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