Since there's nothing else worth watching this summer: Torchwood: Miracle Day!

[locker_monster]

I didn't realize, but it's been two years since the last season. No wonder they've been advertising Torchwood: Miracle Day like crazy. In Canada, I've seen ads for it on all the stations, at least all the stations that are owned by the same company. They really want people to watch this thing.

I really wish they would show a proper season and not a miniseries, because that's what this is basically: a ten part miniseries. I'd rather have standalone episodes rather than this huge arc. I really don't see them taking an episode to explore other things that aren't related to Miracle Day. But that's the trade-off I suppose. RTD and Co. have the money to make the show but the show has to fulfill certain conditions. Like, taking it to America. We'll see how that goes next week. This week, we were still in Wales for a little bit. Nice to see Gwen and Rhys and they have a daughter now. It's good to see that Rhys does put up with all this stuff but he is capable of putting his foot down. That's the thing I like about their relationship. Gwen may be the butt kicker, but Rhys isn't a coward. I really hope he goes off to the US with Gwen and Jack, but I kind of doubt it since someone has to look after their kid. Hopefully that means Rhys doesn't die. We've got each season with a death of a major character and I really don't see them killing Jack or Gwen, so that leave Rhys. Or possibly Andy. Or maybe they'll kill the new people.

And speaking of the new people. Rex and Esther. Maybe Rex will kick the bucket. Once they clear up the not dying thing, I'm sure the people who were meant to die will die. Though, I'm starting to like Rex. It was at the end of the episode, when he's leaving the hospital to get to Wales. He's all "Get out of my way, I need painkillers, CIA, why do I have to pay for this bridge, etc." That bridge bit made me laugh. I don't know if it was too on the nose though. Yes, Rex is American but would he be super perplexed about a toll bridge? It's interesting that he's sort of a desk jockey. In the beginning he was talking about taking over for some other guy. He wants to be in the field but he isn't. Not sure how he took over this investigation though. Esther seems like another PA. I hope she gets to do more than sit at computers and relay information to the team.

The aftermath of the 456 incident really isn't addressed beyond how the incident was sort of covered up everything about Torchwood was classified under some 456 act. Maybe we'll get some angst about it later on. Obviously, not too much since they don't want to confuse viewers. Though, a quick mention of Owen as Jack uses his name while undercover. And possibly a reference to Martha? That doctor lady said she had a friend in London, though I'm sure her doctor friend could have been anybody. But little hints from past continuity would be nice.

As for the premise, about no one dying. It's gotta be aliens, unless someone on Earth did it. But then, how would a human pull this off? It must involve alien technology somehow. And you also have to wonder why this is happening? Who would gain from this? I think if it was aliens, this is just their way of trying to take over the planet without landing any ships. The humans wipe each other out and the aliens swoop in to take out the survivors. The neat twist that I actually care about is Jack suddenly becoming human. He's probably the only guy on the planet who could die and stay that way. So it'll be interesting to see if this changes Jack somehow. And will his new found mortality remain after this season is done?

Random: PC Andy got a promotion. He's a PS now. Robin Sachs! Brief appearance from him as one of the newscasters. I giggled. He voices a character in Mass Effect 2 so I just love hearing his voice. Gwen sticking the fuzzy pick earmuffs on her kid before firing at the helicopter was so cute. She's a bad ass but she's also a responsible mother. :-) And why is the BBC a week behind in airing the episodes? I also read that there might be differences in the episodes, depending if you're in the US or the UK. I don't see the point. Couldn't they have just filmed these episodes without thinking, "Okay, we can't show Jack's butt on the US, but we can on the BBC!" Actually, from what I can gather, Starz isn't about some nudity. But anyway.

And this is just completely random, but it gets its own cut due to spoilers relating to season six of Doctor Who.

Have they cornered the market on cute babies in Cardiff or something? Gwen and Rhys' daughter is absolutely adorable, but I think the babies who play Melody Pond are the cutest. Gwen and Rhys should meet Amy and Rory and share baby stories. It'd be so cute and the two couples are so alike. And then I can imagine the Doctor and Jack lurking in the background, trying to tear the couples away from each other so they can do more important things like save the planet.

I can't wait to see the episodes written by Jane Espenson. I think this is the closest we'll ever get to Joss entering the Doctor Who universe. ;-)

Comments

[hiding-places.livejournal.com]

Just to add my two cents:

I definitely agree about having standalone episodes (namely that it would be great), but it doesn't really make sense with where all the characters are and what they've been doing. With taking it to America, where else logically would they go? And I'm not asking that from the "OMGAmericaisthebomb" perspective- look at what's been happening, and the characters. Torchwood 3 is gone. Kaputt. The only people who care about it RN are two people from the CIA. They might not have all the resources of TW, but they're certainly not empty-handed.

I think Rex took over an investigation that wasn't really there. No-one in the CIA cared about Torchwood once Miracle Day happened, but Rex was still curious and he wanted the answers that Torchwood could provide.
Also, we have toll roads here in the US, but those are pay to get on-ride as much as you need-pay to get off kind of things. Paying to just use a bridge is a foreign concept and does ping an American as slightly over the top.

I also enjoyed all the little nods, and I'm super glad I wasn't the only one who thought of Martha in that bit at the hospital! XD

Also, I'm as curious as you are why the episodes would be different on either side of the pond. Starz is one of those channels that really just plays what it wants to play and what it thinks is good. If that happens to have nudity, they put it in the warning beforehand but don't censor it. Hm. I think that the BBC is a week behind because of the same effect that keeps lots of British shows a week behind in North America.


...Well, that turned into 25 cents, but I hope that's still okay.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I just worry the show might become too Americanized so it can be sold to a broader audience. Though I'm sure RTD will be able to keep the British-ness about it even if the characters are visiting other countries.

And it just seems odd that the BBC is a week behind. I get that it's a BBC/Starz co-production, but that should mean both networks should be airing episodes at the same time. But that's just me. The CBC here in Canada used to fund Doctor Who but that didn't mean the CBC actually aired the show at the same time.

[quean-of-swords.livejournal.com]

Yes, Rex is American but would he be super perplexed about a toll bridge?

Yeah, if Rex were a New Yorker, paying for a bridge wouldn't have pinged his radar. He'd have just been all "shit, forgot my EZPass!"

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Though, the poor guy is hopped up on painkillers and probably kind of jet-lagged. Understandably he'd be slightly confused on just about anything. ;-)

[quean-of-swords.livejournal.com]

True. I sort of loved that whole thing where he's all "People are dying and I had to pay for the bridge..." like it was the worst thing EVER. I sort of love him.