Arena of Fear Part 1

"His name is Captain Jack Hotness."

Writer: Nick Abadzis

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 28th July 2016

Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 09

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Captain Jack, Cindy

Synopsis 

It's the Doctor and Gabby versus Captain Jack, Cleo and Cindy, with the mysterious Mr Ebonite pulling the strings!

Forced to race each other for an extraterrestrial artefact, friendships are put to the test in the most surprising of ways - and the TARDIS team changes forever!

Verdict 

Arena of Fear kicked off, or rather continued the stories already started in Cindy, Cleo and the Magic Sketchbook! and Medicine Man in brilliant fashion. I must admit I was not expecting to see a newly named comic strip in this issue of Doctor Who Comic after the way the last story finished but it definitely now looks like that I will be combining the ratings of this story, whenever it shall end, and Medicine Man. It didn't really address either of the last two story's cliffhangers but did so in a clever way by having the entire party of characters suffering from memory loss. The way we got artistic narration from Cindy instead of the usual Gabby was terrific and I do hope that once things settle down she ends up joining the Doctor and Gabby on their travels. I love that pairing so much and I think it's the best thing to come out of DWC, but adding Cindy to the mix would just increase the greatness in this segment of the comic because she's a fabulous character in her own right. Her opinion of Captain Jack was interesting to say the least and you can see just a snippet of her thoughts in my humorous opening quote. She was certainly attracted to him! Cindy was not quite as commendable though to Cleo and Erik. I must admit that I am surprised that these particular characters have returned as although they're not at all bad, they didn't have a big impact on things to the extent that I thought they'd return. The blend of times in this story was really interesting with the likes of Munmeth and Muthmunna meeting Sunzberro and Mem-Brain. The latter two characters were very comical and that matched their appearance which was good. I'm not sure Erik had more than one line but the way his eyes were illustrated clearly demonstrated that he was a bit mad, despite the memory loss. Mr Ebonite running proceedings some 29,000 or so years in the past was really interesting and I'm intrigued to see if his prospect of everybody dying comes true. His referencing of The Five Doctors and comparing the Arena of Fear to the Death Zone on Gallifrey was excellent. I really liked that. I had hoped for a more joyous reunion between the Doctor and Jack but I'm hopeful that they'll embrace each other more warmly in the next part of this story. Things were rather eventful and they may not even fully remember their experiences together. The mention of Jack's involvement with Torchwood was good and I'm now intrigued to see if there'll be any mention of Miracle Day after my recent watching. In terms of Jack's character, this story acts as the latest point in his life that I will have blogged. That excites me greatly. I thought the absence of Gabby from all but one page hurt things a little bit and after the Doctor had part of his memory back I was hoping he'd quickly realise that his companion was absent. That wasn't the case though and it was soon revealed that she seemed to be working for and under the spell of Mr Ebonite! She looked dazzlingly evil which was worrying but I did miss the flashes of sparkle she brings to pretty much every comic strip she appears in. Gabby is a wonderful companion but I'm interested to see how she fares playing an evil character now. I'm sure the Doctor will have something to say about it. I'll have to wait a month or so to find about and I look forward to it with great anticipation. Overall, a great comic where the rating will come at the story's conclusion.  

The Rocket Men

"We're going to steal the jewels from the sky."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: August 2011

Series: Companion Chronicles 6.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis 

The TARDIS has landed on Platform Five, a floating city in the sky of the planet Jobis, and for a time the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki get the chance to enjoy this idyllic place.

Then the Rocket Men arrive, led by the sadistic Ashman.

When the only other option to certain death is suicide, Ian Chesterton takes the gamble of his life...

Verdict 

The Rocket Men was another very good Companion Chronicle audio! I seem to have been doing a lot of this range in recent days and that's largely due to the recent weekend Big Finish offers that involved downloads of some of the range's stories for just £2.99. How can I resist a price as tempting as that for a range that I love listening to? They're just so easy to listen to at around an hour long and although I've only ever given two stories a perfect rating, I've rarely granted a rating less than 8/10 for a Companion Chronicle. That says to me that the range is solid and consistent and I never seem not to enjoy a story, even if I give a low rating. I'm always impressed with the quality of a story that features just two actors performing and the way some of the actors revive the first three Doctors through their impressions is just magnificent. That was the case in this audio with William Russell who I thought was wonderful. His impression of William Hartnell's First Doctor was terrific and he really did nail the traits and characteristics of that fantastic first incarnation. I bloody love the First Doctor and it's a shame that a lot of his run is made up of missing episodes but these audios are making up for some of that material we aren't able to see. Russell didn't just do a great impression of Hartnell though, he also absolutely nailed his impressions of Barbara and Vicki which was something I did not expect. Five decades on from first appearing in the televised series and William Russell can still give an incredible performance. I tip my hat off to him. He really did make the audio an absolute breeze to listen to. The story placed this TARDIS quartet in unusual circumstances and the beauty of audio shone through because you realised that a story like this just wouldn't have been able to have happened back in the 1960s. It just isn't feasible but now we get the joy of listening to it. It works very well in audio and I must admit I think that's largely down to Russell's narration. The Rocket Men, whom the story was cleverly named after in a subtle homage to the show's past, were very interesting because they didn't really seem alien at all. They just seemed to be humans with a rocket strapped to their back. I know it was a bit more than that but it wasn't far off from being that simple. I thought they were quite violent which was good and I really loved that Ian challenged them about being sadists. They enjoyed the pain they inflicted in others and that was something Ian couldn't let slide. One thing I wasn't a fan of in this story was the way events didn't run concurrently. We jumped back and forth between different times of things unfolding and I didn't like that too much. I don't see what is gained by doing that and it just made me think I'd missed things whilst listening only for them to be revealed soon after. I found it intriguing how this story made Ian's feelings towards Barbara no secret and one thing about that which I was a tad surprised about was the Doctor being able to see it. The relationship between him and Ian at this point in their travels was good but for the Doctor to warn him not to put off telling her his feelings was very fascinating. I thought the cliffhanger was decent and I also thought that Ashman was a good leader of the Rocket Men. They were sadistuc pirates. You can't go far wrong with a race like that! The way the Doctor went off for most of the story by doing scientific research which led to the Rocket Men's demise was fantastic. In typical fashion of the First Doctor, he wasn't there for much of the story but ended up as the hero. I loved that about him and I was glad to see it continue in audio. Overall, a good audio! 

Rating: 8/10

Peri and the Piscon Paradox

"I'm being hunted down by fish, and they're using nets to catch me!"

Writer: Nev Fountain

Format: Audio

Released: January 2011

Series: Companion Chronicles 5.07

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Fifth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The Doctor and Peri journey to Los Angeles 2009 to do battle with a Piscon. His name is Zarl, and he's a fish of utmost evil.

Zarl is going to steal all the water of Earth and sell it to the highest bidder. Or blow up the San Andreas fault. Or the planet. Or something like that. He's a bit vague on that point.

Fortunately, to stop him there's help from an unexpected source: a future version of Peri. She knows Zarl's dark secret. 

But should the future Peri be on Earth at all? Something smells fishy - and it's not just Zarl.

