Heroes of Sontar

"We die for Sontar, the death of our enemies is why we live."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: April 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 146

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

Planet Samur was once a peaceful haven. Pilgrims journeyed across the seven galaxies to meditate in the courtyards of the vast Citadel that spanned its equator. It was Samir's misfortune, however, to find itself situated on the furthermost frontier in the eternal war between the amoeboid Rutan Host and the belligerent, troll-like Sontarans...

Twenty years after detonating a bacteriological weapon over Samur, rendering it uninhabitable, the Sontarans are back: a select platoon of seven has landed here on a secret mission, carrying sealed orders given to them by Fleet Marshall Stabb.

The TARDIS has landed here, too, bringing the Doctor, Tegan, Turlough and Nyssa into the second great Battle of Samur. Fighting not only the Sontarans but mystical mercenaries... and a deadly, decades-old curse.

Verdict

Heroes of Sontar was a brilliant audio adventure to kick off this trilogy of stories for the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough. I was very excited about this as it's the first Big Finish story to feature the Sontarans and they're absolutely one of my all time favourite villains. I thought they sounded a little weird and not quite genuine at the start, but as more Sontarans were introduced to the story I became accustomed with the Classic design and sound. I love that we get a performed story with the Sontarans taking on the Fifth Doctor and the dynamic of the current TARDIS quartet with the older Nyssa was really presented well here. Nyssa was keen to get a sample of the mysterious moss on Samur as she'd developed quite a lot in the half-century since she initially departed in Enlightenment, but this time it backfired as the moss started to grow on her and was heading towards her brain. I thought the song of the Sontarans when it came to battle was tremendous and right at home with the silliness and seriousness of them as monsters at the same time. Turlough had a pretty quiet adventure in all honesty whilst Tegan's interaction with the Sontarans was just magnificent. She didn't hold back in her comments and the sequence where she called one of them shorty and saw that mockery as an intention of war was excellent. I liked the Sontaran continuity in this story with the files of Styre being mentioned amidst a lovely The Sontaran Experiment reference that seemed to have him post his findings and mentioning of the Doctor posthumously. The praying to Linx was also lovely stuff and a great harking back to The Time Warrior. The Sontaran advance to Samur was intriguing and I enjoyed that it was their deepest penetration into Rutan space. The history of their involvement on Samur was not expected and it actually led to a temporary alliance between the Sontarans and the Doctor and his companions. That was a great dynamic and the curse placed on the Sontarans from the Witch Guards was actually fantastic. I liked that history and involvement with the Sontarans actually going back to where they reduced the people of Samur and the Guards to the moss that covered the planet now, and they were immune to it which was helpful! Field Marshall Stabb made for a good head of the Sontarans and his name was very apt! Nyssa's emotional revelation to Tegan about having a husband and a son was a fine injection of emotion into the story and I'm interested as to why she won't tell the Doctor. I get the feeling Tegan won't let that go so easily. I thought the conclusion of this adventure was pacy and exciting and a fitting sendoff for the Witch Guards with the use of the seven Sontarans. The moment where the Sontaran had to admit that there were just seven of them to fend off on that fateful day twenty years ago was glorious stuff. The use of sealed orders was really fun and the fact that there were no orders actually held within was expected, but really good. These Sontarans were expendable and not the smartest of the clone batch, but they weren't giving in early as the curse was lifted. Overall, an excellent audio!

Rating: 9/10

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

The Tactics of Defeat

"Enough of these games, I set the rules here."

Writer: Tony Jones

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Companion Chronicles: Second Doctor 2.04

Featuring: Zoe, Ruth

Synopsis

In the rain-swept jungle of Belize, Captain Ruth Matheson and Zoe Heriot are both about to discover just what sacrifices they are prepared to make when faced with a seventeenth-century threat that might just spell death for millions of innocent people.

Does the end justify the means? Sometimes winning feels exactly like losing...

Verdict

The Tactics of Defeat was an excellent adventure to conclude the second volume of Companion Chronicles for the Second Doctor! Whilst the Second Doctor barely featured for more than a cameo in this story, this was definitely the best story of the volume! Ruth Matheson is a really strong character that has come into her own across a number of Companion Chronicles such as Tales From the Vault and Mastermind, and having her actually encounter a companion of the Doctor was terrific. The recording from the Vault containing vital information and an account from Zoe of her visit to the Belize jungle was really good and I loved how it all came full circle in the end with the TARDIS actually arriving at the cliffhanger. Deakin was an excellent villain and I really did have feelings of the Jigsaw killer from the Saw franchise with the prospect put to Ruth by him. The vial contained surviving remnants of a super plague from the seventeenth century which was intriguing and I loved that it was part of the Pepys collection. That was a lovely blend of history and sci-fi, and Ruth clearly gave away her hand too early by offering $5m for the vial. Deakin was not interested in money given his predicament and being tied down to the jungle with the alien biotech keeping him alive, so he challenged her to offer something he actually wanted. Their dialogue was superb and he was always pushing her. The pair going back and forth with the silent treatment was terrific as well. It really made the title of the audio apt as there was a lot of tactical manoeuvring. Ruth offering a device to track time machines and then having the TARDIS arrive was good stuff and I loved the cliffhanger once Zoe exited the TARDIS. It was already established fact through the tape recording that Zoe died in this jungle, so Deakin decided that it must be Ruth who did it if she wanted the vial. That was a brilliant setup for the second part and whilst I expected more of a presence for the Doctor and Jamie, they weren't actually missed. The moment where Ruth and Zoe met was tense and I loved the logical application from the latter when she was told of the situation and the threat made by Deakin. She didn't seem at all bothered by the fact she would die if it meant saving populations of countries like Belize and Guatemala. Whilst Ruth didn't essentially push Zoe to her death, she died so the deal was kept up. Zoe knew what she was looking at in the form of a teleport device that put someone a few minutes forward in time, so she took then plunge knowing it would seal the vial's safe passage to UNIT. Zoe recognising UNIT was great too. I loved how Ruth did admit that she could kill someone, if that person was Deakin. The missile being called in was very good and she wasn't bothered at all that he would have his fate sealed. As far as she was concerned, he deserved it and I couldn't really blame her! Ruth getting that glimpse of the TARDIS interior was a wonderful moment and I must admit I was quite surprised that Zoe adhered to her request of leaving quickly. Ruth was left behind which didn't seem right, but as a whole this was an excellent audio!

Rating: 9/10

The Mega

"War isn't a game."

Writer: Bill Stretton (Adapted by Simon Guerrier)

Format: Audio

Released: December 2013

Series: Lost Stories 4.04

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

"This is a warning. Your aggression cannot go unchecked. The West must disarm. We will make you disarm."

When an assassination follows the first demonstration of a deadly new weapon, it appears that an alien race has fired the opening salvo in a new war – a war... for peace.

But is that truly their intent? The Doctor is unsure. The answer lies deep in the heart of a distant country. A place where a man might be a hero or a traitor. Where a man has to face the menace... of the Mega.

