Nightmares: Less Majesty

"Who wouldn't want to be Queen?"

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: April 2022

Series: Torchwood One 4.03

Featuring: Yvonne, Ianto

Synopsis

Yvonne Hartman wakes up in a reasonably nice hotel room next to a dead member of the royal family. Awkward.

Verdict

Less Majesty was another strong episode to conclude the Nightmares fourth series of Torchwood One! This has been a really consistent boxset and I quite like that the series took on the approach of just going with single episodes and no overlapping story arc. That isn't needed each and every time and the nightmarish theme worked well. It was interpreted in different ways by each of the writers which was great as nothing felt repetitive. These were no repeat nightmares! The way this episode started was pretty amusing in having Yvonne wake up in bed next a member of the Royal Family. Except it was a dead member of the Royal Family now. One who was due to give a speech that was supposedly going to revolutionise and save the world. Alignment was on the cards but now that he was dead, that obviously wasn't going to be possible. Given her positioning within Torchwood One, I think it's quite fun for Ianto to be her first port of call when she realised the gravity of her situation, and his reaction upon arrival didn't exactly do much to quench her fears. The hotel room setting was excellent and it's quite crazy to think that this is where the entire episode takes place. There's not a lot of room to venture there but it never felt restricted or claustrophobic which was impressive. I thought they would almost certainly have to venture out for the episode to last an hour but alas I was completely wrong! They were more worried about people getting in which was a delight to hear. Before we got to the humorous ways of hiding the dead body and the unscheduled guests from the likes of room service and housekeeping, Tommy's arrival was not what I expected at all. I wasn't surprised to find that Ianto had told him about the situation, but his shock and comment at seeing the dead royal in the bed was incredible. He had him on a tea towel! I was nearly howling there. Now, my feelings towards the Royal Family are not positive but some of my family would definitely have merchandise for the kitchen like this, but they're not at all like Tommy! I just couldn't picture him in his kitchen with a princely tea towel. I thought they did a good job at not making too much of a gag out of not naming the royal in question, although Yvonne's insinuation of him not being one of the Queen's favourites doesn't leave a huge amount to the imagination. Tommy suspecting it was actually Yvonne who had done the killing of the prince in a bid to become Queen was a whacky theory but one I loved! Ianto coming under the influence in the hotel room and almost convincing himself by Tommy's story was amusing as well. There was a great deal of subtle comedy in the episode which I liked. The chemistry between the trio was superb and the innuendo regarding the dagger when Ianto and Tommy had to squash together hiding in close proximity was fantastic. It wasn't too much and was just the right amount of banter. The reveal of the Unity and their efforts to lure all of Torchwood to the hotel room and then bomb them to oblivion was quite something, but I think it just came a tad too late. It made a big impact, but all of a sudden they were basically defeated and fell victim to their own drug and laughed at the fact they were being blown up. The way the precision of the knife in the Prince was deduced as being manufactured was nicely done and quite impressive really. It all tied together pretty nicely in the end for what was a really strong finale! Whacky in places, but a really entertaining listen for sure. Give me more Torchwood One! 

Rating: 8/10

Nightmares: Lola

"Working for Torchwood isn't easy."

Writer: Rochana Patel

Format: Audio

Released: April 2022

Series: Torchwood One 4.02

Featuring: Yvonne, Ianto

Synopsis

Ianto Jones thinks something's wrong with Torchwood. So does Yvonne Hartman. The problem is they think it's each other.