Verdict 

Peri and the Piscon Paradox was an outstanding Companion Chronicle! It really was superb and has now joined Solitaire in a very exclusive club of audios from this range that have secured the perfect rating from myself. I've done a considerable amount of the stories from this audio range in a really muddled up order so for me to award full marks it must really have been special. It was unusual for the range in being over two hours long and having four parts and despite there only being two actors, it really did feel like a Main Range story. I loved the way the two discs were split up with the first and second parts being told through Peri during her time of travels with the Fifth Doctor whilst the third and fourth parts were from the perspective of an older Peri, whose existence was in question right from the word go. Peri finished her travels with the Doctor in complicated fashion in The Trial of a Time Lord but this audio intriguingly revealed that she didn't just stay as a princess. Peri was in fact assassinated during the events of the Doctor's trial and we now know that there are five different versions of Peri living out there in the cosmos! That's quite incredible really. I've sort of started where the audio ends but it hit such an emotional chord with me that I don't think I have any other choice. To discover that this future version of Peri suffered the same fate as Jamie and Zoe did in The War Games really saddened me. That story is my favourite of all time and the emotion behind the companions' departure has stayed with me for a long time. This future Peri only remembering the events of Planet of Fire was heartbreaking to hear, even if her description of events was brilliant. The role of the Sixth Doctor in the story was full of humour and I loved that he defeated Zarl pretty much straight after arriving on the scene. That meant that he had to keep his past unaltered by pretending to be him instead! We'd already listened to events unfold so to then be told that Zarl was actually the Sixth Doctor really did make me laugh. It was magnificent. Some of the dialogue the Doctor had to improvise was fantastic and I loved all the ways the Sixth Doctor was trying to lure the Fifth Doctor into killing him! It was purely ludicrous and that was marvellous. Nicola Bryant did a good job narrating and switching between her present and future self and although I didn't think her impression of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor was all that good, the way she addressed it in the storytelling was outstanding. I really liked that so it didn't matter to me that Bryant didn't sound anything remotely like Davison. I was absolutely fine with it. The 2009 setting of Los Angeles was very good and I loved Peri's reaction to seeing the near future. That's one of the beautiful things about these audios is that you can accurately place Classic era characters in the present day. The End of the World was set only a few years from now and of course predictions weren't accurate but with the audios we can do it with ease and it's just wonderful. The reference to Doctor Who and the Pescatons was superb in giving a comparison of what the Piscon were like and although I haven't listened to that audio, I have read the novelisation. The other references to The Caves of Androzani, Vengeance on Varos, Timelash, Revelation of the Daleks and Mission to Magnus were excellent. I liked how the format of the story somewhat mirrored that of Project: Lazarus and I also liked that the cliffhangers were very good. Part two didn't really have one other than a foreshadowing of events to come on Androzani Minor and that in itself was great. Overall, an excellent audio that was full of both humour and emotion that was balanced beautifully. Quite a revelation about Peri!

Rating: 10/10

The Dogs of Doom

"Be a good dog! Mustn't attack the Doctor!" 

Writers: Pat Mills & John Wagner 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: April-June 1980

Printed in: DWM 27-34

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sharon, K9

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Sharon and K9 board the Spacehog ship in the New Earth System, only to find an invading army of Werelox. But their masters are known as the evil ones, and they're very familiar to the Doctor...

Verdict 

The Dogs of Doom was another excellent comic strip to continue along my reading of The Iron Legion graphic novel. I still can't believe that I paid less than a fiver for this gem of a collection and with the quality of story on display so far, it's absolutely been worth the price! Even if the story quality was poor, something I've found rare in a Classic comic strip adventure of this length, the purchase still would have been worth it because it would just add to my Doctor Who knowledge and would also be added to my collection of blog entries, something which is approaching four digits faster and faster by the day. The story itself almost seemed to be split into two with the first four parts painting the Werelox in the role of the enemies. They're where the story gets its name from and I liked how they seemed to be a hybrid of both dog and werewolf whilst also being humanoid. Brill really was a brilliant character and the changes he went through across the eight parts were marvellous. He went from villain to companion in a short space of time and that was all down to the Doctor hypnotising him. I thought the characterisation of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor was once again excellent and that's something I've been impressed by in my reading of this graphic novel thus far. In saying that, this is the penultimate story in the collection and once I read the final comic strip I think it will be an excuse to buy a new graphic novel. Anyway, back to the story at hand and I thought the cliffhanger to part three was fantastic with the Doctor transforming into a Werelox and even though I saw it coming from an early stage, or at least suspected the possibility, I was still very glad to see it occur. After Sharon's arrival in The Star Beast, I was quite surprised by how little dialogue she had. Maybe things were a bit too eventful for her on her first trip in the TARDIS but even though she was put in danger and foolishly stowed away on a suicide ship, she enjoyed her time with the Doctor and didn't want things to end. The Doctor and K9 didn't seem too sure and despite clearly being young, I'm finding that I like her. Her relationship with Babe Ruth here was marvellous. Some of the names that cropped up in this story were rather humorous reading from my point in time, some 36 years since the comic strip was first printed in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine. The relationship between the Doctor and K9 was magnificent and was the only recognisable connection with the televised series really. Oh, and the returning Daleks of course. Their return was sadly not a surprise to me but even though I knew that they'd be showing up, the big reveal was still terrific. The story was suited very well for them and I loved that they were using the Werelox as their puppets as it were. The Daleks wanting to add evil qualities to their demeanour was intriguing, especially with them wanting an addition of slyness. Once the Daleks arrived, things got very action packed and that was tremendous. The Doctor defeating the Daleks by using their own time travel technology against them and trapping them in a time lock was superb. Overall, a brilliant story and I think the lack of Sharon playing a major role is why this doesn't get full marks. I can't really complain with a rating like this though.

Rating: 9/10

Loving the Alien

"How do you measure time outside time?"

Writers: Mike Tucker & Robert Perry

Format: Novel

Released: May 2003

Series: PDA 60

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis 

Ace is dead. Or at least she will be - soon... In a secret room deep inside the TARDIS the Doctor has been examining the body of Ace's future self. He knows how she was killed, where she was killed and when she was killed. What he doesn't know is why...

To find the truth the Doctor makes a dangerous decision and takes the unsuspecting Ace to the very time and place of her death, hoping to cheat Time and find her killer before he can strike - but Time has other ideas. With Ace missing and the clock ticking the Doctor turns to old friends for help and finds that there is unfinished business for him to deal with.

What is the secret experiment being conducted by the British Rocket Group? Why are giant ants appearing in the suburbs of 1950s London? Who is the mysterious figure that is watching the Doctor's every move?

As events spiral out of control the Doctor realises that someone is manipulating time with careless disregard for the consequences to Ace - or the rest of the universe...

