Torchwood: Rhys and Ianto’s Excellent Barbecue

As the title and cover both suggest, this is a story about Rhys and Ianto having a barbecue behind Rhys' flat. As one might expect, there's a bit more to it than this, and, yes, there is very definitely a science fiction element to what follows. Much of which is, as in many of the best Torchwood audios, weird and mysterious with a threat that's both creepy and physically dangerous.

But, for all that takes up a fair proportion of the runtime, it's just a setup to explore the real themes of the story. It's partly a clash between Ianto's middle-class aesthetics and Rhys' more working-class preferences. But it's also about masculinity, grief, and human connection as the pair are literally forced together and have to ultimately confront the real reasons behind the “lads' night out”. Moving from humour to tension to pathos, and with well-written dialogue and a great performance from the two leads, it's another strong story that really isn't what you expect it's going to be.