Torchwood One review: Latter Days might be the best volume in the prequel series

With its overall focus on character, its exploration of interesting themes and a mixture of three extremely strong stories, Torchwood One: Latter Days might be the best volume in the series yet.

Having finished listening to the third box set in the prequel series, I have to say that Torchwood One: Latter Days is an excellent release. A prequel series that explores the organization’s original base in London before it was destroyed in Doctor Who, Torchwood One has given us a radically different look at the secret organization we all know and love.

This has been a very strong series, one with its own unique identity. In some ways, this series is just as dark and mature as the Torchwood we know. But, under the leadership of Yvonne Hartman, Torchwood One is a very different organization to Torchwood Three in Cardiff.

Latter Days really highlights this. While it doesn’t feature an “arc” like the previous two box sets did, it does feature a key theme: retirement. From three different perspectives, we get an idea of what it’s like to retire from somewhere like Torchwood One. Or even when your life is barely involved in it at all.

So in that aspect, Latter Days definitely lives up to its title. But it should be mentioned that the box set also does that in other ways…

Retirement Plan

The three stories in this box set are each fantastic in their own way, and it’s very difficult for me to pick a favorite.

Opening episode Retirement Plan gives us another strong story from Gareth David-Lloyd. The actor who’s played Ianto Jones for over a decade has demonstrated the past couple of years just how much of a fantastic writer he is.

Unsurprisingly, all of his Torchwood stories – namely, The Last Beacon, Blind Summit and now Retirement Plan – have heavily focused on Ianto. But he’s also made sure to give plenty of great material to his other actors too, and indeed, Retirement Plan had a heavy focus on Tommy, a regular character exclusive to Torchwood One. David-Lloyd started off strong as a Torchwood writer, and has simply grown stronger and more confidant over time.

Locker 15

Locker 15 by Matt Fitton focuses on a lower ranking member of the organization with the character of Dave. A retired cleaner suffering from memory problems, we get a clear idea of how Torchwood One treated some of its staff, at least those who focus on the more menial tasks of the organization.

Yvonne’s and Ianto’s working relationship is explored really nicely, and there’s a clear contrast between the two: Yvonne is “nice” and wants a friendly atmosphere at the workplace. But Ianto actually cares: he wants to know that Torchwood treats everyone well, and that it’s always doing the right thing. Something that Yvonne can’t really promise him.

The Rockery

Both of the first two stories are fantastic. But I think it’s the last episode, The Rockery, that’s my favorite. In some ways, it’s a bit of a small episode. There’s no major alien threat, no massive conspiracy to fight. Just Yvonne trying to help her mother. Naturally, it all goes horribly wrong.

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Both Tracy-Ann Oberman and Barbara Flynn give great performances as Yvonne and Anne Hartman. Tim Foley’s script gives a lot to their characters, both in terms of humor and drama. It’s a very character driven piece, and it’s a great way to round off the box set. Especially with how it ends…

Overall, Latter Days is a really fantastic box set, and well worth checking out. It just might be the very best box set in the prequel series.

Having said that, if we don’t get more volumes in this particular series, I think I’d be OK about that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been fantastic, but there is more limited scope for storytelling overall compared to what you can explore with audios set after the TV series.

More than that: how this box set ends is a very natural ending to the series overall. And it would be great for the prequel to end on a high. Especially when it’s a high as huge as Latter Days.

Have you listened to Latter Days, or indeed, any of Torchwood One? Did you enjoy the series overall? Let us know in the comments below.