TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

3.3: Children Of Eath - Day Three

So we’ve finally hit the half way point through this most epic week of episodes and episode three  changes the pace of the series in a way that shows how the team are really bonding together again.

Hiding away in Torchwood One, Jack, Gwen, Ianto and Owen become the master criminals; they’re being treated as such to re-establish the old equilibrium of the team. Using stolen technology, Torchwood quickly delve into what the Government are hiding and why they’re so desperate to kill them all. This feels like a slightly slower paced style of episode, but it’s done in an ideal way, as there is a lot of information that is gathered in this part to really build up the dramatic tension of the last couple of episodes.

The Torchwood team work out Frobisher has a huge part in the whole 456 coming to Earth and that’s where the amazing Lois Habiba also comes into her own. Gwen gives Lois contact lenses which can read lips and because she’s built up such a strong relationship with Frobisher and Bridget Spears, it’s no guess that Lois becomes a key part to infiltrating the whole mystery behind what’s going on. The plan is all falling neatly into place for the team.

With how fast paced the previous episodes have been, it’s nice that we get a moment of calm and reflection about the whole situation. This is very apparent during the scene between Jack and Ianto, where the sudden realisation hits, that Jack will keep going even after Ianto has died of old age. It’s that moment of foreboding, that once you rewatch the episode, really pulls at your heart strings, knowing they will never have the life they were expecting to live. This is the curse of working for Torchwood.

While all this is going on, Jack’s daughter makes the mistake of trying to find out what happened to him after the explosion and inevitably gets kidnapped, just to add more heart breaking developments for Jack.

With all the kids pointing towards the sky, the 456 makes its grand entrance in London as it decends into a poison gas chamber which the government has created. The orchestral music, mixed in with the alarms blasting through the building, make this scene a pivotal changing moment, however all of a sudden it goes quiet. It really adds gravitas to the situation as the world has changed in a blink on an eye. The silence is gripping, as it is suddenly disturbed by acidic slime being thrown against the glass. It’s true Torchwood gross humour and creepiness that the series does so well.

Frobisher trying to do what’s right, has the whole world against him. Jack confronts him on the situation and reveals the fact that he knows the 456 has been here before. Clement McDonald is living proof of this, as with a sudden revelation he recognises Jack from 1965, when the first group of children were handed over to the 456. It’s a moment of reflection, as just like The Doctor, Jack has a dark and dangerous history that he continually hides from his team. It creates a great moment when Jack and Frobisher talk, as Jack can give his experience on the situation. However that’s not how the Government see it.

The whole story is tied into a truly impactful cliffhanger, as the 456 demands they hand over 10% of the children of earth. This most dramatic and brutal style of the 456 has revealed its face at last, but to keep everyone gripped, the reason still remains a mystery.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

3.2: Children Of Eath - Day Two

There really is no letting up for the Torchwood team. With Captain Jack now seemingly killed in the blast that ripped through Cardiff Bay, Ianto and Gwen make a daring escape from it as as well as the assassins on their trail. Gwen really comes into her own this story as a fake paramedic tries to kill her, Gwen really shows she has things to lose now, especially with her recently finding out she’s pregnant.

While all of this is happening in Wales, we shoot back to the unfortunate Frobisher who finally gets the details of the message being transmitted through the children, which is in fact being broadcast through the 456 frequency. The prime minister seemingly washing his hands of the situation, makes him a person not to be anyones best friend. I do feel for Frobisher’s character as he appears to be a man who just wants to do his job well, but has some horrible influences contradicting him at every turn.

Ianto brings his life more into the foreground, as he talks to his sister about the events circling around his life, from his dad pushing him too hard and Ianto just wanting to protect his family at all costs. This is something that becomes very apparent later on in the series.

Gwen and Rhys flee from Cardiff as soon a possible, heading for London. They stow away in a lorry full of potatoes, which provides the perfect location for Gwen to pluck up the courage to announce her pregnancy to Rhys. They all seem remarkably happy about it, including Gwen, almost making the whole Owen and Gwen affair from the last two series, completely forgotten about. However this does throw a few curve balls into the team dynamic, as there is more of a sense of risk not only to Gwen, but to her future baby.

You can’t have Torchwood without some good old body horror gore can you? They find Jack, well most of him, and it is some of the most toe curling stuff in the shows history. The people out to kill Torchwood, place his remains in a vault in a secret location, which seems extreme until Jack’s remains start glueing themselves back together in the body bag. John Barrowman really plays Jack coming back to life so well, as you can hear and feel the pain through the television screen. When you think all is well, to stop him from talking yet again, the assassins then pour concrete over Jack to silence him once more.

While all of this is taking place, for Lois Habiba her second day has been, well she has definitely thrown herself into the deep end. With her curiosity surrounding the happenings with the 456 and Torchwood itself, it appears she has now become a vital member for the Torchwood team. In a dodgy cafe, over a pie and chips, Lois meets Gwen and Rhys for a vital talk.

We then swiftly move onto the big breakout plan for Jack, which in true Torchwood style, has Ianto in a forklift truck throwing the big block of cement that Jack is encased in, over a cliff edge. Cliffhanger ending, anyone? Jack, like many other times, brushes the whole situation off as the Torchwood team finally reunite to fight their unknown foe.

The vital moments in this episode, are primarily what happened in 1965? What does the 456 want from Earth? Mr Dekker seems to be awfully calm about the whole situation and that creates a sense of being highly uncomfortable. 24 hours is all they have, but how bad can it possibly get?

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.9: Random Shoes

This episode starts off with a very different style by the narration of a man called Eugene Jones (Paul Checquer) as he describes the effect of different scientific forces and how life can really run away with you. As the camera pans down from the sky, feeling like we’re descending from Heaven, we see a helpless Eugene laying on a country road before getting up and running over to the Torchwood team, acting as if they have been best friends for years. Everything appears to be quite happy and normal, until we see the dead body of Eugene on the side of the road. But how can he both be alive and dead at the same time? Is he a ghost? A projection? Something the Torchwood team or more specifically Gwen, wishes to find out.

The other members of Torchwood dismiss the whole event as a typical RTA and as Owen says “No alien involvement” so he’s not particularly interested in the situation whatsoever. It’s an interesting take on narrative for an episode that’s 3/4 of the way through the series, as we have a very Torchwood team light story.

‘Random Shoes’ revolves heavily around flashbacks to previous events in Eugene’s life, as we see a younger version of himself in school losing at a Math’s quiz competition against another school. The narration from Eugene makes it clear that he feels all the bad mistakes that have happened in his life originated from this one moment. Eugene freezes as can’t answer the questions he knows, showing huge disappointment in his father who is eagerly taping the show. However this is Torchwood, it’s never as simple as losing a maths quiz and having a resolution of a story revolve around that. No, one of Eugene’s teachers takes pity on him and decides to show his collection of weird and wonderful scientific discoveries, as he takes out an unusual looking memento of an alien eye. 

This is where Eugene’s world is really turned around. The alien eye becomes an obsession, as it’s something that distracts him from ‘real world’ situations, such as his dad running away from the family. The scene is so perfectly composed; we hear the parents screaming at each other in the background, as Eugene is distracted by looking at the planets on his bedroom wall. The audio includes screaming and slowly mixes with David Bowie’s Starman, as Eugene narrates the wonder of the universe and how he wants to get the eye back to the original owner. It’s a fabulous juxtaposition of reality and fantasy and how it impacted Eugene’s decisions, up until his death. You could call this episode the ‘Love & Monsters version’ of Torchwood. The parallels between this scene and Elton running around his room to ELO, are just uncanny.

We establish how Eugene knows Torchwood, as we cut to a flashback of him meeting the team with only Gwen acknowledging his presence. It all just seems a very normal encounter as Eugene just appears to be a very eager nerd who wants to help out Torchwood and get some answers about this alien eye. He’s a very hopeful person and one who always wants to meet the alien owner. LINDA awaiting for the Doctor anyone? The theme of the narrative is played as very light hearted but  with the subject of Eugene being dead, it does hold over your head like a great stormy cloud waiting for the conflict to occur on this theme.

Gwen takes the whole situation under her own belt, as she has a ‘feeling’ that the whole death of Eugene is more than just a RTA. There’s a really emotional moment when Eugene is starting to come to terms as to how his death is making an impact on his family and friends, as he stares through the window to see his mum crying her heart out and yet he can do nothing about it. The accompaniment to the montage of 'Hope there's someone’ by Antony and the Johnsons, really makes it a heartbreaking moment and you really feel as if you’re in his shoes, experiencing his pain.

Eugene, throughout the episode, is talking to himself quite happily as no one can hear him. That is until Gwen decides to carry on her investigation work without the team and winds up at Eugene’s local cafe and Gwen orders Eugene’s typical lunch of, ham, egg and chips. It almost feels like it’s breaking the fourth wall down, as we the audience, relate to him as he narrates his life to us. She also responds to Eugene’s apology relating to the £34 charge for a DVD rental, from what appears to be one of the most stereotypical 2006 fashion styles I’ve ever seen in my life. The shop owner is a huge creep. however, Gwen completely keeps her cool in the situation to help get the clues she needs to find out why Eugene died.

What makes ‘Random Shoes’ so unique in its story, is it seems to be so mundane. Eugene appears to have led a pretty solitary life, only speaking to a few people in the office where he worked and obsessing over an alien eye and artefacts with a few mates. The story also revolves around the themes of mental illness as many of his friends asked if he committed suicide. It’s a hard hitting subject which really contrasts with the style of Eugene’s upbeat narration. Eugene’s tone in the narration quickly shifts as he realises once the investigation is over, that is it, but what will happen to him?

Gwen discovers the eye that Eugene has been so obsessed with is actually a Dogon Sixth Eye, which allows people to reflect on their past. You could say Eugene has been reflecting on his past pretty well. It’s a rollercoaster ride of his friends trust, as they try to swindle their own friend out of £15,000, when Eugene tried to sell the eye on eBay, as well as finding out his dad didn’t run away to America but to a MOT garage in Cardiff. The build up of emotions his final moments, is really touching, as the story comes full circle when Eugene runs away with the eye after swallowing it to keep it safe, after his friends tried to steal it and accidentally runs into the path of an oncoming car.

‘Not the biggest turn out you could hope for.’ is the view Eugene takes on his future life, the life he wouldn’t get to live; however he’s always grateful for what he has, and how his death created a bond between his dad and his mum again, when Gwen finally makes the phone call announcing Eugene’s death. Is this the resolution that sets him free from the eye’s influence? Not quite. We come to the final scene of the story, with Gwen walking away from Eugene’s family’s house and nearly getting hit by a car herself, however Eugene somehow manages to manifests himself into existing again and pushing her to safety. The whole family and the Torchwood team watch in shock until Eugene quickly starts ascending into they sky as if he’s finally going to heaven to rest. If anything, this is a nice if not slightly weird conclusion to the story. Was it him saving Gwen that made him finally free, or fixing all his past mistakes giving Eugene peace at last?