Verdict 

Loving the Alien was a very good Doctor Who novel. It was full of shocks, surprises and even other dimensions and also acted as a direct sequel to Illegal Alien, a book I read not too many months ago. That book was excellent and when doing my follow up research on it (usually on TARDISWiki) I found that this book was its sequel. I was somewhat surprised by the inclusion of footnotes in an original Doctor Who novel and this is the first time that I have come across them in the same way that I footnote my History essays in university. There have been accounts of using an asterix in the Target novelisations but this was the first time I saw it numbered here. The only footnote that I knew about was the aforementioned novel that featured the Cybermen but after reading the acknowledgements at the end of the book, it turned out that the two writers had referenced their works together on at least one occasion. The story was a good one and it caught the Seventh Doctor and Ace at a bad time together. They'd just seen, to my utter shock, Mel dead in a previous book I'm yet to read and now the Doctor had found Ace's dead body whilst he was still travelling with her. She was off in the pool while he was experimenting on her future selve's dead body. That must have been a horrific experience! The cliffhanger at the end of part two of the novel in which we saw Ace die was simply sublime. It must go down as one of my all time favourite cliffhangers across any format because Ace was shot in the face from point blank range and then her body was dumped in the river! That's pretty tough to resolve and I'm not entirely convinced that it was. Ace's explicit sexual encounter with Jimmy was interesting as it was the first time a companion in the Classic era has been painted in that light. Sex was seemingly forgotten in the old days so to read that Ace, who I'm not convinced is only 18, was sexually active was interesting. She even got pregnant according to the Doctor but she would be having no baby. The return of George Limb as enemy was fantastic and I loved how he was still jumping through time, albeit in small distances, with the Cyberman time machine that the Doctor was convinced would scatter him through time. Instead, Limb kept on going back through his timeline to try and avert his destiny. The Doctor helped him achieve that in a brutal way though. I thought Rita was an excellent character and the way she presented herself as a decade younger than she appeared was terrific. Her venture to an alternate dimension was great and I liked how she was struggling to cope with an electrically surged human race. The constant comments of sympathy and isolation about her being American was good and I liked the differences in the outcome of World War II in that reality. The arrival of the Doctor certainly brightened up her day. She couldn't bare the thought of an electrical upgrade. The reference to The Tenth Planet was fantastic and the alternate dimension seemed to be like Spare Parts but in prose. The Cold War setting of 19 years after the last time the Doctor and Ace encountered Cody McBride was pretty good and I liked that the difference in appearance and age was directly mentioned on more than one occasion. It was great to see McBride back as well as Mullen although the latter suffered almost immediately after finding out the Doctor was back by getting his legs amputated thanks to an explosion. The other characters that appeared were decent with Drakefell and Crawhammer particularly impressing. Davey O'Brien, both of them, was brilliant too. The plot was pretty good with the British of an alternate reality invading although they were pretty easily sent back home in my eyes. The ending wasn't that great which is why the book doesn't get quite as high a rating as I would liked to have given and a lot of that is down to the randomness of Ace's return and apparent resurrection. Overall though, still a very good novel! 

Rating: 8/10 

The Next Life

"You've got villain stamped right through you..."

Writers: Alan Barnes & Gary Russell 

Format: Audio

Released: December 2004

Series: Main Range 64

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley, C'rizz 

Synopsis 

"All things must die."

Washed up on the sandy shores of a paradise island, a wild-eyed shipwreck survivor is rescued by the wife of Daqar Keep, the richest man in the galaxy.

Her name's Perfection. He's the Doctor. Together, they face a journey into the dark heart of this mysterious island, to discover the deepest secrets of this timeless cosmos. That's if the giant crabs, killer crocodiles and murderous natives don't get them first.

Meanwhile, fellow travellers Charley and C'rizz have their own ordeal to endure, in the grip of the Doctor's most dangerous rival.

And in a universe that's facing extinction, even the best of friends may soon become enemies...

This life is almost over. Not everyone will make it to the next.

Verdict 

The Next Life was a very good audio story and finally saw us come to the end of the Divergent Universe story arc that has spanned the last eight adventures featuring the Eighth Doctor. This story was very lengthy at over three hours long and a unique six episodes, and that's why it's taken me nearly two months to get around to listening to it which has slightly annoyed me I must admit. I really do want to try and push on with the Main Range of audios as well as reading but this summer has been a lot busier than expected so things haven't quite gone to plan. I've still managed to keep up with daily blogging though so I'm very happy with that. I'm not sure why this audio was so long as I didn't really think it was necessary. I was hoping for an eventful and climatic end to the story arc but we didn't get that. Had the length of the audio been cut by 45 minutes or so, I think it would have served much better. In saying that though, I still thought it was excellent and we had our many questions answered. The Doctor caught up with Rassilon as expected but the truth surrounding him and the Kro'ka was a fascinating revelation. The Divergent Universe was a figurative circle and I loved how that explained the lack of time in the universe. It worked very well I must say. The relationship between Rassilon and the Kro'ka was interesting throughout but it was clear that the former was merely using the latter. The character of Daqar Keep was superb and the fact that he was an amalgamation of the Doctor and Charley was certainly a shock! He worked very well though and I loved how he, along with Perfection, were orchestrating a lot of what went on in this universe. Perfection's relationship with the Doctor was terrific and I liked that there was more than one account of sexual innuendo. The scenes in the companion's respective subconscious were fantastic as I liked that each of them was reunited with someone they loved and thought lost. C'rizz quickly worked out that L'da couldn't be real after he agonisingly killed her in The Creed of the Kromon - a story that was neatly referenced on more than one occasion. There were also excellent references to Storm Warning, Faith Stealer, Caerdroia and Zagreus. Perhaps my favourite reference though was that of Scherzo and Rassilon and the Kro'ka enacting the exact same conversation the Doctor and Charley had on their arrival in the Divergent Universe. I must admit, I was not expecting Zagreus to reappear as the villain of the story and although he wasn't nearly as bad as the first time we met him, I do hope his story is told. Hearing that rhyme again just reminded me of how much of a cluster the fiftieth Main Range audio was. The hint that the Doctor is a Liverpool supporter put a smile on my face as I too support the redmen so to hear that the Doctor has in his memory records of seasons spanning a fifty year period was wonderful. Guidance was another brilliant character and I loved the revelation that C'rizz was his son. I was surprised by how important his role in the Doctor's escaping back to N-Space was but I liked it very much. The conflict between Charley and C'rizz was very interesting with the latter's comments about her having a thing for Time Lords really striking a chord. The Doctor making sure they were on the same page before escaping the universe and back to reality was a wonderful moment. Paul McGann really is shining in these audio adventures. The cliffhanger ending was a bit of a surprise but I absolutely loved it! Davros and the Daleks were the welcoming committee for the Doctor and co's return to normality. Some welcome! Overall, a very good audio and finish to the story arc.

Rating: 8/10

 

Fear Her

"It came to her because she was lonely."

Writer: Matthew Graham

Format: TV

Broadcast: 24th June 2006

Series: 2.11

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis 

London 2012, and the Doctor and Rose set off to see the Olympics, only to find terror on the most ordinary place. Who, or what, is taking children from a harmless council estate? And why is a mother so scared of her daughter?

