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Torchwood Soho #2
Torchwood Soho: Ashenden
Return to the world of 1950s Torchwood!
Welcome to Ashenden. An exciting new town just outside London, and also the home of a terrible secret.
London has been infiltrated - a darkness is spreading from the bombsites to the highest ranks of government. A darkness that cannot be stopped. A desperate hunt is on for the man who caused it.
The past has come for Torchwood agent Norton Folgate. This is the hour of the hollow man.
1. Pimlico
Sergeant Andy finds himself chased through the ruins of London with only a dead woman for company.
2. O Little Town of Ashenden
Ashenden was once a listening station. It's become something far worse.
3. The National Health
Sergeant Andy must fight his way out of a hospital that offers care from the cradle to the grave.
4. Rivers of Blood
Miss Satterthwaite always dreamed that the stars were listening to her, and now they're changing her life forever.
5. Now is the Time for All Good Men
Lizbeth Hayhoe is looking for help from those in power. But they are turning a deaf ear.
6. The Hour of the Hollow Man
Some things in life cannot be escaped. Death, taxes, and a picnic on the beach.
Welcome to Ashenden. An exciting new town just outside London, and also the home of a terrible secret.
London has been infiltrated - a darkness is spreading from the bombsites to the highest ranks of government. A darkness that cannot be stopped. A desperate hunt is on for the man who caused it.
The past has come for Torchwood agent Norton Folgate. This is the hour of the hollow man.
1. Pimlico
Sergeant Andy finds himself chased through the ruins of London with only a dead woman for company.
2. O Little Town of Ashenden
Ashenden was once a listening station. It's become something far worse.
3. The National Health
Sergeant Andy must fight his way out of a hospital that offers care from the cradle to the grave.
4. Rivers of Blood
Miss Satterthwaite always dreamed that the stars were listening to her, and now they're changing her life forever.
5. Now is the Time for All Good Men
Lizbeth Hayhoe is looking for help from those in power. But they are turning a deaf ear.
6. The Hour of the Hollow Man
Some things in life cannot be escaped. Death, taxes, and a picnic on the beach.
- GenresDoctor Who
Audio CD
First published October 1, 2021
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
James Goss
222 books176 followersJames Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 23, 2021
Disclaimer: I adore the character of Andy. And Andy is basically the sole reason I got this release in the first place.
This is a VERY good release.
It is a great alien invasion story.
However, I will get my main criticism out of the way first, I am getting REALLY tired of overly sexualised alien parasites. If it is not alien female parts jumping at your face (like the Facehuggers), it is alien eels penetrating victims. Is there really no more inventive way of presenting alien parasites?
Maybe?
This is tiresome.
I know it is Torchwood, and juvenile sexual humor seems to be a thing, but getting presented the same tired ideas about sexual alien parasites again... SIGH.
Now that that is out of the way.
This is a great release.
It is a clever story, the performances are impeccable. There is a great atmosphere, there is lots of character drama, lots of betrayal and secret plans gone wrong.
Norton is actually bearable. He still is his usual a**hole self, but his secret plan is really quite clever.
The tension builts up perfectly, and we get a sad and sobering ending, which might be heartbreaking, even for selfish egotistical Norton.
Did I enjoy listening to this?
This is a very dark release.
It can drag you down if you are in the wrong mood.
It is not as dark as Soho Parasite, and there are several great more lighthearted bits.
But I would lie if I told you I did enjoy listening to this.
I can appreciate that it is clever, and well written and perfectly performed.
But poor poor poor Andy.
He gets put through the wringer.
Mental and physical torture for 3 hours straight.
This is basically torture porn with Andy as the victim.
It is perfectly performed, and I felt every bit of pain and anguish inflicted on him myself.
I think after this, I really need to download Stranded and listen to a happy and un-tormented Andy, just to remind me of his happier times.
In conclusion, this is mainly an Andy story. Andy is the main focus, Andy does the heavy lifting. Yes, it is Norton scheming in the background, but Andy gets to do most the dirty work, plus most of the heroics, plus the despair, plus the torture. And the scenes of him freaking out and running around screaming on a beach.
If you are a fan of Andy, this is a great story featuring him (if you can bear him being mentally and physically assaulted for the whole runtime, that is).
This is a VERY good release.
It is a great alien invasion story.