There are some questions that are left unanswered such as, who was trying to buy the eye? How was his soul or consciousness trapped in the eye? The story tried its best, even if certain aspects seem a little clunky for my taste.

The last narrative line is, live your best life, and that is a pretty upbeat motto for Torchwood by far.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.8: They Keep Killing Suzie

We kick-start this episode in true Torchwood style as they walk onto a crime scene already being investigated by the police. They’re met by Detective Swanson (Yasmin Bannerman), who her and her team think Torchwood’s approach to situations are a little unorthodox and quite rightly so. As the team enter an average looking suburban house, a horrendous murder has taken place with a slightly more unusual clue to the suspect. In huge blood soaked words on the wall, “TORCHWOOD” takes central place, which immediately alarms Captain Jack, with a true heroic ‘Doctor Who’ cliffhanger camera zoom to the face… Titles roll!

Tosh examines the DNA evidence left at the murder site which the analysis reveals that the murderer had an unknown compound, “B67.” Owen immediately identifies it as the RetCon drug, which was also the same drug Jack used on Gwen. Gwen in a state of panic becomes incredibly worried as to the implications and side effects of the drug, as the Torchwood team themselves realised they’ve screwed up massively. I mean an organisation who drugs not just one but 2008 people, is slightly problematic in itself… again. Not only that, but the team are now questioning if the drug can cause violent tendencies. Jack quickly jokes that Gwen shouldn’t go near sharp objects however, the joke doesn’t sit well with me.

But with no time to wait, as in true Torchwood style we’re off, as Gwen suggests using the Resurrection Gauntlet from ‘Everything Changes’ to question the murdered people to find out if they saw anything. Jack and Owen quickly disapprove of the idea, with their closed body expressions as they try to turn away from Gwen; the pain of Suzie’s death still haunts them, even now. Gwen being the determined police officer she is, suggests they have a duty of care following the murder victims death; they have responsibility for their actions in respect of drugging people, which is a very just cause in my opinion.

Captain Jack tries the glove on their first murder victim, however this instantly fails. Owen immediately passes up the opportunity to try the glove again, stating only Suzie was the one who managed to get the glove to work. Gwen being the badass she is, volunteers to wear the glove as a cautious glance is exchanged between Jack and Owen, stepping up to the role to try it on with immediate success. The first victim, Alex Arwen, screams out. Gwen trying to show some humanity as Jack shouts at him trying to get a clue, immediately dies again. The rage shows in Gwen’s face as she is determined to use the glove not to just use the murdered victims but to get justice for them. It’s a true showmanship to her police training and her character. The next victim Mark, gives an emotional performance which is beautifully accompanied by Murray Golds’ music, as he tries to help the team with clues as to who the killer could be but also just wanting to see his wife one last time. Mark reveals a couple of names Pilgrim, Max and in a shocking twist, Suzie. Coincidence? I think not!

The Torchwood team dig up some more evidence related to Suzie and Pilgrim, which turns out to be a a religious support group. Tosh and Owen are completely dismissive of the idea that Suzie would join a group like this, when Gwen questions how much do the team really know each other? It’s a true testament to their characters about how they all get so wrapped up in fighting aliens and the unknown, that they forget the fundamental point of sitting down and talking. Jack accepts the fact he messed up and makes the ultimate decision, they need to wake Suzie up.

The Torchwood crew gather around a frozen Suzie as they assess the situation as to what they’re about to do. Tosh who can’t bare to look her former colleague in the eye quickly departs the room. The others braving their fears of Suzie herself, gear themselves up ready to get their last clue and to leave Suzie to rest. This is what is amazing about Torchwood, alien monsters can be frightening, but a person who has been dead for 3 months can still send a shiver down your spine from their past actions and this is what makes for a great villain for a story. After a few false starts and a life knife through the heart in a completely brutal fashion, the camera circles around them all;, Suzie is back from the dead. It’s a brilliant scene that builds up the confusion and frustration of everyone in the room, as they desperately want to stop the killing and settle their difficulties once and for all. Gwen using the glove for too long is shot back across the room, as Jack very angrily shouts at her for getting hooked on the glove as well. Jack has a tendency of learning from his mistakes and almost plays a father figure to the team, however his younger team mates want to prove themselves and almost get killed in the process. We soon learn that there are consequences which become a reality for unfortunate Gwen. They think it’s all over until Ianto claims that Suzie’s heart is still beating.

The Torchwood fam (yes I’ve used it) wanting to give Suzie the benefit of the doubt about her past incriminating life, ask for her help to catch the killer who is after them. They go to a club where one of the members from Pilgrim works before she becomes the next victim. After a brief punch up and Gwen getting hit again, goodness me does Gwen take some punches, they catch the killer.

All of this seems simple and straight forward, a very typical Torchwood episode until Gwen is suckered in by Suzie’s guilty charm and her own revelations of the team not being sympathetic towards other members and decides to take Suzie to see her dying father. Now this is when the tangled web of evil and villainy comes into force. Owen to his horror, discovers why Suzie isn’t dead again. She’s draining the life force away from Gwen. This is where the differences lies between Gwen being a part of the team rather than Suzie; the team actually spring into action to help her. They've been fooled twice; shame on them.