Verdict 

Fear Her was not the greatest episode of Doctor Who ever to air. In fact, it actually goes down as my lowest rated episode from the post-2005 revival era which is a real shame. It just doesn't quite work and seems a bit silly and all over the place. I mean, the main enemy is a little girl who likes to draw which is something intriguing and could be done right, but when that girl is petrified of a drawing of her late father that she drew herself is where things annoy me. It just didn't make sense because if a girl is having nightmares and knows the effect her drawings have, why would she draw something that scares her? I just found it difficult to buy into and when that happens I get frustrated when other elements of the story are good. I liked the 2012 setting for a 2006 broadcasted episode and it followed Dalek in travelling to the immediate future. We saw that future a lot more prominently this time with the council estate setting and the Olympic torch run. I found myself laughing a little too much at the poster advertising a greatest hits album for Shayne Ward. If he's a Doctor Who fan and has watched this episode recently I'm sure he'll be wondering where things went wrong. He's not done bad for himself but he certainly won't be having a greatest hits album! The idea of a scribble creature is just rubbish and the way the Doctor just literally rubbed it out with a pencil eraser was ludicrous. Come on now, this is Doctor Who. I know a lot of silliness has occurred over the countless stories that have been produced, but that went too far for me. I found myself shaking my head. One thing I did love about this episode though was the relationship between the Tenth Doctor and Rose. It really was wonderful and it's terrific to see how happy they make each other. Rose clearly loves having the opportunity to travel with the Doctor and he likes having her along with him. The foreshadowing of the events to come in Army of Ghosts/Doomsday were quite daunting but how the Doctor can see an oncoming storm in the sky of 2012 when that storm took place in 2006 is beyond me. Even for a Time Lord, surely that can't be right. Chloe Webber was a good character and the way she was taken over by the Isolus was decent. An episode directly dealing with child abuse and loneliness was a good move even if the quality wasn't great. The scenes between Rose and Kel were the highlight of the episode in my opinion as they really were very humorous. The pod hiding in recently laid tarmac was pretty ridiculous though. I did think that Trish was a good character with the way she was so frightened of her daughter. The Doctor saw that immediately but was soon drawn and taken out of the real world. He would return though to pick up the Olympic torch and light the flame that declares the Olympics open. The addition of the drawing of Chloe's father coming to life and being defeated by song seemed a bit unnecessary but I did like how it showed that Rose could manage on her own. Overall, not the best but still not entirely bad.

Rating: 6/10

The Coldest War

"That's the Cloister Bell. It's the ultimate alarm; it only sounds when things are really, really bad."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Novel

Released: April 2010

Series: Decide Your Destiny 13

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

You're in the TARDIS when it loses power and crash-lands in a deserted snowy landscape. Something is sucking the energy from everything that passes! Is it the Sycorax? Or something else entirely? Help the Doctor and Amy unravel the mystery, before it's too late...

Verdict 

The Coldest War was a terrific little novel and has greatly changed my opinion on the Decide Your Destiny books! I know they're not really aimed at my age of 19 but I had so much fun reading this adventure because I really did feel a part of things. The reader appearing in the novel is a magnificent idea and for the younger children reading, whom the series of books is aimed at, they must feel really special. As I'm a bit older now, I imagined my character as a younger version of myself at the age of about 8 or 9 and I imagined what it would be like to step into the TARDIS at that age. Before I reached double figures, I was yet to discover the wonderful show that is Doctor Who but it wouldn't be long before I did. After a lengthy walk this week to where I spent a lot of my childhood, this book really did add to my trip down memory lane. Through the book I remembered what it was like to be a young child again and that was truly magnificent. I liked the length of the story as it was quick but not so fast that you felt like it was a waste. I mentioned in my blogging of Claws of the Macra that I thought it flew by but thankfully that wasn't the case here. I liked the lengthy scenes in the TARDIS and I liked the continuation of Amy comforting my character. She was still in her early days if the release date is anything to go by but compared to us, she was a TARDIS veteran. The Doctor was fantastic and amazing and the way his rushed nature in flying the TARDIS at the console was presented fantastically. The characterisation of Matt Smith's incarnation was decent also, which makes a big difference. I know these books must be incredibly difficult to write, but I really didn't understand where it got its title from. I never usually mention this as I don't think it's relevant most of the time because a lot of story titled don't often make sense, but my version of events were set in a ward that had distinctly grey corridors. I know it was set in the Antartic but there really was no mention of a war. We had the return of the Sycorax which was superb and I liked how it was just one Sycorax Warrior, stemming from what happened the last time the Doctor met them. There was more than one good reference to The Christmas Invasion and I loved how the method of blood control was once again utilised by the Sycorax. They're due to appear alongside the Seventh Doctor shortly in an audio boxset that I am greatly anticipating so I'm glad to have done a story with them from another format. I am aware they also appear in a Tenth Doctor comic strip story so I'll be looking to read that in due course. The Yarkop was an interesting character and I liked how it impersonated both a Judoon and Draconian. The Doctor enjoyed those and even wanted to request some more aliens. He wasn't being intimated though. The ending came a little abruptly as seems to be a running theme in this format of books but it worked well. The micro universe went with the Yarkop and safety was accomplished and the Sycorax was dealt with. We were quickly returned home and the Doctor and Amy were back off on their travels. Overall, a wonderful little book!

Rating: 9/10

The Catalyst

"I am no noble women."

Writer: Nigel Fairs

Format: Audio

Released: January 2008

Series: Companion Chronicles 2.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis 

The pride of the Z'nai matches that of Leela of the Sevateem. Why would the Doctor imprison one in such an unlikely place, and what terrors will be brought about by letting it loose?

Verdict 

The Catalyst was a very good Companion Chronicles audio and closed the second season of stories very nicely. This was my second successive story from the range and I must say it's very clear when listening how much things have changed between this story which is from season two and The Scorchies, which I blogged yesterday, which is in the latter stories of the seventh series. It still feels like they're treading the water on what they can do with the range and style of story but they still manage to tell a fantastic little adventure. Louise Jameson does a decent job as the narrator but I did feel that her impression of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor could have been greatly improved. I know it's difficult for a female actor to impersonate a male, and vice versa, but it really didn't sound like she was trying at all. I found it interesting to be listening to this story whilst I'm in the midst of reading the epic, and extremely lengthy, Tom Baker interview in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine. Due to work and other commitments, I've only read the first two parts but I've found it very interesting to read how difficult the great man could be to work with. I thought some of the comments mentioned about Louise Jameson's thoughts were very intriguing as any uncomfortable feelings didn't come through on screen in their televised stories. One thing I must say though is that I absolutely agree with Baker's thoughts on religion and I love the way he ridiculed it. I bloody loved reading that I must admit. Religion is indeed poppy shit. His comments about women have been a little controversial though so I guess he evens himself out. Anyway, back to the story and it didn't seem a lot suited to the Fourth Doctor I must say. However, as contradiction and irony would have it, it was perfect for Leela with the honour that the Z'nai had. Leela would challenge that and mentioned her own tribe wonderfully. There were excellent references to The Face of Evil and The Invasion of Time but I think the thing that shocked me most about this audio adventure was the referencing of the Time War! I thought that was magnificent and I was actually amazed that Gallifrey was mentioned as a lost planet. I really like that this confirms that Leela survived the Time War and escaped from the planet prior to the actions of the Doctor in The Day of the Doctor. Her fate would not have been fatal but at least she wasn't trapped on the planet now. An older Leela telling the story was interesting but things didn't really seem to be told in flashback form. The early 20th century setting was great because it's just not suited at all for Leela to fit in. As my opening quote shows, she isn't a noble women at all. She mentions having killed for sport to the Z'nai but also makes sure that he knows she can defend herself as well which I really liked. Timothy Watson was a good actor alongside Jameson and I thought H'mbrackle was excellent. The way he was the image of which the rest of the species followed was quite disturbing but that's what it made great. The way the name of the story made sense with Leela being revealed as a carrier of the disease was marvellous and the way she didn't waste much time in using the disease on the Z'nai was good. The Doctor didn't seem too pleased but the same can be said of Leela when discovering his trophy room. Overall though, a very good audio adventure! 

