Torchwood review: Dissected is a brilliant return for Martha Jones
By James Aggas
Over a decade since her last appearance, Martha Jones returns in the excellent Torchwood audio Dissected, once again played by Freema Agyeman.
Dissected by Tim Foley is an extremely important release. Not just for Torchwood, but for Big Finish Productions. Because it’s Freema Agyeman’s first appearance in a Big Finish audio. More than that: it’s the first time that she’s played former Doctor Who companion Martha Jones since her extremely brief appearance in The End of Time: Part 2. So a story that sees her reprise the role for the first time in over a decade had to be big.
So naturally, Tim Foley’s story focuses on Martha dissecting a body in real time.
If that sounds like a criticism, it really isn’t. Foley made the very smart decision of keeping the plot in his story relatively small. Oh, there is your usual sci-fi plot, and hints of a mystery going on in Dissected. But what this is really about is the reunion between Gwen and Martha.
It’s been a long time since the two have seen each other. Definitely not as long as it’s been for us to hear from Martha, but it’s still been a while. A lot has changed for both of them. Why didn’t they stay in touch? Who is Martha right now? And why hasn’t she joined Torchwood?
Freema Agyeman portrays Martha once more, for the first time in over a decade.
Courtesy Big Finish Productions
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Character-driven drama
What’s particularly great about this story is when it takes place. Dissected is firmly set in the gap between Series 2 and 3 of Torchwood, and sometime after Series 4 of Doctor Who. Martha is still working for UNIT, and she’s good at her job. She’s not quite the person she once was, but does that make her the person she wants to be?
There’s so much character-driven drama in this story. The fact that it purely focuses on Gwen and Martha is especially fantastic. They’re what we really want to hear, and we get so many great scenes as a result. So much is explored between the two: the different styles of UNIT and Torchwood; their working lives and how much that’s changed and even their personal lives. It really is a solid piece of drama.
Unsurprisingly, both Eve Myles and Freema Agyeman are as fantastic as ever in their respective roles. It’s strange to think that it’s been a decade since Agyeman last portrayed Martha, as it really does sound like she’s never left the part. Here’s hoping that we get to hear more from the character in future Big Finish stories – a lot more.
With a fantastic script and strong performances, Dissected is a highly recommended listen for both Torchwood and Doctor Who fans. A very welcome return for Martha Jones.
Next. Torchwood review: The Sins of Captain John. dark
Do you want to hear more from Martha? What areas of her life do you think should be explored in future audios? Let us know in the comments below.