Whenever Ianto Jones has a tough day at work, he has somewhere he can hide. And, for Ianto Jones, it’s always a tough day at work.
His girlfriend is dead, his colleagues don’t trust him, and his boss… his boss is something else. With no friends in the world, and his life in danger every day, is it any wonder that at night, Ianto Jones goes to the pub?
Ianto’s local becomes somewhere where he feels safe. Safe from his demons, safe from his life, safe from Torchwood. Until one evening, Captain Jack Harkness walks into a bar….
TORCHWOOD: BROKEN
While I generally enjoyed the first TV season of Torchwood, it had its share of issues, one of which was inconsistent characterization. After the events of “Cyberwoman,” Ianto transformed from a non-entity into an integrated part of the team developing a relationship with Jack, and that transformation seemed to come out of nowhere. Enter Joseph Lidster and “Broken,” the fifth release in the second series of Torchwood audios – the story explains that transformation and, in the process, tells one of the best Torchwood stories.
Lidster has always been one of Big Finish’s strongest writers, especially when it comes to characterization and relationships. In “Broken,” we follow Ianto through the events following “Cyberwoman,” how he deals with his grief at losing Lisa, his rage at Jack for killing her, and his feelings of detachment from the world at large. It’s a disturbingly accurate portrait of a man dealing with grief and depression, and how he latches on to the first friendly face in an attempt to stabilize his existence. Ianto’s local pub becomes his safe haven, and bartender Mandy (Melanie Walters) is the one who keeps hope alive for him. The story also explores the aftermath of “Countrycide,” the sheer horror of which nearly drives Ianto to suicide. And since he’s quiet and socially awkward, he doesn’t know how to turn to his teammates for help. Torchwood has never shied away from engaging with emotional trauma, but this is one of the most honest and, consequently, bleakest explorations we’ve ever had of a Torchwood character. It’s also one of Gareth David-Lloyd’s most powerful performances. John Barrowman is also great – Lidster plays up Jack’s upbeat, cocky attitude in the script because Ianto doesn’t see anything beneath Jack’s surface. And the conclusion, that Ianto may be broken inside, but it’s okay because everyone else is broken as well, is Torchwood’s haunting philosophy laid bare.
Scott Handcock directs, and the lead performance is a testament to his ability. The sound design from Steve Foxon and the music from Blair Mowat wisely stay out of the way of such an intense, character-focused story, though a brief foray to an alien planet is convincingly realized. Overall, “Broken” is the best release yet in a consistently excellent series. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Excellent.
10/10