Review by Doctor Squee (Host of Gallifrey Stands Podcast)

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Let’s just get this out of the way; this is fantastically written & directed by Scott Handcock and a story where Tosh played by Naoko Mori gets to shine in a way which I feel maybe she didn’t always get to on TV. I say this up front as there is so much to talk about in this release.
This story is so inventive and original and taps into a real experience in a way some of the most celebrated Torchwood and Doctor Who stories do.

Most of us have at one time or another resorted to a cheeky download via torrents and they even joke in the extras that some people will probably be listening to this audio that deals with that on a torrent. Obviously I never have (he said in a nice loud voice for any law enforcement readers of this blog). But what a good premise to have a virus that can attack humans transmittable by illegal downloads?

The way this is put together is really different too. They have the audio skipping in some places and repeating and breaking up. This could be really distracting from the story if done too much or too invasively but the way they have done it, it doesn’t. I think there was only one moment where the distortion they have put in made me reach to pop the volume down a couple of points, but that sort of worked with the sometimes eerie nature of the story and made me sit up in my seat. This story is very good at keeping you on your toes and is just the right amount of complexity without confusing you to the point where you lose interest. Definitely one that begs a second listen.

Just thinking of how you write this and how much of the style is realised in the studio. Did Handcock write ‘audio skips 5 times and then we jump a minute?’ I can only imagine it took a really clear vision and everyone working together, which makes it no surprise to me that Handcock took both the directing and writing duties on to see this clear vision of a story through.

The only other thing is to give props to the guest cast in Robbie Jarvis as Tosh’s love interest Stephen. How cool is it that Tosh has a love interest? He played it perfectly as the geeky equal to Tosh but lower status and pining after her. It gave Mori something really good to play off, with kindness, a little ignorance to his interest in her and maybe some pretending not to notice to avoid an awkward conversation.

James Goss as the producer of this range is continuing to raise the game and find new interesting things to do with our old friends and the ever expanding world of Torchwood.

This release gets a 10/10!

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Buy it now here https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/torchwood_cascade_cdrip-tor-1498

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