I love Torchwood, it always seems to be the most bonkers plot to cram into a 50 minute story. So here’s a break down of Suzie’s plot, Shaun of the Dead style:

Gwen takes her car, drives over to Suzie’s dad, Suzie kills her dad. Gwen immediately starts getting a headache because the gun shot wound that killed Suzie is being exchanged and she gains her energy back. Suzie then drives to the docks to get rid of Gwen’s body. Torchwood calls on Detective Swanson who breaks them out using a secret code to counteract the other secret code announced by the original killer who Suzie drugged to help her get back from the dead. They get to the docks before Suzie gets away on a boat to live forever.

I tip my hat off to the writers, Paul Tomalin and Dan McCulloch for getting in so much plot without the story feeling too fast.

The final stand off between Jack and Suzie resulted in me making the most satisfying air punch I’ve ever done. The part where Jack finally takes Suzie down and Tosh takes the glove out with one final shot to break the tie between Suzie and Gwen, was just so perfect in tying up the elephant in the room of everyone feeling sorry that Suzie killed herself, when actually she was the real monster all this time.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.7: Greeks Bearing Gifts

We finally have our Tosh specific episode and it's about time.

The episode starts off in Cardiff 1812, with what appears to be just a young woman running through the forest with her solider boyfriend. Not quite… It appears she is a prostitute winding up the redcoat solider, as it seems he is a virgin or as she jokes about her name “My name’s Mary, like the Virgin.” The teasing of this doesn’t seem to settle with the soldier as he slaps her viciously across the face before Mary sees an ominous light through the trees, It's something straight out of an alien abduction film. There’s a brief chase before the solider goes to shoot Mary stating “Do whores have prayers?” - bit extreme in the circumstances - before making a harsh cut in the edit and going straight into present day. 

The Torchwood team are sent out to a building site (which if you look in the background you can see the filming vans.) as there is a skeleton found with mysterious wounds. It’s the team working in these situations that really show the difference between Doctor Who and Torchwood. It brings a sense of realism around death, the consequences of it and the investigation work that happens afterwards. Owen claims the body is a woman with a single gun shot wound to the chest. However in contrast to the discovery, the camera pans over the crime scene to what appears to be Mary in 2006 watching over them. Spooky.
What happened? Why is Mary still alive? All will be discovered.

Ever felt like a third wheel? Well Tosh is the perfect character in this moment as Gwen and Owen play around like a couple of teenagers in love. To Tosh’s horror she discovers they’ve accidentally kicked out the computer plug ruining her alien translation. Gwen and Owen are the perfect example of opposites attract, as Gwen apologises for damaging Tosh’s computer whereas Owen doesn’t seem to own up to any kind of responsibility and in fact becomes defensive by asking Tosh “Does the stick up your ass have a stick up its ass?”. Tosh understandably annoyed by this, goes out on the town on her own.

Tosh sitting all by herself still reminiscing about her interest in Owen, isn’t alone for very long as suddenly Mary walks up to Tosh claiming a random man is trying to hit on her. It’s interesting as an audience, knowing that something is amiss with Mary as she was alive 200 years ago and almost feel a need to protect Tosh. The mystery around Mary becomes more apparent as she suddenly knows Tosh’s name without Tosh telling her. As Mary explains the situation of knowing how she knows Tosh, it becomes clear from Tosh’s expression there's a deep trust now between them, over Torchwood and alien tech. Sound familiar between Gwen and Owen?

There begins a touching moment as Tosh in mid conversation starts spilling all of Torchwood trade secrets to Mary as they’ve had a glass or two of wine. It's a very quick bonding session which as an audience makes you question has something happened to Tosh, until she realises she shouldn’t divulge such confidential information. Has this plan of Mary’s failed, or is there a lack of trust again? To solidify this uncertainty, Mary gives Tosh a gift of a pendant which innocently she tries on, to shockingly discover she can hear everyones thoughts in the room. Tosh seems completely overwhelmed by this situation, however it would have been nice to see her come to terms in a more scientific approach, as she is the go-to woman for working out how alien technology works. The moment makes for a good bond between Tosh and Mary, but does it make Tosh too dependent on Mary too quickly? The close ups on the camera and the sound that closes in around Mary’s voice, makes it a compelling and intimate scene, that makes Tosh question her sexual identity, before Mary claims “That I want to kiss you.” Is it the pendant that makes it so irresistible to Tosh or the alien herself, Mary? There seems to be a lot that is not divulged or explained in this episode.

Ok, so this is where the alarm bells ring. Mary comparing herself to a god, while giving away a so called family heirloom, I don’t know about you, but that just sounds a little creepy to me. 

Tosh with all her common sense and justice is dissuaded from showing the Torchwood team the pendant, however instead uses it to read her friends thoughts. Is this a good idea? Maybe not around Gwen and Owen. This scene is a great way in showing how through a voice over of their thoughts, the tone and expression in their voices gives away how they’re completely hormonal for each other, while keeping composed in their facial expressions in front of Tosh. The way everyone keeps themselves so composed is a true testament to their characters as finally Tosh has to break it off as it all becomes too overwhelming for her.

