Torchwood Series 2
SPOILERS TOTAL. You've been warned.
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201: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang 2008 January 27
(First watched 2008-01-27) So Jack is back. Not much in the way of dates was given, but I wonder how long he was gone? I know at the end of the Master stuff they weren't exactly in time where Jack left off, but I know even before he left there was the campaign going on, so a few months probably? And everyone was surprised to see him back, but didn't he end up on TV at all with the fuss on the airship? I really can't recall.
Captain John was interesting. Basically like Jack if he were a bit crazier and without any morals. John mentions the Time Agency is done... but that's hard to imagine. I guess when it comes to an agency that would be going all about time, it's hard to think of it with a set beginning and end.
The fake diamond/bomb is a strange idea. It does seem an interesting idea to attack one's murderer from beyond the grave... but if the cause of the murder was the cover story of a fake diamond, it seems it did more harm than good.
Poor poor Rhys. Engaged to Gwen now, but every time she turns around she's sleeping with Owen or being interrupted from saying she loves Jack.
LATER: Writing this later than the above, I realize the way I describe John as Jack without morals is very similar to the way I described the Master in Doctor Who Series 3. I guess they are similar sorts, showing a twisted parallel of our leading hero.
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202: Sleeper 2008 February 2
(First watched 2008-02-02) Now THAT'S how Torchwood should be. Another episode where all the core cast had decent roles to play, and it seems like they're over the sullenness they got into last season. Nobody was crying about their lost love or infidelities or bla bla bla. Ianto especially was dropping all kinds of fun lines.
Also good in that it introduces a new continuing story thread of these sleeper agents which could be anywhere (anyone) on Earth, hard to notice, and hard (but possible) to stop. Though some of the sleepers in this episode sure did die on their own a bit soon. I know you guys were making big explosions, but you didn't have to sit right in the center of them.
I've also got to think that with the explosions and murder of officials going on in this episode, it would be pretty big news worldwide as some sort of terrorist event. Much like this and Cardiff will really start sticking out on the map.
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203: To the Last Man 2008 February 9
(First watched 2008-02-09) Again the same positives I've previously mentioned about series 2 come through, and it is a fun episode... but even as a time travel nut it seems like they've gone to the "love across time" and "two times leaking into each other" wells quite often considering this is only, what, the 16th episode?
1918 Torchwood was a pretty cool idea, though, even if we only saw them briefly.
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204: Meat 2008 February 16
(First watched 2008-02-16) Season 2's positives continue. It's cool that they finally did something with Rhys that didn't end up with his memory erased, the timeline erased, or him just left in the dark. Of course most of them wanted to erase his new memories, but for the series' and Gwen's sake I'm glad this new wrinkle exists.
Rhys being around was the big thing, so the other story was a bit simple, though decent. Massive self-healing sentient space whale is being kept hidden by some scum who keep hacking of bits of it to sell as food. No happy ending there, but you kinda wondered how the hell they were planning on moving that thing.
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205: Adam 2008 February 23
(First watched 2008-02-23) Meddling with memory is a fun premise. I've seen it in sci-fi before, but it's less beat-to-death than many other possibilities, so it's relatively fresh. A "person" who exists by forcing himself into the memories of others is neat, and it was really something how the changes modified the behaviors of the Torchwood team, particularly the role reversal of Owen and Toshiko.
The solution seemed a bit poorly thought out, though. To get rid of their memories of Adam, they took short term amnesia pills and destroyed the records of the last few days. OK, but they still realized a couple days had passed. I expect that would leave them mighty curious and wanting to find out what happened. Rhys still has the memories of something weird going on with Gwen the previous few days, so he could even give them some hints. Basically I'm saying Jack should've at least left himself a letter explaining that there's a good reason for their memory lapse, and it's best left alone.
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(First watched 2008-03-02) Martha Jones! Weird to see her around, but she fit in with the team well enough.
Owen, though! That I was not expecting. I've got no spoilery information other than a split-second of the preview for the next episode, but I can't imagine he's gone gone.
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207: Dead Man Walking 2008 March 8
(First watched 2008-03-09) Well, that's a way to mix up the cast's situation. So through the help of some kid psychic, Jack finds a nest of weevils who sleep in a church with the second Resurrection Glove, then uses it on Owen. And like Suzie... he stays on for longer than a couple minutes. In this case, it seems to be due to manipulation from Death, though. It seems Death is supposed to be that thing "waiting in the darkness", which I thought was that freakishly big thing at the end of series 1.
So Owen's transformation to Death taken care of by the team's actions... he's still dead, but around and asking to be put to use. I wonder how long he'll stay this way, as it really is a take on a character you just wouldn't get to see in most shows. As Owen said, he can no longer fart, drink, or have sex, so life will be much less interesting. As Jack pointed out, he should avoid even slight injuries because they're not going to heal on a dead man.
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