The Doctor's hand!

Torchwood discovers a machine that allows them to view the ghosts that walk among us. Using it, prompts Owen to investigate an unsolved crime - one that could change all their futures.

In the basement of the Torchwood building, Ianto Jones hides a terrible secret. As a Japanese doctor attempts to rescue the soul of a half-Cybernised woman, a quiet day in Torchwood quickly becomes a living nightmare. Has Ianto unleashed a force that will destroy his colleagues?

Jasmine is a withdrawn but intelligent child whose new 'friends' exploit her suppressed anger, and while investigating this, Jack encounters elemental enemies from his past that are determined to harm those closest to him.

It had it's moments, and I enjoyed seeing some of Jack's backstory, but overall it didn't work for me.

First and foremost, I don't give a crap about fairies. I don't understand people's fascination with them, and I don't enjoy stories about them. I recognize that this is a personal prejudice, of course, but that doesn't stop me from not enjoying the episode.

Secondly, the eeeeevil step-dad. Come on! They didn't need to go that far with him. I was reminded of the evil dad from "The Idiot's Lantern".

Finally, I found Jack's dragged-out exposition forced. All in all, it only took him a couple minutes to tell what he knew. Why dish it out over time in a mysterious way?

Oh well.

Groucho, IMO your fairy aversion didn't prejudice you against a good story. I have nothing against fairies and still found the story lacking. In fact I got a kick out of the use of the Cottingley photographs since I have an interest in photography and they are quite renowned in that field.

But that subject aside, the narrative they wove around the fairies was thin. First, we aren't given much information about them, even when jack spills the beans there's almost nothing there. Second, we don't know much about their motivations, other than protecting/getting the child. Why did they go after the old woman? Why did they do whatever they did to Gwen's apartment? And what was the deal with the rose pedals? Finally, they are unstoppable, so our heroes are completely helpless. It doesn't make for great drama.

Jack's stuff was interesting, but still a bit thin. Basically we found out he was a soldier in 1909. Since they've already established him as a time traveling immortal, that's not a big revelation. Touching bit at the end of that story "Oh, yeah, this merry band killed a little girl the day before". From the summary text printed above it sounds like the Fairies are after anyone close to Jack, but I didn't really get that from the flashback.

They kind of blew their wad with the old lady story line. It would have had a much better impact if they played the promiscuous flirt angle a while longer before showing that he has fallen in love. One thing that popped into my head while watching it was how they decided to go with a woman for his old flame, since Jack makes such a big deal out of going both ways. I kept thinking of how the scenes would have played with an old man. It could have worked, or it could have looked ridiculous, so I guess they played it safe.

Upon entering an apparently deserted village in the Brecon Becons, the Torchwood team is separated. Finding his people are the prey in a savage game of cat and mouse Jack faces a team of ruthless hunters far more skilled in surviving outside the confines of the city than he.

I liked it better the 1st (and 5th) time when it was called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Are these guys suppose to be a crack squad or what? ...(edit) I was going to make a crack about how it's one thing for hicks to take out horny teens in tight shirts, but then I realized with the Gwen/Owen stuff and "when was your last snog" that these guys really do act more like a bunch of oversexed irresponsible teens than anything resembling professional adults.

It looks like we are down to one Torchwood team member who, as far as we know, isn't gay/bi. Now I'm beginning to understand why Jack was so upset when he found out jeeves had a secret girlfriend in the basement. He let a damn hetro on the team!

The "It makes me happy" line was stupid, Harkness should have just shot the bastards and not been persuaded by Gwen she could "talk" to the leader. They're cannibals, FFS!

some lesbian action for Tosh (the Japanese girl in the team), as far as we know, she isn't gay/bi