Compared
to Who (both classic and new) and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood has always been my least
favorite Whoniverse show, and it really shouldn’t have been. In series 1 of new Who, Captain Jack Harkness is an instantly entertaining character,
hugely watchable and cutting a pretty unique figure within the genre of sci-fi. A spinoff about him should have been a rollicking
good time, fast and funny and nerdy and sexy, sort of a “Who after dark.” And yet…
To
start, I’ll say that when Torchwood
works for me, it really works. Unfortunately, big chunks of the series just
don’t fire on all cylinders. It begins on
particularly rocky footing – I think it was a misstep to center on Gwen as the
curious police officer who discovers Torchwood and joins the team, positioning
Jack as the enigmatic leader. First, it
feels like a switcheroo after promising a series about Jack. The good captain gets far too little focus in
series 1, and much of what we do get
revolves around how mysterious and inscrutable he is. Plus, while there are hints of the dashing,
omnisexual, former-Time-Agent rogue we know and love, Torchwood Jack is mucj grimmer and less fun than Who Jack. He’s saddled with more of a “brooding hero” persona
here, and the funnier, flirtier, livelier side of him is relegated to
occasional seasoning. This, for me, is
the main hurdle, but it’s not the only one.
Series 1 is hamstrung by numerous episode misfires (the season finale
being one of the worst – oy vey,) Owen, Tosh, and Ianto are pretty underwritten,
and the sex/violence/cursing feels immature instead of adult, like the show is
saying, “OMG, check out what we can show – they’re
totally doing it!”
Though
series 2 is far from perfect, it’s a breath of fresh air compared to the shaky
first season. (Not that series 1 has
nothing to offer; “Out of Time” and “Captain Jack Harkness” are both very fine
episodes.) “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” opens
series 2 on a wonderfully high note, delivering everything the title
promises. When I first saw it, my
prevailing thought was, “There’s the Torchwood I wanted!” Fast and funny and nerdy and sexy, with lots
of focus on Jack – finally! I wouldn’t
say it’s an indicator of the entire season, but it gets things off to a good
start and precedes more character-centric storytelling that spreads the love among
the ensemble more. Recent companion
Martha provides delightful crossover, everyone’s characterization is adjusted
or fleshed-out as needed (Ianto in particular is a cypher in series 1,) and “To
the Last Man,” “Fragments,” and “Exit Wounds” join “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” as
favorite episodes of the series.
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