Torchwood Episode Discussion (Spoilers for all eps aired in the UK)

[Willow'sCat]

Don't misunderstanding me, I don't mind him being the 'bad guy' that is one of the things I loved about Angel, he had to make the big hard decisions and they didn't always go down well with his companions/team but he could see the bigger picture. But *and sorry I know we are all sick to death of the Buffy/Angel comparisons* Angel was always treading that fine line, he could become a Vamp at anytime, and go on a killing spear and didn't we just love it when he did but he also managed to convey after he was turned back that he was remorseful that he was looking for that salvation *if you will* that would save his soul.

With Jack I get the feeling he is either a bad apple who stumbled across a great gig within Torchwood or he is still conning everyone and I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But above all it is the writing of his character that I find annoying atm, it is IMHO all over the shop, he is not consistent. I don't feel that makes for a good lead character. The one reason I think he really worked for me in Doctor Who was because The Doctor for all his faults is a stable character, and that gave Jack something to bounce off, also Chris was great in the role and I am sure his acting abilities helped John out, not saying John can't act but he is obviously a stage actor more then a TV actor and it is showing IMO.

As I said I will still watch because some Jack is better then none, I just hope things improve by the episode 13.

Also just a personal thing, why so much het action? I want some Jack/Ianto action... now that would have me glued to the set week in and out. *oh yes I am shallow*

[Flyboy]

Don't misunderstanding me, I don't mind him being the 'bad guy' that is one of the things I loved about Angel, he had to make the big hard decisions and they didn't always go down well with his companions/team but he could see the bigger picture. But *and sorry I know we are all sick to death of the Buffy/Angel comparisons* Angel was always treading that fine line, he could become a Vamp at anytime, and go on a killing spear and didn't we just love it when he did but he also managed to convey after he was turned back that he was remorseful that he was looking for that salvation *if you will* that would save his soul.

With Jack I get the feeling he is either a bad apple who stumbled across a great gig within Torchwood or he is still conning everyone and I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But above all it is the writing of his character that I find annoying atm, it is IMHO all over the shop, he is not consistent. I don't feel that makes for a good lead character. The one reason I think he really worked for me in Doctor Who was because The Doctor for all his faults is a stable character, and that gave Jack something to bounce off, also Chris was great in the role and I am sure his acting abilities helped John out, not saying John can't act but he is obviously a stage actor more then a TV actor and it is showing IMO.

As I said I will still watch because some Jack is better then none, I just hope things improve by the episode 13.

Also just a personal thing, why so much het action? I want some Jack/Ianto action... now that would have me glued to the set week in and out. *oh yes I am shallow*

I hate it when sex just gets put in for people to drool over...

I have nothing against slashers. In certain scenarios I am one myself. But still.

[Admiral Mappalazarou]

Wow, that last episode...the one with the family that butchered the village and were about to butcher the Torchwood team...ouuuuuuuuuuuuu. Really reminded me of Resident Evil 4, anyone ever played that game? it's quality, I recommend it.
Anyways, it seemed a bit of a Deus Ex machina when Jack turns up in his kick-ass tractor and killed everyone (even though two of the cannibals had guns and it took Jack at least 3 seconds to shoot each family member.......idiots). So were the family just cannibals, or was to rift spreading and causing some people to go nuts as someone may have said in it....?

Because I'm still trying to figure out why they turned cannibal and killed everyone...

[Madeleine]

So were the family just cannibals, or was to rift spreading and causing some people to go nuts as someone may have said in it....?

Because I'm still trying to figure out why they turned cannibal and killed everyone...

You and me both. I'd like to believe it's the Rift, but the Rift is growing and as far as the team know it hasn't got out that far yet, so if it's a tradition that goes every ten years it's got to have started long before the Rift was anywhere close.

I was waiting for a reveal that there was some sort of Wicker Man pagan thing or some quasi-scientific belief in the village that eating brains is good for the IQ. (Did we get one while I was distracted by a sudoku? I'm sure I was paying pretty good attention.)

