Torchwood review: The Three Monkeys is a lighter story for Owen and Andy
By James Aggas
Filled with tragic elements, deep character exploration, and a creepy toy monkey, The Three Monkeys is a noticeably lighter Torchwood audio for Owen and Andy.
There are two things to expect when you’ve got a Torchwood audio by James Goss that focuses on Owen and Andy. The first is that it’s a really solid story. The second is that it’s shockingly dark. Both Corpse Day and The Hope are strong stories, but neither is exactly an easy listen, with both audios exploring some extremely horrific subject matter. So surely The Three Monkeys continues that dark tone, right?
Well, not quite. Don’t get me wrong, The Three Monkeys doesn’t shy away from some dark moments. There’s a story Andy tells Owen at the start that’s extremely tragic. But honestly, it’s also one of the lighter stories that this pairing has had, by quite some margin.
First of all, there’s a lot of humor in this one. The big reason why Owen and Andy have worked so well as a pairing in the past is that they’re such radically different people with clashing personalities. By this point, they’ve formed quite a bond, but there are still plenty of fun moments in this story where they completely clash.
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A pairing with flaws
However, it’s not just during moments of humor where they clash. James Goss is very good at exploring Torchwood characters on a deep level, fleshing out their flaws and insecurities, and The Three Monkeys is no exception. We get to hear Andy’s more cynical side, while with Owen, we get a clear idea of just how much he misses being alive. So there are nice moments of drama in there.
Of course, the drama and character exploration are nicely mixed with a story that moves at a very fast pace. Andy and Owen are on the run with a rather unusual monkey. But what’s so special about it? And when they find out exactly what it does, will they be able to resist temptation?
Compared to Corpse Day and The Hope, The Three Monkeys is definitely a more fun story for the pairing of Owen and Andy. It’s not exactly a laugh a minute (as I said, Andy’s story at the start is definitely heartbreaking to hear), but it’s not filled with the darkest, most horrific subject matter, either. More importantly, it’s another solid story for this rather unusual pairing.
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Are you a fan of Owen and Andy as a pairing? Do you think they should’ve been explored more on television? Let us know in the comments below.