Verdict

The Mega was a very decent Lost Stories adventure! I think it's quite incredible that this is the only release in the range to feature the Third Doctor as surely there must be more 'lost' scripts out there from his era, but this was a nice instalment and a story that I think would have fitted right into the early Third Doctor seasons. I liked how it was clearly placed there with the Doctor still holding a grudge against the Brigadier for the events at the end of Doctor Who and the Silurians. I must say that Katy Manning and Richard Franklin did a terrific job with the narration of this story, with the former in particular impressing with her impression of Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor really holding up well. She was fantastic and that was no easy task given the length of this adventure. I do think that a run time of over three hours did hurt this story a bit as it just didn't need to be that long, I think it could easily have fitted into the traditional 6x25 minute episode format and just dragged on a little too long by the end, but I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and story at heart. The titular Mega initially seemed like it would just be one single creature that was a clone and far from home, but a really good cliffhanger revealed that they were on Earth in abundance. Their plan to actually use the Doctor to essentially destroy Earth and then come and act as saviours to the world they had themselves doomed was very good. It was a foolproof plan actually as they'd used the Doctor's own double crossing against him to show even the Time Lords that it was him who had interfered in the development of the planet. That was impressive. I liked the use of all of the UNIT personnel in the story and the Brigadier once again being challenged on his shoot first ask questions later policy against aliens was powerful stuff. Prince Cassie emerged as a surprise villain in the piece and that was done very well as we learned that he had an army of Mega at his command. His villainous tendencies shone and I liked how he was convinced that the Doctor and Jo had resigned from UNIT to deal with the extra resources on show in the nation of Golbasto. The scale of the threat in this story was impressive and having the Prime Minister vaporised on live television was quite something! I must admit I was quite disappointed by the later revelation that it was just a double. That didn't do a lot for me. The threat of chemical weaponry was great and I really liked the ending with the Doctor turning it against the Mega and ensuring that it would only take them out instead of humanity. The Mega threat encompassing London was good stuff and a molecule ray just sounded dangerous which was good. I liked the real world exposure that this adventure had and it reminded me a lot of the news footage in The Ambassadors of Death, with something similar definitely working well here. I thought the adventure would have fitted right in during the era and it was so much fun that the Master was involved without featuring, being revealed as the architect behind the plan at hand. That was amusing given his proximity to the Third Doctor. As a whole, this was a good story that sadly just went way too long which made it a slight struggle to maintain my interest and concentration thoroughly. If it was trimmed down a little and compressed to inject a bit more pace, I think I'd have enjoyed this even more. Still, a worthwhile listen! 

Rating: 7/10

Industrial Evolution

"Someone is collecting bits of people."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 145

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

19th century Lancashire: the white heat of the Industrial Revolution burns hottest at Samuel Belfrage's brass mill, a mill plagued by more than its fair share of work-related injuries.

While Thomas Brewster struggles to secure a fair deal for Belfrage's overworked hands, fellow travellers the Doctor and Evelyn follow the Copper King to Liverpool, there to discover the unexpected truth about Belfrage's business. 

Back in Ackleton, the local MP voices the fears of many when he says that the machines are taking over. He's more right than he knows...

Verdict

Industrial Evolution was a very good story to conclude this trilogy of Monthly Adventures for the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn! It seems to round out the time for Thomas Brewster in the TARDIS and it started with him seemingly having already departed as he was at the mill with Steven and talked about losing all that he had seen whilst travelling. Clara Stretton was a terrific character as the would-be artist and she was actually there inspecting on the conditions Townsend had in place at the mill which was great. The injury to Steven was pretty gruesome for him losing fingers and that sparked the Doctor and Evelyn to reveal they hadn't left the nineteenth century and returned to help. Brewster wasn't best pleased by that and his leading of the work revolt was brilliant. I liked how it was Evelyn's idea to drop Brewster off and stay for a while to look after him and whilst there, the Doctor grew suspicious about Belfrage. That was a good step and his inspection of the mill confirmed all of the machinery was in fine working order and that put to rest Brewster's uprising. Belfrage quickly accepting the workers' terms of longer breaks and shorter hours was unexpected but Townsend seemed outraged by that. The alien device in Belfrage's office was interesting and having it turn out to be the answer for the inhibitor later in the adventure was excellent. The cliffhanger of the man with pipes was good danger and I liked the mystery of the Doran spaceship leaving with Belfrage. He was clearly more than he seemed and was guilty about something. He was actually a Cahlian and was smuggling salt which I didn't expect but that was illegal on galactic law due to Earth not being fully developed yet. Belfrage was stranded and the Doctor offered him passage which was nice, but the salt had to stay behind. Townsend not knowing about the cellar systems was interesting as there was more at play than he knew and I liked the mechanical hands emerging which became quite the picture! The catalyst device was fantastic and I liked how it used existing technology to enhance it. It was left to its own devices whilst Belfrage embarked on a Grand Tour and that meant it had developed drastically! Brewster making a deal with Belfrage was great and another example of his lack of loyalty. Gibson's fingers growing back was quite incredible and the monsters arriving for the hand and wanting fresh meat in the form of Townsend was eery. The cliffhanger of them now coming for more than just hands and fingers was marvellous. Rob Stretton accepting death due to the technology was a shock and his focus on the natural was a highlight for me. Clara had to watch on as she knew her dad would die which must have been tough, but Thomas was doing his best to tackle the monsters with fire and pushing in front of a train much to the Doctor's dismay. The monster's organic elements being human was good whilst then inorganic were just pipes and metal, quite the makeup! They were created in the cellar by the catalyst which made sense, but the desertion of Stretton's house being consumed and him surviving did not. He claimed to be saved by the land and couldn't be touched in the natural world which was great stuff. The threat of no way out of Appleton and everyone being dead was a strong final cliffhanger and I liked that the catalyst couldn't fight and hid itself away whilst building a nest for the vital control unit. Stretton's religious claims were powerful and I loved the revelation that he was robotic but still loathed technology. He'd do penance once he'd used it for what he deemed necessary, and the Doctor was less than thrilled with the inhibitor use. A Cyberman reference went a begging, but the Doctor feeling duty bound to save them if there was any ounce of sentience was lovely. He'd offered to reprogram Stretto's technological hatred and the ambiguity of the entity behind sending Stretton in the first place went unanswered which was a shame. The fate of Brewster in being left behind seemed a bit harsh, and it's also a huge shame that we'll never know how Evelyn came to depart the Sixth Doctor. Overall though, a fitting finale for both! 

Rating: 8/10

The Feast of Axos

"It relates to them, and then it absorbs them."

Writer: Mike Maddox

Format: Audio

Released: February 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 144

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

"Axos calling Earth. Fuel system exhausted. Request immediate assistance."

Many years ago, the vast space parasite Axos attempted to suck the planet Earth of its energy. Now it's all but forgotten – a dried-up husk, marooned in orbit, still stuck in the time loop it was placed in by Earth's defender, the Doctor.

Forgotten, that is, except by space tourism billionaire Campbell Irons – who's hatched a plan to solve the world's energy crisis by reviving Axos, and transmitting its power back to Earth. But the crew of the spaceship Windermere aren't alone aboard the parasite. The Doctor has returned, to correct an error of decades past...

And Axos is waiting.

