I’ve watched “Capt. Jack Harkness” from season/series 1 and “Adam” through “Dead Man Walking” of season 2, and I feel like I’m teetering on the brink of a full-blown Torchwood Obsession (i.e., must…have…more…Jack).
However, I’ve been told that there were more than a few crappy episodes in season 1, so I’m wondering which episodes in seasons 1 and 2 are a) not crappy, and b) actually quite good and should not be missed. (UK dopers, feel free to list episodes that have not yet aired in the US under spoiler bars – I don’t care if I’m spoiled, but I don’t want to piss anyone else off.)
Too late to edit and add, I completely forgot I had seen “From Out of the Rain,” too.
Given that “From out of the rain” was next week’s episode on regular TV that means there’s nothing here that hasn’t been viewed by you (has BBC America caught with us or something?).
I think the best episode to date has been “Adam”. It was such a great idea and executed very well, and it also managed to have time to segue in some flashbacks and information about Jack’s past that is relevant to later episodes (I’m guessing) in a way that wasn’t boring either. Few Torchwood episodes strike that balance of plot and character building so well. Personally I’m all about Ianto, I’m not that bothered about Jack (heresy for a gay man to say that I know).
The problem I have with Torchwood is that they’ve only got what, 13 episodes to work with? I expect to be wowed each ep. US shows are typically 20-22 episodes so I expect some stand-alone filler episodes which don’t particularly advance the overall plot arc. With only 13 eps you really shouldn’t spend too many of them fucking off.
Something I don’t get about Gwen & Jack: she was a curious cop, apparently showed some talent, so Jack recruited her. I got that. But when did this unrequited romantical love thing occur between them? Gwen acts like the only reason she married her fiance is because Jack didn’t step up. Is Gwen dense enough to not realize Jack more or less loves his whole team? If it were up to him, they’d probably all be in one big group marriage (with nude wrestling).
I thought that “Random Shoes” was kind of touching.
Um. BBC America is still a few episodes behind. I resorted to nefarious means to see it. hangs head
I enjoyed “Adam,” too – I thought the concept itself was really cool and creepy, and I thought it was executed very well. Actually, it was the end of “Adam” that got me hooked on Jack, when he was going around the conference room table telling everyone he’d take care of them. My first thought was to scoff at the arrogance, but then I thought, if any character can get away with saying such things with complete sincerity, it’s him. (And then any lasting doubts were banished when he kissed Ianto on the forehead and stroked his chin. Who could resist that, I ask you?)
That what makes me so leery about getting invested in this show. They can’t afford filler, and yet, apparently, they’ve had quite a bit of it. Strange.
“Random Shoes”? Got it. What others?
I thought “Countrycide” from Season 1 was also excellent. It was a great suspenseful setup for a creepy horror episode. I watched it chewing my nails through the whole thing.
Whereas I thought it was utter shite. Just goes to show how much variance there can be in different mileages, I guess.
That’s the problem I’d have with it though. It’s horror/supernatural, and veers too far away from the time rift and aliens, which I think the show is supposed to be about. I like to keep my genres straight.
“…Countrycide…”
Yes, I think that was their point…that domestic human horrors can be just as nasty as what slips through the rift. It was kind of an X-files -ish diversionary theme that I enjoyed.