Rating: 8/10

The Scorchies

"Twinkle, twinkle, little death. Time to draw, your last breath."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: March 2013

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.09

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo, Brigadier

Synopsis 

The Doctor, his companion Jo Grant and the Brigadier face their strangest case yet - a Saturday night TV show that has been invaded by aliens that look like puppets!

The Scorchies want to take over the world. They want to kill the Doctor. And they want to perform some outstanding showtunes. Though not necessarily in that order...

With Jo caught inside The Schorchies Show, can she save the day before the planet Earth falls victim to the dark side of light entertainment?

Verdict 

The Scorchies was a very good little audio adventure! It was ridiculous and barmy right from the start and that's actually where most of its quality came from. It was incredibly different to what I've been used to over the past ten day with Torchwood's Miracle Day series but when I had the opportunity to purchase the download of this story for just £2.99 from Big Finish, I just couldn't resist. It's a bargain price for an audio and as part of the recent monster offers (that's not monster as in incredible price drops), I purchased two further Companion Chronicles which I'm sure I will get around to blogging in due course. But for now it was all about Jo Grant and I liked how the audio just got straight into the story and didn't mess around. Well, there was quite a lot of messing around actually but that was what the story was all about. The Schorchies were absolutely ludicrous and that's what made them brilliant. The audio itself being presented as a television show was fantastic and the way they brought in the opening credits was superb. Some of the songs that featured would rival anything that we heard in Doctor Who and the Pirates as the lyrics were just magnificent. The cliffhanger managed to be hilarious whilst proclaiming that the Doctor was dead. The Scorchies had mentioned the Master, Daleks and even Gell Guards as people who had attempted to kill the Doctor but they stated that it was they who had shot him dead. They were all very convincing about it but in a comedic way, it was later revealed that the Doctor was not dead. UNIT's involvement in the story was not expected based off the CD cover but it was absolutely warranted! A deadly television show. You might say this is the Classic era's take on The Idiot's Lantern. It was very focused on television which I thought was terrific, especially for a story (probably) set in the 1970s. I remain to be convinced that the Scorchies would get their show on the BBC though, especially at the time of day in which it aired! It seemed a bit more suited to something like breakfast time on ITV. But I guess they're always going to mention the Beeb when it comes to television references in a Doctor Who story. Speaking of references, as well as the aforementioned monsters that got a mention we also had nice referrals to the Autons and the Ogrons. The former particularly made me laugh as it was the subject of a very funny line in one of the Scorchies' songs. The Scorchies themselves were very interesting with the individuals very well portrayed by both Katy Manning and Melvyn Hayes. Professor Baffle really was quite baffling which was great. Mr Grizzfizzle was quite interesting as well thinking he ran things until the revelation about Baffle occurred. All the talk of reversing the polarity got a bit confusing but I think confusion was exactly what this audio wanted. Amble the Ugly Doll and Cool Cat were also terrific. I was very impressed with Katy Manning's narration of the story and considering she's the opposite gender, her impression of Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor was fantastic. She brought her own character of Jo back to life wonderfully as well and she really is a tremendous actress. The story was simply barmy and she absolutely suited it. Overall, a big change from what I've been recently blogging but it's good to be back doing Doctor Who, even if the Doctor appeared in a cameo role. Ludicrous, but very good.

Rating: 8/10

Miracle Day: The Blood Line

"I brought death back to the world."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 9th September 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.10

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther 

Synopsis 

The Torchwood team travel around the world on a final, desperate mission; the Three Families are unstoppable unless a terrible sacrifice is made. Can the Miracle that has cursed humanity be reversed?

Verdict 

Miracle Day: The Gathering concluded this incredible fourth series of Torchwood in an astounding way! It really was outstanding from start to finish and tied everything up very nicely, as well as resolving all the issues that cropped up in the nine previous episodes. It's quite ironic that the Torchwood team were aiming to bring death back to the world given everything they've fought has been to save lives. They had an emotional time but as of yet, this episode is where the story of Torchwood ends. I must admit I am shocked and gutted that there is yet to be a fifth series because the show is hugely popular, absolutely brilliant and the episode bloody ended on a cliffhanger! How they can leave things as they have I'm not sure, but I expect it to be resolved in due time. It better be, even if it takes a Torchwood audio from Big Finish to do so. Anyway, the final episode started much like the very first episode way back in Series 1 and that is from the point of view of Gwen. She was at her outstanding best in this episode and even took an incredible amount of praise from Oswald Danes. I'm not sure she welcomed that but I'm sure she did enjoy the scuffle with Jilly! There was only one winner there but I adored the lipstick comment. Gwen was determined to put things back to normal, even when she knew it meant killing her Dad. The thing that hit me the most with this episode was the death of Esther. I had my worries that she wouldn't make it out alive but I was truly devastated to see her having a funeral. I absolutely loved her and it saddens me that should a fifth series occur, she won't be able to play any part. Alexa Havins has been simply wonderful and I'm definitely going to delve into some of her other acting roles in my spare time. The way she was so suddenly shot by a member of the Three Families was absolutely gutting. Rex couldn't believe it but I liked the determination of Gwen very much. She kept her mind focused and stuck to the mission at hand. Death had to come back. The world needed to be put right. The revelation about the Miracle's origins was fantastic and it would appear that Jack's blood was quite special after all. It seemed to hold the key to immortality. It had been fed into the Blessing, which had a morphic field effect on the human race, and with it reversed death. The fact that blood was needed at both ends of the Blessing, in both Shanghai and Buenos Airies, was great and I called what happened with Rex as soon as that factor was added. The Blessing took the blood of mortals and almost in an instant, in one huge breath, death returned to the world. We didn't get to see any aftermath of what that meant for a world in social decline, but we did see Esther's funeral and that's where what should have been a set up to a fifth series occurred. Charlotte was finally caught out as the infiltrator in the CIA and she shot Rex dead. She was soon killed herself but after everything that had happened, it looked like both Rex and Esther wouldn't make it through alive. However, Rex resurrected in his best Captain Jack impression and it now seemed like he too was immortal! The blood mush have had a lasting effect on Rex as he was brought back to life. Jack and Gwen couldn't believe it and I couldn't believe that's how Torchwood itself ended. How can there not have been a fifth series? The story of the Three Families and Jilly isn't even over with a further meeting and talk of the Miracle being a mere trial run. There's all the ingredients for a Series 5 and I still maintain that it has to happen. This year would have been perfect with the absence of a regular Doctor Who series but at least we have Class in place as a spinoff series. I loved Jack referencing the Silurians and Racnoss when it came to explaining the Blessing but he had no clue really. Overall though, an incredible end to the series and to Torchwood as a whole. I'm gutted it has come to an end and I've blogged every episode, but I'm sure I'll get around to blogging them again in the future. 

