While
episode 1 already lets viewers know that series 3 is going to be a different
sort of Torchwood – long scenes are
spent away from the team, establishing new characters like Frobisher and other
government workers – “CoE: Day Two”
begins the truly decisive break from the way it used to be. Forced to flee from unknown attackers, our
heroes are on the run; their usual high-tech resources are nowhere to be found,
even everyday helps like bank accounts and mobile phones are off-limits, and Gwen
has her civilian husband in tow. It’s a
tall order just to stay alive, let alone discover who keeps taking over the world’s
children.
As
Torchwood scrambles to make contact with one another and avoid detection, the
Home Office is hopping with activity.
There are old secrets to keep, bodies to monitor, and alien instructions
to follow to unknown ends. And at the
heart of it all is John Frobisher.
The
inconspicuous pencil-pusher has his hands full juggling all the plates these
aliens, known only as the 4-5-6, have thrown into the air. As usual, he keeps his head down and follows
instructions, but that may not be enough this time; the prime minister
acknowledges that Frobisher’s comprehensive involvement places him squarely on
the front lines.
But,
though work is obviously an enormous part of Frobisher’s life, it’s not the
only part. He’s also a husband, as well
as the father of two girls who’ve been repeatedly commandeered by aliens over
the past few days, and the struggle between government man and family man is
far from decided. His wife demands to
know what’s happening to their daughters, and he hides behind the Confidential
Secrets Act, offering vague reassurances that do little to allay her
fears. However, when the children are
taken over yet again, his most urgent phone call isn’t to the prime minister or
the Home Office’s scientific advisor, but to his girls. I like that push and pull.
I also
want to say, I like the idea of a government department that knows about
aliens. Unit and Torchwood are the
front-line folks, the ones with the fancy guns and heart-pumping chases, but
here’s this dull-looking office of regular non-thrill-seeking people
approaching these threats from a bureaucratic perspective. It would’ve been fun to see glimpses of it
earlier in the series. Granted, we might
not have had PC in the part if Frobisher had been a longer recurring role, but
I like the references he makes to Torchwood, Jack, and the like. Too bad we couldn’t have seen them interact
at all before the events of “CoE” – I’m trying to imagine Frobisher in a
meeting with Jack right now, and it cracks me up. Definite missed potential there.
Warnings
Add
occasional swearing to the Torchwood
warnings. Lots more violence than in
episode 1, including a few very
grisly images. A couple naked bottoms as
well.
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