Verdict

Lola was another great episode to continue my way through the Nightmares fourth series of Torchwood One! This was a really fun story and I loved the concept in how it was just so very Torchwood. The innocuous nature of how the episode started with Yvonne being suspicious of a cup of coffee being left out showed how paranoid she was as a person as well as being a bit of a control freak when it came to cleanliness. It just wasn't fathomable that the cleaners would leave out a coffee cup so it was up to Ianto to investigate. Amazingly, there was substance quite literally in the request as Kayleigh found traces of retcon within it. I thought that was brilliant because using something like that against Torchwood is tremendous. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner in having the basis of a story like this centred around retcon because it just makes sense. I really appreciated the realism that came from Tommy revealing how numerous Torchwood employees were semi-regular users of the stuff. In a job like Torchwood it was more than understandable why some might want to forget their day's work. I thought Yvonne being suspicious of Ianto was quite amusing and it still does take a little getting used to hearing Ianto in the position and role he is in at this point in Torchwood One. His lack of experience is often something I forget about but he pulls things off very well here. Tommy is a fascinating character too and the way he was on hand to basically pass the baton around of who the retcon suspect was worked well. I thought the revelation that numerous Torchwood One employees had been retconned was good and I loved the truth that came about when they found the note about things going to shite. That was an apt description and Yvonne's reaction to discovering that it was actually her that had ordered the mass retconning was terrific. She instantly changed tact and was incredibly trusting of her past self. There was something to be admired there. Judging from the story synopsis, I was expecting a little more focus on a conflict between Yvonne and Ianto but I don't think I really got it to be honest. Not after the first ten minutes or so. That was no bad thing as I still really enjoyed the episode. It kept me hooked with some strong pacing and the build towards the titular character of Lola was very intriguing. The way things built from that name having significance to Tommy as his lost dog's name was very interesting but things grew from there, just as Lola did. She was an amalgamation of memories and the whole presentation of swapped memories was excellent. I love the idea and just wish a little more was made of it! Kayleigh having the memory of Ianto's grandparents and being confused because she had lost hers before she could remember them was a little eery but I liked the enigmatic feel it provided. The way Ianto was on hand to help defeat Lola and use memories against her was pretty decent, but it felt a little quick and easy, especially right after Kayleigh presented herself as one of those that made up Lola. The little comedy lines at the end between Yvonne and Ianto with the coffee and a dash of retcon was a nice touch and you could sense an air of seriousness in Yvonne. She wasn't wholly pleased with the matter despite it being her idea and the logic behind mass retcon to stop Lola was sound. It just didn't quite pay off. Overall, a really strong story to continue what is shaping up to be a stellar series! 

Rating: 8/10

Nightmares: My Guest Tonight

"I'm usually the one asking the questions."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: April 2022

Series: Torchwood One 4.01

Featuring: Yvonne

Synopsis

Many people have poured out their souls on Nigel Best's sofa. His guest tonight is Yvonne Hartman.

Verdict

My Guest Tonight was an excellent start to the Nightmares fourth series of Torchwood One! This is a very exciting umbrella title for the series as it looks set to delve a little darker than what we have had in the first three instalments and with Yvonne Hartman as the main character in particular, the prospects are very bright indeed. She is such a strong character and her ability to command attention is just enthralling. I'm a big fan of hers and it is actually quite incredible to think about the impact she made purely off one guest appearance in Army of Ghosts. She did her duty for Queen and country, but now we're hearing what she got up to as part of Torchwood One before meeting the Doctor. Her position in the story here was fascinating and whilst she is a really strong character, it was actually Nigel Best who stole the show. He was so intriguing and this was an outstanding acting performance from Jon Culshaw. I'm so used to him being tremendous as the Brigadier or perhaps even one of the earlier Masters, but this was a one off character and he absolutely nailed it. The entire concept of him being a talk show host was brilliant and it was such a unique presentation in the Whoniverse. I thought the expletive language was utilised very well and just made the whole thing feel very real world. That's a huge positive in my book and the ambiguity surrounding what was actually happening to Nigel after his incident with the pods as a child helped with that. It was vague, but not too vague that it felt like things went unanswered. Nigel's reaction to interviewing Yvonne and realising something was very wrong was fun because he was clearly being manipulated. She had ensured that the interview skipped to the end before Nigel could ask about Torchwood, and he was then remembering in drips. Yvonne being interviewed in a dreadfully obvious disguise was fun stuff as Nigel knew he was being played but was rather helpless to do anything about it. The way his emotional torment was presented was certainly the stuff of nightmares as Nigel was basically begging for a breakdown. I felt sorry for him by the end, especially when Yvonne essentially got bored of what she was trying to achieve with Nigel too stubborn to admit what was required. He couldn't believe that he'd gone too far and was basically beyond saving. He knew Torchwood was at play and I do wonder if there will be any kind of story arc moving forward for this series. With the theme of nightmares I'm absolutely fine if there isn't, but just how did he know about Torchwood? The prospect of Yvonne being interviewed about it on screen for a talk show was quite the image. Nigel's conversation with his driver was fun too and the little gag about the fiver for his thoughts was amusing. With inflation and what have you, they certainly cost more than a penny! As a whole, this was a terrific little audio adventure that was just fascinating throughout. I was hooked with the concept of the talk show and Yvonne taking on different forms for the guest and then really tapping into Nigel's childhood and debate of whether it was enough was really nicely done. Overall, a fantastic start to the series!

