugby club and a quite extraordinary cow milking line! The search for the signal was a good direction for the plot and Owen was less than pleased at their hotel location, along with the fact he'd have to share with Ianto! There were some quite brilliant lines in their check in, once the hoover was switched off and they could actually get into their room. The Taliskotian responsible for the signal that was being emitted from the beacon turned out to be pretty harmless and the change of tactic from Owen to try and do what Ianto wanted was really nice. He showed a lot of understanding towards Ianto and his situation which I admired, and it was excellent for him to tell Ianto how valued he was and how lucky Torchwood were to have him. Getting a ghostly glimpse of Ianto's nan was a great way to add to the emotion, but the humour that came from Owen refusing to believe there was a ghost on fire earlier on in the adventure was brilliant. I thought the simple nature of the conclusion in revealing that the Taliskotian people had been dead for half a century was blunt but what was needed, and it was fantastic that Ianto and Owen got the job done. Especially with Owen letting the alien survive and stay where she was comfortable, taking anything that came their way from Jack on the chin. Overall, a terrific Torchwood audio!

Rating: 9/10

Special Features

"Everyone likes my stories."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: December 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 142d

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

At last, the cult 1970s horror anthology Doctor Demonic's Tales of Terror is set for release on DVD, complete with a commentary from director Martin Ashcroft, leading actors Sir Jack Merrivale and Johanna Bourke, plus the film's historical adviser – the mysterious 'Dr John Smith'! 

Verdict

Special Features was a sensation story to conclude The Demons of Red Lodge anthology that makes up the one-hundred-and-forty-second Monthly Adventure! I still maintain that I much prefer having just one story spread across four parts at a length of around two hours rather than four individual adventures as was the case here, but I'm delighted that they saved the best until the last! I thought the style for this adventure was actually brilliant with it essentially lasting as a DVD commentary for the entire episode. It was a lot of fun and it was amusing to think of the Fifth Doctor just sitting there talking about the film Doctor Demonic's Tales of Terror. I thought it was a neat touch for that particular horror to be an anthology of shooter tales much like this particular audio release being a series of smaller adventures to comprise the whole thing. That worked very well. I liked how Nyssa was actually an actress in the film and the director was very keen to remark on her performance. He was very impressed with it and mentioned it on more than one occasion throughout as the material unfolded before the panel's eyes. Martin Ashcroft was a little bit of a strange character and he seemed slightly off as a lead for the commentary. The other actors present in the form of Merrivale and Johanna were amusing characters, with the latter believing that aliens was the reason for the missing footage. That in of itself was a fun mystery and just really fitted with the style of the audio. Of course, it was clear that Nyssa wasn't really acting which was great in showcasing her fear as the threat was very real! The plot unfolding in the film and in the background of Ashcroft's commentary was excellent and I thought it was funny when he kept blurting out all of those unfortunately who had died, with Johanna quick to mention if they would discuss anyone actually alive! The Doctor was quiet and his aim to be silent amidst a commentary was very amusing, as it was pointed out that it was hardly worth him being present. His position as advisor was good and I liked how Ashcroft realised that the budget for his commentary didn't technically allow the Doctor to be there, but then one of the original actors sadly died so who took his place? The Rasht being revealed as the enemies and those being fought in the horror was fantastic and their disgust at having their language used against them was marvellous. They were not pleased in the slightest! That provided a tense and very pacy conclusion as the film came to an end with the pictogram sealing the fate of the Rasht once and for all. I liked that Nyssa was actually there all along at the commentary and filming, and Ashcroft referring to her as Nyssa Traken throughout was really good. The differing reactions of Merrivale and Johanna to the situation and the presence of the Rasht was fun and they really were quite stuck up characters. As a whole, this was a quite marvellous conclusion to what was a really strong set of adventures! 

Rating: 10/10

Doing Time

"You must arrest me!"

Writer: William Gallagher

Format: Audio

Released: December 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 142c

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

On the planet Folly, justice catches up with criminal mastermind 'The Doctor' – but can he endure a year in the jug?

