The Torchwood Monthly Range continues with The Three Monkeys, by James Goss. This script brings back the popular pairing of Andy (Tom Price) and Owen (Burn Gorman), who we follow as they stake out a local businessman’s house and, in so doing, uncover a sinister alien plot involving… a toy monkey?!
It’s a very Torchwood (read: absolutely bonkers) premise, but it works well and proves that there will always be new, creative stories out there for Big Finish to tell. Where this story really succeeds, though, is with its character work. Not only does Owen’s reaction to his death get explored a little further, but we take a look into Andy’s family life, which is great.
From car chases to the sinister clattering of the toy monkey’s cymbals (rendered terrifyingly on Lee Binding‘s superb cover), Iain Meadows‘ sound design in this story is on point, while Blair Mowat‘s music is, as usual, fantastic, ramping it up during moments of excitement and toning it down when the script requires.
Overall, The Three Monkeys may not be the strongest of Torchwood’s consistently-brilliant output, but it’s well above average, thriving on its unique storyline and powerful character moments. Credit should also go to director Scott Handcock, who, despite having to record remotely due to COVID, manages to deliver a cracking story. Recommended.
Torchwood: The Three Monkeys is available now on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com
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