However, I will get my main criticism out of the way first, I am getting REALLY tired of overly sexualised alien parasites. If it is not alien female parts jumping at your face (like the Facehuggers), it is alien eels penetrating victims. Is there really no more inventive way of presenting alien parasites?
Maybe?
This is tiresome.
I know it is Torchwood, and juvenile sexual humor seems to be a thing, but getting presented the same tired ideas about sexual alien parasites again... SIGH.
Now that that is out of the way.
This is a great release.
It is a clever story, the performances are impeccable. There is a great atmosphere, there is lots of character drama, lots of betrayal and secret plans gone wrong.
Norton is actually bearable. He still is his usual a**hole self, but his secret plan is really quite clever.
The tension builts up perfectly, and we get a sad and sobering ending, which might be heartbreaking, even for selfish egotistical Norton.
Did I enjoy listening to this?
This is a very dark release.
It can drag you down if you are in the wrong mood.
It is not as dark as Soho Parasite, and there are several great more lighthearted bits.
But I would lie if I told you I did enjoy listening to this.
I can appreciate that it is clever, and well written and perfectly performed.
But poor poor poor Andy.
He gets put through the wringer.
Mental and physical torture for 3 hours straight.
This is basically torture porn with Andy as the victim.
It is perfectly performed, and I felt every bit of pain and anguish inflicted on him myself.
I think after this, I really need to download Stranded and listen to a happy and un-tormented Andy, just to remind me of his happier times.
In conclusion, this is mainly an Andy story. Andy is the main focus, Andy does the heavy lifting. Yes, it is Norton scheming in the background, but Andy gets to do most the dirty work, plus most of the heroics, plus the despair, plus the torture. And the scenes of him freaking out and running around screaming on a beach.
If you are a fan of Andy, this is a great story featuring him (if you can bear him being mentally and physically assaulted for the whole runtime, that is).
December 30, 2023
While other experiments with stories using historical versions of Torchwood have by and large not succeeded, it's a testament to Goss's vision of the '50s one that its return is as welcome as any that include the main characters from the TV series. Here, they are back for their second full-length (3-hour) story albeit with Andy Davidson as the main viewpoint character. Not, however, quite the only one, with Lizbeth getting a few viewpoint scenes, including an extended flashback alongside Norton. Gideon, on the other hand, while prominently featuring on the cover is barely in it - his presence is pivotal to the plot, but more as a damsel-in-distress than anything else.
The story concerns a "new town" being built on the Sussex coast - Welwyn Garden City and Basildon being real-world examples from the period. Here, it's the basis for a very '50s science fiction plot () albeit one that throws in plenty of British elements, rather than the original US ones. It's something that's been done many times before, but it works here, partly because of the way that the story is split into six half-hour segments that keep things fresh.
This allows for some social commentary on the '50s from a modern perspective, although this is perhaps less of a theme than it was in the previous release. Episode titles refer to the newly created NHS and Enoch Powell's infamous "rivers of blood" speech but they're only tangentially relevant to the story. Indeed, there is a distinct modern sensibility here, and not just because two of the leads are LGBT. There are some distinct horror elements, too, including the (off-screen) death of children so it certainly isn't light listening, especially as a sense of despair and hopelessness builds in the final segment. But it has strong performances, and good characterisation of all the leads and is another worthy outing in this series.
The story concerns a "new town" being built on the Sussex coast - Welwyn Garden City and Basildon being real-world examples from the period. Here, it's the basis for a very '50s science fiction plot () albeit one that throws in plenty of British elements, rather than the original US ones. It's something that's been done many times before, but it works here, partly because of the way that the story is split into six half-hour segments that keep things fresh.
This allows for some social commentary on the '50s from a modern perspective, although this is perhaps less of a theme than it was in the previous release. Episode titles refer to the newly created NHS and Enoch Powell's infamous "rivers of blood" speech but they're only tangentially relevant to the story. Indeed, there is a distinct modern sensibility here, and not just because two of the leads are LGBT. There are some distinct horror elements, too, including the (off-screen) death of children so it certainly isn't light listening, especially as a sense of despair and hopelessness builds in the final segment. But it has strong performances, and good characterisation of all the leads and is another worthy outing in this series.
December 27, 2021
Secondo capitolo per lo spin-off di Torchwood dedicato alla sezione di Torchwood Soho, nei ruggenti anni '50 del XX secolo.
