Torchwood 1x08 - They Keep Killing...

[fangrrl_squees]

HA! HAHAHAHA! Vindicated!

*ahem* I mean...

Alright, maybe James Strong was just having an off day with Cyberwoman. It happens to the best of us.

Short reaction: I liked this eps a lot. Amongst the many reasons for the happiness:

Lighting - the DP went for something a bit different this time, and we got to see the Hub in some stark, positively unflattering light. It was lovely, precisely because it was unflattering.

Characterization - utterly terrific. Not enough Tosh love, as usual, but even the bit of time she got it, y'know, mattered. The fact that she couldn't deal with being in the same room as Suzie... Yay, Tosh, for being the most human!

Refusing to explain - it doesn't matter why Suzie thought her father was a bastard in need of killing. What mattered were her actions - and not just in that regard, of course.

More characterization - who wouldn't scratch and scheme and generally abuse their position in order to remain alive?

Humor - the amnesia drug is called retcon? Now you're just fucking with us.

Vindication - Jack/Ianto! Woot! Can we see them make out in the conference room, pretty please? Although that conference room having a glass wall overlooking the main workspace of the Hub rather blows a key plot point in the toppy!Ianto fic I was working on... No biggie, I can work around it, I'm sure.

I hope that we'll be seeing more of that detective - the one who helped Torchwood out, despite being flamingly pissed at them, in general. I liked her. She gives good secondary character vibes.

The bit about the thing in the dark being out for Jack was one of the eyeball-rolling moments for me, but I can't say I'm surprised. Jack's ongoing existence breaks a whole bunch of rules. Of course the creature(s) of the hell dimension other side are going to take issue with that.

There were some moments of overplaying it, but nothing to the degree of Cyberwoman. There were some lovely deft touches, too. Suzie was amazing from pretty much start to finish. Ianto's suddenly smug confidence coming out from behind the angsty admin mask¹. The fact that whilst Owen seemed perfectly ready to help drop Suzie, he ran straight for Gwen. I thiink that, in terms of characterization, this might be the strongest episode yet.

*pauses to do the happy fangrrl dance for a moment*

I really, really liked the conversation between Suzie and Gwen, on the drive out to the hospital. "So what's the point of life, then?" "This is... howling in the dark because it's better than being silent"

And no homily at the end, thank god for that. I could have skipped the popular song of the moment montage, though.

Alas, it's late and I don't have time to say much more. With luck, I'll have this dam' thing on my iPod tomorrow (codec issues, grr) and if I can re-watch it during my commute, I'll have a more substantial post. But, in general, thumbs up. 8 out of 10, I'd say, possibly 8.5.


¹ - One can't help speculating how much Jack had to do with that. God help us, the fic communities are about to get swamped with another round of hurt/comfort stories, aren't they?

Comments

[seamstrix.livejournal.com]

The minute I saw the whole Ianto/Jack thing at the end I was like "they aren't.....they ARE!! Holy sh*t!! Fangrrl's head will go all 'splody!!!"

I've only watched the ep once, but I didn't get the impressin that the Thing In The Darkeness was out for Jack, I got the impression that it was out for EVERYONE. I'll have to re-watch to get that point clarified.

I loved the character work too. I found it amusing that Owen seems to cut the proverbial bloody swath thru at least the female members of Torchwood. I wonder if he's also been thru Ianto and Jack and they just can't be fussed if he doesn't hang around, relationship-wise.

On a more personal note: I loved that they used the Emily Dickinson poem as the key to the episode. I used that poem as part of the memorial to my mother on my website because it's always been one of my favorites. I was impressed that they used her because many of my Brit friends haven't heard of her, or maybe they used her because she IS a bit obscure on that side of The Pond. Interesting....

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

I've been hearing hints on the spoiler grapevine that they were finally going to 'fess up to Jack having a thing with some guy at the office, and I figured it almost certainly wouldn't be Owen, so I wasn't surprised, but I was pleased. :)

I've only watched the ep once, but I didn't get the impressin that the Thing In The Darkeness was out for Jack

Rewatch the final scene between Suzie and Jack, after he's shot her a couple of times. She asks him if he wants to know a secret, and tells him that there's "something" in the darkness, and it's looking for/coming for him, in particular. Mind you, maybe I misheard/misunderstood - you could be right in that Suzie meant 'you' in the general sense... I'll be re-watching the eps tonight and will have more to say after that.

AFAIK, "Because I could not stop for death" is pretty well known in the UK. It's a fave of lit profs over there as much as it is here. I was rolling my eyeballs 'cos I thought it was such an overused, hackneyed choice. If they wanted sort-of-obscure, they should have gone for ee cummings' "as freedom is a breakfast food" or something... :)

[bovil.livejournal.com]

I really think that Jack, Ianto and the stopwatch is a red herring.

We just last week had Tosh hearing Ianto obsess over and over about Lisa and her death, and I don't think he's the kind of guy to fuck around with the boss to assuage his pain, particularly since I'm sure he's got unresolved anger about Jack not finding a way to save Lisa.

There's also the intercepted blog that indicates (to me at least) the idea that Jack isn't the kind of guy to take advantage of desperation or pain.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Let a girl have her dreams, will you? ;)

[bovil.livejournal.com]

Remember, we're talking the guy who wrote QaF. When it's time for the boy-on-boy sex, it'll be more than innuendo...

...it'll be the twin gymnasts.

Well, maybe not, but we can hope.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

it'll be the twin gymnasts

*glee!*

I have the first season of the Brit QaF. Love it.