In Review: Big Finish: Torchwood: Zone 10

Synopsis: This title was released in April 2016, and will be exclusively available to purchase from the BF website until 30th June 2016.

They call it “Pulse” – a radio signal which has puzzled the world for 40 years. But now Toshiko Sato has solved it.

She’s uncovered a message which leads her to Russia, and into an uneasy alliance with the KVI – the Russian equivalent of Torchwood. Toshiko needs to get into Zone 10 – a frozen wasteland which officially doesn’t exist.

An intergalactic war was once fought in Zone 10. And it turns out there’s a survivor.

Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

Review: The stand-alone elements were excellent, considering the story had the makings of a bog standard time loop narrative. I really appreciated how writer David Llewellyn established it was a time loop tale in the intro teaser. This freed listeners to appreciate the character and world building the time loop facilitated. Naoko Mori was a treat as Toshiko Sato, and it was fitting that the computer jockey was the POV character for widening the Torchwood universe. Frankly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry upon the revelation that both Torchwood and its Russian counterpart had been in cahoots with The Committee. I’ll just content myself with the understanding that this latest cabal is a multi-series threat, and the knowledge that things will get a whole lot more Russian before they get better.

• You can purchase “Zone 10” here: https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/zone-10-1390

Written By: David Llewellyn

Directed By: Scott Handcock

Cast

Naoko Mori (Toshiko Sato), Krystian Godlewski (Maxim Ivanov), Ella Garland (Anna Volokova), Geoffrey Breton (FSB Agent)

Producer: James Goss

Script Editor: Steve Tribe

Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs