Harvey Edwards tackles the latest Torchwood release, which sees the return of a familiar face…
Despite Big Finish having a number of releases exploring 19th Century Torchwood, 1950s Torchwood, 2006 tv-era Torchwood, and 2016-current Torchwood, James Goss‘s Empire of Shadows is only their second release (after 2016’s The Torchwood Archive) that delves into the organisation’s future. This release also features the return of Zachary Cross Flane, with Shaun Parkes reprising his role from Series 2 of Doctor Who.
And what a release this is. Captain Flane is accompanied by Amanda Shodeko as Chloe, a ‘synth’ and Mateo Oxley as the Emperor of the Earth Empire, and the cast do an amazing job bringing these characters to life. Each character feels very real, and they’re built up incredibly quickly, their chemistry so great that by the end it feels as though they’ve had multiple releases together. Goss’s script is, in line with his previous entries this year, excellent, with an Indiana Jones-like adventure story that absolutely flies by.
Also on top form is Blair Mowat‘s music, featuring some new tracks along with new versions of his past work, that really help envisage the future setting of this story, and it is complimented brilliantly by Naomi Clarke‘s sound design. Overall, with Scott Handcock‘s direction and really strong performances from the entire cast, this is one of the best Torchwood releases this year, and a perfect reintroduction to Captain Zachary Cross Flane – who I hope we can hear more from in the future. A truly exemplary release.
Torchwood: Empire of Shadows is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com
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