Rating: 10/10

Miracle Day: The Gathering

"We need you to write history."

Writer: John Fay

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2nd September 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.09

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther 

Synopsis 

As the Three Families plunge the world into recession, the Torchwood team - defeated, powerless and haunted - must strike a bargain with the devil himself.

Verdict 

Miracle Day: The Gathering was an outstanding penultimate episode of this amazing fourth series of Torchwood. It really has been incredible from start to finish and after over a week of watching things unfold, I finally get to the bottom of it tomorrow. But before we get to the finale, an incredible amount occurred in this episode! It was quite simply brilliant. I was intrigued that after the climatic events of End of the Road we quickly advanced two months ahead in the timeline and after being shot, Jack was on the mend and wasn't giving up his mortal life just yet. I think I'd willingly get shot to have someone like Esther looking after me for two months in solidarity. She really is just wonderful! She's been a magnificent addition to the team for the fourth series and it really is a great shame that there is yet to be a fifth series for her to work her magic. I bloody adore her. Seeing Gwen back home in Wales again was great and I liked how she and her family were still doing all they could to keep Geraint out of the ovens. I thought it was pretty terrible that the police were going out of their way to find a category one patient with the collapse of society happening simultaneously. Surely they would have something more important to do? I liked how anxious Charlotte was appearing in this episode as we now know she's part of the Three Families, she was doing all she could to defeat the CIA from within. I really liked how well Rex and Shapiro were getting on and the latter sanctioning off the grid missions was a very good show of faith. Rex knew something was up and the way he was trying to get to the bottom of the Miracle and the involvement of the Three Families was excellent. His determination really was superb. The reunion of Jack, Gwen and Esther in Wales was fantastic but I was not expecting Oswald Danes of all people to also show up. Brian Pullman was once again astoundingly good and the way he put himself on the mission surrounding the Blessing was brilliant. Esther ridiculing him about the coveted name he supposedly has was marvellous. She really is incredible. I loved the focus on Jilly and her trip to Shanghai and through her we would soon see the truth about the Blessing. Things were hinted at during the episode and thanks to an inflatable globe, Rhys quite literally connected the dots between Shanghai and Buenos Airies. They were quite literally opposite sides of the world and the answer had been staring them in the face all this time in the PhiCorp logo. Just what it is or how it works is yet to be revealed but the fact that it goes all the way through the Earth must mean it has some influence on the human race. What Jack's blood has to do with things is yet to be revealed but it was literally showing them way. His blood was moving towards it which intrigues me greatly. Rex and Esther heading to Buenos Airies whilst Jack, Gwen and Oswald were in Shanghai was good and I also liked how Charlotte was aware of Rex's location. She was worried but what they could actually do, I'm not too sure. All I know is that it was an incredible episode. We had a magnificent relationship between Gwen and Esther, humour between Rhys and Oswald and a whole lot of revelation about the Blessing and the Miracle. It looks set to be an epic finale and I can't wait to see how things are resolved. It's sure to be incredible.

Rating: 10/10

Miracle Day: End of the Road

"You've got the only corpse on planet Earth."

Writers: Ryan Scott & Jane Espenson

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26th August 2016

Series: Torchwood 4.08

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther 

Synopsis 

Captain Jack faces a showdown with a man he thought long dead, but will the outcome be beneficial? Rex takes extreme action but is it too late to prevent the collapse of society?

Verdict 

Miracle Day: End of the Road was yet another excellent episode of Torchwood and sees us really get into the business end of this fantastic fourth and final series. It's a great shame that given the success this series had they haven't produced a fifth series in the five years since but even so, what we had was wonderful and I'm not quite finished yet. With only two episodes to go, we're still no nearer to discovering the truth about the Miracle but we're getting close. Jack's theory about a morphic field has been proven true and as we follow on from Immortal Sins, Jack is reunited with a long lost lover in the form of Angelo. After what he saw in 1920s New York with Jack, he fully believed in immortality but was set aside by the Three Families who seem to be the key behind the Miracle. We've seen one spearhead of a family in the form of the mysterious man offering Jilly a promotion and shooting Shawnie who he somehow knew was part of the CIA. The revelation that Charlotte was another part of these Three Families was wholly unexpected but absolutely brilliant. The very person Esther thinks she can trust and has on the case to finding members of the Three Families is actually one of them. She's infiltrating from within and I love it. The return of Friedkin was short lived as he proved just how inadequate he was. Rex had cleverly taken the Torchwood contact lenses and had Friedkin's confession broadcast and ready for transmission. Once Shapiro arrived, he took full control and in a comedic moment it appeared that Torchwood had joined the CIA. Given their recent crisis, it didn't seem like a bad move at all. His relationship with Gwen was humorous and I loved how she stood up to him. Her reiteration of not being English was truly wonderful but nonetheless she was sent back home. After a two episode absence we saw Oswald Danes back and he was just as creepy as ever. Brian Pullman plays the role so incredibly well. His dancing in front of Jilly was rather humorous but I liked how she knew she wouldn't have to deal with him much longer. The introduction of a category 0 was being passed through legislation and this meant that people who deserved to die because of their crimes would also be placed in the ovens alongside category 1 victims. That meant Oswald's death sentence would be properly carried out. The death of Angelo was a bit of a surprise considering nobody was dying but as my opening quote suggests, he was the first person to die since the Miracle. Jack knew why from an early stage but Esther soon worked things out for herself and also showed her strong allegiance with the CIA by going against Jack's instructions and revealing the truth about the floor under Angelo's bed. The null field was intriguing and I liked how Jack knew all about it. He knew it meant trouble and it was not good news at all. The Three Families had found the Blessing by the sounds and Jack needed to get away. Rex and Esther went some way to achieving that but in the chaos of escape, Jack was shot. He was no longer immortal so Captain Jack was dying. Esther didn't know what to do or where to go and Gwen was on a plane back home so she couldn't help. Things weren't looking good. Is Jack going to die? Well I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Overall, another brilliant episode!

Rating: 9/10

Miracle Day: Immortal Sins

"I've got this friend, the Doctor. He explores the world with a companion. Looks nice..."

Writer: Jane Espenson 

Format: TV

Briadcast: 19th August 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.07

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther 

Synopsis 

Gwen must fight to protect her family. She takes a terrifying journey covering miles and decades with Jack as the long history of the Miracle is partially revealed...

