What might (if they stick to the timeline) be the final Torchwood One release, Latter Days is a well-conceived piece of drama. There’s a simple idea running through – retirement and later life. It’s also a great set of stories for exploring Ianto and Yvonne Hartman.

Latter Days

First up Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto himself) gives us Retirement Plan, a story about just how you retire from Torchwood and what you might do with alien tech to make life more comfortable. It’s all about the retirement of the Head of Acquisitions, mixed with VR technology. With these ingredients Ianto gets to come out of his shell in a story laced with references to Bond and Knight Rider and Tracy Ann-Oberman gets a great range of characters to play. It’s very entertaining with a serious issue at heart.

Matt Fitton’s Locker 15 is about a mysterious force wiping out Torchwood and possibly London. If only Dave the cleaner hadn’t retired…

A more traditional tale, this puts Yvonne centre stage and contrasts her with Ianto in terms of approach to handling a delicate situation. Let’s just say Ianto is a bit more people-centric. There’s a lot of action and a wonderful performance from Derek Griffiths as Dave. Well done director Barnaby Edwards for casting.

The final story is about Yvonne and her relationship with her mother. Tim Foley’s The Rockery is a touching tale of retirement, mother-daughter connections, widowhood and alien plants. It also runs parallel to the start of Doctor Who story Army of Ghosts giving listeners a sense of doom the character’s don’t share. It’s a touching story and a great end for a strong set.