The true history of Torchwood revealed… thanks to Captain John Hart…

It’s a little bit of a shock coming back to these self-contained adventures for Torchwood after the epic events of Aliens Among Us but this is one of those stories that tries to encompass the whole history of the show – much as Doctor Who’s Turn Left did in the fourth season of the 21st century series – and give it all a new spin. In some ways it’s almost a grand montage of encounters for Captains John and Jack (and a considerable number of sexual partners along the way) with the former’s way of handling things perhaps not quite by the Harkness rule book. There’s reference to a number of adventures that will be vaguely familiar – including Children of Earth and Miracle Day – as well as the odd one that doesn’t quite fit  (is the Aldbourne incident anything to do with Devil’s End?!)

David Llewellyn’s script is a good blend of humour and drama, and James Marsters clearly has a ball recreating the character of Captain John. There’s an incredibly high number of cameos from regular Torchwood cast members, as well as some fun guest appearances including one of my favourite death scenes in the whole audio series to date (not a line you normally expect to be typing!)

Verdict: It’s Torchwood but not as we know it. 9/10

Paul Simpson