It was an interesting story and once it got going it was really good. However, I'm guessing this was one of the victims of the changing direction of the series (I remember an interview from around 2021 that said TW series seven originally meant to have a larger plot about anti-vaxxers and an epidemic but something happened in 2020 to change plans). The fact a pen name - Ash Darby - was used for this script suggests to me it was edited. It seems to have two 'false starts' one which was deliberate (the opening scene) then one that lasts till around the fifteen-minute mark).

The story starts too slowly. Once Orr finally gets to Voloshnik the story is a lot better especially when Orr pieces together what happened. The war plot is interesting and you can assume it was probably about Donetsk (Russian satellite state, ongoing conflict between legitimate government, Russian-backed rebels and Russia)  however that may be a 2024 reading of a circa 2019 script. The plotline about misinformation is interesting yet lacks any depth, it could have easily been developed. All they would need to do is add a few lines about Tania having a second child who died due to her mother's anti-vaccine views. Then make Tania confront those emotions with Robert Wilson.

The ending with the explanation of the is amazing and like most Torchwood stories, the ending is extremely well done and links the theme of the episode - misinformation. I just wish it went into more depth and got ot the point quicker. You could cut the entire section with the insurgent, and have Orr get to the hospital from the plane crash.

I remember once reading an Agatha Christie interview where she discussed the rumor that she wrote backwards and only adding the elements that allowed the mystery to be solved after the rest of the book was written. That's what Phobos feels like. The twist of the fear entity  feels artificial and it doesn't feel integrated with the plot naturally. There's very little build-up other than a single scene or two of Kai trying to cause fear. the fear entity is a great concept, its Lovecraftian in nature, and it has the power to feel threatening - if it were explored properly.  Yet only introducing it in the last 10 or so minutes meant it couldn't be explored. And the 'rules' governing its behavior felt bizarre (I'd give them a pass if the rest of the story were better) and Kai's goals seem convoluted  - surely there were better more efficient ways of making people feel afraid? Furthermore, the way the Doctor defeats the monster feels lazy.

Then there's the side plot about Farl and Amy. This was just fine. It didn't really feel resolved though. Their family drama felt unexplored and unresolved with no ending. Also, the racism directed to Farl feels like a poor plot point considering he seemingly conforms to the expected stereotype of his species. There's also Hayd and Drew. Drew's queerness is just lazy. Its thrown into the script with no build-up and no resolution. I get 2006 was a different time but it still feels pointless and unexplored (like many elements of this story).

Overall, I can picture a world where Phobos was a much better story about fear, where it explored its characters and their fears. Farl and his families prejudice, Kai and his fear of the entity as well as losing Eris, Amy and raising a child alone, Drew and his love for Hayd. Instead with have a story that is serviceable but feels rushed and like its missing solid 10 minutes.

Also the fact Amy just accepts Lucie is a time traveler feels absurd. I get this is set half a century in the future, but that still feels like something that's just silly. Focusing on Lucie in this story, she doesn't feel like herself. She feels poorly characterized. My best example is the joke about the House of Lords. That's not something I can see her saying. It feels out of character, like the author thought of it and without wondering if it was something she would say.

I will praise it for being fine. The dialogue feels relatively natural for most of the characters, its not drawn-out, it does show more of the Doctor and Lucie becoming friends. But, just because it is serviceable doesn't mean its good.

I think the biggest issue this story has is just how comparable it is to Broken. Broken examined the events of the first series of Torchwood and questioned how they impacted Lanto whilst focusing on showing how he progressed as a character as a result of them. Coffee examines how the events of the first three series of Torchwood impacted everyday people, and how the two characters we meet are impacted by them.

The reason this comparison is flawed for Coffee is that Broken is so superior in every way. Using Lanto as the Torchwood character in a story with a very similar narrative to a pre-existing story naturally leads to comparisons, had they used Tosh, Andy, or Owen this would be less of an issue. What we got with Coffee is good. Yet it lacks the depth Broken had, I think trying to cover three series rather than just focusing on a shorter timeframe would have allowed it to do more with its characters I think.

I undoubtedly enjoyed Coffee, it was a nice quirky story that focuses on how ordinary people view Torchwood something we've not got before. Yet, it lacks the substance that would elevate it from a good story to a truly great story.

Unfortunately, I found this story quite uncomfortable and confusing at times. Whilst for the main part, the story is relatively interesting the idea of a man and his wife attempting to live forever as gods by cloning themselves and transferring their minds is interesting. However, I think the issues come with the plot.

The plot struggled to keep me invested. I found the characters to be relatively dull too. The opening is a very melodramatic scene akin to the opening scene of The Armageddon Factor. These scenes made me quite confused the opening made it difficult form to place where the story was set ie the future or the past. Plus the melodrama is overdone making me lose interest. The villain of the piece 'Zeus' (the choice to name him after a god made the story even more confusing for me) is very unlikeable, of course, this is intentional however it does feel very  uncomfortable especially in the scenes between him and Lucie.

I will add that for the relationship between the Doctor and Lucie feels rushed, it doesn't feel like their relationship has grown naturally the Doctor's dependence on her is said rather than shown.

Overall the story is fine if not flawed, and worth listening to if you're going through the Lucie Miller stories.