Verdict 

Miracle Day: Immortal Sins was another great episode of this fantastic fourth series of Torchwood but despite possibly being the most insightful episode so far, it ironically receives my lowest rating of the series thus far. It was predominantly made up of a flashback to 1927 and a vital piece in the jigsaw that is the Miracle. When we were seeing what we were, it just seemed to be a look into the past for Jack and one of his what are sure to be many relationships. We saw a great deal of physical encounters between Jack and Angelo and I'm not going to lie I found it a little uncomfortable to watch at times. I turned my head away from the screen on more than one occasion as I'm sorry to say but sexual encounters between two men is not something I want to watch. This series of Torchwood seems so far away from the Doctor Who Universe but with the mentions in this episode it fully reminded us that is what this story is a part of. The beginnings of Jack and Angelo's relationship were good with the attempts to take a visa and get into New York City but then we saw too much of what I didn't want to see. The sexual moments between the pair took up too much of the episode for me and that's the main reason why it scored the lowest rating of the Miracle Day story so far. In saying that, it's still not a bad rating in the slightest. That just shows how good the series has been when it's disappointing episode is an 8/10. I'm not going to complain about that. The parts of the episode that were set in present day continued straight on from The Middle Men with Gwen arriving back in America and quickly doing as she was instructed through the lenses in bringing Jack to whoever was watching. The car journey east was intriguing and I loved how far Gwen was going to protect her daughter. The emotion was strong between the pair and it really brought Gwen's Torchwood adventure full circle. There were brilliant references to Everything Changes and Day One and I liked hearing how much Gwen loved being a part of Torchwood despite the death that surrounded them. She felt special and I really liked that. Angelo's reactions to Jack surviving being shot in the head was interesting and I found it ironic that he was so religious despite being in a homosexual relationship. I think religion is a load of rubbish and my studies of History are only strengthening that thought, but seeing Jack heralded as miraculous was interesting. The fact he was referred to as a blessing really struck a chord with me and I would think that the blessing that was referenced in regards to the Miracle is indicating Jack. He's massively connected now and we're getting closer to finding out what triggered it. People came and witnessed Jack repeatedly die and his blood was even bottled, something I think might be a part of how the Miracle occurred. The three men that struck a deal must also be involved somehow as they seem to be the origins of the mysterious triangle logo that has connected those behind the Miracle. It might appear that they were angered by Jack's killing of the brain parasite but I don't think that was the case. We did get magnificent references to the Doctor having companions and the Trickster's Brigade though, making fantastic mentions of both Doctor Who and the Sarah Jane Adventures. Just when it seemed that Jack might die, and a mysterious women emerged as the one behind Gwen's contact lenses, the upper hand soon turned in Torchwood's favour. Esther once again showed how wonderful she was and along with Rex they put Torchwood in the driving seat. Jack wouldn't be dying today but he would soon be finding out about the Miracle. It would appear the man behind it was incredibly Angelo. Just how that's possible, I'm not sure. But I can't wait to find out! Overall, another great episode but despite a fantastic reference to Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways and an insightful story, the sexual scenes were just too much to get a higher rating.

Rating: 8/10

Miracle Day: The Middle Men

"This isn't a hospital. This is a concentration camp."

Writer: John Shiban

Format: TV

Broadcast: 12th August 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.06

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther 

Synopsis 

With Gwen, Rex and Esther trapped on different sides of the Atlantic in respective overflow camps, it's a race against time as Captain Jack goes straight to the heart of the conspiracy behind the Miracle.

Verdict 

Miracle Day: The Middle Men was yet another brilliant episode of Torchwood and continued this fantastic fourth series along very nicely. It followed on immediately where The Categories of Life left off and the focus was on making the truth of the overflow camps public. That was eventually achieved thanks to some ingenuity from Gwen but I'll get to that a little bit later. I was quite surprised with how well Rex was coping with Vera's death. He obviously had feelings for her and they had engaged in a physical relationship so after watching her burn alive, I thought Rex might be in a bit of a breakdown. I get that he's CIA and has a strong mind but witnessing what he did would knock anyone for six. I liked his continued recording of the modules but he would go one step too far in trying to impersonate a guard. That would get him handcuffed and at the mercy of the pathetic Colin. He really was pathetic. Considering he was murdering people on a mass level, he wasn't much of a killer. He was just demented and didn't accept when anything went wrong. His stabbing of Rex's wound with a pen was disturbing to watch and then the fact he put his hands on Esther really annoyed me. How any man can hit a women is beyond me. Esther did though get the upper hand and as good as killed him which was a relief. I'm not sure I could cope if Esther dies as I really am loving her. Alexa Havins is just wonderful in every respect. That was the situation in America and things weren't too different in Wales with Gwen and Rhys attempting to free Gwen's father from the overflow camp after he was designated category 1. Gwen's comments to Dr. Patel about not being a doctor anymore were stunning. Gwen was back at her real best here and after her father was taken back home with Rhys, we saw her back at her kickass best. She was making things public and did so in an incredible way. The truth about the overflow camps, as well as Vera's death, was made public and now everybody knew what was going on. Would that be enough to force the closure of the camps? Time will tell but Torchwood is making a step in the right direction. We're getting closer to finding out the truth about the Miracle and we now know that PhiCorp are merely profiting from its occurrence rather than having instigated it themselves. Jack's meeting with Stuart Owens was very good and I loved the way he convinced him to talk. We had a mention of something that I imagine will be very significant in the form of 'the blessing' to add to the mention of families in Escape to L.A., an episode that was nicely referenced. With four episodes left, we're still clouded in mystery but things are starting to tie together. We're still no clearer as to what the geography element of the Miracle is but I'm sure we'll get there soon. I was very surprised that we didn't see Oswald Danes appear after his triumphant revelation speech in the previous episode but I've no doubt he'll be back in the next one. It didn't take anything away from the episode as this was all about making the concentration camps public. Gwen did that and returned to America soon after. It would not be a welcomed return though as through the lenses she was sent a disturbing message. Somebody had her family. And they wanted Jack. This might bring us closer to the Miracle so I look forward to seeing things unfold. Overall, another excellent episode.

Rating: 9/10

Miracle Day: The Categories of Life

"They just took control of life and death."

 

Writer: Jane Espenson

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5th August 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.05

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther

Synopsis 

Torchwood goes undercover and discovers the terrible truth behind the Miracle. The enemy is closing in and death is about to make a shocking return.

