Gwen and Rhys find they’re taking the long way home…

Guy Adams’ two hander for Eve Myles and Kai Owen works very successfully on a number of levels – as a Torchwood tale, with suitably mind-bending moments; as a domestic drama looking at the effects that said mind-bending moments have on the participants; and as a character piece delving beneath the surface of two of the key characters of the series. According to the extras, there was an 18 month gap from playing Gwen for Myles prior to this (the release schedule of course doesn’t reflect the recording availability of the participants, so it’d be interesting to work out what the previous story was that she recorded), and this script gives her plenty of different facets to play with.

It does the same for Kai Owen – Rhys always felt a little underdeveloped on TV to me, one of the adjuncts to the team rather than a properly fleshed out character, but the audios have given him a lot more depth. He may be focused on his wife and daughter above all else, but everything comes at a cost and just sometimes Rhys has to let it out…

There’s a definite Sapphire & Steel vibe to the piece as well as a few moments of pure horror, and it’s one of those stories that will definitely reward a second listen.

Verdict: Another strong Torchwood tale. 9/10

Paul Simpson