As Tosh walks home, who should be waiting right outside her front door but Mary. Now if someone came to me in a bar, knowing who I was and then waited outside my house after work, I don’t think I’d be the person leaving the door wide open for them to walk in. However this very uncharacteristic trait of Tosh, allows Mary to walk straight into her house and then sleep together. Again it's never explained if it’s the power of the pendant that makes Tosh fall for Mary or Mary herself. There’s some very unusual camera transitions and angles that suggest some force is at work but again is never explained on screen. Mary finally bows down to Tosh to reveal her real name, Philoctetes.

The whole episode seems to be a theme of fun and games about who wants to sleep with who and peoples thoughts about being a James Bond villain, when it suddenly takes a dramatic turn as a man wants to kill a group of people and himself. Time for super Tosh to come to the rescue. The scene is a huge juxtaposition to the story, which would have been a great theme to stick with rather than the alien manipulating Tosh. You could have Tosh become this power hungry superhero who the team have to help, rather than the school playground scenario with the 'who likes who' narrative. This side plot is very quickly resolved and does feel very out of place in terms of how it affects the main story.

Back in Torchwood, Tosh can’t read captain Jack’s mind and the secret of the pendant is slowly being revealed to the team. Gwen, Owen and Captain Jack are playing around whilst trying to discover what happened to the skeleton found in the pre-titles. In another Cardiff arial shot later, Gwen is working out why Owen doesn’t want to look at her, whilst Jack is observing an alien object found at the building site and talking to the prime minister. Torchwood has a very good reputation of squeezing in as much plot minute by minute every time.

Mary in a last minute attempt to not face the Torchwood team reveals her true self as a ghostly purple skeletal alien in front of Tosh, in some kind of hope that Mary won’t have to face them as she fears she’ll be locked away. This is kind of true if you’ve watched the last 6 episodes so far. (Also anyone recognise the alien from The Sarah Jane Adventures here?) This again is where my mind wonders as to why Mary is still alive? Is she now just Philoctetes? Or both? Again a question never explained or as to why she stole Mary’s body.

In true Torchwood style and an aerial shot of Cardiff later, Owen quickly discovers his analysis of the body is completely wrong and is in fact the murdered remains of our redcoat soldier at the beginning of the story. The tangled web of this story is slowly unravelling itself as Tosh seems to be losing control of her own thoughts, as the camera spirals around Torchwood as if we’ve entered a nightmare. 

Mary contradicting herself now wants to get into Torchwood to retrieve the transporter. Tosh again agrees out of the blue; even with this being a very light Captain Jack story, he comes to save the day by showing how much of a fraud Mary is. It’s a nice touch to see that Jack can still have a huge impact on concluding complicated situations even when he’s not majorly involved in the whole story. It gives a sense he’s always watching and not as gullible as the villainous aliens make him out to be. Tosh focusing on Jack’s voice shows the true loyalty to the team and no matter what mistakes happen, Torchwood will always have their backs.

The final reveal of Mary being the person ripping out people’s hearts and getting her comeuppance rounds off the story in a neat little present with a bow on top. Jack tricking Mary into doing it herself makes it even more perfect.

Tosh owning up to listening to everyones thoughts makes a difficult but touching scene between the team. Tosh being completely apologetic about invading their personal space is equally balanced with Gwen apologising about how they are not the ones to take the moral high ground. It shows that actions have consequences; no human is perfect and that what the series is all about. Gwen telling Tosh “Love suited you,” is such a heartwarming place to finish their friendship at that moment.

Now I understand why Tosh smashes the pendant but it also makes me slight saddened. It would have been a perfect moment for her to stand up to her fears and explore them, however it's just metaphorically trodden on, to be forgotten forever.

Overall this episode has been very mixed in terms of themes and characters. Some didn’t live up to my expectations but there are moments which work so well and a key highlight for the series. We’re now half way through the series and moments are now becoming more established with the Torchwood teams friendship and Captain Jack’s mysterious personality.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.6: Countrycide

The pre-title sequence is a scenario that has been lifted straight out of a typical slasher style film, with a poor unfortunate woman being dragged out of her car with blood curdling screams by a mysterious figure… Torchwood has diverged into the world of horror. 

Jack and co start investigating recent disappearances in the area. Owen begins to complain about being outside the city, making a quite delightful bit of banter between Gwen and Owen;  Gwen takes great joy in Owen’s disdain of the outdoors. The team feel as if they’re a proper family unit going on their first outing together, with the kids bickering in the back. With night approaching, the team set up camp in the middle of the field. With everyone circled around, Gwen gets the team to recall their most recent kisses with people. It all starts off as fun and games when Tosh mentions her kiss with Owen at Christmas. However it’s quickly turned as Owen mocks her for not being as promiscuous as the rest of the team. Captain Jack quickly steers the conversation by asking if non alien lifeforms count, followed by Owen’s smug response referencing his and Gwen’s make out session whist being chased by the Cyberwomen. It all seems to being going so well, until the mood shifts as Ianto mentions his last kiss was with in fact, his now deceased girlfriend Lisa. Oops. 

Avoiding the now awkward situation, Owen and Gwen go away to search for firewood, or that’s what Gwen thinks. As they walk through the forest, Gwen, who is understandably annoyed about Owen mentioning their kiss – is grabbed by him and pushed against a tree. In a heat of passion, Owen describes how great they’d be together. As they almost lock lips, they see a shadowy figure in the distance. It was a scene I was slightly worried about, as Owen leans closer and closer towards Gwen – leaving almost no space between their lips as they whisper their plans on how to catch the mysterious person. It’s a very sexually charged scene which depicts the whole theme of Series One in general. It's a great moment of passionate tension which quickly juxtaposes to the horror they’re about to endure.

