Torchwood - ep 7

[lonelybrit]

Eh, whatever. I've resigned myself to having the family talk over my first viewing of eps, my final opinion usually comes after a second viewing. But anyway, I wasn't particularly enthralled by this ep, but I didn't hate it either.

First off, shallow/immediate thoughts.

x. Alien lady was very hot, I liked her and just wished she and Tosh could have had more believable chemistry.
x. Hi Ianto! Bye Ianto! Thanks for dropping by just long enough to do exactly what the BBC character summary demands of you: 'ANGST! PAIN! OH GOD THE EMO!PAIN!'
x. Owen/Gwen. Some moments funny, but despite initially liking this ship, I thoroughly disliked their behaviour in this ep and wound up hoping both of them get their comeuppance soon and painfully.
x. Jack, actually very good with the exception of that godawful tear-touching moment at the end.
x. Ooooh, I liked that a) the alien confirmed Jack's not human, and b) Jack not liking Tosh telling him that his mind is dead.
x. Loved Owen getting to also be an efficient bastard, worrying over the skeleton and then digging through the case files.
x. Did we really need that hour long shot of Cardiff at the end? Ah well.
x. I have a horrible horrible feeling the writers are planning on Tosh/Ianto by the end of the series. Please god no.

Slightly deeper thoughts:
x. Okay, yes, Owen/Gwen bugged me because of the childish way they behaved this ep. Considering Gwen is having an affair, it just seemed rather callous that she was so open and flirty in the hub. But maybe that is the point, for her Torchwood is a completely different world so in a way she can't feel the betrayal when she's in the environment. I did appreciate her character's attempt at an apology at the end, her acknowledging that what she's doing is wrong, even if she can't stop it.

x. As for Owen, I really disliked him in this. He seemed unnecessarily selfish and harsh towards Tosh. Especially as given what we know so far, he and Tosh were at least decent mates before Gwen turned up. Bit of a betrayal really. But then again, he is male, he is arrogant and tad immature, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's feeling rather guilty, especially round Tosh, and so responds by the snark and the hostility. Men. *sigh* He does, though, get some reprieve for realising the link to his previous case and at once alerting Jack to the danger.

x. Ianto. On the one hand I want to hit him for such emo!thoughts, but on the other at least he only thought these things and out loud he just smiles and offers to get coffee. *smishes him* Whilst I'm still not gunning for Ianto/Tosh as a relationship, I do think that they would be good pals for each other. Both have loved and lost, both know what it feels like to 'betray' their team/friends, and of course they both avoided getting eaten last week and surely that has got to have led to some kind of bond. (Which judging from the MSN chats on the .org site certainly seems to be the case.)

x. Tosh. I have to say, that much as I want to like this girl, she just doesn't particularly engage me in any way. I didn't feel particularly sad when she felt sad, or vice virsa. Maybe this will change when I rewatch, but for the moment I'm yet to be convinced. However, I did like that she repeated Gwen's complaint: 'I can't talk about this to anyone.' I thought it was a nice emotional continuity; that actually all the team are feeling this isolation, even the apparently happily gung-ho souls such as Tosh. Torchwood could all do with a good trip to the therapist's if you ask me, but odd's are they'll have to save the world first.

But next week... SUZIE!!! *dances*

At the moment Owen is by far the best and, to me, most charismatic actor of the whole Torchwood bunch. However the writers have kind of shot themselves in the foot by making him a complete prick recently. Tosh I think is capable, but just doesn't do it for me. Gwen again can do a great job, but is let down by Gwen being, well, Gwen. Ianto is just a wee babe and not being asked to particularly stretch himself. And Jack is pretty, but lacks someone at the moment to really spark off.

Suzie... Oh, I do like that actress. She's pretty, she good, and I think she will pair up very nicely onscreen with Barrowman. I'm looking forward to good cold scene with Suzie, Jack and Owen. That should be good :)

Possibly my indifference stems that before Torchwood, I watched Never Mind The Buzzcocks and OMG I have never laughed so much and so hard. Barrowman utterly tried to steal the show, and at times shamelessly succeeded. There were hysterical moments of pure beauty, only he can get away with demanding a 'Gay-Off' *shakes head* :)

Comments

[intrastellar.livejournal.com]

the alien confirmed Jack's not human

I had assumed that was the influence of the TARDIS that she was sensing, didn't even think about it in the "he's a humanoid alien like the Doctor".

