BIG FINISH - Torchwood: Dissected (REVIEW)

As someone who was first introduced to the Doctor Who universe during Tennant’s run, Martha Jones always felt like the underdog - which is why I always loved her character arc and how she developed as a character. Martha had an intriguing arc that was shadowed in mystery when she left the TARDIS in Journey’s End and later returned in the midst of fighting a Judoon married to none other than Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) – that one scene not only showed great chemistry between both beloved characters and gave a satisfying ending, it left a lot og questions. How did we get here?

Thankfully, Big Finish explores that with Martha Jones making a comeback with “Torchwood: Dissected” written by Tim Foley and directed by Scott Handcock.

Gwen Cooper turns up on Martha Jones's doorstep with a dead body in tow. She needs to ask one final favour of her. And to find out why they stopped being friends.

A lot's happened to Torchwood since Martha left. A lot's happened to Martha since she left Torchwood. And there's something very odd about the dead body Gwen's brought with her.

Tonight Gwen's going to be getting more answers than she bargained for.

Dissected is an excellent two-hander thriller with Freema Agyeman (who makes her Big Finish debut in this audio drama) and Eve Myles - both actresses have terrific chemistry with another brilliant creative collaboration from director Scott Handcock and writer Tim Foley. Martha is losing her passion for saving people (her medical skills are used for examine the already deceased) and with Gwen’s disapproval of UNIT, the rivalry between both organisations cause further tension with these two former friends.

As well as this being a brilliant drama about two estranged friends in an awkward and then life threatening situation, Agyeman and Myles capture the perfect balance of humour and drama. The threat is of course alien, but the fact it is unexplained makes it all the more sinister. Director Scott Handcock doesn’t hold back on the sinister aspects of this audio drama – with his writing/directing credits outside Doctor Who including Dorian Gray, Dracula, Torchwood and Class; Handcock definitely thrives in this genre. With Dissected also being my introduction to Gwen Cooper, I thought Eve Myles had brilliant stage presence – it’s even made me deeply consider diving into more of the Torchwood range at Big Finish to really get to know this character. Foley also cleverly starts bridging the time-frame between Martha's absence from Journey's End and The End of Time with nuggets and foreshadowing of Martha's ending. This audio drama could be a great pilot for Martha and Mickey's undercover work and later love story - a reunion with Noel Clarke and Agyeman would be a superb series – or even a box set which explores the year Martha was on the run from the Master. This was a solid story with two great performances that really explored a layered friendship - hopefully Martha has more stories soon. Agyeman is a brilliant addition to the Big Finish family and her presence opens up the possibility of many more productions.

Torchwood: Dissected, written by Tim Foley, and starring Freema Agyeman and Eve Myles, is now available to own at £7.99 as a download or £9.99 as a collector’s edition CD. All CD purchases unlock a download option via the Big Finish app and the Big Finish website.

Please note: Torchwood: Dissected contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners.