Gideon Lyme has arrived in London – but out of nowhere, the opportunities he expected have evaporated…

The first part of this second episode reprises elements of the first, but from the very different perspective of Gideon Lyme, who’s come over from Tobago on the promise of a job – and somewhere to live – but finds that the colour of his skin automatically leads to these being taken back. The racism on display isn’t subtle, and neither should it be: there are thousands of documented cases of such things happening, and the ways in which Norton expects Gideon to be treated in the tea room are quite mild.

We also learn that he gets round some of these problems thanks to a briefcase he finds – and starts to investigate Torchwood. His meeting with Norton isn’t the happenstance that Folgate believes, and Gideon’s probing is likely to worry the Torchwood agent. Joe Shire gives a nuanced performance as Gideon, and he and Samuel Barnett have a good on-air chemistry.

Norton has got plenty of other things to worry about, including tracking a package. The end of the episode demonstrates how Folgate has survived so long – he’s got a sharp mind even if David Troughton’s Rigsby and Dervla Kirwan’s Lizbeth don’t rate it too highly.

Verdict: Another well-paced half hour that provides new perspectives. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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