Verdict

The Feast of Axos was another excellent Monthly Adventure! This is shaping up to be quite the trilogy for the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn alongside Thomas Brewster and following on right where The Crimes of Thomas Brewster left off with the gun threat was excellent. Of course, the magazine was empty which was good to know and I liked how the Doctor suggested leaving Brewster to be imprisoned by DI Menzies. That never materialised though, and a new sort of ship in the form of the Windermere was on hand for space tourism. Ms Slade as an expert on Axos and its history was a superb character and hearing her give a message from the future whilst also hearing the initial landing message from The Claws of Axos was terrific! It established the time loop well and actually entering it was a bit of a surprise. The suggestion that the Third Doctor botched the time loop because of the exile and the block the Time Lords placed on the TARDIS was such a good explanation. I really appreciated that. The suiting up of the TARDIS trio and going into Axos was good stuff and I liked that even the slightest movement gave the organism energy. The threat of being pulled out into the vacuum was strong and the first cliffhanger with Axos awaking and being in the Doctor's mind was brilliant. The body replication of the Doctor was great and I was surprised by how long this version of the Doctor lasted! Axos desiring the secret of time and space travel for their feast worked well, as did the blending of Evelyn confronting Jo in Axos much to her surprise. It brought things together nicely. Brewster being confronted by the the Eye of Axos was intriguing and the offering of him stalling whilst they were weak and being given Axonite was good stuff. Brewster seemed to fluctuate on whose side he was actually on which added good confusion and constant doubt. The accepting of Campbell's offer and the feast beginning cliffhanger was strong with the threat of Africa being fed upon whilst he would blow up his own ship and crew thinking them expendable for Axon energy. The emergence of the Jules Verne ship from the Eurozone was amusing and I liked how Craig called it in and got absorbed for his efforts. They did seem to claim legal control of the vessel which was great. The Doctor considering sacrificing Brewster for the world was obviously a ploy, but Thomas overheard it and didn't react well. Evelyn warming to Brewster was nice and she wanted the Doctor to ensure he'd take him home once all was said and done. Evelyn's joy at space walking was a really nice moment and knowing her fate to come in A Death in the Family, it provides a different perspective on her adventures now. Axos cleverly shifting the sender into a receiver to get energy was very good. I thought the final cliffhanger was incredible with Evelyn inadvertently unhooking herself and drifting away. The use of Newton's third law and not being able to move without drifting further was sublime stuff. It was so emotional. She heard echoes though which was nice and the Jules Verne saved her after it seemed like it had disappeared! The use of the Doctor copy to get out of the time loop was fantastic and the threat of infecting the time stream was strong. Brewster trying to get Earth from Axos in return for his service was quite something, as was Devesham having been drained for energy! Nobody else on Earth was at threat thanks to the time displacement barrier proximity, and of course Brewster was on hand to actually aid the Doctor into tricking Axos back into a time loop which tied things up nicely and kept the continuity intact. The description of Earth at the end from the Doctor was delightful as the intended destination for Brewster now. Overall, a brilliant audio!

Rating: 9/10

The Crimes of Thomas Brewster

"You can turn people into diamonds!"

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: January 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 143

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

Sent down south to assist the Metropolitan Police in their efforts to investigate the gangland kingpin known only as 'the Doctor', Detective-Inspector Patricia Menzies finds herself up to her neck in laser-armed robot mosquitoes, gun-running criminal overlords, vanishing Tube trains... and not one, but two Doctors.

Meanwhile, the real Doctor and his academic assistant Professor Evelyn Smythe have become ensnared in the machinations of an old acquaintance – time-travelling Victorian guttersnipe Thomas Brewster. But what's Brewster's connection to the rapacious robot Terravores? And can anyone contain the gathering swarm?

Verdict

The Crimes of Thomas Brewster was an excellent Monthly Adventure to kick off a new trilogy of adventures for the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn! I loved the action-packed start with the pair being chased by robotic mosquitos and the speedboat getaway was a lot of fun. The use of the Doctor's coat as an overload of visual stimulation was amusing and a great way to incorporate his attire into the adventure. The return of DI Menzies was a welcomed surprise and I loved how the Doctor had no knowledge of her as his adventures with Charley were yet to take place so it was brilliant for Menzies to know all about him. Her efforts to feign knowledge were less than impressive, but she was terrific from start to finish and a welcomed addition to the story. The idea of a 'Doctor' heading a gang was amusing as that so obviously would not be our Time Lord hero, and Menzies being on secondment from Manchester because of her past Doctor experiences was nicely done. Mr Gallagher's driver hijacking the transport of the Doctor and Evelyn was terrific and I liked how they thought the Doctor was the gang head, but misidentification was rampant in this adventure. To keep them quiet, Evelyn was tasked with doing Gallagher a favour by getting on the inside with a wire of the gang Doctor. The emergence of Thomas Brewster returning and being the gang Doctor was completely expected given the story title, but it worked well and having Evelyn believe him to be another incarnation of her Doctor was nicely done. He claimed to be a Time Lord but she name dropped the Daleks to confirm that Brewster was far from the real article. That was great stuff. Mick being killed by the Terravores was brutal and their ability to turn people into diamonds was outstanding! Quite the offer there. Menzies stepping foot in the TARDIS was really nice and her immediate question of wondering where the chairs were was magnificent. Proper Bill Potts vibes there. The Doctor detecting another time machine was good and Evelyn being chased on the Underground and actually ending up on another planet really escalated things quickly! Brewster revealing that he was trying to save this alien planet of Symbios was intriguing as this was where the Terravores were out to ravage, but they needed to eliminate the Doctor who'd stopped them and another case of misidentification ensued. The shooting cliffhanger was good action and I also enjoyed the video file of the Terravores being created thanks to an email from Andromeda by Neville! The focus of Great Portland Street as the breach was really good and I liked the continuity of the Doctor feeling like he'd been there before. Brewster taking the Doctor and Menzies was delightful with the former pretending not to know his old companion, but he knew after the escape that the Doctor was indeed around. However, Menzies quickly interrupting to claim she was the Doctor was marvellous! I was a huge fan of her and I hope this isn't the last of her. Brewster asked for the Doctor's help after the issues with the Locus who the Doctor had apparently assisted before in saving Symbios from the Drahvin! Now that's a story I want to hear. It was quite disturbing for Evelyn to have her form taken by the Locus, and the emergence of the Terravore Queen as the signal worked well. Brewster announcing the Doctor has failed was another decent cliffhanger and finding out about Thomas losing Connie was a solid injection of emotion. She was brain dead after a hit and run and wanted to retrieve his time machine and go back and save her, but that's where the Locus came in to make contact. The Doctor's comments about Symbios deserving to be saved more than Earth was a clear trick, but it was required to convince the listening Terravores and allow Brewster to close the wormhole. With the Terravore being a hive mind, the signal was lost to the Queen and their directive was closed. The cliffhanger finish with Brewster hijacking the TARDIS and demanding being taken back to his own time was brilliant as well! Overall, an excellent audio!

Rating: 9/10

Exit Wounds

"The only strength I have is my hatred for you."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 4 April 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.13

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When the villainous Captain John Hart returns to abduct Captain Jack Harkness whilst unleashing a wave of destruction and terror upon an unsuspecting Cardiff, it's up to Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Tosh to save the day. Meanwhile, Captain Jack is forced to face some demons from his past...

