Today (Thursday 16 Jan 2020) sees the second of this week’s Torchwood releases and it’s time for Captain John vs Captain Jack! Yes, James Marsters returns in The Sins of Captain John! Warning – it’s very much not for children!

Four great adventures for Captain John

James Marsters is clearly very pleased to be back, and says as much:

“I’ve missed doing Torchwood so much. Beyond being proud of playing a part in it, the character itself is a blast to play, and those few TV episodes just weren’t enough. 

“I try to be a nice person in real life. The trick of it for me is about not telling you what I’m really thinking. I think that’s true of most people that try to be nice. We don’t inflict our inner monologue on everyone. The great thing about playing Captain John is that he doesn’t bother with that. He just tells you what he’s thinking. So, combine that part of me with really good writing, and really funny dialogue, and you get someone that you actually want to spend time with.”

Here’s some details from the press release:

In this bumper box set of adventures set before the Torchwood TV timeline, Captains John and Jack play cat and mouse (and Stepford wives) across a universe full of gas planets, exploding space stations and hot tubs.  

Fans will find answers to many of the questions they’ve been asking. The Resurrection Gauntlet or ‘risen mitten’, which featured in the first two series of the show on television, return, but in the hands of Captain John, it can only spell disaster… 

In the words of the Captain:

“Go on. You know you want to.” 

There’s a big theme running across the set:

Rogue Time Agent Captain John Hart is on a mission. He is ransacking his way through space and time looking for the Resurrection Gauntlets that have the power to bring the dead back to life. Only they’re broken, and their creator is in an impossible prison, and he’s not the only person looking for the gauntlets.  

And John hasn’t asked himself exactly why his employers want them, which could turn out to be a problem. 

From zombies in Restoration London, to Hell gatecrashing a funeral, Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John contains four highly charged episodes, written by David Llewellyn:  

The Restored  

Captain John is in Restoration England. There’s intrigue in the Tower of London, the dead are walking the streets, and the severed head of Oliver Cromwell has a terrible warning. 

Escape from Nebazz 

Captain John is in a wooden space prison that’s under attack by a strange and terrible life form. Also the catering is truly dreadful and Dr Magpie’s latest discovery may have got a little out of hand. 

Peach Blossom Heights 

Captains John and Jack find themselves stranded on a world that may be actual paradise – the weather is pleasant, the people are friendly, and the giant stuffed animals only come out at night. There’s only one thing the world is missing. No-one has ever explained to any of the population about the birds and the bees. Which is unfortunate. 

Darker Purposes 

Captain John arrives at the funeral of one of the galaxy’s richest men. He died without making a will, and his heirs have some very creative ideas about how this can be put to rights involving murder, necromancy and seduction. Sadly, Captain John is only too happy to oblige.