Torchwood: The Death of Captain Jack

This release sees the Big Finish debut of James Marsters as John Hart, joined by Jack as the other main character. They are joined by an unusually large cast for the releases in this particular series, although most of these guests are present only briefly.

The story begins with John visiting an aged and dying Jack in a present-day prison before revealing, though a series of flashbacks, how such a situation has come about. Initially, it portrays their rivalry in the Time Agency, before we see how John altered history to become the leader of Torchwood shortly after it was founded. From there, we follow his story, and that of Torchwood, through this alternate reality.

A lot of this is clearly meant to be a comedy, and while some of it certainly works in that regard, other parts just come across as implausible. This may be because the nature of Torchwood has always been more serious than that of Doctor Who... but then again, it may just be me. The strongest parts are once we reach the 2000s and see the way that John deals with the various issues that cropped up in the TV series, from Army of Ghosts through to Miracle Day - they're brief vignettes, but they're generally quite fun.

It's not a bad story by any means and, as I say, there are a few good laughs in it, but it didn't quite work for me. A lot may depend on your sense of humour and how far you're willing to take things.