Lizbeth Hayhoe is on a mission in Berlin as the war draws to a close – what secrets can she learn from the Nazi equivalent of Torchwood?

As with episode 2 stepping back to give more context to the opener, so the penultimate instalment of Torchwood Soho: Parasite goes back to before the cliffhanger of episode 4, and gives us the backstory. Not simply of where the spores came from, but also the relationship between Lizbeth and Rigsby, and how Norton Folgate’s life has intersected with theirs.

We get insight into the Nazi version of Torchwood – Project Hermod – and as you’d expect, it takes the “ends justifying the means” to a particularly nasty conclusion; there’s one of the rare times when the f-word really is powerful in context when Lizbeth understands just what’s happening. There’s oblique references to a few Doctor Who stories along the way (I spotted The Idiot’s Lantern and Silver Nemesis but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more), and an explanation regarding the Skylon. And then all the pieces start to come together, and I suspect you’ll be kicking yourself as hard as Norton does when they do.

The box set format – and ironically the shorter episodes within it – give author James Goss the space for a long and powerful scene between Dervla Kirwan’s Lizbeth and David Troughton’s Rigsby as the latter’s pomposity and chauvinism remain intact even as he’s admitting the harm that he’s done. The final portion of the episode, with Norton and Lizbeth, is equally strong – Norton is a light year away from the flippant nonsense he can often spout, and the depth of his care for his colleague is palpable.

Verdict: I hope there’ll be opportunity to step back earlier in the timeline and learn more about all these characters, but this is a strong episode, sensitively directed by Scott Handcock. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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