The funny thing is, I find this ep harder to be suspending disbelief than any other so far. In a show like this, 'aliens' or 'futuristic science' or even 'lost lands' are automatically plausible. With a modicum of effort they can explain anything from Death By Petal to Temporary Resurrection to Disintegration By Shag. But there was NOTHING to explain why some 'normal' Welsh villagers would turn cannibal. - And stupid careless amateur cannibal at that, leaving bodies all over the place, picking random victims (that girl in the car, what would have led them to imagine she wouldn't be missed?) and leading the team right towards them. Not to mention the many mistakes you DON'T have to have read the Evil Overlord list in order to know not to make

That makes it much harder to swallow than any of the previous eps. The whole thing was, like Willow's Cat says, too League of Gentleman. Each show should have a sort of consistency, and if torchwood is going to introduce ideas like this - that you can get a village of cannibals in c20 and c21 Wales for NO (UN)EARTHLY REASON AT ALL, then what rules does it have?

[Admiral Mappalazarou]

...they can explain anything from Death By Petal to Temporary Resurrection to Disintegration By Shag.

LOL nice

...than any of the previous eps. The whole thing was, like Willow's Cat says, too League of Gentleman. Each show should have a sort of consistency, and if torchwood is going to introduce ideas like this - that you can get a village of cannibals in c20 and c21 Wales for NO (UN)EARTHLY REASON AT ALL, then what rules does it have?

For the record, The League of Gentlemen is one of my favourite comedy series. I like the idea that the episode had no explanation because it leaves you thinking and speculating on what really happened to them, and it will be remembered or years to come when people are still trying to figure it out. Maybe it wasn't aliens or some supernatural foe from the rift or beyond, maybe it was just some crazy family who likes to cannibalise people just because it makes them 'happy'.
It proves that Torchwood is much, much more than science fiction. It's not Doctor Who, it's a detective drama with science fiction in it!

[uknesvuinng]

I suppose there's one thing that I really do love about this episode. It reminds us that humans can be extremely ugly and that the alien and supernatural threats aren't necessarily always worse than that of which we're capable. Even though we have bits of the Torchwood team doing distasteful things in extreme circumstances, it didn't quite have the same oomph because we could justify it due to the unique nature of their situation. The cannibals were just some kind of weird evil that was completely senseless. Had the execution been better, this could have been a quite startling episode.

[ShadowMaat]

Yes, sometimes humans can be the worst monsters of all, but that was a crappy, ham-fisted attempt to show us and it REALLY didn't work for me.

I still think it'd have been neat if the cannibals had been worshiping some alien artifact and pinning all their behavior on it only to have Jack come in and say it's an alien peace symbol or a piece of tourist junk or something. That way we still have human monsters, but we get the alien element as well- and a benign one at that. It'll also show that not all aliens are necessarily bad. Just as all humans definitely aren't good.

[mentalmichael]

The only ending which would have worked would have been if the humans were forced to kill these people for some kind of evil alien, or if they had been influenced by something alien. That's what I thought when the "nurse" first showed up, and it would have been a much, much better ending. I get that it was all about how people can be worse than aliens, but it just wasn't convincing.

As for Gwen/Owen...... *vomits* It should be Gwen/Jack UST and Tosh/Owen One-sided UST *nods*

Trailers for next weeks ep.... I'll wait and see. One thing that is bothering me is the fact that we have *another* same sex kiss/sex. I get that Russel T. Davis wants to get this stuff on TV, and I respect that, but surely having Jack + Owen is enough? I'd rather see one relationship (hetero-or homosexual) well done than all the team members acting like horny teenagers.

[Flyboy]

The issue of the constant same sex kisses bothers me.

I am male. For those who haven't guessed. Yet I'd rather see male/male, than female/female. I don't watch these shows to get a sexual thrill. I did NOT enjoy seeing Gwen making out with the Sex Alien. Now, I can allow Owen's same sex kiss, as I am under the belief that it was merely a method of him escaping. I can also allow Jack kissing anyone, male or female. That's who he is.

But I'm sorry, Gwen should only be kissing guys, and if Owen or Ianto get another male kiss I will scream. As for Tosh's female relationship... I'm not impressed. The entire thing is statistically improbable.

