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Being a Supernatural fan seems to have made me start viewing cars as a regular "character" on other shows too. At the beginning of the episode, I was relieved that the Torchwood SUV was parked far enough away that it didn't get "hurt," then I was worried about it being okay at the end. It's a sickness.
It was really interesting to see how everyone wound up working for Torchwood. I wish they could've found a way to shoehorn Suzie in there too as more than just a mention. I've always wondered if she was barmy to begin with, or if the glove drove her there. We learned a lot about the rest of the team, though.
Jack's hyper-obsession with everybody doing exactly as they were told last season seems to have stemmed from losing his entire team in 1999. He thinks that if he can just control their every move and keep them from using alien tech in unauthorized ways, he can keep them safe. And no wonder Jack can be very jaded about his job at Torchwood--he's been doing it for over one hundred years. I've only been at my job for eleven years and there are days when I'm bored out of my mind.
Jack seems very well adjusted for someone who has died over 1400 times. Ouch. One of the things I wish the show would play on more often is that, yes, Jack can't die, but before those injuries spontaneously heal, they still hurt. It was nice to see some of that tonight.
I would love to have seen Gwen's reaction to the two women running Torchwood when Jack was captured. She thinks Jack is a heartless bastard, but he's never killed an alien just for being alien.
Tosh's indoctrination into Torchwood was the most interesting plot-wise but lacked the psychological complexity of the others. The only thing we really learned about her was that she would do anything to save her mother. Understandable, but not exactly unpredictable either. Who wouldn't do whatever they could to save a loved one? The interesting part to me was that Jack asked her to give him five years, and the caption at the beginning of her flashback said it was five years earlier. Assuming both of those five years were rounded estimates and her five years aren't up yet, I wonder what will happen when they are?
Ianto's story was interesting on so many levels. He and Jack really seemed attracted to each other at first sight, and I wonder how much of Ianto's feelings then were real given that he and Jack are an item now. At first, it seemed like Ianto just wanted his job back at a Torchwood hub that was still operating, but of course we know from "Cyberwoman" that what he really wanted was someplace safe to stash his Cyberfiancée until he figured out how to save her. No wonder Jack was especially pissed about Ianto hiding Lisa in the basement--he'd realized Ianto had played him to get access to the hub for her sake.
Owen's story was interesting, but kind of hard to reconcile with some of his actions up to this point. It's almost like the writers made him too much of an asshat in season one, so they're backpedaling and trying to make him more likeable now. I can totally buy the death of his fiancée turning him bitter and cynical, but it's a huge leap from there to date rape, and he's mentioned an unhappy childhood more than once, so I'm not quite willing to buy that he was a sweet little woobie before Katie's death. However, Katie's death does make Owen's reaction to losing Diane make a lot more sense. Diane was the first woman he'd really cared about since Katie and he couldn't stand the idea of losing someone else.
I wonder how Owen is going to fare after the explosion now? Unlike Jack, he can't heal from his injuries.
It's a good thing the bulk of the episode was so good, because I have another nit to pick. Everyone was standing so close to the bombs that there's no way that anyone except Jack should've been able to walk out of that building. Ianto and Tosh should've been killed outright, and Owen should've been too badly damaged to leave under his own power.
Capt. John Hart makes for a bitter ex. The season finale should be interesting.
It was really interesting to see how everyone wound up working for Torchwood. I wish they could've found a way to shoehorn Suzie in there too as more than just a mention. I've always wondered if she was barmy to begin with, or if the glove drove her there. We learned a lot about the rest of the team, though.
Jack's hyper-obsession with everybody doing exactly as they were told last season seems to have stemmed from losing his entire team in 1999. He thinks that if he can just control their every move and keep them from using alien tech in unauthorized ways, he can keep them safe. And no wonder Jack can be very jaded about his job at Torchwood--he's been doing it for over one hundred years. I've only been at my job for eleven years and there are days when I'm bored out of my mind.
Jack seems very well adjusted for someone who has died over 1400 times. Ouch. One of the things I wish the show would play on more often is that, yes, Jack can't die, but before those injuries spontaneously heal, they still hurt. It was nice to see some of that tonight.