Verdict

Exit Wounds was an outstanding episode to conclude our rewatch of the second series of Torchwood! I think this episode might just be my favourite from Torchwood with it battling out with Captain Jack Harkness for that title. This really is glorious and emotional and brings the story arc concerning Captain John to a neat close. It's fantastic stuff. Starting off with John in control and reigning over the Hub was a lot of fun and the brutality of his machine gun mowing down of Jack set the scene. John was in control. Taking Jack to Cardiff Castle for a vantage point over the city was great, although that's one hell of a stroll from Cardiff Bay and the Hub's location! John being in communication with the rest of the Torchwood team was very good and I loved how he told them all to get to the roofs of the buildings they were in as fifteen simultaneous explosions occurred across Cardiff. They were all at strategic points that wiped out access to and from the city, whilst also knocking out the Central Server Building and life-saving hospital equipment and their backup generators. The city was in turmoil. I thought Rhys was great in this one and his humour when it came to Jack being part of the Time Agency and him thinking it was in Cardiff was tremendous. The way he blurted it to Andy after bragging about knowing more secrets than the PC was wonderful too. His assurance provided to Gwen was brilliant and it was nice to see him fully involved with the Torchwood team. The truth about Gray and how it was actually him in control of John through the molecularly bonded bomb was superb, and it was a nice touch for him to give the ring to Jack when burying him alive. The embrace between Jack and Gray was full of emotion as Jack never thought he would see his brother again, and then was stabbed for letting go of his hand on the beach as we saw in Adam.The prospect of burying Jack alive and having him buried beneath Cardiff to come back to life each time with a mouthful of dirt and die all over again was quite something. That's one way to tackle the curse of immortality! Jack getting the upper hand when being rescued by Torchwood in 1901 was excellent and nice throwback to what we saw in Fragments. For me, this episode was all about Tosh and Owen though. Their deaths were extraordinarily emotional and them happening simultaneously. Tosh was shot by Gray when trying to get Owen through the steps of stopping a citywide nuclear meltdown, and she stayed alive long enough to solve the problem which was admirable. Owen using his position as King of the Weevils to get past the presence of them in Cardiff was brilliant and I liked how he took over the post and needed Tosh to talk him through. She did, but things were already critical and he was just too late after a surge resulted in an emergency lockdown. The prospect of him decomposing whilst watching was horrifying, and the discussion between them about never getting that date was so sad. I remember shedding a tear or two on broadcast and the emotion caught me again here. It was so well written. Tosh dying in Jack's arms was fitting and seeing Ianto type in their deceased status on the Torchwood files was just sad. Jack had dealt with his brother and he was frozen in the Hub, but the cost was incredible. He'd served his penance, but now they had to go on. Overall, an incredible episode!  

Rating: 10/10

Fragments

"You've seen how we deal with threats."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 21 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.12

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

After the gets signs of an unidentified life from, they go to investigate (minus Gwen who's running late). Searching an abandoned building, the team discover they've been trapped and the building explodes. The explosion causes the team to be trapped in various places; unable to contact each other. Gwen and Rhys arrive, and as they dig everyone out, the team's lives flash before their eyes revealing how Jack, Ianto, Owen and Tosh got recruited to Torchwood.

Verdict

Fragments was an excellent penultimate episode of the second series of Torchwood! This really was magnificent from start to finish and was the perfect way to set up what is sure to be a fantastic finale. I love the idea of showing how each Torchwood member found their way into the team and into Jack's service, and it obviously works with Gwen being the one not to be present at the explosion thanks to oversleeping as we saw her arrival in Everything Changes. It's such a fun situation to see Owen, Tosh and Ianto in life before Torchwood and they're a little different to what we might have expected, excluding Ianto. The explosion at the building that was abandoned worked well as a pre-titles scene and having the bombs giving off signatures that seemed to indicate alien life forms was brilliant stuff. The reactions of the team as they split off and found what they were faced with was terrific. A proper oops moment. I thought starting with Tosh was fun and seeing her working at the Ministry of Defence was fantastic and tied in well with the position we saw her in Aliens of London. I think a little bit more of a link to that would have been beneficial for continuity, but it didn't really matter as it was great to see Tosh's mind at work in bypassing the camera feeds and getting the access codes to fix up a sonic manipulator as her mum was being held hostage. Her being a victim of her own success was good and I liked that UNIT were on hand to burst in and save Tosh and her mother. I loved Jack's arrival and saving her from prison because of what she'd stolen, they owed him a few favours which was fun. Her reaction when offered the job was terrific. I thought Ianto referencing the events of Army of Ghosts/Doomsday was really strong and his insistence in getting a job was very amusing. I thought it was wonderful to present the capturing of the pterodactyl as well in his job advertisement. Owen getting set for a marriage is not what I would have expected for him prior to Torchwood but when an alien parasite takes over your fiancé's brain and sees her suffering from memory loss and then kills the surgeons before killing her, I guess the committed relationship life takes a dark turn. Jack needing a medic was a nice touch and he could live his life with purpose now. I thought the best of the lot though was seeing Jack join Torchwood Three relatively soon after the events of The Parting of the Ways where he was seeking the Doctor to come and fix him after several deaths where he resurrected from. He was still not used to the hangover, and the women at Torchwood Three were revelling in it. It showed how he was trying to change Torchwood as well after the needless Blowfish killing. I like that a lot. The 1999 New Year's Eve killings of his previous team was extraordinary as well. That must have been a huge shock! I thought the ending with the emergence of Captain John and showing Jack his brother was a perfect lead into the final episode, and he was going to take everything Jack had and loved so he would finally spend some time with him. Gemma said he was a petty man, and that's a fine explanation. Overall, a brilliant episode! 

Rating: 10/10

Adrift

"You are not my son."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 19 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.11

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When a local teenager disappears, Gwen is drawn into an investigation that reveals a darker side of Torchwood. Hundreds of people have disappeared without trace, but why is Jack obstructing attempts to find them? The answer seems to lie in the rift, and as Gwen follows the trail she makes a shocking discovery.

Verdict

Adrift was a decent episode to continue our second series Torchwood rewatch, but in saying that I think this must go down as the weakest of the season so far. That's not to say that it was bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't quite the level of the vast majority of the rest of the series. I like the idea of it focusing on Gwen and going back to her routes at the police with Andy and dealign with a missing persons case. That seems like a simple case on paper and not really something for Torchwood, but Andy was in no mood for messing around as he showed Gwen the involvement of Jack. I thought the disappearance of Jonah was intriguing and the CCTV footage conveniently only displaying a frame every six seconds was slightly amusing as technology, even in 2008, really ought to be better than that. The mystery of the Rift was good and I liked learning more about here and the fact that it didn't just bring things through, it could also take. Owen barely appeared in this episode and was a non-factor, but the quiet use of the other team members to contribute with Gwen's investigation was terrific. I liked the simplicity of Tosh finding the negative spike on the Rift readings and realising that it didn't just bring aliens through, and Ianto pushing Gwen into the truth was nicely done. I thought her walking in on Jack and Ianto in sexual relations was amusing and the innocence of them not covering it up at all was fun. Jack's stubbornness in not letting Gwen investigate and reiterating that she needed to let it go was a little harsh and I liked how that pushed her into wanting it more. Andy's explanation for not turning up to Gwen's wedding was a little saddening and Rhys laughing at hearing that he still fancied his old colleague was harsh. Andy was on edge throughout though and it was bad treatment for Gwen to go off without him on the boat to the island the GPS tracker was sending her too. I felt very sorry for him to be honest and I do believe he deserved better. Gwen actually finding Jonah and seeing what he'd become was a bit of a shock although I don't think he should have looked so changed despite looking into the heart of a Death Star. He was injured, ravaged and forty years older despite only being missing for seven months. The reaction of his mum Nikki was awful though and despite being warned by Gwen she was pretty horrid and referring to him as 'that' despite his appearance was appalling. I didn't like that at all. It was nice that she finally accepted him as her son, but then we learned that he only had a four hour window where he wasn't screaming after going mad thanks to the star exposure. Some life. It was a bit harsh of Nikki at the end to blame Gwen for helping her find her son and what he'd become because now she'd lost all hope as she had the answer. That wasn't nice as Gwen shouldn't be blamed for the truth not being what she wanted. This was an important episode in the development of the relationship between Gwen and Rhys too as they discussed kids and their heated exchange at the park was something I just couldn't imagine with Gemma. How people can coexist in a relationship like that is beyond me! Regardless, this was still a strong episode.