RTD is being almost as preujudiced as a homophobe imo. He seems to be disregarding the validity of monosexuality. Some people ARE totally straight or totally gay. He should accept this and allow for that type of character in Torchwood without having them all with varying degrees of bisexuality.

This is where I get a load of people being annoyed at me for being intolerant isn't it?

[Albion]

Trailers for next weeks ep.... I'll wait and see. One thing that is bothering me is the fact that we have *another* same sex kiss/sex.

Spoiler:

Interestingly, the trailer immediately after Countrycide seemed to give a very clear indication that Tosh was going to have sex with the mysterious blonde. But subsequent trailers have been much more ambiguious and it's not so clear cut what happens. In fact, I began to suspect that the first trailer had simply been creatively edited. I'm afraid I'm going to be severely ticked off in either case. If it does turn out we get a whole lesbian subplot I'm going to be very annoyed that the manipulation of that, yet again. If we don't, I'm going to be mighty ticked at a trailer that deliberately distorted the plot in a cheap attempt to attract that demi who were going, "Whooowoo! Lesbian sex! I'm there! Break out the beer, guys!" Either way, I'm getting pissed by the manipulation.

[The Signal]

RTD is being almost as preujudiced as a homophobe imo. He seems to be disregarding the validity of monosexuality. Some people ARE totally straight or totally gay. He should accept this and allow for that type of character in Torchwood without having them all with varying degrees of bisexuality.

Agreed. RTD certainly doesnt manage to deal with sexuality too well in this, I know it was intentioanl, but the show doesnt need a gimmick, this series had a good enough premise to get by comfortably, but he has to add these rediculous bells and wistles which take some of the realism the show tries to establish.

[Willow'sCat]

I hate it when sex just gets put in for people to drool over...

Well so do I but this show is just throwing it up now, but it is all het as far as I can remember, one questionable kiss and a "life" giving kiss does not make M/M content, so if we are going to have to have the kissing and the sexing this hetero women would rather see the guys together. I mean if we must have it.

I have nothing against slashers. In certain scenarios I am one myself. But still.

I know you don't but as I said above we have had the het and we have also had some unintentional lesbian stuff *with more to come*

Lets get one thing straight *no pun* it is RTD and JB that said *repeatably, ad-nauseum, till I was soooo bored* that this show would have kissing, sex, blood and guys with guys, girls with girls.... I am not asking to see anything they didn't already say this show would have.

No I didn't tune in just to see Jack kiss a guy give me some credit, but all this het stuff I can get on other shows and I mostly choose to ignore those shows. Of course I do realise they probably need more male viewers so having girls with girls would do that.

I just don't see why this show of all shows is sticking to the safe areas of relationships... it is turning into a weird soap opera, or worse, a FANFIC written by so-called professional writers.

I do mostly joke about having the M/M stuff in the show, sorry some don't get that, I thought using the would be a dead give away. *tough crowd*

[Flyboy]

I wasn't having a go at you. I apologise if that's how you took it.

It's RTD I'm annoyed with. Mostly over the fact he's not even having one entirely straight or entirely gay character in there.

[Matt G]

Right...

1. Interesting to find out more on Owen's backstory.

2. Ceratainly spooky enough.

3. However...canibals who feast every ten years. WTF should that be in a Torchwood ep?

Definately the most X-Filey ep so far and I think that's how I want to treat this show at the moment. Good stuff for a Sunday night but not to be considered elitle scifi.

[Shipperahoy]

My problem is that the show comes off soooooo campy sometimes. And it's not even fun campy because it's stuck in that middle place where it's camp but they're still trying to kind of be taken seriously. The gun stuff makes me laugh because it seems like every 5 seconds they're running flat out, guns in hand, even when it's not entirely necessary just so they can get the "action shot". The Owen/Gwen stuff was just so left field. For her to go to a supposedly devoted and loving relationship to shagging Owen so quickly was fairly unbelievable. I do kind of see how she needed a certain level of comfort after what she'd just been through and Owen would understand that on a level that Rhys never would but it still doesn't negate the fact that she's a cheater, unless she broke it off with Rhys in a scene they didn't show. I guess we'll see. I am glad that they touched a bit on Ianto/Lisa in this episode because, based on the last episode, I figured they were going to pretend that it never happened.