As they give chase, they stumble across a body in the forest, however; this is no ordinary body. The whole of the flesh has been stripped back to the bone. Sorry for anyone who doesn’t like gore, this is not the episode for you. The contrast between the scenes depict the characteristic of Torchwood’s themes. One moment it’s horny passion and then the next, body horror. It's a technique that gives the show it's uniqueness for story telling. The Torchwood team have been rumbled, as they hear the Torchwoodmobile drive away. Thankfully, Ianto is able to track the vehicle and follows the car for 4 miles where it appears to have stopped. Said the spider to the fly...

We join the team as they encounter a rather abandoned looking village, something straight out of ‘Village of the Damned’. The environment has all the 'horror film' hallmarks of a place you really shouldn’t visit. The setup feels almost claustrophobic as they are very much cut off from the outside world. The intercutting with a POV shot, makes the scene feel uncomfortable as they’re being watched from the inside. 

The Torchwood team foolishly split up to find the Torchwoodmobile (have they not seen an episode of Scooby Doo?) and to check out the pub for any ideas as to what’s going on in the area. Gwen very quickly discovers another body carved exactly the same as the one she and Owen found previously in the woods, and a mysterious noise echos from the distance. As Gwen and Jack give chase, Gwen is dramatically shot in the stomach with a shotgun. Who or what can weald a shotgun and create such horrors to humans? Typically here, the camera would go to a close up of the situation, however in a more interesting editing choice – the audience is taken through a long POV shot, almost as if we’re an animal watching its prey. It’s this 1st person perspective that really makes for carnal viewing, and adds to the intrigue of the story. Thankfully Doctor Owen is on hand to take care of Gwen’s wound, which in the spirit of Torchwood, makes even that a sexy scene between Gwen and Owen.

Meanwhile, if that wasn’t enough, Ianto and Tosh are kidnapped and locked away in what appears to be a dark cellar. A blood covered fridge catches their eyes as Tosh anxiously opens it up to discover why they’ve been captured; they’re going to be the main course. The suspense leads up to the horror across Ianto’s face as he quickly closes the door with an echoed bang. Their fate has been sealed. The story is very plot heavy; not a scene goes by that doesn’t expand the characters, or the unravelling situation that they find themselves in.

There is a huge amount of plot that happens within this story, however it never detracts from developing the characters of the whole team, such as Jack’s concern over Gwen and the unity between Ianto and Tosh when they’re captured by the cannibals! In a shocking plot twist, it transpires that the villains are actually humans.. cannibals. This is the first time we’ve had a villain who isn’t an alien, which we the audience wrongly assume. It’s a horror/slasher film lover’s dream. In true Torchwood style, Captain Jack comes to save the day by driving a tractor through the main barn doors and shooting the place up in slow motion. I don’t think we could get anymore 2006 with that dramatic moment.

Owen Teale (Ewan) and Maxine Evans (Helen) give fantastic and down right skin-crawling performances as a couple who, along with the rest of the village it seems, take part in a ‘harvest’ once a decade, on unsuspecting tourists. The line, ‘because it made me happy’, as Gwen confronts Ewan about the horrors they’ve committed, is spine tingling. As he sits there with a grin like a Cheshire Cat, with no remorse or care, it’s an image that will haunt my dreams forever. It really makes for uncomfortable, disturbing viewing.

However, I love the contrast in the final scene as Gwen narrates how she could have had a normal life, having kids and staying with Rhys, but Torchwood has set her on a new path. It’s just that moment when you think she’s talking to herself or to us as the audience, until Owen appears in the reflection of the window, showing her how her life is changing. She’s not the same woman we saw at the beginning of the series. She’s seen things that nobody else could comprehend and wants to take comfort in someone that does. Is Owen and the Torchwood team the right choice? We’ll have to wait and see...

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.4: Cyberwoman

Our next episode once again, is written by current Doctor Who show runner Chris Chibnall. We start with the Torchwood team playing a friendly game of basketball while a pterodactyl flies around because reasons? Its quite nice to see Gwen finally being accepted as one of the team, however there’s a figure who appears to be left standing in the shadows, Ianto.

Ianto has been a character whom we just assume is taking up the role of the butler. He just stays in the background, cleaning up the mess of the Torchwood team. However, this episode starts turning into a case of a whodunnit as Ianto runs off to meet a mysterious Doctor, while the team goes out for drinks.

We’re introduced to the secretive world of Ianto Jones, as it is discovered he has been keeping Lisa Hallett, a former employee of Torchwood One down in the basements of Torchwood Three. Although in a shocking revelation tying into the aftermath of the battle of Canary Wharf, Lisa is part Cyberman or should I say Cyberwoman! The story of Ianto doing everything he can to save the woman he loves, is a dynamic way to quickly explore his character. It’s a tragic tale of two people in love, which drives this episode forward in its themes.

However, what should be a very emotional scene between the reveal of Ianto and Lisa is let down slightly, in the design of the Cyberwoman. Unfortunately the design of the cyberbra and cyberknickers isn’t exactly what I had in mind when cybermen converted people. Does this mean other people get cyberboxers or cyberbriefs? It detracts from the overall seriousness of the situation, whereas I would have had more of a Frankenstein’s monster look proving no matter what you look like, there’s always someone who will love you, no matter what.

