Gabrielle Ketley reviews the latest Torchwood release
If you’re a technophobe like me, End Game will have you cringing in your seat.
You gotta love a Toshiko audio. Of the original main five, Tosh (Naoko Mori) was arguably the most under-explored, so getting to dig deeper into such a fascinating character is always appreciated.
End Game (Big Finish debut writer Tom Black) lends itself particularly well to looking at Tosh in a new light, as we get to see Tosh mix with a whole new crew, working alongside government ministers Frank Reece (Greg Wise), Gerard Marsh (Ed White) and Jasmine Jenning (Jolade Obasola) as Torchwood’s representative in a “end of the world” computer simulation, (computer voiced by Tatjana Nardone).
End Game does an efficient job of introducing the cast and revealing the dynamics at play.
Tosh is delightfully snarky from the offset, walking in late, (damn trains), and dressing down Minister Frank Reece after a sneering comment about little green men, putting him right as to just how few aliens are little, green or men.
Minister Jenning is quick to comment on how there’s money for high tech computer simulations, but none for the NHS, while Reece confirms our first impressions of him as a pompous, self-satisfied politician, by demanding the computer to establish just who’s in charge of the rest of the team. (It’s him… for the time being.)
Former co-worker Gerard Marsh reveals himself to be on friendly terms with Tosh, a warmth reciprocated by Tosh, who can’t help but comment on Gerard’s new glasses.
The nature of the simulation takes longer to emerge, starting off polite and artificially pleasant, and growing increasingly sinister.
The writing and voice work for the simulation walks the fine line between robotically neutral, and subtly sadistic, with an underlying hint of pleasure as it tests and taunts our heroes, using personal threats to increase the stakes of the simulation, to the team’s mounting fear and frustration.
However, the ever brilliant Toshiko proves herself more than a match for the computer, and at times interesting similarities between Tosh and the simulation start to emerge, as both prove capable of knowing just what buttons to push to achieve optimal results.
End Game also utilises the battle of wills between man and machine, of emotion and sentiment in opposition to pure rationality, to emphasise not only the frailties of human nature, but its strengths as well, and the emotional climax of the play is tragic, moving and uplifting.
Torchwood: End Game is Tom Black’s debut into Big Finish, and his capturing of the nuances of Tosh’s character, makes me eager to see how he would take on the rest of the team.
Torchwood: End Game is available on CD or as a download from
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