Rating: 9/10

Echoes Through Eternity: The Questing Beast

"The Vortex viewed as ancient magic."

Writers: Fio Tretheway & Georgia Cook

Format: Audio

Released: November 2024

Series: Short Trips: Gallifrey 1.02

Featuring: Braxiatel

Synopsis 

Battling the Lord Burner, Braxiatel is separated from his friends as they fall through a multitude of alternative Gallifreys. He arrives in a realm where science is magic and there is a Dragon to be slain...

Verdict

The Questing Beast was another great little episode to continue my way through the Echoes Through Eternity Gallifreyan edition of Short Trips! This idea of a release is gaining more and more approval with myself as I reach the halfway point now and it's just so fun to dip into different eras and characters from the incredible range that is Gallifrey. There's so much potential and I sincerely hope this isn't the only release. Having Braxiatel as the main character here was fascinating as he is certainly something of an enigma. He is often shrouded in mystery so it was good to catch up with him at a point where he was falling through numerous versions of Gallifrey in the hope of reaching the Axis and returning to the true version he knew best. I thought the series where we did visit a number of different Gallifreys was really strong and the concept at the heart of this alternation was fantastic! It felt very Gothic and that's perfect for a character like Braxiatel. Instead of Time Lord science having developed on Gallifrey, this was a world of magic. I thought that was tremendous and is certainly something I would love to explore in longer form. This world is certainly ripe for a revisit! The line that I took for my quote is something I absolutely adored and it's not actually all that far fetched. So many peoples and society throughout the vast array we have met in the Whoniverse would simply have stared in awe and wonder at something like the Time Vortex. It's not a big surprise that a Gallifrey in an alternate universe would see it as magic and something to gaze upon. I really enjoyed that and it was delightful to hear Braxiatel getting a little frustrated at the lack of science. It was also good for him to get mixed up with his other self and be put on a trial! His defence of being from another universe and not the true Braxiatel was never going to serve him well. It was great to listen to though! The threat in the story coming in the form of a dragon was terrific, but I must say I was not expecting the reveal that Braxiatel himself – well another version – was the mystical beast! That was a fascinating conversation to say the least as Braxiatel gazed upon himself in a rather different form. I thought the inclusion of Narvin was good and his reaction to Brax calling Leela a savage was shocking! We didn't know that in this universe the pair were actually a couple which was fun to think about, but the former companion of the Doctor had been slain by the dragon. The beastly version of Brax was hardly remorseful about that which was a shame to hear. I liked how on this version of Gallifrey that Romana was viewed upon as the Queen rather than a Lord President. That fitted in very nicely with the magical landscape and it was a title befitting the name. Queen Romana. It just has a certain ring to it that absolutely works. Hearing Braxiatel do battle against his own dragon self was quite the way to go about things and it was a direction I wasn't expecting. I really enjoyed it though and I like how with this just being an instalment in a wider story arc and Brax finding his way through numerous Gallifreys that he was now back on his merry way. He touched upon how Romana, Narvin and Leela always seemed to find each other, but now he would quite like to find them. Overall, a terrific little listen! 

Rating: 8/10

The Ultimate Evil

"This is all so frightening."

Writer: Wally K Daly

Format: Audio

Released: November 2019

Series: Lost Stories 6.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

With the TARDIS working perfectly, the Doctor and Peri decide to take a holiday. But where? A long-forgotten piece of equipment in the TARDIS storage locker sends them to the peaceful and idyllic continent of Tranquela – home of the Doctor's old friend Ravlos.

But the land where they emerge is far from peaceful. A hate ray is regularly sweeping Tranquela, turning its inhabitants into savage beasts, and there is only one place it can originate – the planet's other continent, home of Tranquela's old enemies, the Amelierans.

Or is that the only place? Because somewhere far above the planet events are watched by the slimy super-salesman, Mordant, who has his own unscrupulous plans.

