Torchwood 2.5 (Adam) and 2.6 (Reset)

[selenay]

I have been sadly lax about reviewing Torchwood last week due to the
workload of other stuff going on rather than disappointment with the
episodes. Because I really did like both episodes.

Adam

This was one of those episodes that doesn't sound like much from the brief
TV guide summary, but is actually really good. Things to love:

- The opening with Gwen and Rhys happy and in love. Now that there are no
secrets between them about Gwen's job, it feels like they're a closer
couple.
- The contrast between that opening and Gwen's reaction when she's
forgotten Rhys. It was so well done that it felt painful.
- Someone knows the definition of Mary Sue and that's exactly what they did
with Adam. It was deliberately done and my immediate reaction was "Urk,
nails on chalkboard!". Very effective.
- Rhys. 'Nuff said.
- Jack's backstory and the explanation of Grey. It was beautiful and
heartbreaking and really works for him as a character.
- Adam's final revenge, taking away Jack's good memories of his childhood,
was possibly the best (and worst) revenge that he could have thought of. For
a man with so much history and memory to lose such a vital part would be
terrible.
- The idea behind Adam.
- The way that Adam's memories changed the team was interesting and
revealing. The softer, less cynical Owen just didn't feel right even though
I can't stand the extreme arsehole version of him either. I liked the more
confident Tosh and I was kind of sad to see her go, even though she
boardered occasionally on harsh.
- The scene in the boardroom where Jack was making the team remember what
they were gave us hints at sides to them all that we had only guessed at. I
loved it. I even loved Ianto's memories of falling for Lisa.

There were a few plot holes, as usual, but Torchwood has the kind of style
that makes you overlook them while you're watching them. In fact, it only
just occurred to me to wonder what happened with Rhys. After all, his memory
didn't get wiped so he'll know what happened to Gwen.

That aside, it was an interesting episode and stronger for the fact that it
was primarily character-based. Torchwood does much better with this kind of
episode than a huge ideas based episode.

Reset

Knowing that this was the episode where Martha returned added a bit of
anticipation to this episode and I wasn't disappointed. Things to lvoe:

- Martha. Everything Martha. She had some of the best lines, most of the
best scenes and I adored her to pieces.
- Jack/Ianto and Martha's conversations with Ianto. The scenes that
launched a thousand kink fics!
- Tosh finally telling Owen that she'd been attempting to ask him out. My
main thought was "At last! He'll refuse her and she can get over him."
- Owen not being an arsehole and not promising anything, but willing to see
what might happen. It was then that I suspected (despite not seeing any
spoilers) that Owen would probably die.
- Jim from Neighbours. He's getting good at playing evil.
- The reactions to OWen's death. They felt real and painful and all I could
do was stare at the screen.
- The idea behind the episode and the commentary on the methods and risks
involved in testing drugs on humans.
- Martha again.

I am absolutely positive that there were plotholes (this is Torchwood, after
all) but the pace and rhythm of the episode stopped me seeing any. Martha
was just fab (I may have already noted that). I loved that she and Jack were
merrily flirting but both knew that it wasn't anything more. It was just so
much fun. And I want more scenes between Martha and Ianto.

As for Owen...

Oddly, I had just started to like the guy. Maybe that's why they did it? I'm
still not going to believe that he's really dead for at least a few more
episodes. Nobody ever really dies in sci-fi! It will be interesting to see
how the characters handle it over the next couple of episodes if he really
is dead. One of Torchwood's strengths is its character-based stories and I
really hope they don't disappoint on that.

Overall, these were two more good episodes in a season that is much stronger
than season 1. I knew this show had potential!

Comments

[paranoidangel]

I'd started to like Owen by the end of Reset too. And yet hadn't up to that point, or not that I'd noticed anyway.

[selenay]

Owen had been growing on me gradually this season. I couldn't stand him last season and would have been quite happy to see him killed off at any stage, but he seemed to mature a bit this season and become a more likeable character. Still an arsehole at times, but not a gratingly annoyingly nasty one.

So where I would have been happy to see him killed in S1, I'm was genuinely sad at the end of Reset.