Must-See TV

Stranded #1.3

Released: 17 June 2020

Listened: 12/30/21

OK, enough with all this normality stuff, let’s bring some sci-fi back into this set. Specifically, PC Andy from Torchwood shows up, except he’s been promoted to Sergeant, and apparently works for Torchwood full-time now. If you follow Big Finish’s Torchwood series, this likely makes a lot more sense, but I don’t. Andy’s here because Tania’s a Torchwood agent too, a fact that she hasn’t shared with Liv, whom she’s now dating. (Tania comes out as trans to Liv, but like all good future humans, Liv doesn’t know why it’s a big deal.) Tania and Andy seem relatively clued in; they’re well aware that the Eighth Doctor knows nothing about Torchwood, and their current mission is to keep him and his friends safe. To make things more complicated, there’s a new tenant called Mr. Bird, whom everyone else in the house likes because he’s good at fixing electronics. However, he’s also capable of being in two places at once, and disappears when the Doctor and Tania confront him. In addition, everyone’s TVs start acting oddly, turning on even when unplugged, and showing the residents of the other apartments in live broadcasts. This episode is written by Lisa McMullin, breaking up the Dorney/Fitton team who’ve written the last several boxed sets. It brings a slightly different tone to the story, and the awkward conversations between Liv and Tania sound more natural than the last couple of boxes. This one is short, and ends on kind of a cliffhanger, so it feels like a partial story, but it’s good for what it is.