Verdict 

Miracle Day: The Categories of Life was another outstanding episode in the fourth series of Torchwood and quickly eclipsed Escape to L.A. as the best story so far in this Miracle Day series. It truly has been brilliant and as we reach the halfway mark things are starting to become clearer. However, we're still some way off from finding out the truth about the Miracle and more prominently it's connection with Jack and Torchwood. There were no further mentions of the families referred to by the Gentleman in the last episode but I'm sure we'll be hearing about them again soon. The title of the episode perfectly tells us what happens in this story and it's not pretty at all. It's disturbing and the build up to the revelation about the overflow camps was timed and drip fed to the viewer perfectly. The new makeshift Torchwood team had a new member on board in the form of Vera who I think had been a terrific character in the four previous episodes. She was disgusted by the new legislation on life and the idea of governments and officials having control over life and death was something she had to fight again. Rex was delighted to see her on board and it was clear the pair enjoyed some kind of relationship together. Gwen had returned back to Cardiff following her father's placement in one of the overflow camps and it was superb to see Cardiff Airport as it is a place I have been a few times. Having an overflow camp in Cowbridge seemed strange but I guess because there is nothing much there it was the perfect place to have one and hide everything from the public eye. She was delighted to see her family again and the moment she was reunited with Rhys was fantastic. The categories were quite horrific and the way the health care system was processing it was nothing short of a disgrace. It seemed that people had a complete lack of respect for life. The fate of those deemed category 1 was shambolic. After Rex used his injury sustained in The New World to get into an overflow camp, the horrifying truth was soon revealed. Gwen had got into a Welsh one by impersonating a nurse and Esther and Vera had also gotten into the same camp as Rex. Vera posed as an inspector and what she found was diabolical. Colin was a pathetic man and way Vera obliterated him with words was incredible. She would pay with her life though. Colin, in a cowardly move overwrought with being belittled, shot her twice. That wasn't the worst of it though as in this new age she could survive a gunshot wound. What she couldn't survive was being burned alive. If flesh was burned to nothingness, no miracle would bring you back to life. That's what was happening to the category 1 designated people. Ovens all over the world. My coinage of a Nazi feel in my blog of the last episode is now very appropriate. Rex having to watch and film Vera die was extremely unsettling but it sets things up incredibly. The Miracle rally was also sublime with Oswald giving one hell of a speech. Jack's attempts to reveal the truth about PhiCorp were good but not good enough. I'm intrigued to see who Jilly was impressing and I'm sure we'll find out in due course. We're only at the halfway stage but boy this has been good. Another incredible episode.

Rating: 10/10

Miracle Day: Escape to L.A.

"Dead is dead. We are surrounded by people who should have died."

Writers: Jim Gray & John Shiban

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29th July 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.04

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther

Synopsis 

Torchwood follow PhiCorp to California to continue the fight and attempt to discover the truth behind the Miracle. Elsewhere, Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger face off against their own adversaries...

Verdict 

Miracle Day: Escape to L.A. was simply outstanding and is thus far my favourite episode of the fourth series of Torchwood! It was just magnificent. There was excellent character development, story advancement and also some fantastic action. I really like that Torchwood are back on the run after Dead of Night but Esther is still showing her infancy when it comes to being a part of the Torchwood team. She went to visit her sister before leaving for Los Angeles, or more specifically Venice Beach, but was not allowed to see her nieces due to Sarah's paranoia about the disease that he Miracle had brought to humanity. This caused Esther to call in social services but she did want what happened to occur. Sarah was put into psychiatric therapy whilst her two children were soon to be given foster parents. Esther was feeling very sad about the fact that she was the one who called them in and Rex was giving her a hard time about going in person. He knew she could have been followed and that was precisely what happened with the mysterious assassin known only as 'The Gentleman'. He was following the Torchwood team for most of the episode and once he finally had Gwen and Jack captured, he revealed quite a lot about the Miracle. He was hired to kill Jack but that only intrigued him. He wanted to know why and also how Jack wasn't immortal. This episode pretty much confirmed that there is a direct connection between Jack and the Miracle and it seems that somebody in a high position at PhiCorp wants him dead. The connection is something that happened long ago in Jack's past and the mention of families being involved really intrigued me. This Miracle has been planned for many years and it somehow involves geography. What that means, I'm not entirely sure but I can't wait to find out. Jack was just as confused by that particular connection with the Miracle. It appeared that the Gentleman was going to reveal all about those who hired him but after an epic struggle of climbing 33 flights of stairs, Rex shot him as close to dead as he could get. The role of Oswald Danes in events is becoming clearer and the way he took back the spotlight from Ellis Hartley Monroe and the Dead is Dead campaign was superb. Brian Pullman really is a brilliant actor and he's playing his role so well. The way Jack and Gwen acquired the biometrics of Nicolas Frumkin was hilarious as Gwen looked and sounded utterly stupid. Her attire was bad enough but that accent was embarrassing awful! I'm glad that she was mortified. She looked a great deal better when they infiltrated PhiCorp. The way they got in was terrific with Esther showing that she's a valuable member of the Torchwood team by intercepting the calls and getting the building schematics up brilliantly. I'm loving the continued use of the Torchwood contact lenses and they really are a superb tool! Jack using the alias of John Smith was a great homage to the Doctor and it reminded us of the Torchwood connection with Doctor Who. The creation of overflow camps sounded horrific and very Nazi-like and things were made even more complicated with Rhys calling to say he'd gotten Gwen's Dad on the scheme. That was a good ending to what was a simply brilliant episode. The best of the series yet! Once again, Torchwood very rarely fails to impress.

Rating: 10/10

Miracle Day: Dead of Night

"The future is now endless. And it's terrifying."

Writer: Jane Espenson 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 28th July 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.03

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther

Synopsis 

Torchwood goes on the run and finds a new enemy, but as they launch a raid on PhiCorp headquarters, Jack must confront the mysterious Oswald Danes...

Verdict 

Miracle Day: Dead of Night was an excellent episode of Torchwood and continued the series story along very nicely! Things are falling into place now with connections between PhiCorp and the Miracle made as well as the first contact between Oswald Danes and Torchwood. With the Torchwood team, or what remained of it, now in America and a new team assembled, the search for the cause of the Miracle was well under way. The new Torchwood team didn't all get along and there was conflict due to the strain and stress of what was going on, but they made a very good team. I really like the concept of the Soulless and their look is really unique. I am sure they'll have a big impact in the episodes ahead, of which there are seven left so the blog will still be focused on Torchwood for another week yet. I really loved the relationship between Gwen and Esther in this story and it brought Gwen's Torchwood story full circle. I saw a lot of Gwen from her early days in Everything Changes and Day One in Esther and it was nice that she was the experienced one comforting the newbie. It was no secret Esther was struggling and that's understandable! Her argument with Rex wasn't nice with the way he belittled her but despite not being the nicest person, there's something that's just likeable about him. Vera certainly seems to think so as well as they got it on in an extremely visual sexual encounter. We saw a lot of Vera which left very little to the imagination and I was surprised that occurred in a story set in the Doctor Who universe. There were no complaints from me but I imagine there were those who didn't approve. I think viewers would have been more put off by the sex scene (not an explicit one) between Jack and another man. I imagine there were a lot of younger fans watching Torchwood because of Captain Jack so to see that must have come as a bit of a shock. It's not something I really wanted to see to be honest. The infiltration of PhiCorp was very good and the revelation that they were prepared for the Miracle was superb. I can't wait to find out how they are involved with the eradication of death. Nobody can die and things initially point to a drugs company wanting to make a big profit. PhiCorp's connection with Oswald Danes is something I can't quite wrap my head around but it seems that the company are going to use him as their face of the company, with all the sympathy he's getting. That disgusts me. He raped a 12 year old girl and after what he said to Jack, I despise the character and that's brilliant. Pullman plays the role perfectly. Jilly's involvement with both him and Vera is intriguing and I'm looking forward to that panning out. The ending though was uncomfortable seeing how much people are falling under the spell of Oswald Danes. Overall, another brilliant episode! Torchwood rarely seems to fail. We even had terrific references to Children of Earth: Day Four and Children of Earth: Day Five.

Rating: 9/10