THE COMMITTEE ARC #4 - One Rule

What makes Torchwood so remarkable is its richness. From its inception, with the introduction of Torchwood in Doctor Who, it was planned to feature two teams: one based in London and the other in Wales. The richness lies in how vastly different these two branches are. One is essentially an office-based operation, while the other feels more like the Scooby Gang. It was inevitable that Big Finish would want to explore this aspect of the Torchwood Institute as well. But did they manage to do justice to Torchwood One?

Yvonne Hartman, the head of Torchwood One, is a character I adore for her manipulative and badass personality. One Rule uses these traits perfectly, making them integral to the episode. It’s a real treat to see this underutilized character from the TV series brought back. The episode captures Yvonne so well that it even places her in comedic situations, which works brilliantly. Yvonne Hartman is a character who truly deserves more spotlight.

However, the story doesn’t do her justice at all. The beginning doesn’t work. Yvonne is sent to infiltrate Torchwood Three, but I don’t see why this mission should fall to her. It’s far too dangerous, and it’s only to retrieve a scanner. Granted, we’re told it’s a top-secret project, but surely several people at Torchwood One must know about it. So why not send one of them to pick up the scanner from Torchwood Three? If the episode had been about a random Torchwood One agent, this wouldn’t have been an issue. As it stands, the justification for Yvonne’s presence in Cardiff undermines the rest of the episode.

And unfortunately, that’s not the only problem. The episode lacks standout elements and is, at times, uninteresting. The main antagonist, an alien, is purely functional and has nothing going for it. It’s just a big monster attacking people, without any added value. What makes the aliens in the TV series memorable is their design, culture, or some cool gimmick. Here, there’s nothing.

The episode also leans heavily on Torchwood lore, referencing Raj, Ianto, Hopkins, and even featuring Gwen and Andy. While it’s great for building a cohesive lore, here it feels very forced. The episode does so much name-dropping that it strains credibility.

For me, this isn’t a good episode. The spirit of Torchwood One isn’t truly present, and the story’s flaws are too significant to overlook. It’s a shame because it’s written by Joseph Lidster, whose work on the TV series I loved.

NEXT: THE COMMITTEE ARC #5 - Uncanny Valley