The first few episodes of the TV series Torchwood were pretty inconsistent. It took a good long while for any actual character development to happen and the tone varied wildly from comic to very, very dark. Big Finish’s audio drama, Torchwood: Broken, attempts to redress the balance somewhat.
One of the oddest about-faces in the TV series is the relationship between Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness. Broken takes us through Ianto’s journey, starting with the events of the episode “Cyberwoman”. That’s the story in which Ianto has a girlfriend who has been mostly turned into a Cyber creature and is inconveniently dead. The advantage of this being an audio drama also means that we can brush to one side the fact that the Cyberwoman resembled something from a novelty burlesque act rather than one of the Doctor’s iconic villains. The plot goes down a pretty dark route, saving what was a pretty rubbish bit of telly and turning it into an emotional story about survivors guilt.
Broken then goes on to explore further Ianto and Jack episodes, namely “Countrycide” and “Greeks Bearing Gifts”, whilst weaving the foundation for their relationship. Throughout this, Gareth Lloyd’s performance as Ianto Jones is charming and down to Earth. It forms a perfect counter-point to John Barrowman’s more angsty take on Captain Harkness, and the two form a strong narrative together. The performances are strong and well done, and the production is everything we expect from Big Finish: professional and well delievered.
Writer Joseph Lidster has taken a popular element of the Torchwood mythos and despite the name, has fixed the clumsy inconsistencies. At no point do we feel particularly rushed through the process of Jack and Ianto coming together. Adult, powerful and intelligent, this feels like Torchwood as it should have been. That said, this isn’t an audio for those new to Torchwood; a lot of prior knowledge is needed to enjoy this, but if you’re listening to the Torchwood audios then you’re probably already a fan.
TORCHWOOD 2.5: BROKEN / DIRECTOR: SCOTT HANDCOCK / WRITER: JOSEPH LIDSTER / STARRING: JOHN BARROWMAN, GARETH DAVID-LLOYD, MELANIE WALTERS, EIRY THOMAS / PUBLISHER: BIG FINISH / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 30TH (OUT NOW- BIG FINISH SITE)