Verdict

The Ultimate Evil was an average Lost Story adventure in my opinion! I must say, I don't think we were missing too much though with this story not being made which is a shame to say. I'm very glad to have covered it and it was a worthy listen, and I'm sure one day that I will also read the novelisation which I was surprised to find existed as part of the Missing Episodes mini range, I do think I would be likely to enjoy the novelisation more because I imagine it would be truer to the television story went unproduced as it would be based more off the script rather than shifting things for the audio format. I thought the directing and sound design for this story was a little weak and as much as I hate to say it I couldn't help but feel that Colin Baker wasn't wholly invested in his Sixth Doctor performance. I'm usually such a fan of his audio work but it just felt lacking here and I think that was partly the fault of the script. The premise at its heart is actually really good and I love the idea of waves of hatred and peace being possible. There's a lot of potential there and the groundwork in which peace had been achieved between the Tranquelans and Amelierans was excellent. The punishments that came from one party of the species spying on the other and stepping foot in other territory was crucial to maintaining a peaceful relationship. Except that was on the brink of a disaster now. The whole familial makeup of the rule was interesting stuff and I enjoyed how the Second Family were out for a war to take over. Peri's relationship with Locas was built pretty well and I liked how she was able to trust him despite his admission at killing his loved one. It was something that he was distraught about and why wouldn't he be? Imagine pushing the person you loved off a cliff and knowing about it, having that memory, but not being able to control yourself from doing it. I certainly sympathised with him as the wave of hate ran over him. I thought the holiday ball that the Doctor used was a bit of a useless gadget and the continuity with The Nightmare Fair was good stuff in positioning the story in the lost run that would have been the original Season 23. Some holiday that was! But this was hardly any better. I thought Mordant was a decent enough villain and I liked that he was scheming from the shadows for much of the story, but that actually hurt things by the end in my opinion as I didn't feel like he really had his comeuppance. He was just forced into sending a peace wave across the planet to quell the tensions of both races. That was somewhat disappointing because at numerous times the Doctor was helpless which is not something we are used to hearing. He was completely ravaged by the wave of hatred and couldn't remember being so. That's very unlike him! The significant of Escoval and Abatan was presented fine in the dialogue and explanation of the story, but less so in practice. I thought the Doctor's history with Ravlos again absolutely fine but not exactly something to get excited about or all that interested in because he wasn't a familiar character. I thought it was really good to have the story splint into two parts like Season 22 was with the Sixth Doctor as that's something I prefer for sure, although it did at times feel like there were cliffhangers within each part as written. Overall, a decent world and political setup to explore but there was just something missing in the way the story was presented. 

Rating: 6/10

Death Riders

"This thing could crash at any moment."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Novel

Released: February 2011

Series: 2in1 1a

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

It's not all fun at the Galactic Fair...

The Galactic Fair has arrived on the missing asteroid of Stanalan and anticipation is building around the construction of the fair's most popular attraction – the Death Ride! But there is something sinister going on behind all the fun of the fair; people are mysteriously dying in the Off-Limits tunnels. Join the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they investigate...

