Torchwood – The Monthly Adventures

#036. Dissected ~ 7/10

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◆ An Introduction

Some companions are lucky enough to get their own series, whilst others will gatecrash already established spin-offs. I still remember the first time I watched ‘Reset’: seeing Martha Jones walk into the Hub, her theme song playing in the background. It gave me goosebumps. I honestly hoped that she would stay and become a permanent part of the team, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Two dead agents and a foiled reality bomb later, Martha Jones is reunited with Gwen Cooper. They’ve got a lot to discuss…

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◆ Publisher’s Summary

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.

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◆ Gwen Cooper

You’ll have gathered from this episode’s title that it takes place entirely during an autopsy, which is certainly an interesting way to frame the narrative. What I also like is how both protagonists offer a different perspective on the corpse. Gwen treats them like an actual person, one that got caught up in something horrible. She relies on her gut feeling and, most importantly, shows some empathy. This is a really good take on the character.

Eve Myles delivers a fantastic performance in this episode. It quickly becomes apparent how good her chemistry with Agyeman is too.

Even after all this time, the team still miss Tosh and Owen. According to Gwen, the Torchwood Christmas party turned into a bit of a siege when the waitresses got outed as Drahvins. She’s never liked the beginning of an autopsy; you don’t have any of the answers, just the trauma upfront.

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◆ Martha Jones

Martha seems to be throwing herself into her work, refusing to let anything distract her. She provides a logical perspective to the autopsy – which is to be expected from someone who trained as a medic – but comes across as quite cold in the process. Foley has given the character a lot of depth, and I really appreciate that.

Something is clearly troubling Martha throughout the episode, which allows Freema Agyeman to make her really spiky and a little bit irritable. It’s a brilliant performance.

She doesn’t like people using her full name, as it makes her think there’s trouble. Martha first came to Torchwood for an autopsy, so long ago now, and so much has changed. She doesn’t exactly trust Torchwood technology, as it’s a little cobbled together. Martha has been to other planets, and some of them are still in the Dark Ages. About 90% of her time is spent with dead bodies.

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◆ Sound Design

This entire episode takes place during an autopsy, and you get to be the body! The characters get louder or quieter depending on their proximity to the corpse, making the whole episode feel really dynamic. I can imagine Doggart had a lot of fun doing the sound design for this one.

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◆ Conclusion

“So, are you saying you don’t like it when old friends turn up with a dead body on your doorstep?”

Tim Foley has consistently written some of the most amazing adventures for the various Torchwood teams, but this was where my journey began: a body on the slab, and a chance for Martha and Gwen to air out some grievances.

I’ve gained something of a reputation for writing gargantuan reviews – and I can only apologise to those of you that have been reading since before I revamped my format, back when I just barfed up an imposing wall of text – so people might be surprised with how short this one is.

The plot doesn’t extend much beyond what was advertised, which might be why I found myself procrastinating every time I sat down to write this review: it gave me an opportunity to complete the entire campaign for Kane’s Wrath again though, so I’m incredibly grateful for that.

Eve Myles delivered a great performance throughout the episode. Freema Agyeman felt a little unsure of herself to begin with, but quickly settled into a groove and shone like a star. Their characters were both really well written too.

The plot is as flimsy as the Tory government, and the pacing could’ve been tighter, but I still really like this one. ‘Dissected’ was my gateway into the world of Torchwood on audio, but I’ve simply heard better since my first listen.