Ianto Jones, in London, finding it hard to make ends meet. What is so familiar about the blonde woman he keeps seeing?

Gareth David-Lloyd’s latest script for Torchwood once again focuses on his character, Ianto, and – a little surprisingly, given Ianto’s role up to now – it allows the writer to use some of his personal reminiscences of his time in London. No, he wasn’t an undercover operative for a secret organisation vital to the country’s security (at least, he’s not admitting that!) but he did have the sorts of life and job that Ianto has here… a world away from the normal suited and booted Ianto.

I said in the review of The Law Machines that something terrible needed to happen to bring the Ianto of that sort in line with the character we know from Torchwood Season 1, and this is it. There are obviously still elements connected to WOTAN around – Yvonne Hartman continues to be required – but this story is primarily concerned with who Yvonne can trust and the lengths that she’ll go to. Just as The Law Machines had a brilliant summation of her as a character, this story shows us our other, more human, side, the side she locks away pharmaceutically… not by drugging herself but by administering it to others so they don’t recall her moments of weakness.

Verdict: A strong piece for both Ianto and Yvonne. 9/10

Paul Simpson