Ianto with the help of Dr Tanizaki, try to save Lisa by reverting part of the cyber process to help her live as a human again. In true Torchwood style, this all goes horribly wrong. Lisa’s cyber programming kicks into gear as she tries to process an unfortunate Dr Tanizaki, killing him. What creates a shocking twist is she is doing this out of love? The idea of human emotions and partial cyber conversion is a great concept, briefly explored originally in Doctor Who with Yvonne Hartman crying as a Cyberman. The Torchwood team quickly discover what Ianto has been doing all this time and try and stop his plans. Again this questions the loyalty of the team, as Ianto admits he couldn’t trust Torchwood to protect Lisa from being destroyed.

I know I mentioned the theme of Frankenstein’s monster earlier, but this literally happens within the ending of the episode. It created a major shock factor with Lisa trying to prove her love and not processing human emotions properly. She kills a poor pizza delivery woman and swaps her brain out to replace it with Lisa’s.

The finale of the story ends up with Ianto making a choice either letting Lisa live or shooting her for the murderous rampage she undertook. I feel this part should have been left to Ianto for his redemption. However this was brutally taken away by Captain Jack shooting first. It almost detracts from Ianto’s choice, as I think it would have made a greater impact if he shot her because he loved her so much but couldn’t let her carry on murdering people.

Overall I did prefer this episode to ‘Day One’; the conflict between the Torchwood team and Captain Jack has become a recurring theme, as well as the secrets of Jack’s past with him not being able to die, makes the team lose their trust even more. Maybe Torchwood should get a better vetting system for their staff?

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.3: Ghost Machine

We encounter the Torchwood team in an epic chase through Cardiff, but chasing who?

Gwen nearly catching the suspect through Cardiff market (where they make very nice Welsh Cakes by the way) unfortunately only grabs his coat as he runs off. Gwen thinking she failed, repeatedly apologises, while a happy Tosh shouts in her ear she’s got it. But what has Gwen discovered?

The opening sequence creates a fantastic juxtaposition. After an adrenaline filled chase, Gwen finds a unique piece of alien tech - changing the pace of the story entirely. Pressing its button, Gwen is unknowingly transported to, we assume, WW II. We see a young boy leaving the train station wearing a name tag, looking lost and calling for help. However in the same instance, Gwen is thrown back into the present… Looking around shocked, she utters “I’ve seen a ghost.”

This is the first episode which has grabbed my attention straight from the off. This episode starts to focus around Owen, which again seems to show the themes of the series that everyone has a story dedicated to them. Gwen and Owen seek out who the boy from Gwen's apparition is. They later discover via a phonebook, (which a sarcastic Owen holds in his hands), it's a Mr Tom Erasmus Flanagan. They visit the now elderly Tom and realise the alien technology was showing them a real person's past, not a fictional vision.

The stand out line for this episode has to be when they are trying to track down the original suspect Bernie Harris, who stole the alien tech: 'Splot' 'Splot?' 'I believe estate agents call it Splough…’. 

Its the brilliant comedic element that Torchwood is perfect for. The down to Earth part when they use their detective skills to find him, establishes the normal everyday aspect of working in Torchwood. This is a complete contrast to their other counterpart flying around the universe in a TARDIS.

As the Torchwood team have no luck ‘catching them killers then’ (Hot Fuzz reference for anyone there), Owen quickly stops in his tracks as they walk under a bridge and the Quantum Transducer activates. The whole world seems quieter and colder. Unknown to Owen, he has been transported back to the 1960's, where he unwillingly watches the rape and murder of Lizzie Lewis, coldly carried out by Ed Morgan. Owen can't move or bring himself to take action. It really does become an uncomfortable moment to watch, leaving Owen in tears as the Quantum Transducer brings him back to the present. This harrowing scene becomes the key driving force for Owen to get justice for Lizzie.

Posing as a Police Officer, Owen tracks down Ed Morgan to his house, which leads to an intense battle of wits. Owen describing the incident to Ed in such detail, makes us as the audience feel as insecure as Ed. The heart beat sound and the close up shots, creates the sense of panic, claustrophobia and guilt, as he’s finally been found out. It’s a fantastic scene between the characters, to which both Burn Gorman and Gareth Thomas (yes Blake’s 7), make the scene teeth clenching.

The Torchwood team finally track down Bernie Harris, but in a intriguing plot twist, it is revealed that there are in fact TWO parts to the Quantum Transduce; one to show you the past, the other to show you the future. Bernie, afraid of the alien tech, sees his death. Having earlier blackmailed Ed Morgan he becomes afraid of what's to come. Gwen on the other hand touches the future side of the QT, and sees herself with blood on her hands - but who's? All this builds up to be a true murder mystery tale with a side of time travel, which is what Torchwood is perfect at playing.