I like the idea of Ianto/Tosh (I like them best of all the characters, for some reason), but I think that the writers actually putting it into the show won't work well. Leave it to the fans to write some nice Ianto/Tosh, and it'll probably be better than anything they're going to work in.

Have you noticed, every time Owen slightly redeems himself, he then redoubles his pricktastic qualities? Getting a bit old now. :\

[lonelybrit]

Nerdlet that I am, I just rewatched the ep - and yes, she just says 'You're different' not 'you're not human' as I previously thought. Ah well, there goes part of my geeker joy; it would have been fun if the Tardis really had changed him that much. Even so, I'm looking forward to the Doctor and Jack at some poitn figuring out just what happened :)

I do hope that we get to see Ianto/Tosh friendship. The show has made a big thing of portraying all the characters as feeling very isolated. Gwen and Owen seem to be showing us how not to deal with it, it would be nice if Tosh and Ianto could find a less destructive alternative. That and, yes, frankly I think the fanfic writers would do a better job with any ship than the writers themselves, poor dears.

It does seem about time for Owen to start seriously growing up. The continual alternations do get a bit grating. Hopefully next ep, or even this relationship with Gwen (which we just know isn't going to be a walk in the park) will teach him a thing or two about being an adult. *sigh*

[cerisaye.livejournal.com]

I want so hard to like this show cos I love Dr Who and think Russell T Grant is a God but I find it boring- none of the characters interests me at all or worse they annoy me. Sigh. I can't even get worked up about the slash potential. I don't know what's wrong.

Ooops

[cerisaye.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I just wrote Russell T Grant not Davies. lol *blushes*

Re: Ooops

[lonelybrit]

I have long since embraced the inner nerdlet, and frankly I wsa getting to the point of needing a show, any show, to try and fill the weekly fix that Angel used to provide. Supernatural just didn't do it for me, whereas Torchwood from the start had Jack and an apparently sweet guy in the suit. Until something better comes along, it'll do :)

Apparently this week's ep was written by the same dude who wrote School Reunion - which was a BRILLIANT episode, one of the best of the whole series. Slightly baffling how this ep could be so unnoticable. Maybe part of it was the writing, but also I'm afraid to say it's the cast. Last time we had the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and evil!Giles, and a great chemistry between all three. This time round, and the only real chemistry I felt was between Jack and the alien, and considering they only had one scene together, that was a pity.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Alien lady was very hot, I liked her and just wished she and Tosh could have had more believable chemistry.

I agree they were hot. I thought some of the chemistry was terrific. The problem was that Toshiko wasn't as into Mary at first as Mary was into her - she was reacting to the Gwen/Owen thing, and to being manipulated by Mary and the pendant, and didn't really know what she wanted. I'd have been happy if she'd really, really wanted Mary, but I liked the way it happened well enough.

wound up hoping both of them get their comeuppance soon and painfully.

I liked Owen more than I had before, and liked the interaction between them, but I think your hopes will happens soon.

I loved the tear-touching moment! What was wrong with it? I thought it was a glimpse of the real Jack under the armour.

Loved Owen getting to also be an efficient bastard, worrying over the skeleton and then digging through the case files.

Yes, that was great. I also liked Gwen teasing Owen because he was wrong in his initial assessment.

But maybe that is the point, for her Torchwood is a completely different world so in a way she can't feel the betrayal when she's in the environment.

I think that's true, but I also think that (a) she's so high on happiness in her affair with Owen that there's no room for guilt, and (b) she's getting a kick out of the inappropriateness of it. Sex in the car, sex in front of the Weevil, sex they shouldn't be doing anyway, more, more, more... She'll come down to earth and pay for it, but meanwhile I'm enjoying the situation.

I have never liked Owen but I liked him better here than usually - he seemed more competent and less self-obsessed. Yes, he was unkind to Tosh, but when has he ever been kind to anyone, except during a medical procedure?

she just doesn't particularly engage me in any way.

How can you resist? I think Tosh is wonderful! Ah, well, chacun a son gout. Just as I feel exactly the opposite of you about Owen - Owen is by far the best and, to me, most charismatic actor of the whole Torchwood bunch. - I've found him bland from the beginning, and even when I enjoy his role in the plot I don't like the actor or the character much at all. I expect the worst from him.

[lonelybrit]

I'd have been happy if she'd really, really wanted Mary, but I liked the way it happened well enough.

From the episode it was hard to tell just how much Tosh really wanted Mary for love, and how much was just because Mary was someone who 'understood' her and who she could talk to. From the transcipts on the .org site, however, I think we are meant to assume that Tosh was actually in love with Mary by the time she died. ("I've found out how quickly I fall in love.") But personally, I just didn't feel that much chemistry between the two, so it kind of removed the heart of the episode for me.

I loved the tear-touching moment! What was wrong with it?

Heh, I am one of these cold-hearted cynics who at the end of some romantic epic when the two lovers ride off into the sunset and the birdies sings, will mutter 'Oh please someone hand me a sick bag.' I tend not to be a fan of obvious sentimentality, though for some reason I don't find myself utterly wanting to erase Ianto despite his rats in stomachs and all - poor lamb *pets him* I do agree, though, that as a whole scene, it was a nice glimpse of how Jack can and does look out for his crew. Him hearing Tosh out and trying to be supportive.

I have to say that on rewatching the ep, my anger towards Gwen and Owen did go down quite a lot. Gwen did make the effort at the end to at least apologise to TOsh, even if not stopping the affair. And I think Owen at the end was so snappy because a) he does actually kinda like/respect Tosh, and so her snooping in on his personal thoughts did actually sting, and b) he does feel guilt over the affair, and is covering by lashing out at anyone who seems to be attacking his actions. I do think that even if the affair doesn't last, it will overall have a good effect on Owen; already it has got him genuinely caring for someone other than himself, always a good start!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

("I've found out how quickly I fall in love.")

And how foolishly? Neither Owen nor Mary treated Tosh well in the least. That isn't a complaint - it just shows how human Tosh is.

I just didn't feel that much chemistry between the two, so it kind of removed the heart of the episode for me.

I can imagine it would. I found the chemistry just fine (though mildly sinister) and enjoyed it. I did feel that Tosh had a lot of intermittent doubts - but I liked that, too.

I am one of these cold-hearted cynics who at the end of some romantic epic when the two lovers ride off into the sunset and the birdies sings

Hmm. I am a romantic and I sometimes love such things - and sometimes not, depending on circumstances, characters, etc. I am mostly a fan of the understated romantic - bantering lovers like Beatrice and Benedick, for example, who can be loving and tough at the same time. In this case, though I didn't see it as being particularly romantic, I saw it as tender and I really liked it. I like seeing the warm side of Jack, which he is trying so hard to resist and hide.

though for some reason I don't find myself utterly wanting to erase Ianto despite his rats in stomachs and all - poor lamb *pets him*

Hee. Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds - so there!

as a whole scene, it was a nice glimpse of how Jack can and does look out for his crew.

Yes, exactly. He keeps aloof for reasons of his own but he cares about them.

my anger towards Gwen and Owen did go down quite a lot. Gwen did make the effort at the end to at least apologise to TOsh, even if not stopping the affair.

She did. She wasn't callous about it, certainly not deliberately. She was just so wrapped up in her affair with Owen that nothing else registered with her.

he does feel guilt over the affair, and is covering by lashing out at anyone who seems to be attacking his actions

Which seems to me very in character for Owen. I think he's troubled because he isn't in control of the affair or of his feelings - it's bringing out the potentially vulnerable side of him, and Owen hates being vulnerable.

already it has got him genuinely caring for someone other than himself, always a good start!

I'm not sure if he 'genuinely cares' for Gwen or not (I see mostly sex there, but some caring too). She's really under his skin and it's bound to have an effect.