Rating: 7/10

From Out of the Rain

"Would you like a ticket for the travelling show?"

Writer: Peter J. Hammond

Format: TV

Broadcast: 12 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.10

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When an old cinema reopens, past horrors emerge to stalk the streets of Cardiff. As bodies are found with heartbeats but no breath, Torchwood must act fast. Who are the Night Travellers? How can Torchwood capture these mysterious breath takers?

Verdict

From Out of the Rain was an excellent episode to continue our rewatch through the second series of Torchwood! I remember enjoying this story a lot when last watching it around eight years ago, and it definitely didn't disappoint this time around. I thought this was a fun and scary episode that really had a lot to offer. I loved the freaky nature of the Night Travellers and the pre-titles scene with the ticket given to the little girl and then her and the show disappearing before her stunned mother was brilliant. It set the tone and I have to say that one big positive for this episode was the atmosphere. It was sublime. I thought the two head Night Travellers who escaped from the film were magnificent as the main villains and they just looked and acted so freaky. It was quite chilling at times which was great stuff. It was fun for the idea of enemies to literally escape from a reel of film and the Electro Cinema was the perfect backdrop for that. I thought this was another standout episode for Ianto and he really is coming into his own now. He revelled in childhood memories at the cinema which was really nice and I am a sucker for the history of film and cinema, so this was right up my alley. I loved the idea of a little film showing the streets of Cardiff of a century past but the quick shift to the travelling show was good, and Ianto spotting Jack was a fun addition. I liked the anecdote and look into Jack's past and his knowledge of the Night Travellers was very good. The music playing was terrific and there was a lot going wrong with the likes of Tosh detecting the sea in the middle of Cardiff and then all of a sudden there being no trace. I thought the concept of the Night Travellers taking the last breath of their victims was chilling and the imagery of them having no saliva and no breaths but still a heartbeat was quite something! It's certainly a unique action and not really death, but it was as good as. I liked that the Night Travellers had a special silver flask to hold the breaths in and hearing the mermaid woman describe that she wanted to taste tears was eery! I liked it a lot. I enjoyed Jack and Ianto coming up with the plan to be rid of the Night Travellers by catching people made of film after eighty years on the tape on their own film and then exposing it to light. I enjoyed the logic and just as the whole show were coming through at the Electro, Jack was there to capture them all and when out in the open, he exposed the reel to the sunlight and just like that in a flash the Night Travellers were no more. I thought they were great special effects and I was just a big fan of that resolution. It was sudden and tidy. The ambitious ending was really well done as well with the child dropping the reel purchased at a car boot market sale and Jack getting the glimpse of the music suggested that the Night Travellers might not be all done. Overall, a really fun episode! I always enjoy when Gemma succumbs to a jump scare next to me and this episode delivered as expected.

Rating: 9/10

Something Borrowed

"I'm pregnant. It's not Rhys's. It's an alien.

Writer: Phil Ford

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5 March 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.09

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Juggling work with her hen night the day before she's due to marry, an alien shapeshifter leaves Gwen carrying more than she bargained for. As everyone gathers for the ceremony, Jack must destroy her big day – unless one of the three mothers present finds a means to stop him.

Verdict

Something Borrowed was another strong episode to continue the Series 2 rewatch of Torchwood! After watching the teaser trailer at the end of A Day in the Death, Gemma seemed to think that this had all the makings of a season finale which really intrigued me. Of course, that's not quite the level that things turned out to be but this was still a fun and hugely eventful episode! We finally get the wedding between Gwen and Rhys and that provided a fine backdrop for a Torchwood story and for everything to go wrong. Gwen waking up from her hen night pregnant was tremendous and the simple 'oh' reaction she had was the perfect sell. This episode really saw Rhys break into his own stride here with a standout performance to back up his role in Meat. He was outstanding and had some standout moments. He was stunned by Gwen being pregnant and delivered quite the look, before being angered by Torchwood once again. Fair play to Rhys, he's gone through a lot with Gwen ever since she took on the role at Torchwood and now his wedding day was going to be ruined. He was keen to go along with Gwen's wishes of still having the wedding which I was surprised by as that was quite the revelation, although trying to sell it to their families was a little bit outside the realms of believability. Gwen's friends were amusing as well in thinking they had gotten so drunk that they couldn't remember she was pregnant. Some of Rhys's friends were comic value as well with Banana a standout with a fun moment or two with Tosh. She was wonderful in this one and wanted Owen as a date which was good, and she asserted control when needed. Getting introduced to the families of Rhys and Gwen was great and the two mothers having a bitter relationship was fantastic stuff. I enjoyed the reactions of each to Gwen being pregnant, but the highlight absolutely came from the Nostrovite taking on the form of Rhys's mum and then Jack emerging to try and shoot her before proclaiming she was an ugly bitch! That was incredible and Rhys punching him was more than warranted. I thought the Nostrovite three-way method of reproducing was a little odd but it worked well here and Gwen being hunted by Carrie as the baby inside her flexed his muscles and was ready to be torn out was quite the threat. The wedding day itself was terrific and whilst there was more than one occasion where there was some incredible tension and awkwardness between Gwen and Jack, the hero got the girl as Rhys was able to use the singularity scalpel to destroy the alien baby and save Gwen. The final moments were a tame little affair as everyone enjoyed the wedding reception along with some retcon to ensure that everybody wouldn't remember Gwen being pregnant and the alien threat. As a whole, this was an incredibly eventful episode that finally saw Gwen and Rhys marry despite all of the efforts to prevent it. A great episode! 

Rating: 8/10

A Day in the Death

"You can't die twice."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: TV

Broadcast: 27 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.08

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Martha 

Synopsis

A victim of his newfound circumstances, Owen Harper believes he needs absolution. Will the lonely girl on the rooftop help him, or will it be a mission to retrieve an alien device that is proving more lethal by the second?

