Must be one of the best titles for a Torchwood story.

Ex Machina is such a wonderfully solid script. Anna is a really lovely character – I love how the Torchwood MR gets to develop one-on-one relationships between members of the Torchwood team and ordinary people like her. Those quiet scenes between Anna and Ianto in her flat and the Hub work wonders.

The setup and payoff towards the end is very well handled. I love that the story concludes by Anna making a choice for herself, and not letting other people (or alien manipulation machines) decide for her. In that respect it's kind of the inverse of Alfie's Shaw's War Master Script The Life and Loves of Mr Alexander Bennett, where the titular character blindly follows his alien manipulation machine until he destroys his life. For what it's worth, I much prefer this story.

The final scene is super lovely and perfectly understands Ianto. I love that one of the happiest endings to any Torchwood story (everybody lives in this one!) also makes me feel so sad!

More of Alfie Shaw in the Torchwood range please!