Odysseus Scott (Silas Carson) is brilliant, famous, dying an refuses to accept that. Deep into experimental gravity therapy at the Spire, the last relic of legendary alien race The Resilient, Odysseus is fighting for his life. When his estranged daughter Ida Scott (Claire Rushbrook) arrives, she finds out just how far he’ll go to win that fight.

This is my favourite era of Torchwood and this story is a perfect exploration of why. Rushbrook’s stoical, determined Ida Scott remains one of the best characters in the modern show’s history and Rushbrook steps effortlessly into the spotlight here. Patrick O’Connor puts her through the wringer. as we discover where Ida came from and the damage she’s carried with as much determination as her will to survive.

Rushbrook and Carson have a lot of scenes together and the increasing speed and ferocity of the Scotts’ verbal sparring is as fantastic to listen to as it is uncomfortable. O’Connor understands how families can be and director Lisa Bowerman brings a naturalistic, almost Ken Loach-like feel to these scenes as Shane O’Byrne dials the sound design back and lets the two generations just go at each other.

Carson, superb here in double duty as both Odysseus and the Ood voice is bitter and furious and abjectly terrified. His secondary work as the Ood voice counterpoints this brilliantly and O’Connor gives us both a reason for the double duty and another element of the cage Odysseus’ ego has built for itself. But this is Rushbrook’s show and Ida has never been more fun, and more well rounded, than she is here. The best scenes see Ida and Odysseus tear into each other while frantically trying not to and the tragedy, and love, and rage in those scenes pops and snaps like the Scotts themselves.

Rushbrook and Carson are on top form and Bowerman’s direction gives the scenes the exact tone they need; two people who love one another, don’t want to hurt each other but can only communicate through that exact course of action. The interviews on these discs are always good but this one is exceptional and Carson’s clear eyed honesty about where he drew Odysseus is especially revealing. There are two horrific prisons here; one is the Spire, the other is the Scott family. How they interact is the story.

That’s the other truly impressive element here, just how much this story achieves. In addition to the Scott family drama there’s also a fascinating, and horrific, piece of space archaeology. O’Connor’s script uses the Spire and the Resilient as both metaphor and antagonist and the payoff to both is one of the most unsettling moments in the range to date. I actually found myself half yearning for a Doctor to appear and put an altruistic button on things but this is Torchwood and they are rarely that lucky.

Immense praise goes to Jay Perry as Tom, who anchors this plot in a manner that could so easily have been architectural. Instead he’s as well rounded and complex as the Scotts themselves and helps expand both the Spire and the reasons for being there. He’s also deeply sincere; Tom wants to see the great wonders of the universe and Perry hits the exact right combination of innocence and mildly sinister charm. This is, in the end, a story about lenses and how we see things. We see it three different ways and each one is nuanced, realistic, compassionate and flawed.

Verdict: This is a phenomenal story that returns to a criminally under-used era of Torchwood’s history and turns it on its head. Fantastically well done, and a welcome return for Doctor Ida Scott. 10/10

Alasdair Stuart

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