Verdict

Death Riders was a great novel to kick off my long overdue reading of the 2in1 novels from the era of the Eleventh Doctor! For whatever reason, I have passed up on reading these novels because I don't think I took them seriously. But when I had this book in hand from my local library, I was delighted with the quirkiness of two stories in the same book and the way it literally flips over into the other adventure! It's really rather fun. I just feel sorry for the author whose story was placed the wrong way around on the bookshelf! The trio of the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory are presented ever so well in the adventure and I was so impressed with how well their personalities and relationships were put into prose. It was effortlessly part of the era which was terrific and really helped with the read. I thought there was some strong humour and the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor in particular was sublime. Matt Smith's likeness was absolutely nailed by Justin Richards and that instantly helps with my reading. The concept itself was intriguing and after a humorous arrival on an asteroid, the Galactic Fair was not what I was expecting from the bleak landscape initially described. After a quick TARDIS turnaround, the adventurous look around the Fair quickly focused on one ride in particular. One that wasn't even complete yet. The concept behind the Death Ride I must say was a little far fetched, but with it being in the thirty-third century and part of a wide-travelling fair on an asteroid, I could let it slide a little. I thought Perpetual Pete was a fun character and although the comments about him smelling didn't seem all that necessary, his persistence when it came to the Off-Limits zones hinted at something more. I didn't get that sense right away though so I liked how things were paced out. I thought the build to the Death Ride itself being finished was good although I just couldn't accept that the moment it was completed that it would be deemed safe to ride! It was fun though to have a rollercoaster as the central premise for a story and it was incredibly whacky for Rory to be climbing from one carriage to the next as it was going through the mining caves. I thought the Doctor immediately cottoning on to the fact that Pete had knowledge he wasn't sharing was good and the way he challenged him was excellent. Pete didn't do a great job in hiding it once challenged and he knew the game was up against Doctor Clever. That was such a name this Doctor would take on. I thought the history behind the Drexxons was decent and the literal connection a smaller one shared with Garvo became quite the talking point in the story. Amy was aghast that the Drexxon appeared to be chained up to its master and as a slave, but I must say I called it straight away. I knew it would be the other way around and that the Drexxons were the villains! The whole story behind the Perpetuity Chamber was good and I liked how Pete had been on hand for centuries to stop it being reached. But the time had come now after using the Galactic Fair as a front to search far and wide. And here we were. The action that came in the conclusion was a little difficult to imagine with the balancing of the carriages, but I did enjoy how everything was pushed back into the Perpetuity Chamber to really seal things off. Quite literally! The Doctor calling back to The Curse of Peladon with the Venusian lullaby was a nice touch considering we had trisilicate featured in the mines as well. Overall, a really strong story to kick off the series! Intrigue, fun, action and some superb characterisation. A terrific read! 

Rating: 8/10

Echoes Through Eternity: Damned If You Do

"Alteration is not an option."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: November 2024

Series: Short Trips: Gallifrey 1.01

Featuring: Narvin

Synopsis

CIA Coordinator Narvin is unwillingly called upon to find some lost students – aliens admitted to the hallowed Academy. But when Narvin and Cadet Kransa enter the Catacombs, nothing will be the same...

Verdict

Damned If You Do was a really strong start to the Echoes Through Eternity edition of Short Trips! I love the idea of the Short Trips doing spinoffs and a collection of short stories from across the history of the Gallfirey spinoff range is such a tremendous idea! There is so much potential there as it's a series vast with exploration and just superb storytelling. We went back towards the start here and it was so fun to hear Narvin talk of Romana with something akin to distain. That's a very different approach to the Narvin of the current era of Gallifrey during the Time War. His feelings towards Leela and Romana have grown exponentially and he cares for them a great deal, but here he was at a point where he wasn't exactly becoming to outsiders, not really a fan of anyone on Gallifrey who wasn't from a noble house, and was trying to save his entire planet and people from its own Lord President! It's quite the place we find Narvin in at this point in time and it was just a delight to step back into that era. The story itself was a pretty simple one whilst being incredibly intriguing. I really liked how for Narvin this was almost something of an exploratory episode as we looked ahead to his character and the significance that he will bring to the future. His interactions with the Time Shade were fascinating and I liked how he knew of them as myths from the Dark Times. There is definitely something more to come with the way Narvin adventures of similar names are bookending this Short Trips release. I liked the way Narvin saw a flash forward of everything to come and the significance of the burning planet in particular was nicely done. His importance in setting alight the Time War was touched upon nicely and I like how once his time with the Shade was over, he could only think of Krasta when remembering blurs of that burning planet. She as a cadet was an interesting little character and I suspect she will become more significant in the finale. Before we got there though it was good to hear her inquisitive nature. Narvin showing distain towards Romana was amusing and I liked how he was not all too pleased by the Free Time movement. His reaction to hearing how some of the aliens had actually looked upon the Untempered Schism. That was quite a surprise for him and he wasn't impressed with that. It wasn't just for anyone to look upon it! He was somewhat boastful when it came to his nature as being time sensitive and being exposed to the Schism in the past, but with the aliens not being natives the potential trouble was there. He also wasn't a fan in general of just being sent on the lookout for a number of missing students. He didn't think they should be on Gallifrey in the first place so for them to go missing didn't sound all that bad as far as he was concerned! That wasn't something Kastra agreed with and Narvin having to stop himself on a couple of occasions was fun to hear. He wasn't quite put in his place but he knew that he was speaking out of turn in terms of being politically correct. The way things ended with the memory distortion was good and Narvin seeking to stop the President, whilst also touching upon Kastra's memory. A fine start to the series! 

Rating: 8/10