Verdict

A Day in the Death was a strong episode to continue along the Torchwood rewatch marathon! This rounded out the trilogy featuring Martha Jones and dealing with Owen's death by putting the focus all on him. I thought that was probably the right move given everything that has happened across Reset and Dead Man Walking, but I do think that there still could have been a much better utilisation of Martha as a character in this episode. She seemed to just be here as a physical presence and proof that there was a replacement ready for the medical member of the Torchwood team. Despite Martha making it clear that she didn't want Owen's job, it felt a bit easy. However, the episode for Owen was a very emotional one which was ironic considering that he no longer had any feelings to give. He was suspended from his role at Torchwood which did seem like a bit of an overstep, and the comedy that came from Ianto asking him to hand over his gun and security pass was gold. It was so simple but Ianto just has that look which can provide instant humour. I felt really sorry for Tosh in this episode as she once again proclaimed her love for Owen when it seemed like he might finally perish, even after his outburst at his house which was completely unfair in my view. Now, I'm not going to pretend I know what it will be like to die or even have the threat of death looming, but to belittle Tosh when she came over to see how he was doing and keep him company didn't sit well with me. Tosh had made an effort with her hair and makeup and he barely seemed to notice her, but I guess he doesn't know what he's missing! The conversation with Maggie on the rooftop was very dark and contemplating jumping was quite the pre-titles sequence. I thought the flashback to Maggie's car accident on her wedding day and the fatality for her husband and waiting to her anniversary to commit suicide was horrific and just eery, but when she saw Owen's gunshot wound she had a different perspective. Owen describing the nothingness of death didn't seem to push Maggie any closer to jumping which I guess was a positive. I liked that the alien threat took a backseat in this episode with the detection of alien energy coming from Parker's residence, and he was the only one that could risk going in. Him not setting off heat detectors was great stuff and I loved the simplicity of Parker announcing he was awake and had been watching. He was a charming old man, but he was dying after three heart attacks and believed that the mysterious alien Pulse was keeping him alive. After Owen's readings though, it was a placebo and it was simply hope that kept him going. That soon changed though as Parker was heading for death and the realisation that Owen had no breaths to provide CPR was chilling. Martha's goodbyes were nice and whilst the kiss to Jack was a little odd, it sparked a fun look on Gemma's face and she was delighted to see her leaving. I was not! Overall though, a very good episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Dead Man Walking

"We lost you, but I brought you back."

Writer: Matt Jones

Format: TV

Broadcast: 20 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.07

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Martha

Synopsis

Deep in shock, the Torchwood team have to face their darkest hour. In an effort to put things right, Captain Jack Harkness unleashes a primal force that uses Torchwood as a conduit to wreak havoc across Earth, aided by the Weevils and their newly appointed king.

Verdict

Dead Man Walking was another very good episode of Torchwood to continue my rewatch alongside Gemma! After such a monumental cliffhanger at the end of Reset with Owen being shot dead, starting with an autopsy seemed a little redundant as the cause of his death was pretty clear. But before Martha could get going Jack was quick to ensure that his body wasn't touched and a tense search ensued. I thought the search was a little dragged out and lacking in dialogue, but the eeriness of St Mary's Church and the Weevils being around was very good. I liked that he was out to find the other resurrection glove following on from what happened in They Keep Killing Suzie and the references to that episode and the terrible events that occurred there were great. Gwen nearly died so Suzie could live there and whilst the events and the details laid out there regarding the glove were pretty much dismissed by Jack in just saying that it was a different glove and now he would give it no choice but to work for him. The humour that came with Jack seemingly bringing Owen back for the code to the alien morgue was fantastic and Tosh proclaiming her love for him was sad because I knew that he'd be coming back. Their brief discussion about that was a little sad and it's a shame how events have proceeded since they agreed to go on their date. I do hope they'll get that at some point in the future. I thought Martha was slightly useless in this episode and there definitely could have been more of a use for a former Doctor Who companion. She was just there to keep track on the energy readings of Owen as he continued to be a dead man walking whilst his body was changing into something that was unrecognisable or unreadable in terms of energy signature. The human part of his body being dead was quite the concept! The moment where Jack released the glove and then Owen was still alive anyway was fantastic. I thought Torchwood tackling having Death as an enemy was done in admirable way and whilst the effects were a little too computerised, I was a big fan of the links back to the Black Death and the folklore of how it needed thirteen souls and then it would become unstoppable. Faith being a girl and not the religious practice was a little predictable but the moment where Owen realises he's the one that can stop it was brilliant. It was a shining moment for his character literally standing up to Death and his comments to Jamie and encouraging him to take on the chemotherapy again was so powerful. I was not a fan though of Martha being aged after her encounter with the glove and Owen as that just seemed pointless. She was then just randomly aged back to normal after Death was defeated which just didn't do a lot for me. Ianto had some moments to shine with his blunt humour and his research only taking him to weight watchers websites was a lot of fun. Overall, this was a very strong episode and now it seems that Owen is here to stay, but dead! No drinks, no sex, how will he survive? Well, I guess he doesn't need to worry about that as the energy dissipation could take a while yet! 

 

Rating: 8/10

Reset

"These attacks aren't random, they're clinical."

Writer: J. C. Wilsher

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.06

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Martha

Synopsis

Captain Jack calls in Martha Jones to investigate mysterious deaths. When the trail leads to a sinister medical testing centre Martha must go undercover, but have Torchwood underestimated how far the testing centre will go to reach medical breakthroughs?

Verdict

Reset was a great episode of Torchwood to continue along the rewatch with my partner Gemma. This is obviously a big episode as we see the first real crossover with Doctor Who with Martha joining the team and she does so in a brilliant way. Now, Gemma is not a fan of Martha in the slightest so I made a point of ensuring that she was not spoiled in any way and I was successful in that task. I was so excited to see what her reaction would be and it's safe to say it didn't disappoint! She's not a big Gwen fan either so the two of them interacting sparked an amusing comment. I thought the confidence that Martha oozed was excellent and she really did become centre stage immediately. I was a big fan of the way she arrived and the directing from her point of view initially was very well done. I enjoyed the premise of the episode with the reset and the concept of restoring the human body to its factory setting was quite spectacular. I think that's really good and the more mature nature of Torchwood allowed for a more violent exploration than might be the case in Doctor Who. We're not going to have HIV or hepatitis mentioned there so Torchwood was the perfect place and Martha getting to fully detail her medical knowledge was great. I loved the little moments Captain Jack and Martha got reflecting on the events of The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords and Jack's comment about relying on her to save the world was excellent. I thought the relationship between Martha and Owen was terrific and exactly what I would have hoped for. Owen was flirting and getting nowhere which is always fun, but for me the highlight was him agreeing to go on a date with Tosh. A night of pool and drinks sounded delightful and it was so sweet to see how happy Tosh was that he said yes. Copley made for a stern villain as the head of the Pharm and the experimentation and as me and Gemma are big fans of Dynasty, it was fun to see the actor who plays Anders in a different role and a quite awful accent! The interaction he had with Jack was brilliant and I liked how he immediately offered Martha a role on the study after she quickly revealed she had hepatitis. She was good in getting into places and now she had Torchwood at her disposal. Not bad for a member of UNIT! Jack's comments about the red hat and Ianto were terrific too. I liked the alien larvae and the parasitical nature of it and the after effects in particular led to a killing spree. The puncture wound to the eye was pretty gruesome. I thought the pace ever so slightly dropped midway through the episode but we had an emphatic conclusion with Martha infected and on the verge of death before Owen mastered the alien device to destroy it without impacting Martha. I thought that was a bit of a cop out and too convenient. However, there wasn't time to ponder on it as Owen was shot dead by Copley in an incredibly emotional ending. Jack's face said it all and it was so sad that Tosh wouldn't get her date. Gemma was horrified as he's her favourite member of the team and doesn't seem impressed that Martha is sticking around either! Overall, a very good episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Adam

"Memory is a very delicate thing."