Dopo Torchwood Soho: Parasite Andy si ritrova nuovamente al fianco di Norton Folgate è di Lizbeth Hayhoe della imbarazzante sezione Soho di Torchwood One, coinvolti con il giornalista Gideon Lyme in una inarrestabile e a tratti inquietante invasione aliena.
Come nel primo capitolo, anche qui abbiamo sei brevi capitoli di una mezz'ora l'uno che, nel loro insieme, costituiscono una storia unica e ben orchestrata.
Pur con l'ironia di Folgate e le situazioni al limite del paradosso, la trama è molto più cupa e non facilmente digeribile.
Il finale risolve le cose in maniera abbastanza prevedibile, ma il viaggio per arrivarci è un vero pugno nello stomaco.
La scrittura di James Goss si fa sempre più efficace e le storie toccano tasti non sempre facili da gestire.
Dopo Torchwood Soho: Parasite Andy si ritrova nuovamente al fianco di Norton Folgate è di Lizbeth Hayhoe della imbarazzante sezione Soho di Torchwood One, coinvolti con il giornalista Gideon Lyme in una inarrestabile e a tratti inquietante invasione aliena.
Come nel primo capitolo, anche qui abbiamo sei brevi capitoli di una mezz'ora l'uno che, nel loro insieme, costituiscono una storia unica e ben orchestrata.
Pur con l'ironia di Folgate e le situazioni al limite del paradosso, la trama è molto più cupa e non facilmente digeribile.
Il finale risolve le cose in maniera abbastanza prevedibile, ma il viaggio per arrivarci è un vero pugno nello stomaco.
La scrittura di James Goss si fa sempre più efficace e le storie toccano tasti non sempre facili da gestire.
November 19, 2021
1950’s Londoner’s are take over by eels and make their way to a town by called Asherton. Touchwood tries to fight but will they win.
May 30, 2023
4.5 stars
July 16, 2024
Woohoo more torture for Andy and Norton as they battle the invasion of the body snatching space slugs.
Read
October 30, 202450s torchwood norton folgate bbc miniseries WHEN ????
December 3, 2022
Another fun-filled collection of manic adventures with our crew from Torchwood: Soho, but is this actually the 1950s or somewhen else entirely?
(7) Pimlico - Andy and Hayhoe get thrown together to solve some weird shi… stuff and hunt down … Norton Folgate. And, of course, hilarity ensues but not at the cost of the usual Torchwood uncanny and freaky shenanigans. It’s all going to be positively Lovecraftian.
(8) O Little Town of Ashenden - And now we get to Ashenden proper, and the weirdity just gets weirder.
(9) The National Health - Andy is in hospital. And its … weird.
(10) Rivers of Blood - Uh. Yep. More weirdness. That’s not weird at all. Anymore.
(11) Now is the Time for All Good Men - Well, the weirdness comes to a head, and it’s about time. Sigh. Sadly, I’m just not enjoying this series as much as others.
(12) The Hour of the Hollow Man - It just feels so forced and scripted. The vitality and bizarre silliness juxtaposed against the uncanny and the surreal just isn’t here this time.
I just don’t know what didn’t work for me this time. It should have just been another rollicking success. Instead, all the spontaneity, all the thrill and joy, just wasn’t here this time. Maybe when I get around to it for a second listen. It does pull through right at the end, but some of the other sections … meh.
(7) Pimlico - Andy and Hayhoe get thrown together to solve some weird shi… stuff and hunt down … Norton Folgate. And, of course, hilarity ensues but not at the cost of the usual Torchwood uncanny and freaky shenanigans. It’s all going to be positively Lovecraftian.
(8) O Little Town of Ashenden - And now we get to Ashenden proper, and the weirdity just gets weirder.
(9) The National Health - Andy is in hospital. And its … weird.
(10) Rivers of Blood - Uh. Yep. More weirdness. That’s not weird at all. Anymore.
(11) Now is the Time for All Good Men - Well, the weirdness comes to a head, and it’s about time. Sigh. Sadly, I’m just not enjoying this series as much as others.
(12) The Hour of the Hollow Man - It just feels so forced and scripted. The vitality and bizarre silliness juxtaposed against the uncanny and the surreal just isn’t here this time.
I just don’t know what didn’t work for me this time. It should have just been another rollicking success. Instead, all the spontaneity, all the thrill and joy, just wasn’t here this time. Maybe when I get around to it for a second listen. It does pull through right at the end, but some of the other sections … meh.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews