Torchwood One: Machines

Torchwood One #2

by Matt Fitton, Gareth David Lloyd (Author/Narrator), Tim Foley

Torchwood One - we defend the British Empire. We keep everyone safe. For your own good.

Something's happened. Something's twisted its way into Torchwood One. Something old. Something which should have been forgotten, wiped, abandoned. Something which has been waiting. Something which knows how the world should be ruled, how people should be used.

When humanity's threatened, Yvonne Hartman is required.

The Law Machines by Matt Fitton

The Mayor of London is launching her bold new law and order initiative. The capital will be kept safe from crime, from fear, from terrorists. The Law Machines are launching. What could possibly go wrong?

Blind Summit by Gareth David-Lloyd

Ianto Jones has just moved to London. He's broke, has no friends, no future. One day he loses the one thing he's been holding on to, and suddenly people around him are dying. Could a mysterious woman really offer him salvation?

9 to 5 by Tim Foley

It's Monday morning. Stacey loves Mondays. Stacey loves every day. Stacey lives to work. She's a temp and she loves it. Only there's a man in the coffee queue who has a terrible warning for her. Stacey is going to die today.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction

Audio CD

First published July 1, 2018

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this! The first Torchwood One series was brilliant and this one was too! I love Yvonne, she's just so smart, calculating, and if I dare say it, Lawful Neutral. The war machines were a wonderful thing to bring back and update. It led to some VERY funny moments in the first story. It was also fantastic to have Gareth David Lloyd write another story! He's so good. He makes the characters so believable and human. Here we have his early days meeting Yvonne for the first times, his horrible father, and some very scary things happening to him. The third story was all about temps (and reminded me of Donna). It was a very sweet, and somewhat sad story. A really great box set. One of the best things Big finish have done this year. Definitely recommended.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Law Machines -

The boxset kicks off with the main selling point of the entire boxset; WOTAN. The story is effectively just a lot of chase sequences, then a stand-off in an office. It’s quite funny to me that they basically did just take the bare bones of The War Machines, and bring it forward into the 21st century. Even in the comedy it’s frequently pointed out that there are no telephone operators, and that it’s the internet and phone signals that it needs. That being said, all WOTAN actually does is take control of some very pretty, yet ultimately pointless, robots. They flamethrower people to death for a bit, shout some obsequious threats, and then walk into a river. Honestly, decontextualising any aspect of this story just makes it sound ridiculous and frankly it is.

The main cast are all brilliant, and they are what make the story enjoyable; giving the comedic dialogue the lift it needs to engage you. Tommy, Ianto & Yvonne are always loveable, and their interactions are so delightful, even them just being a bit bitchy kept me engaged with the ongoing narrative. Daniel Anthony makes a fun villain, and a rare occasion where making the bad guy one of those ‘I’m an alpha male’ w**kers actually isn’t just cringeworthy. Adjoa Andoh is a great guest star too, playing the mayor who never stops complaining. There’s some great comedy with her, plus she is the conduit for one of the best dramatic scenes in the whole story. As an emotionless computer, Nicholas Pegg doesn’t really get to do much with WOTAN, and frankly saying all those evil commands in monotone isn’t scary; if anything it’s just as ‘meh’ as it was in the TV story way back in 1966.

I think it was sort of obvious before I started that WOTAN would be defeat with ridiculous ease, and I was obviously not shocked to see I was right. The final confrontation has some nice dramatic moments but it’s over in a flash, and then things suddenly are all picturesque; despite the fact that WOTAN supposedly destroyed a fair bit of central London. It’s the very odd pacing of these very strange ideas that make this story no more than fun, but forgettable. I’m glad that it was just an hour long story and not a three episode arc, as there really isn’t much substance when your antagonist can only send some brainwashed people after you. Torchwood especially, when they have the ability to blow the brains out of anyone, quite unlike in Dr Who.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Blind Summit -

Blind Summit is technically a very important story in Torchwood continuity, Ianto’s origin story. As I fully expected it’s nothing more than a generic Torchwood story with thematic ties to the overarching boxset. The story is definitely improved by a great cast, and some very decent writing. I definitely see why this story was put together but the premise somewhat limits what you can do narrative wise, and really renders any potential twists as transparent.

Paterson Joseph, Gareth David-Lloyd, and Tracy-Ann Oberman all give excellent performances, contributing comedy and heartfelt moments in the exact way the script expects. There’s not much new for them to do though, Yvonne is drama and comedic relief, Ianto is a sob story, and Matthew is so obviously the villain even an idiot could see it. The rest of the cast consist of a doctor with two scenes, Ianto’s old employer with the same amount, and some mindless zombies. With a cast this small and an idea this simple, it’s no surprise this story barely exceeded the 50 minute mark.

I think the main thing that stands out for me having finished the story is just the happy ending. The story deliberately paints a bleak picture of Ianto’s life so I obviously wanted to see him get to a better place, and love that it was the complicated way to get there. It’s not just some cringeworthy Dr Who story where coincidence, happiness, bunnies, and all that crap lead to no stakes and happy ending. There is blood, difficult decisions, and severing ties. Yvonne is there solely to grow fond of him and offer a job at the end, so with her limited plot contribution that made me really glad she offered plenty of comedic relief.

The actual plot is some evil people are doing some evil things and Torchwood have to stop them. It really is that simple. The different aspects like Ianto’s father, and Yvonne on the run did lend the story some dramatic weight, but I felt it did somewhat over-rely on them instead of continuing to add original ideas. With that in mind, the fact the story kept me engaged left me thinking ‘that was decent’ as opposed to what I expected to be ‘christ, that was unoriginal’. The forgettable antagonists aside, it was a well crafted story, and only really a small step down from the previous entry in the boxset.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

9 To 5 -

The final story in this set has a very interesting premise, and features someone’s head exploding. Safe to say it was very interesting and did some unexpected things, plot wise. The story definitely stuck well with the ‘machines’ theme of the set, and I really like that it went in a different direction with it, not just having some generic evil robots do some usual malevolent stuff. The villain of the piece I don’t want to spoil, but I can say that even though the villain itself isn’t original; its plan definitely is. I adored the twists and the clever little dramatic moments, as I felt myself not just engaged, but also appreciating the intelligence that has gone into the script. On the other hand there was one aspect that did really give me the hump, but i’ll get to that later.

The strengths of this story are simple; the twists, the dialogue, and pacing. Having a story that has a time limit always puts pressure on the speed at which needs to occur, and this story managed to excellent play out the narrative even at 90 miles per hour. I didn’t feel like any pieces of information were lost, or any of the drama not given enough time to appreciate; simply just keeping each scene short (bar one…). The twists are fab, and I found myself thinking ‘oh of course’ more than once, which is always a delightful. The dialogue is possibly the biggest strength, where the dramatic weight of the twists, and the silliness of the comedy all feel well-achieved. Yvonne gets most of the comedy in this one as it’s great as Tracy-Ann Oberman does comedy so well, and Gareth David-Lloyd gets to stick to his strength in the dramatic and melancholy scenes.

The biggest criticism I have of this story which lowers my overall rating is simple. At first I liked Stacy, the focus of the story, but as it went on and especially toward the end I just started to sigh every time she spoke. Her penultimate scene where she supposedly is going to the make the big sacrifice. So? Why should I care, all she’s done is be hostile, deny a very clear apparent reality, and make pretentious statements about individuality. This character who isn’t a person, just a bunch of preprogrammed stuff who has sort of broken her programming, giving sanctimonious speeches. Ianto is the character who can really deliver or be the conduit for moral lessons, so I don’t really care for some stupid death scene where I’m expected to what? Shed a tear over this practically 3D printed, generic sarcastic female character? Not a chance. If not for that, I’d give the story almost full marks; I just cannot abide stories that try make some beautiful point in either a stupid way or using completely unsympathetic characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

[Taksya · Rating 4 out of 5]

2.1 The Law Machines by Matt Fitton
Torchwood One e un gruppo di robot che devono far rispettare la legge... cosa potrebbe andare storto?
Ianto e Yvonne, assieme ad alcuni dei personaggi conosciuti in Torchwood One: Before The Fall, devono risolvere il problema prima che sia troppo tardi.
2.2 Blind Summit by Gareth David-Lloyd
Ovvero "come Ianto fu reclutato da Yvonne"... e non è così facile come sembra.
2.3 9 to 5 by Tim Foley
Epilogo della disavventura di Torchwood One con macchine senzienti e I.A. bellicose.
Yvonne e Ianto in coppia sono formidabili e risultano essere le due faccie della stessa medaglia.
Gareth David Lloyd come autore non è più una sorpresa e l'episodio da lui scritto sembra confermare la mano felice.
Come sempre... restiamo in attesa per il terzo capitolo.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three more stories featuring the London version of Torchwood in the early 2000s before its fall. As with the previous release, the feel is much less dark than the TV series or the regular Torchwood audios, although Yvonne Hartmann isn’t as sympathetic a protagonist as, say, Kate Stewart in the UNIT audios. Marketed as “for mature listeners”, this is due to the occasional f-word and some implied gore, but not, say, anything sexual or truly horrific.

• The Law Machines – The Mayor of London (a fictional one, not Ken Livingstone) decides it would be a good plan to station heavily armed autonomous robot policemen across the city. Because that sort of thing never goes wrong. In fact, as the title and cover picture imply, this is a sequel to the DW TV story The War Machines, with a battle across London starting before the title music finishes playing. It’s primarily focussed on Hartmann, shown here as ruthless and disdainful of the people she’s supposedly protecting. Despite the fact that there’s a fair bit of military action, this also has several touches of humour, some of them due to WOTAN not fully grasping how computer technology has advanced since 1966. As a result, while it’s not a terribly deep story, it’s an entertaining listen. 4 stars.

