Red Skies

"Torchwood is everything."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: Audio

Released: May 2012

Series: Torchwood BBC Audio 09

Featuring: Captain Jack

Synopsis

Jack Harkness is in need of a holiday. He wants to get away from Torchwood, away from the human race – and where better to get completely away from it all than Cotter Paluni's World, a planet surrounded by deadly scarlet lightning and cut off from the entire universe?

But there are some shocks in store for Jack: the "Devil's World" might be completely isolated and inaccessible, but its inhabitants worship Torchwood. And before he can find out why, or how this is even possible, he finds himself arrested for murder. 

It looks as if someone on the planet knows who Jack is – and they're out to get him...

Verdict

Red Skies was an excellent story to continue my way through the Torchwood Tales collection! It's a shame I'm nearing the end now and whilst I do love that this episode is once again set after the events of Miracle Day and giving Torchwood life beyond the television series, I'm sad that it's going to end. I fully appreciate that Big Finish have continued the adventures of Torchwood in an incredible way, but I think their description of Aliens Among Us and beyond as the official continuation of the television series is nothing more than a marketing ploy. It all ties back with their own monthly series which is brilliant, but these feel more original as a continuation and now I've only got one left! I liked that this was focused on Captain Jack as the only Torchwood member featuring in the story and if anybody is going to hold his own as the lead character, it was him. I must admit I hadn't heard of John Telfer before and my research shows that he had never actually been in Torchwood so he was an interesting choice to narrate this adventure but I thought he did an impressive job! His take on Captain Jack was probably a little too American but that's not exactly uncommon! His variation when it came to the likes of Kim, Torsten or the God itself was excellent. The planet of Cotter Paluni's World was an intriguing setting and I liked that it was basically cut off from the entire universe. After everything that had happened recently, it's no surprise that he wanted a break from everything planet Earth and humanity. So when he was ordering at a bar some lovely vegetable puree after learning much to his dismay that this world did not know what alcohol was, his reaction when Kim casually said 'praise be to Torchwood' was fantastic. He was obviously stumped and he just couldn't escape it! The concept of Torchwood being everything from the religion to the government to the very town they were in was brilliant and I loved how eery things felt. It just felt wrong to describe Torchwood in such a way. I liked the distinction from Jack that whilst Torchwood would eventually be taken beyond just Earth as the human race expanded and travelled the stars, this was completely the wrong time. It shouldn't happen here. The little flashbacks Jack was having were fascinating and I liked that he was seeing a whole variety of death. From Susie in Everything Changes to those of his old colleagues in Torchwood Three at the end of the 1990s. That was very nicely done. Jack remembering fondly the likes of Ianto, Owen, Tosh and Esther was delightful too and it was important to mark the deaths of these incredible characters who made such a mark on Torchwood. I thought the reveal and build to Martin as the God that was Torchwood was quite something and I appreciated the unique nature of what was happening! He was at one with the God after Jack thought he had died way back when, but the struggle was getting too much and time just ran out for him at the end of the story. It was quite emotional really as we could hear the inner turmoil and torment within Martin in this god but degraded form, and Jack clearly had pity as well. He understood the need for adventure and a sentient spaceship is some way to go about that, but it had gotten too much. The relationship between Jack and Torsten was the highlight of the episode for me with the latter coming to terms in realising he was gay. That was great stuff especially on a world where sex was purely viewed for reproduction and not pleasure. That was a really strong exploration of sexuality and Jack was obviously right for that. Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 9/10