We Always Get Out Alive

"Everything looks the same in the dark."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: May 2018

Series: Torchwood Monthly 21

Featuring: Gwen, Rhys

Synopsis

Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams are on the run from a cataclysm. They're the only survivors, and they're driving away from the disaster as fast as they can. They've got to get away, they've got to warn the authorities, and they just can't be late for the babysitter again.

Dim problem. After all, they're Torchwood and they always get out alive. But this time there's something in the car with them. Isn't there?

Verdict

We Always Get Out Alive was an outstanding Monthly Adventure from Big Finish for Torchwood! This has to rank right up there at the top as far as my favourite stories go from this range and part of that was just the simplicity. This was a sublime two-hander with Gwen and Rhys and it was so much fun to just hear them talking on a car journey back home after they thought they had defeated an alien threat once again. I liked how things took them to West Wales here as it's nice to get out of Cardiff and into places like Llanelli which just aren't commonplace in the Doctor Who universe. That worked very well. I liked how that started right from the off with a really fun start as Gwen and Rhys bantered over a fake call to let the authorities know what had happened. That was terrific and just really delightful to hear them enjoying a laugh like that. The incident at the holiday camp provided a good basis of where Gwen and Rhys were departing, and it was an interesting question posed by the latter in wondering whether Gwen enjoyed the fighting and dealing with aliens too much. That was a big worry for Rhys and he genuinely wasn't sure what she'd have left if that all ended tomorrow. The issue of no phone signal wasn't unique for Wales but with the sat-nav also not working and constant missed turnings suggested something else was at work. They couldn't even remember what turnings they had or had not taken and were soon lost trying to get to Llanelli and the motorway home to Cardiff. They actually ended circling back to the camp which was amusing and Rhys was really struggling and getting frustrated with the physical map. The repetition of events but having who was driving between Gwen and Rhys changing was really well done and I liked how signs for Llanelli didn't get where was required. Rhys being blind was a brilliant issue and it was a strong performance from Kai Owen in selling that. The drama play on the radio was really good with Gwen and Rhys hearing themselves in distorted circumstances, coupled with their memory of the holiday camp events being hazy. It was fun when they realised that events were looping and could get on the case of solving the issue to get home. Gwen's description of the boxes in her mind was wonderful and I loved the impact of Rhys questioning how many people she had killed. That was one hell of a question! She clearly felt guilt for those lives she had taken. The moment where the pair were blurting out random comments as if they were both consumed by other thoughts was magnificent and stellar performances from Owen and Eve Myles. They realised they had been played and the voice of the alien was on the back seat all along, unseen but spotted in the rear view which was terrific. Rhys encouraging Gwen to fight it and the crash sealing its fate was superb and made for a really impactful conclusion! I loved the extra touch of the crackled end credits music on the radio to close what was a quite brilliant audio adventure. Overall, a fantastic listen!

Rating: 10/10