I would love to have seen Gwen's reaction to the two women running Torchwood when Jack was captured. She thinks Jack is a heartless bastard, but he's never killed an alien just for being alien.
Tosh's indoctrination into Torchwood was the most interesting plot-wise but lacked the psychological complexity of the others. The only thing we really learned about her was that she would do anything to save her mother. Understandable, but not exactly unpredictable either. Who wouldn't do whatever they could to save a loved one? The interesting part to me was that Jack asked her to give him five years, and the caption at the beginning of her flashback said it was five years earlier. Assuming both of those five years were rounded estimates and her five years aren't up yet, I wonder what will happen when they are?
Ianto's story was interesting on so many levels. He and Jack really seemed attracted to each other at first sight, and I wonder how much of Ianto's feelings then were real given that he and Jack are an item now. At first, it seemed like Ianto just wanted his job back at a Torchwood hub that was still operating, but of course we know from "Cyberwoman" that what he really wanted was someplace safe to stash his Cyberfiancée until he figured out how to save her. No wonder Jack was especially pissed about Ianto hiding Lisa in the basement--he'd realized Ianto had played him to get access to the hub for her sake.
Owen's story was interesting, but kind of hard to reconcile with some of his actions up to this point. It's almost like the writers made him too much of an asshat in season one, so they're backpedaling and trying to make him more likeable now. I can totally buy the death of his fiancée turning him bitter and cynical, but it's a huge leap from there to date rape, and he's mentioned an unhappy childhood more than once, so I'm not quite willing to buy that he was a sweet little woobie before Katie's death. However, Katie's death does make Owen's reaction to losing Diane make a lot more sense. Diane was the first woman he'd really cared about since Katie and he couldn't stand the idea of losing someone else.
I wonder how Owen is going to fare after the explosion now? Unlike Jack, he can't heal from his injuries.
It's a good thing the bulk of the episode was so good, because I have another nit to pick. Everyone was standing so close to the bombs that there's no way that anyone except Jack should've been able to walk out of that building. Ianto and Tosh should've been killed outright, and Owen should've been too badly damaged to leave under his own power.
Capt. John Hart makes for a bitter ex. The season finale should be interesting.
Loved it!
Date: 2008-04-14 02:27 pm (UTC)From:The two Victorian women behaved completely unlike any Victorian ('close your eyes and think of England') woman would behave. Even their body language was all wrong.
And what did the Torchwood team member who killed the rest of the team see when he looked into the future on the (year before the actual) eve of the new millenium? Y2K wasn't that big a problem. (narf)
Tosh sure can run! Ok, if her Torchwood contract is up after five years, will she quit? I doubt it. What's to go back to? A workaholic desk job? After Torchwood, is there anything else to do that wouldn't be a complete waste of her mind and talent? Besides, Torchwood has become her family. And she still has major feelings for Owen (poor girl).
Yes, Owen should have been broken into a million pieces that wouldn't ever get fixed. I so see him in Captain Christopher Pike's little 'blink once for yes, twice for no' wheelchair (Star Trek classic, if you didn't get the reference).
And best part of the episode, very little Gwen! Yippee! I had a brief thought that Rhys was the one who placed the bombs, but it was only a passing fantasy. (narf, part 2)
Looking forward to the season finale! Capt. John vs. Capt. Jack. Jack may not be able to die, but he's vulnerable when those he loves are threatened.
Re: Loved it!
Date: 2008-04-15 12:58 am (UTC)From:I was willing to let that one go because both women came off as such total sociopaths that they wouldn't be typical women of any era.
And what did the Torchwood team member who killed the rest of the team see when he looked into the future on the (year before the actual) eve of the new millenium?
Good question. That was the first hint of "the 21st century is when everything changes." Whatever he saw, he killed everyone to save them from having to go through it, and he was even sorry about not being able to kill Jack to save him too. I have a bad feeling that whatever it is has now been so built up that when the writers finally reveal it, it'll be anticlimactic.
I so see him in Captain Christopher Pike's little 'blink once for yes, twice for no' wheelchair
Now I see him in Davros's wheelchair, navigating around with the little joystick and screeching, "You will obey!"
Good post!
Date: 2008-05-07 03:09 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)