Writer: Catherine Treganna 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.05

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When an alien with the power to change memories infiltrates Torchwood, the team is heavily affected: Captain Jack is caught up in memories of his lost family, Gwen struggles to remember Rhys, and it takes Jack's love of Ianto to reveal the truth.

Verdict

Adam was an outstanding episode to continue the second series of Torchwood! I think this is probably the best of the series so far and I love that it just wastes no time at all in getting things started. Right from the off Adam is treated as part of the team and it's clever to have the last piece of the puzzle in Gwen have no idea who he is, only for the power of his touch to be demonstrated as he enacted memory manipulation to make her think that he was Torchwood. He'd been around for three years as far as everyone else on the team was concerned which was fun but in truth he'd only been around for two days and had embedded himself into the Torchwood team very nicely! The side effects of some memories getting loose or even lost was good and the reaction of Gwen when she sees Rhys in her home and has no idea who he is works so well. It's a stellar performance from both Eve Myles and Kai Owen and it must have been so tough for Rhys to be looking at his fiancé and she have no idea who he was. I can't imagine Gemma doing the same to me! It would be awful. As if that wasn't enough, it was super fun for the roles of Tosh and Owen to essentially be reversed here with Owen the nerdy one and Tosh flaunting herself and extorting confidence, something that was far removed from the normal team we're used to. The moment where Owen professes his love for Tosh was sublime and I thought it was tremendous stuff from Burn Gorman to shift his character so much. Tosh being in a relationship with Adam, or so she thought, was intriguing and Adam didn't seem too fussed on her, at least until it came to the bedroom and him asking if she'd die for him which seemed an odd choice of foreplay. Trying to get Gwen to remember Rhys was good stuff but the comedy highlight was from Jack and Adam running to Gwen's house after her call. The urgency and panic was quite something and then the reaction when seeing Rhys was marvellous. Adam himself made for a fantastic villain and he was so simple but incredibly effective. The power of touch to manipulate memory was brilliant and I loved that it was a diary of Ianto's that revealed the truth. Why wouldn't Adam be within it? Adam implanting him with fake memories of murdering three girls was brutal stuff. It was up there with Jack being reminded of letting go of Gray's hands which was an incredible insight into his past and will obviously have a big influence moving forward on the rest of the series. Adam even trying to implant himself on Jack's memories of playing ball with his father and brother was very good, but Jack defied the temptation and took the amnesia pill to forget Adam, just like the rest of the team. It was a pretty simple and neat conclusion but I really liked how he was close to infiltrating the team. He was lured by Jack in particular which was intriguing and I really liked how the object that was being looked at throughout the episode having come through the Rift contained sand, which was hugely significant for Jack. Overall, a stellar episode! 

Rating: 10/10

Meat

"It just keeps growing, no matter how much we cut it."

Writer: Catherine Treganna 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 6 February 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.04

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Rhys discovers the truth about Torchwood and becomes part of the team as they investigate a mysterious alien meet supply. Meanwhile, Gwen feels guilty that Rhys has been put into so much danger.

Verdict

Meat was a decent episode of Torchwood to continue our way through the second series! It really is an explosive story and it starts in a grim way with a fatal road traffic accident involving Rhys's haulage firm, but from there it quickly sparks into action and intrigue with Rhys finding out that Gwen's special ops involvement with the police is a lot more than she has been letting on. I loved that he finally got knowledge of Torchwood and he had to pay for it in a nearly fatal way. The confrontation between Rhys and Gwen at home was excellent and I thought their story was by the far the highlight of the episode. Rhys taking his own initiative was good to see and I really enjoyed his sneaking around to get the truth about Gwen, and it was his turn to lie. Jack seemed a little weird in his relationship with Gwen during this episode and it's clear that he has considerable feelings for her which seems slightly strange, but he made a lot of concessions for her and unnecessarily got up close and personal when it came to discussing Rhys and her involvement in the situation at the warehouse. The idea of alien meat being harvested was very cruel and I found it very humorous that this was all taking place in Merthyr. It's not the town with the best reputation in South Wales and was a perfect place as the basis of operations for a dodgy supply. The special effects of the alien creature itself really haven't aged well which was a shame but the emotion displayed by Jack when seeing it, and the section that was being cut to shreds, was fantastic and really did evoke sympathy. I thought the subtle hints at a relationship between Tosh and Owen was done well whilst Ianto didn't have a lot to do before going around with the taser. I thought Rhys getting to go inside the Hub was great and the initial face up with Jack was full of tension, but he was quick to offer Torchwood a way in to the warehouse and stop the alien meet frenzy. That was really good and his way to try and pick up where Leighton left off with the deliveries was good stuff. I thought the meat element of the episode wasn't overly exciting and I thought we could have had a bit more to do with the criminal organisation and it didn't seem too logical for a team with Torchwood's resources and experience to have to sneak in. I think that if the Merthyr bandits were threatened by the police then they'd soon be abandoning their warehouse and destroying the evidence. I thought it was a sad end for Owen to have to quickly improvise and change plans and enact a mercy killing on the creature after it was getting out of control. Rhys getting shot in the melee was good but I did think Gwen would be a little more shocked after the threats and backing she had given him throughout. The conflict regarding retconning him was very good and I loved that Rhys talking about aliens and planets and wanting to know all Gwen had experienced led her to refuse to give her fiancé the drug. The reactions of Ianto and Tosh showed just how big it was for Jack to let her go against the rules, but he clearly cared about her a great deal, seemingly too much perhaps. Overall, a very decent episode!

Rating: 7/10

To the Last Man

"Chunks of the past erupting in the present."

Writer: Helen Raynor

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30 January 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.03

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Once a year, for a single day, Tommy Brockless is defrosted in the Torchwood Hub to make sure he's still functioning. He is kept alive until the day he is needed, under strict instructions from Torchwood 1918. When ghosts appear at a hospital, it's clear that the time has come...

