One Rule

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

Torchwood Monthly Range #4 - "One Rule" by Joseph Lidster

The concept of Yvonne Hartman has always confused me. A one time minor antagonist from a season finale where two legacy villains took turns eclipsing each other felt like a strange character to bring back as a main character of multiple and even ranges but following listening to One Rule, Yvonne's first audio outing and a powerhouse script from legendary writer Joseph Lidster, I now realise exactly why she's so popular.

On a visit to the HQ of Torchwood Three, Torchwood One leader Yvonne Hartman finds herself protecting two candidates for Mayor of Cardiff after their competitors are found brutally killed by a particularly violent alien.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Considering she's the main draw of the audio, I'll just get it out the way; Yvonne Hartman is the best thing about One Rule; from her blasé cheek in the audio's opening to her furious condemnation in the final scene, Yvonne proves herself as an incredible character built on a some brilliant scripts and a brilliant performance. Besides her, this audio is just well paced fun. Described as the worst possible night out in Cardiff, Yvonne and two bickering councillors find themselves chased across the city by an unspecified alien monster. It's a fun audio combined with great character work, showing that something doesn't have to be serious and toned down to be brilliant, the characters here are bright and well-defined and it still manages to insert some gut wrenching scenes, in particular a scene early on where Yvonne tells councillor Barry Jackson about her phone call with ex-Torchwood 3 leader Alex Hopkins as he murdered his entire team; it's here we really see Ann-Oberman's acting chops and Lidster's ability writing character drama. This all comes together at the end when Yvonne finally breaks her composed visage in a magnificent scene where she confronts Barry, Lidster once again showcasing his chops as a writer.

If I had to criticize One Rule, I'd say that it could be a lot tighter. There's one too many moments of characters just explaining things they can see for no reason and though the run around is fun it is still a run around and veers off into a series of asides rather than a coherent story.

But other than that, One Rule is just good. It's completely solid, the only downsides are a few nitpicks: it's a legendary writer introducing an all time great character as a regular with, as always, a stellar script.

9/10

Pros:

+ Yvonne Hartman is a powerhouse character written to perfection by Lidster

+ Fast paced and energetic but with excellent pacing

+ Fun and well developed side cast

+ Takes time to explore its emotional moments and develop its side character

Cons:

- Falls into the audio trap of characters just explaining the things they see

- It's structure leads to a small amount of meandering throughout

- The undefined alien creature is a rather basic intrusion

Top 5 Best Torchwood Monthly Range Stories:
5.
4. #1 - The Conspiracy by David Llewellyn
3. #3 - Forgotten Lives by Emma Reeves
2. #2 - Fall to Earth by James Goss
1. #4 - One Rule by Joseph Lidster

Top 5 Worst Torchwood Monthly Range Stories:
5.
4. #4 - One Rule by Joseph Lidster
3. #2 - Fall to Earth by James Goss
2. #3 - Forgotten Lives by Emma Reeves
1. #1 - The Conspiracy by David Llewellyn