What’s made billionaire Neil Redmond emerge from his long seclusion? Captain Jack knows the answer, and is prepared to go to any lengths to prove it.
What’s made billionaire Neil Redmond emerge from his long seclusion? Captain Jack knows the answer, and is prepared to go to any lengths to prove it.
TORCHWOOD: UNCANNY VALLEY
Maybe it’s because it doesn’t say “Doctor Who” on the cover, but the best use of Big Finish’s new series license by far has been the new Torchwood series. “Uncanny Valley” from David Llewellyn is yet another strong entry in the range. The story is simple: billionaire Neil Redmond (Steven Cree) is in a horrific car accident, and during his recovery, representatives of the mysterious Committee offer him a lifelike android duplicate (Cree again, as “N.J.”) that will take his place in the world at large. Jack Harkness figures out what’s going on and comes to stop the duplicate before it’s too late. But if the story is simple, the details are quite complex. This is almost entirely Neil’s story, with Jack not doing much of anything until halfway through the story and continuing to take a back seat until the final quarter. And the emotional gauntlet we see Neil run is heart wrenching: ashamed of his disability, and unable to emerge because of the duplicate, Neil lives in seclusion, with only N.J. for company. At first, he teaches N.J. to interact with other people and live in the real world; as his loneliness deepens, he falls in love with what is, essentially, himself, and watches with awe as N.J. travels the world, making lucrative business deals and seducing beautiful men and women. But awe gives way to jealousy and anger, and the attractive, sexual Jack introducing himself into the equation provides the tipping point.
It’s odd to hear a Big Finish story dealing so forthrightly with sexuality, something that would be unheard of in a Doctor Who story, but Llewellyn’s script is mature and appropriately restrained, while Barrowman and Cree both give nuanced, emotional performances. The production is great, too, with Neil Gardner doubling as director and sound designer and Blair Mowat providing the score. “Uncanny Valley” is a fine example of character- and emotion-driven storytelling, and it’s another strong addition to this increasingly impressive Torchwood range.
Highly recommended.
9/10