DJariya

By djariya at 2011-07-07

Synopsis:



Episode 9 of 10

1 more to go for those who can't wait for this season to end.

Preview:

<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ay20MAwEKpI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

chuckd21

So, Oooooookay.

Supermallet

Is that the same pizza place Gwen used to find Torchwood in season one?

Weird to think there's only one episode left. Why do I have the feeling the finale will be more exposition than action?

RocShemp

This episode was very good but unfortunately it highlights how pathetic this overall season has been by contrast.

Oh and why did Rex not use an alias when he signed for his delivery?

I get that feeling too. I hope it's a two hour episode because no way one hour can properly conclude all this unless it's a major anti-climax (Charmed style) or it ends on a cliffhanger.

Supermallet

I would be pissed if it ends on a cliffhanger.

Also, how much do you want to bet Jack is killed, and then, when they negate the effects of the miracle, he comes back to life?

Vipper II

It was nice seeing Gwen bash Bill Pullman over the head a few times. Girl can kick some ass when she wants to. The rest of the episode, much like the whole season, was a great big "meh."

Pizza

I can't believe there's only one ep left. There's zero momentum building to this finale. Outside of Gwen blowing up some of the ovens, this season never felt like it was taking off. I had such high hopes. With that, I'm sorry to see it end. It gave me something to look forward to on Fridays.

mnementh

There might be something to home delivery of drugs and pizza.

Draven

He said it was through a diplomatic pouch (so it wouldn't be scanned) and he had to sign for it, which he knew might be a problem.

I can't put my finger on what exactly is going on with this series. I like the premise, and it's interesting to think about what changes this kind of thing would bring that you might not even consider. I like the global crisis. And I like more of the backstory on Jack and the whole "Killing Jack Show" was suitably creepy for me.

That said, I really wish it was all Jack and Gwen, with maybe some help from the blonde. It's 10x more interesting when they are on the screen together. Rex has been nothing but a drag.

I dunno, they are coasting on my good faith here but I have no idea how they are going to wrap this up. Ah well, I still have the previous seasons to enjoy.

Supermallet

I think the big problem with this season is that it starts out brilliantly: How would the whole world be affected if no one could die? And the first few episodes touched upon the different ways the issue was being spun, the different factions that grew up out of it, the possible economic ramifications, etc. Then, one by one, those threads were dropped or brushed aside. And in its place was some kind of Nazi-allegory death camp thing, but to no end. They're burning people alive and Torchwood uncovers it...and nothing happens. Then they abruptly switch tracks and suddenly it's all about Jack personally. Now it's coming to a conclusion that looks like it won't even really be much about Jack, just something perfunctory that Jack was tangentially involved with.

It's even more disappointing because Children of Earth did almost everything Miracle Day is trying to do, but better. It dealt with the fallout of an unexpected alien occurrence, it involved Jack personally, and it was far and away the best work Russell T. Davies has ever done. To go from that to the haphazard nature of Miracle Day is really a let down. I've probably been the biggest defender of the show up to this point, but let's face it, this series is victim of massive bloat, subpar writing, and a meandering tone that never lets the tension mount. Think back to episode two, when Jack is about to die and Gwen has to make an antidote using items found on the plane. That kind of tension is never present again. Also, half the characters feel superfluous. Up to this point, it appears that the only reason Oswald Danes is on the show is to get Lauren Ambrose's laptop to Gwen. Given how much screen time he's had, and all the build up about him being a media sensation, that's really inexcusable.

While I do love individual moments in the season (the climax of episode one, the aforementioned airplane scene, Jack and Gwen pretending to be an American married couple to get the engineer's vitals), this is far and away the least effective season of Torchwood to date. And given how hit and miss season one was, that's not encouraging.

I'll see it through to the end and buy the Blu-ray because I'm a Torchwood junkie, and I adore Jack and Gwen, but if Torchwood does come back again I hope that Davies thinks long and hard about what he wants to do and say with the series, because watching it limp along like this is kind of depressing.