In Review: Big Finish: Torchwood: Sargasso

Synopsis: The seas of planet Earth are choked by plastic. Plastic that no-one has a use for and no-one can get rid of.

Rhys Williams finds himself stranded on a container ship in a sea of debris. People on board are dying. Because, luckily, someone’s found a solution to Earth’s polluted waters. The Nestene Consciousness can never have too much plastic.

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

Review: Torchwood: Sargasso by Christopher Cooper was the final installment in the Torchwood vs. Doctor Who Monsters series. The story felt like a Pertwee era tale with considerably more cursing.

Cooper encouraged The Third Doctor vibe by crafting an old school environmental allegory. Unfortunately, the story was so effective, because it was almost not an allegory. The problem has actually become that dire.

Cooper maintained the Doctor Who connection not only through allegory, but he also used clever role reversal. Rhys Williams is usually his wife’s “companion” during these adventures. This time, however, he had to become “The Doctor” and problem solve as best he could. Kai Owen played this shift in gears for his everyman character to perfection. I have to commend him for an extremely believable, relatable, and organic performance.

Big Finish newcomer Sydney Feder also deserved kudos for running the audio gauntlet as her character, Kaitlin, was put through her paces. I hope this is the first of many performances. I should also thank Sound Designer Adrian Townsend for providing the audio gauntlet in question. I’ll never hear a rubber ducky’s quack the same way again.

• You can purchase Torchwood: Sargasso here. 

Cast

Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Chloe Ewart (Captain Anika Banaczik), Sydney Feder (Kaitlin Russell), Robert Jezek (Yonich), Wilf Scolding (Sailor)

Production Credits

Additional themes by Ben Foster

Cover Artist Lee Binding

Director Scott Handcock

Executive Producer Jason Haigh-Ellery & Nicholas Briggs

Music Blair Mowat

Producer James Goss

Script Editor Scott Handcock

Sound Design Adrian Townsend

Written by Christopher Cooper

Theme Music by Murray Gold