Ghost Train

"You want to keep me here so the world ends."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Torchwood BBC Audio 06

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Rhys

Synopsis

It's not easy being Rhys Williams. You're married to the sexiest woman in Torchwood. She saves the world for a living, you move lorries round in a timely fashion.

Suddenly, you've got a mystery of your own. Oh, it starts off being about missing fridges. But it leads to a midnight train pulling into an abandoned platform at Cardiff Station. What is the mysterious cargo that Rhys is unloading from the train? Where's it going? And what can be behind it?

Rhys Williams is going to get to the bottom of it. All by himself, thank you ver much. Soon Captain Jack is missing, his wife's dead, and it's up to Rhys to try and put everything right. And find those fridges...

Verdict

Ghost Train was an excellent audio adventure to continue my way through the Torchwood Tales release! I usually do think these can be a little on the long side with this one reaching some 139 minutes, but it was an absolute breeze to listen to. I think a lot of credit for that must go down to Kai Owen with his narration. He is such a gem as the character of Rhys and whilst initially just something of a minor character as Gwen's boyfriend, he grows to become a crucial part of the Torchwood cog. It's honestly a travesty that Rhys isn't a part of the cover artwork for this story as he's the star attraction. I mean, the entire thing is told in first person from his perspective! It really was like an extended Torchwood version of a Companion Chronicles for Rhys which was an absolute delight. I'm a really big if it wasn't obvious already! I also think it helps that a writer like James Goss is so familiar with the city of Cardiff. Getting mentions of the likes of Cardiff Queen Street and Grangetown train stations is so fun as a local to the city because they're just not usually places that are mentioned in the mainstream. Sure, the audience for a Torchwood audio adventure are going to be niche but I love the way the locale is described. Even the likes of Radyr get mentioned when Ianto had cured a plague in the area! It definitely helps being from the area and living within the region. I thought the continuity with the wider Whoniverse was brilliant in utilising Rhys's position at a haulage company and remembering the events of The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky as the ATMOS went wild. The descriptors on the satnavs here were a little on the nose too! Never did I think I'd hear an automated voice describe someone as a slut. Only in Torchwood. Getting a little mention of Derek the weatherman was a fun anecdote too to make reference to Derek Brockway, a popular Welsh weatherman. He'd be well chuffed! I liked the ridiculousness of Rhys being concerned about some missing fridges and whilst he knew there was something going on that did require Torchwood's involvement, he appreciated how mad it sounded. It was clear in this audio how much Rhys appreciated his girlfriend Gwen, along with her arse, which was really nice to hear. Sure there was banter and sexual innuendo, but he really cared for her. He missed her. When he ended up back in time and having to live without seeing her for a couple of weeks, he didn't cope too well! He couldn't wait to see her again. I thought the ghost train concept was fun and really eery. Not many trains go to Cardiff Queen Street past midnight! The numerous clones of Powell made for an intriguing image across Cardiff and I liked how zombified they sounded. It was also chilling to hear how Rhys was not required. Rhys posing as an aid to the gradual invasion was incredible and almost borderline stupendous, but it just about stayed on the right side of logic. He revelled in it though and pushed things to the line but never quite over it. The field of despair was a strong name and I really liked it as an explanation for what was happening in Cardiff. Rhys having to see the station blow up and take his wife and Jack with them was a big shock but lucky for him it sent him back in time where he could fix things under Jack's instruction. His pairing with Ianto was fantastic and I really thought they worked well together. Rhys improvising and using his own unique position in the timeline to put everything back on track was good, even if a little fortunate. That's how it should be for someone like Rhys though with all due respect. Jack turning up as the train driver was a fun way to finish things as well. From cardboard boxes to clones to an eery train station or two, this was a really enjoyable listen! 

the field of despair 

Rating: 9/10