We have reached the final confrontation. Ed Morgan is about to be held to account by Owen Harper. Morgan has the knife, as previously seen in Gwen's future vision - he is ready to kill anyone before his terrible murderous secret out. It's another fantastic show of Gareth Thomas's acting as he builds up the intensity as the situation escalates. The agoraphobia is making him panic and not think rationally or logically. This is on the edge of the seat viewing. Captain Jack quickly pounces on him, while Owen takes the knife. Owen almost takes on the role of vigilante in this episode, taking justice into his own hands and fighting for the late Lizzie Lewis. Owen holds the knife to Ed's face - can he do it? He quickly realises that actually, he is the better man, and doesn't act. Sound familiar? Unfortunately this is where the ending slightly lets it down. Ed runs towards Gwen to hug her for helping him, to ultimately stab himself. Why was Gwen holding the knife pointed outwards so that someone could get stabbed? I feel the resolution is a slight let down, as it would have been nice to see Ed finally show redemption for his actions. However the final scene of Captain Jack easing the pain of Gwen accidentally killing Ed is really sympathetic and full of wonder, straight out of Tomb of the Cybermen style with the Doctor and Victoria.

Helen Raynor has created a diverse, atmospheric and witty script. Overall I think this has been the strongest episode so far next to ‘Everything Changes'.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.2: Day One 

Well, well, well. If Torchwood wanted to prove that it’s more grown up theme wasn’t the family friendly Doctor Who we all know, this is the episode that proves it. 

This is the first Torchwood story written by current Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall. The whole theme of ‘Day One’ circulates around themes of sex, which for the Doctor Who Universe was a bold move to make.

‘Day One’ follows Gwen Cooper on her first day as part of team Torchwood. As a meteor crashes into Earth, Gwen leaves her very cute date with Rhys to join the gang where during some banter, Gwen quite literally throws a spanner (accidentally) in the works. It lands in the meteor letting out a purple gas cloud, which heads towards a very upset Carys Fletcher on the phone telling her boyfriend to die. This is when it all gets a bit weird.

The extra-terrestrial sex gas turns an unexpected Carys Fletcher into a killer by absorbing climatic energy. A sentence I thought I would never write… 

The episode really explores the themes of sexuality with Gwen kissing her first woman, Owen being a bit of a lad after recording both Carys and Gwen kissing and then being caught out himself by getting locked away without any clothes on. How about Tosh looking away from Owen without any clothes on, is she shy about her sexuality? The Torchwood team also question Captain Jack’s sexuality and his ties with the past again, cementing the overall story arc. It’s the start exploring the LGBTQ+ themes that will be revealed in full later on in the series.

What makes the episode very tongue in cheek but realistic, is the fact the cast play it seriously. You can tell that Carys Fletcher has a conflict in herself for control and the distress its causing to her when then alien kills people. Gwen faces the situation by using her police training to tell Captain Jack, eating a Chinese meal or Owen filming them kissing in the cell is not the way they should be handling any situation with a distressed person. The conflict makes a noble stance of their moral grounds, until they realise they’re both on the same level of respect, when Jack reveals he’s been analysing Carys Fletcher to get her the best help.

The scene in which Carys steals The Doctor’s hand and Captain Jack being incredibly protective of it, just shows the incredible bond both him and The Doctor have. This is very apparent when the jar is smashed and Jack cradles the hand as if he’s holding the hand of a loved one. It's provides a heartwarming and upsetting scenario and also reveals why Captain Jack is apart of Torchwood.

‘Day One’ has a dignified and emotional resolution with the alien dying, with a weirdly poignant quote ‘Travelling half way across the universe for the greatest sex… But still end up dying alone’. It again explores the overall arc of who is Captain Jack and what has happened in the past for him to think this way.

Even though this isn’t my favourite episode out of the series, I can understand the shock factor ‘Day One’ brings and its take on being different with its sexual themes Doctor Who hasn’t been able to do before. This is what Torchwood is all about.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.1: Everything Changes 

Rewatching this episode has really shown how incredible Russell T. Davies is as a writer. You want a 'grown-up' version of Doctor Who? Well, look no further. Gwen Cooper; a police officer working her way up through the ranks and tackling hard cases, like a murder that has just happened outside a multi-story car park. But this is no ordinary case; a mysterious team enter the mists and bring a dead body back to life. Gwen Cooper's life has dramatically changed, forever.

Torchwood establishes its more grown up audience from the violence Gwen encounters when she meets her first alien, the Weevil. She tries to establish some normality to the situation by claiming the Weevil is a man in a mask, until some unfortunate soul gets his throat ripped apart.

Captain Jack takes up the 'Doctor' role in the episode, claiming to be a dark and mysterious person who wants to keep his past life a secret. Being an established character in the series really helps Torchwood have a familiar face that the audience can relate to and have some foreknowledge of Jack's history. The establishing scene that builds up the Torchwood team in their Cardiff base, when Gwen is delivering pizza, makes a nice little icebreaker when it plays on the stereotypical cheesy reveal scenes, making light hearted comedy of the situation. Seeing the teams camaraderie as Gwen enters the Torchwood base proves they are very tight knit, very much like the first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child – the existing chemistry of the gang proves they’ve already had many adventures.

Torchwood really builds itself as a series utilising these tropes, however it also throws in a grim twist to the universe we know and love from Doctor Who, with characters stealing, swearing and generally doing stuff that’s forbidden in a family show. This episode already has shocks, twists, turns and some amazing power poses from Captain Jack's figure on top of random buildings in Cardiff, which entices you to continue watching the next episode. You want to see Cardiff in all its glory? Well look no further than the fantastic amounts of establishing drone shots, which would make a good game someday.

(Also keep an eye out for the Doctor Who Experience sign in the background of some shots.) 

The first episode had everything it needed to establish characters, sets and the overall theme of the show. It’s still a little rough round the edges with slight exaggeration of the grown up themes.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]