• Blind Summit – The second story is set earlier, recounting Ianto’s first encounter with Torchwood, before he was officially recruited. It’s more or less entirely told from his perspective, alone and alienated in London, and, at this point, a decent man who is quite unsuited to the threats he encounters. Hartmann shows a sympathetic side that we don’t often see and is arguably at odds with the portrayal in the previous episode, while the story itself is a relatively routine piece about alien tech being used for cynical purposes. There is some gore and a brief LGBT encounter, but they feel tacked on because somebody felt that they ought to be there rather than because they’re needed. It’s a good performance from David-Lloyd as Ianto, and fills in some of the character’s background, but otherwise it isn’t much we haven’t seen before. 4 stars.

• 9 to 5 – The final story is the strongest, following on from events in the other two and tying them together. The key character here is a temp working in an anonymous office building whose life is suddenly turned upside down by the arrival of Torchwood. I’ll note that Ianto here seems to have a more important role within the organisation than is implied in the TV series, basically being a fully-fledged operative, but I guess this was necessary to give him something to do. That aside, it’s a story about office life, and in particular a, well… dehumanising… view of HR departments. There’s also pathos as the ordinary office worker at the heart of it all realises how what has really been going on affects her, and a common Torchwood theme of the interaction of new technology with everyday life. 4.5 stars.

[Yvonne Alf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Torchwood One box sets are so much fun! This time it's three single stories and not an overall arc like with 'Before The Fall'. Or at least mostly single stories, they are still loosely connected.

The Law Machines - 4/5
I'm a bit undecided how to rate the first story. I actually think it's very well done, but it's starts with a bang and doesn't slow down until the end. And usually I prefer stories with a bit of a slower pace, because sometimes it gets confusing with too much action. But I think it's great the story picks up an old enemy from the Doctor Who universe and brings the story into the 21st century. Lots of fun when the 60's clash with the 2000s.

Blind Summit - 5/5
This story was the main reason I wanted to own this set and it certainly delivered. Gareth David-Lloyd did a great job with the writing again. It was great to read about Ianto in London and how he met Yvonne and got recruted for Torchwood One. And I have to say was not what I expected, it really hits you in the gut. We all know Ianto's story is really tragic and I want to hug him all the time and then comes Gareth along and writes a story that makes it so much worse. Sigh. I love it.

9 to 5 - 4.5/5
This is when Torchwood One is at it's best - all the horrors of a London office building. A story about a temp agency is really different and I really liked how it is a fun sci-fi story, but also a critical look at a real problem in modern times. Stacy the main protagonist aside from Yvonne and Ianto is a really great character, I really enjoyed following her on her journey. The end twist was not really necessary, I wouldn't have minded if the story had been a complete stand-alone.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torchwood: Torchwood One: Machines - 3.834/5 stars

Tracy-Ann Oberman as Yvonne and Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto are great in this. The return of WOTAN is… an interesting choice. I like the loose connection between the stories that could mainly be listened to on their own as standalone.

The Law Machines by Matt Fitton - 4/5 stars

Fun little opener. I like the basic jabs at political figures. The mayor of London who won by the popular vote being annoying up until their fiery and hilarious death was a stand-out moment. Yvonne Hartman carries herself with dignity and is definitely the best character in this episode.

Blind Summit by Gareth David-Lloyd - 3.5/5 stars

The “How Ianto joined Torchwood” episode. An exciting thriller that explores Yvonne and Ianto’s relationship.

9 to 5 by Tim Foley - 4/5 stars

After what’s set up in the previous two stories, WOTAN is finally stopped by Yvonne and Ianto for good. After they’ve set up a system of making workers that aren’t real. Sad ending but a satisfying conclusion to a solid boxset.

[John]

The Law Machines
WOTAN is back in this sequel to The War Machines. It's nice to hear the differences to WOTANs approach from the original story because of how technology has changed. Well written but simple.

Blind Summit
Ianto joins Torchwood...or does he? Poor guy can't catch a break. Gareth David-Lloyd is as great at writing Ianto as he is at playing Ianto.

9 to 5
Surprisingly strong finale. I have a soft spot for stories that take a concept like temp workers and make it literal. A very classic sci-fi feel to this one and very relatable for anyone who has worked in an office environment.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wotan from the war machines shows up on torchwood's radar.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three stories of Torchwood One carrying a common link. I particularly liked Blind Summit which was written by Gareth David-Lloyd and you can tell how much GDL understands his character.

As usual I had a lot of fun listening to the Big Finish Audio drama. They are a great palate cleanser between my heavy reads.