Torchwood
 

For all those who think Dr. Who is just a bit too much, there's Torchwood. Torchwood is outside of the government, above the police. They're the ones who clean up messes we can't even begin to imagine. Because the 21st century is when it all changes, and we need to be prepared.

And then there's Constable Gwen Cooper. One day, she gets too nosy, finds the base of Torchwood 3 ("Torchwood 1 was destroyed. Torchwood 2, up in Glasgow, now there's a really, really strange man up there. Torchwood 3 is us and we lost Torchwood 4, but I'm sure we'll find it any day now.") and gets in as a replacement for the first loss to the team. The leader of Torchwood 3, conveniently located in Cardiff, is Captain Jack Harkness who's not called Captain Jack Harkness at all and can't die for some reason. He also has a hand in the office, a severed hand who belongs to someone we all know.

So we follow Torchwood 3 as they fight sex-obsessed aliens, Weevils, the remains of the Cybermen and all sorts of pangalactic scum. All while including lines like:

Not only is the series topnotch sci-fi, no, it also has british accents and british humour. It's a really good series. I'm now watching series one, who was recently completed and I can't wait for the second series. Sure, it helps if you've seen the new Dr. Who series, but you don't have to. And it's got a very interesting setting and the cast is fantastic too. I don't know if it's aired in the US yet, but if it hasn't, you really should make effort to see it. Oh, and it's out on DVD... soon to be in my possession.

And for fans of the Whoniverse, this series is a must anyways. So, how did you like the first season then? And who didn't like the omnipresent word "snogging"?

I love the new Doctor Who series, so I naturally jumped all over Torchwood when it started back in October. However, I have to say that I enjoy Doctor Who far, far more. I dunno how to put it, but Torchwood just doesn't excite me like I thought it would. I don't think the series itself even knows what it is. You've got Countrycide which might as well be an X-files episode, and then you've got the last two episodes which I did really like.

I dunno, maybe I'm just annoyed because the one character we know going into the show, Jack, is the character we probably see least -- although I'm sure this is done delibritly (saving all the good stuff for Doctor Who). I really look forward to seeing Jack back in Doctor Who and if there's another series of Torchwood that allows for Jack to not be so guarded, maybe I'll like it more.

Oh, and my friend and I both agree that Torchwood has no hope of ever reaching American TV; I think we'll be lucky just to get a DVD release here. I'll consider importing the R2 DVDs if there's a complete series set (right now it's only "Part One").

Torchwood will definitely get a second season, it's been confirmed. Hooray. And I think it's good that Jack isn't spotlighted that much. I mean, the other characters have little screentime as is. Except for Gwen who could run the show on her own after some training. Besides, there's not so much you can do with Jack. I mean, he is an immortal, so any cliffhanger with him is useless, because the "Oh my God, he's going to die!"-thought won't really pop into anyone's head, like it should. So, I think it's quite a good move to not rely on Jack so much.

And the thing about Countrycide is that it actually wouldn't even have been a Torchwood case, because there were no aliens or monsters or whatnot. That's why it has a very X-filesy feeling to it. Torchwood just happened to be there, so they kinda had to do something in order to save their own butts.

The finale of the first season is iconic for it's biblical overtones...and THAT ending.


Torcwhood is hit and miss at times....it tries hard to actually be a "mature" Doctor Who spin-off, but comes off as just childish when it applies it's sex and violence.

Indeed, far too many episodes are, whilst enjoyable, rip offs of movies like "Fight Club" etc, Chris Chiball, the head writer, is the most despised of the writers because he depends on cliches in contrast to guys like PJ Hammond...who just gives us episodes that demonstrate the potential of the team as tremendously flawed characters.

RTD's sole story for the series fo far, the pilot, is excellent, I also heard he ghost wrote "They Keep Killing"

I love Torchwood! I've heard that it's gonna be airing in the U.S late nights on NBC!

There's a couple good eps I like.. like the fairies ep, the finale, and a couple others....