George Hewitt reviews the third episode of Torchwood: Among Us, which sees the return of Eve Myles as Gwen!
Since 2017’s second instalment of Torchwood Series 5, Aliens Among Us 2, Tim Foley has been a core part of Big Finish‘s Torchwood series, having contributed many scripts to the range. This is his first episode for Series 7, and it gives listeners a glimpse into the life that Gwen and Rhys have carved out for themselves since leaving Torchwood at the end of Series 5. As such, it sees the return of Eve Myles and Kai Owen, also bringing Alexandria Riley‘s Ng into the mix.
Misty Eyes opens with Gwen and Rhys’s theme, a brilliant choice by composer Blair Mowat. It immediately sets the tone for the episode while being a nice call-back to the TV series. Right from the start, the cast are absolutely fantastic. Kai Owen gives a breathtakingly good performance as Rhys, ensuring every single line is believable. Eve Myles is exceptional, giving her best performance as Gwen since Children of Earth. And Alexandria Riley knocks it out of the park, injecting pathos and compassion into Ng that listeners have rarely heard too much of before.
Foley’s script is likewise brilliant; although it feels slow-paced at the start, as though taking its time to get to the meat of the story, the rug-pull in the final third retroactively completely changes the meaning of these early scenes to create highly dramatic character development and revelations that will likely lead to tears from listeners. Scott Handcock‘s direction ensures that nothing lingers for too long, while Joe Meiners‘s sound design – particularly for this story’s main threat – is outstanding, enhancing the story and keeping it grounded so that the antagonists feel real.
Misty Eyes is a complete success, showcasing the very best of what Big Finish Torchwood can be. If this is Eve Myles‘s swansong as Gwen, it’s a very satisfying ending, wrapping up loose threads perfectly. That said, there are glimmers of hope that something further might develop in the future.
Torchwood: Among Us 1 is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com
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