Uncanny Valley

THE COMMITTEE ARC #5 - Uncanny Valley

After the success of The Conspiracy and the start of this range, Big Finish decided to create a sequel to this episode, which ended with several promises, including the impending clash between Torchwood and the Committee. Was that promise fulfilled?

Exploring Neil's life was quite interesting, and the subject matter is captivating. Learning about his disability and the repercussions on both his past and present life creates a certain attachment to the character. The sci-fi element with the presence of a robot clone might seem clichéd, but this solution raises many questions that the episode manages to address. That’s the beauty of Torchwood, it allows for themes like psychological distress to be explored, which I love, especially when it’s done well, as it is here.

However, the episode feels like an alternative version of The Conspiracy, because aside from the ending, it doesn’t advance the plot much. None of the promises from the end of Episode 1 were honored. The story even feels dispensable, honestly. Much like the previous three episodes, the plot doesn’t see any major development, but the issue here is that Jack was supposed to drive the story forward. I’m very disappointed with the direction the Main Range has taken; it feels like they’re just delaying the real confrontation between Torchwood and the Committee. I genuinely expected Jack to discover the Committee’s location and dive headfirst into confronting them, but there’s none of that. Instead, the Committee is barely mentioned.

On top of that, there are some sex scenes whose purpose I couldn’t discern. While I praised The Conspiracy for redefining Torchwood with a more mature tone, here it’s the complete opposite—it falls into the same pitfalls as the TV series, unfortunately. This episode has a strange feeling of backtracking.

I must admit that the ending was striking and filled with promise, but it didn’t work for me because I know it won’t lead anywhere. I know Big Finish decided to stretch out the storyline as much as possible to produce more audio episodes, and that, like here, they won’t add much to the narrative. If Big Finish has already broken its promises once, why trust them now? I seem to have forgotten that Big Finish is, above all, a business selling a product—not crafting grand storylines that risk alienating listeners. In a way, it’s a bit like a soap opera.

I’m not sure where the problem lies. Did I set my expectations too high, or did Big Finish fail to deliver on its promises? I still believe that this episode, even though it has a few qualities, is ultimately poor in its very existence.

NEXT: THE COMMITTEE ARC #6 - Zone 10

Torchwood Monthly Range #5 - "Uncanny Valley" by David Llewelyn

The Torchwood Monthly Range has been incredibly hit or miss for me so far; switching between 7 and 9 out of 10s, the stories have ranged from completely solid media to unimpressive episodes that really left no impression on me. Uncanny Valley is a continuation of this trend; following directly on from The Conspiracy and focusing on the Committee plotline rather than relegating it to an RTD style repeated icon, Uncanny Valley is another story to leave next to no impression on me. Characters I don't care for, a plot that doesn't impress me and an audio that isn't bad but just isn't interesting.

Reclusive billionaire has emerged from his long seclusion following a devastating car crash, and he's made a miraculous recovery. Too miraculous a recovery. Because the real Neil Redmond is wheelchair bound in his Welsh castle home, and about to receive a visit from one Captain Jack Harkness.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

This review will probably be very short because I have next to nothing to say about Uncanny Valley. It is fine, it is a plot that works with characters that exist. Jack is great and Barrowman's performance is good, Cree sells Neil and NJ, they feel like their own characters despite having the same voice actor. The final scene is pretty good and Neil's death is really unexpected. The final cliffhanger is good and makes me want to get the rest of the Committee arc but this all leaves next to no impression on me. Nothing here blew me away, there weren't any ideas I particularly liked, I felt completely apathetic just as I did during The Conspiracy and Forgotten Lives. The story doesn't feel new, the characters are a mess and the story makes some let's say interesting choices.

This story eventually boils down to a series of people having sex with a robot, including the person it looks exactly like, which was odd. I didn't buy into the relationship between Neil and NJ for a second, it just felt weird and wholly unbelievable. The script is also just really flawed, the first half has a really dragging pace as we flick through flashbacks of Neil and NJ meeting and the second half is just a mess; Why does Jack sleep with NJ? To convince Neil to shut him off? Jack, you have a gun, there is no reason for you to do this. The narration was also a weird choice, it doesn't really fit in and just ends up being either pointless or exposition. Also, did whoever made the cover listen to the story? It pictures robot duplicates of Jack in a warehouse, two things that never show up in the actual audio.

Uncanny Valley did nothing to impress me. It was fine, it was standard, I wasn't bored throughout I was just indifferent to everything that happened. I have heard great things about The Torchwood Monthly Range and Fall to Earth & One Rule have me convinced that there is good here but I'm just so bored by so much of it. It's absolutely fine but I doubt this will stick with me.

6/10

Pros:

+ Great performances all round, especially from Cree

+ The final few scenes are a good injection of action into an otherwise pretty slow story

+ Gave some much needed development to the Committee subplot

Cons:

- Painfully standard, with no especially notable ideas or qualities

- Just didn't buy into the relationships of the characters, it all felt a little unbelievable.

- Jack sleeping with NJ was completely pointless and was just weird

- The first half is poorly paced

- The narration is massively out of place

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