Torchwood review: Captain John and Captain Jack discover utopia in Peach Blossom Heights

The people living at Peach Blossom Heights live innocent lives, completely free of deviancy. But when Captains John and Jack arrive, that’s about to change, in the third episode of Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John…

Out of all four episodes in Torchwood spin-off series The Sins of Captain John, Peach Blossom Heights is definitely the lightest. It’s also an episode that writer David Llewellyn clearly had a lot of fun with, and probably showcases exactly how divisive this series could be.

The episode has a basic concept: Captains Jack and John find themselves stranded on a strange world. A world that feels like a cross between pleasant suburbia and theme park. The people are nice enough, but the theme park mascots are creepy. (At least, they are to John.)

John and Jack meet a particularly lovely couple, Caitlin and Trevor, who are happy to let them stay at their place. They seem genuinely nice, but both captains notice that something is very strange. There are many things on this world that they don’t seem to know anything about, such as other worlds. Or even sex, for that matter.

You can probably guess where this is going…

(L to R): Christopher Allen, Ayesha Antoine, James Marsters and Robbie Jarvis feature in the third episode of Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John.

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

John and Jack having a LOT of fun

The Sins of Captain John has featured a lot of outrageous story content already, including flesh-eating zombies in Restoration England, John spending half an episode entirely drunk, and of course, plenty of sex. But this story is possibly the boldest episode of the box set, mainly for its focus on that last one.

While there are hardly any full-on sex scenes directly, (something that’s addressed by John in classic fourth-wall breaking fashion,) a world without sex – and what happens when two people who love it arrive on this world – is essentially the main plot of this episode. Honestly, it’s an interesting idea, and one that David Llewellyn clearly has a lot of fun exploring. (Though perhaps not quite as much fun as John and Jack have.)

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It helps that both Ayesha Antoine and Robbie Jarvis are absolutely adorable as Caitlin and Trevor. Especially their reaction to discovering sex, thanks to the…ahem…”help” of Jack and John. It’s a reaction so surprisingly innocent yet eager, that even Jack and John feel awkward about it.

Along with all the sex-crazed shenanigans, there is, of course, a plot. Just about. It’s a bit of a predictable story – of something lurking within this utopia – but David Llewellyn still manages to subvert expectations at times, especially at the end. Without giving too much away, it leaves our captains (and the audience) in a state of moral confusion.

Peach Blossom Heights is definitely a bold episode. Like its lead characters, it’s not exactly subtle, but it has a lot of fun, at least. Perhaps not for everyone, (especially not younger listeners,) but it’s definitely a fitting story for someone like Captain John.

What do you think is the most outrageous Torchwood story you’ve watched or listened to? Do you prefer the bolder stories, or do you prefer something more subtle? Let us know in the comments below.