Verdict

Doing Time was an excellent story to continue The Demons of Red Lodge anthology comprising the one-hundred-and-forty-second Monthly Adventure! I think this is definitely the best of the three stories so far and I really liked the frantic nature of the episode. It was quite fun to have a mini pre-titles sequence and that comprising the reveal that the Doctor was imprisoned was very good. It’s always fun for the Doctor to be in prison but considering the amount of times that has happened in the past, this story did a stellar job in selling that he couldn’t escape and that this was just different. The time field was a nice touch to add to a prison and the concept of a one minute walk taking an entire year off your life was frightening and frankly dangerous! It was a good twist for that to actually help the Doctor when it came to the plot resolution. I thought it was fun for Nyssa to be trying to commit harmless crimes in order to get herself arrested and then imprisoned to get back to the Doctor, but she wasn’t having much luck! She picked the only empty warehouse out of over one hundred to try and claim a robbery and she just couldn’t sell that she was a conwoman. That just isn’t in Nyssa’s nature. It worked well to have the Doctor and Nyssa split apart for the majority of the episode and once again allowed Nyssa to really shine on her own. She could easily lead her own spinoff series but as it stands I’m very much on board with continuing the pairing of her and the Fifth Doctor. Peter Davison had a strong outing as the fifth incarnation and the Doctor being imprisoned based on his usual moniker of John Smith was excellent because that name was applied to all of those criminals on Folly. The prison setting worked well and it’s amusing to think of the name and all it applied. It was good tongue and cheek. Janson Hart was a strong character as a fellow inmate and his communication with Nyssa was very helpful in telling the story and updating the situation regarding his confinement. The Doctor warning of an explosion detected through the time signature was a fun direction and it going on deaf ears as far as Governor Chaplin was concerned was terrific. She was firmly in belief of the Doctor and actually wanted to use the event for her presidential election! She chucked the Doctor in solitary confinement without hesitation and he lasted longer than anybody else and that was celebrated, even by the guards! That showed how good the Doctor was with the people and Chaplin admired that and wanted his help. Nyssa’s relationship with Michael was an interesting anecdote to the story and it was a bit of shame that she mentioned the wedding, as she clearly had some sort of feelings for him. She managed to get a job thanks to him and I loved how much Nyssa was enjoying her scientific work. Dask worked well as the guard in the prison and you could tell he didn’t want to put the Doctor in solitary confinement. The conclusion was brilliant and well paced which really added to the sense of excitement. The Doctor actually using the time field to his advantage and having a year to put things right, gaining a beard in the process, was magnificent and the admiration that received was nicely done. Overall, I thought this was a really solid half an hour and just a thoroughly enjoyable adventure to continue the anthology!

Rating: 9/10

The Entropy Composition

"An MP3 player on a planetary scale!"

Writer: Rick Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: December 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 142b

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

A lost prog rock symphony is unearth from the vaults – with catastrophic consequences for the entire cosmos.

Verdict

The Entropy Composition was another very good story to continue The Demons of Red Lodge anthology of adventures comprising the one-hundred-and-forty-second Monthly Adventure from Big Finish! I hadn’t realised until after I finished listening to the story that this story actually won a submission from a pool of over one thousand contestants akin to the annual Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip release. That’s a really fun idea and it makes to do it when the stories are of a much shorter format. This anthology is sharp and snappy and the musical theme of this particular instalment was most welcomed. I thoroughly enjoyed the pairing of the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa once again, and it was a shame they didn’t get to the Tereleptis Event Horizon Fold as that sounded pretty spectacular! Instead they were in Concordum which worked well as a setting and alternating there to 1968 was a good and unexpected touch. For a story of only twenty-three minutes I didn’t expect to hear two TARDIS materialisation arrivals! The pace was frantic and that just added to the excitement which suited the theme well. This was about music and not the classical kind. The moment where the Doctor and Nyssa tried to get in to see Geoff Cooper was glorious because the Doctor had fallen in right away and given away the fact they weren’t actually friends of his because they called him formally Mr Cooper. But the way Nyssa shifted completely out of character and claimed to be a woman the musician had picked up was extraordinary! The accent stunned the Doctor and this was another terrific example of showcasing Sarah Sutton’s talent. It was such a fun moment. Continuing exploring the relationship between Nyssa and her father was a nice touch and I liked how she could remember his favourite composition here. That was good continuity from the previous episode and it was obviously going to be a bit of a touchy subject for her, but she dealt with it admirably. I was impressed by that. Hearing the likes of quantum sounds and sonics that even the Doctor hadn’t heard before was intriguing and this was a stark reminder of the power of sound. Having somebody actually disintegrate into just the clothes they were previously wearing was pretty darn extraordinary! That said a lot about sound and if manipulated, it could be an incredible weapon. The perfect weapon for a musical adventure! It’s a shame we never actually heard a song in this story, but the theme definitely worked. Mrs Maloney was a fun character to comment on the Doctor and Nyssa with his vegetable wearing and her not thinking twice about Nyssa being the next in a long chain of girls for Cooper. If only she knew the real woman! I liked the incorporation of the music of the spheres and having that likened to Entropy Sirens was great. Their position as being from shortly after the universe was created was strong and something I very much enjoyed. I’d like to have explored them further if time allowed. Naloom was a nice character as the collection curator and that obviously meant he’d get on well with the Doctor. For me though, this story was all about Nyssa as she took centre stage and shone! The use of bookending sound waves from across time was very clever and just sounds like a brilliant resolution! A virus and music worked well, and this was a fine story to continue this particular collection. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

The Demons of Red Lodge

"We have to fight this sense of fear."

Writer: Jason Arnopp

Format: Audio

Released: December 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 142a

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

A long, dark night in 17th century Suffolk for the TARDIS travellers – when they find something nasty outside the woodshed.

Verdict

The Demons of Red Lodge was a very good start to the anthology release that makes up the one-hundred-and-forty-second Monthly Adventure from Big Finish! I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of the format for this release in splitting the usual four-part two-hour adventure into four singular stories of around 20-30 minutes, but in judging the story for what it is this was definitely a strong start! I’m a big fan of the pairing of the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa and I think this series has done a stellar job in expanding their adventures between Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity. The way things started here with the pair disoriented and just coming around from some sort of accident was intriguing and immediately set an uneasy atmosphere which was excellent. It lasted throughout and was certainly a highlight of the adventure. I like when the Doctor in particular has no memory of events because that angers him and he’s usually not one to get on well with memory loss, unless it’s post regeneration. I thought the description of the looming shadows was very good and just added to that eery feel. Sarah Sutton did a wonderful job as Nyssa in being able to sell the darkness of the story. The idea of artificial fear was brilliant and is definitely something I’d enjoy being expanded upon further in a much longer story. The fact that the Doctor and Nyssa actually locked hands out of that fear really sold just how scary their situation was, and it also was enough for them to realise that their fear was not natural. That was a highlight for me. The mystery that came from the strange alternate versions of the Doctor and Nyssa was very good and I thought they sounded like something along the lines of Autons or Gangers! They were so clearly off and the initial suggestion of them only being 50% complete added to my intrigue. They were watching on mysteriously and that added to the strange feeling, especially when they needed to recharge. The source of that charge being humanity was very good! The aim to get to the cottage was great and there’s something about a cottage that just feels isolated and dark. It worked well on audio. Emily Cobham made for strong character to show the TARDIS duo inside and the arrival at Red Lodge village was excellent. That was a very apt name and matched the feel of the story perfectly. Ivy was a mysterious character by virtue of her being the twin of Emily, but having no knowledge of a sister! Nyssa’s reaction to that was terrific. I thought Peter Davison had a good outing as the Fifth Doctor and he was quick to challenge the Speera on their duplicates. They weren’t the most incredible of enemies and it seemed a bit of a mishap that they needed two instances to fully duplicate and take over a human, but that did provide the opportunity for defeat. I thought it was so well done though that the Doctor and Nyssa were able to utilise their genetics and natural non-human makeup to defeat the Speera, even if the clarity was a little cloudy regarding that until the later explanation as the pair returned to the TARDIS. There were some moments where it looked like Nyssa would succumb to her duplicate and having the death of her father almost taunted and used against her was powerful stuff. Overall though, for just twenty-seven minutes this was a really strong start to the anthology and a great audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10