Verdict

To the Last Man was a very decent episode to continue the second series of Torchwood! I thought this was a solid continuation of the series and it was nice for Tosh to step into the limelight in a similar way to what happened in Greeks Bearing Gifts and it seemed her heart was broken once again here. I liked the idea of two different time zones merging and threatening to erupt causing devastation, and Tommy was at the heart of that as the bridge between both time zones. It was an intriguing start with him being at the hospital in 1918 and then also cowering in the present with Tosh and instructing the Torchwood team of the twentieth century to take him to ensure that his past would go as planned and he could end up in the future to save it. It was a little complicated with the timey wimey nature of the story, but it worked pretty well for the most part. It was a nice reminder that Gwen is still relatively new to the Torchwood team despite everything she has been through and this would seem to confirm that it hasn't yet been a year since the events of Everything Changes. I wonder if that was a continuity error, but I liked the detail nonetheless. Tosh was clearly trying to impress after having the date marked in her calendar at home and coming to work all dressed up, something Owen noticed which was nice as he seems to be a lot more accommodating towards her this series. That was also evident towards the end of the episode in the hospital where he was looking out for her and didn't want her to be broken if the time came for her to say goodbye to her war hero. Jack recalling his experiences of World War One and the aftermath was brilliant and him revealing the fate of Tommy really was terrible for Tosh. It turned out he would go back to being shellshocked, the reason he was in the hospital in the first place, and after going through the gap and sealing off the Rift, he would revert back to his normal self and the memories that the classic Torchwood team erased would be returned. That must have been tough for Tosh to deal with as she had clearly fallen for him, but I was a little confused by the awkwardness of their kissing and then going back to her place any way. Their relationship just seemed odd which was a shame as I felt Tosh deserved better. Gwen and Ianto had very quiet episodes but the moment where Tommy asked for tea and everyone looked towards Ianto was a magnificent moment giving rise to me and Gemma both audibly laughing. I really enjoyed it. I'd have loved a bit more of the Torchwood team from 1918 and there was a harrowing comment from Ianto about all the members always dying young. Some warning! I wasn't a massive fan of the conclusion with the mind probe having to be used by Tosh to push Tommy into using the key, and it wasn't a big surprise as she did tell him that he would return to France and they'd find his body. I'd be sceptical! It was nice though that Tosh got to say goodbye and she really went through a lot in the episode. Jack receiving the instructions from the temporal lock was a nice touch and I loved his reaction when it opened. Tosh being important to sealing the bridge and preventing two time zones colliding was great, and the little threat of that we had was good. Overall, a decent episode! 

Rating: 7/10

Sleeper

"She has no idea she's not human."

Writer: James Moran

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23 January 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.02

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When a burglary turns into a slaughter, the team suspect alien involvement. Before long, the whole planet, and the entire future of mankind, is in danger.

Verdict

Sleeper was a very good episode to continue the second series of Torchwood! I must admit that prior to watching this with Gemma from the name alone I couldn't remember anything about the episode which made me question how good it would be, but within ten minutes my memory returned of some details and what we got was quite an emotional tale! Starting with a burglary was good and I liked the mystery of how the burglars got killed. It seemed like it would have to be either Beth or Mike, but she was seemingly innocent and he had gotten injured so there was quite the kerfuffle! Gemma was confused alongside me and it wasn't until this moment that I remembered it was Beth who wasn't all she seemed. To her credit, Gemma guessed the basis of what the truth was with Beth being inhabited by an alien, and I guess the episode title should have given that away really. I liked the tension amongst the Torchwood ranks in this story with Jack showing his ruthless streak rather brilliantly. I was impressed with that and the completely different approach he had towards Beth compared to Gwen was startling. He was aggressive and wanted to push her to the extreme when it came to the mind probe, but Gwen was less eager and believed that Beth was human. Of course, Beth was far from human and the humour that came with Owen breaking two needles and a scalpel on her skin was terrific. He was obviously delighted when the truth about her came out! The concept of the Sleeper Agents was excellent and it was quite scary to think of an invasion that was so detailed. They gathered information and would only carry out an attack once they had gathered enough information to ensure success. Going so far as to make their agents believe they were human was fool proof and it was very emotional to see how much Beth loved her husband and reacting to finding out the truth about what was contained inside her. The reaction to seeing a Weevil was good and I was impressed with how scared she was about the situation. Going so far as to freeze her seemed logical but her immediate escape really plunged the episode into action. It was an exciting finish as the other agents activated and we had the Councillor murdered in front of his wife and children and a petrol explosion taking out military pipelines. The abandonment of a child on more than one occasion was a little sad and too much for Gemma, especially with the car crash on the pram sound effect. But I thought that uncomfortableness really sold the threat of the Sleeper Agents. The last agent headed for the nuclear warheads was good and I was initially thinking that the invasion was on too small of a scale in Cardiff, but when weaponry like that is introduced then it's a whole new ball game. The calmness of Jack in being a dashing hero to save the day was fun but they wouldn't feel a thing if they were released. I thought Tosh's device of disabling the transmitter and forcefield was a little naff and easy, but I'm not sure what else could be done to take them out when they seemed that indestructible! Jack's running over the final agent was brutal, but I liked the twist at the end with Beth threatening Gwen in order to get herself shot because she didn't want to live as an agent after what she did to her husband. Overall, a strong episode to keep moving the series forward! 

Rating: 8/10

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

"I saw the end of the world... I knew this was where I belonged."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 16 January 2008

Series: Torchwood 2.01

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

The mysterious Captain John Hart is determined to wreak havoc, and needs to find something hidden on Earth. With Gwen's life in danger, and cluster bombs scattered across the city, whose side is Jack on?

Verdict

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was an outstanding episode to kick off the second series of Torchwood! This is as good as it gets when it comes to series openers and it followed on well from where we left off in End of Days with Jack departing Torchwood for the TARDIS, but it doesn't exactly add up with the end of Last of the Time Lords and Jack headed back to the Hub in broad daylight, only for him to not be around at all and then show up in the dark at the end of what was a brilliant pre-credits scene! The image of a Blowfish driving a car and even stopping for an old lady to cross the road was fantastic, and later finding that he was high on cocaine reminded us perfectly that Torchwood was very much aimed at an older audience than we're used to. The threat of the family was an action-packed start to the episode and the image of the Blowfish being shot through the head was pretty spectacular. Jack's arrival was tremendous and the development that has clearly occurred for the Torchwood team whilst he was away is fantastic. I love that Gwen was the one to lead the team in Jack's absence and the idea of just shifting back into the hierarchy of previous was not going to work now. The arrival of Captain John was sublime and his comment about wondering which artery the would-be killer severed was very good, but he knew that he was bluffing and shoved him off the roof in brutal circumstances. He was an excellent character and the initial meeting with Jack in the abandoned club was superb. The message on the vortex manipulator was good stuff, and once again Jack abandoned the team to deal with someone from his past. The kiss followed by the bust up was amusing, and the exploration into Jack's past here is a teasing start to the series. Gwen pushing that they knew nothing of Jack's past was great and I thought John's initial take on Jack having a team was tremendous. He even wanted to know if they had a name! It was really fun stuff. The plot worked well in splitting the team apart to find the three canisters that supposedly were threatening the city with radiation, but it all turned out to be a con within a con which was fantastic. John's comments about the luck of evolution and dust was amusing with the only reward being money. That's what this mission was all about for John whilst exploiting Jack, but when Jack challenged him and threw the final canister that was enough jibber jabber for the time agent and he pushed Jack off a roof onto a bench in a brutal death. John challenging Ianto to then go and save everyone else was excellent and I loved how he managed to do it. The moment the four Torchwood members point their gun at John when he's assembling the canisters was very good, but the reaction of Hart when Jack emerged and revealed he couldn't die was just tremendous. It was sheer brilliance. The twist at the end with the bomb threat after John was conned by the woman he killed was very good and attacking himself to Gwen was nicely done. Owen's resolution with the DNA injection was great and I liked the tease at the end after the Rift reverted back to the moment John arrived and him revealing that he'd found Gray before departing. The little flashback of hands loosening was just enough to keep us guessing for the rest of the series. But for now, a fine start to the series! 

Rating: 10/10