Customer Reviews

Torchwood: The Complete Second Season

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

It's yet another season of "Torchwood", a "Doctor Who" for adults. Now in its 2nd season, we meet a team of professionals who battle aliens and try to protect us from all sorts of cosmic anomalies. Based in Cardiff - centrally located on a rift in time and space - "Torchwood" stands ready to do the job. With plenty of foul language and sexual...um...stuff, you never forget the seriousness of the situation, or the fact that the end of the world never means having to forego a good "snog".

"Torchwood" remains a pretty controversial show. Everything that made the 1st season both fun and frustrating are ramped up in S2.

But first, the ep.s themselves.
"Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" (I wonder how many British shows have come and gone wishing to use that title.) Remember how S1 built up the anticipation to that same sex kiss in "Captain Jack Harkness"? Well, subtlety goes out the window in the first few minutes of the season opener, returning Jack from his adventure in the "Doctor Who" season 2 finale. Here, Jack introduces the team to his thrill-kill former colleague and not-so-former lover, Time-Agent Captain Jon Hart. What is Hart's agenda? And how much lip-lock will the team be forced to watch before Jack takes any action?

"Sleeper", an obvious idea nevertheless not given the treatment until now. The team must confront deep-cover terrorist insurgents from another planet. They look like ordinary people - husbands, wives, lovers, parents - but when the signal starts, they become indestructible agents of mass destruction.

"To the Last Man", a pretty good episode in which the team finds a breakdown in time barriers between the present and WWI era threaten the space-time continuum. Only an inhabitant of that period, sent back to his time from our own, can save the universe. Luckily, Torchwood has kept a WWI soldier on ice since 1918 for just such an occasion. TV shows (especially cop shows) are typically weak because they marginalize guest stars, but this ep. shows how Torchwood excels in integrating guest characters into its larger mythos.

"Meat". An episode that gives the vegans a chance (among many) to laugh at us carnivores. The team investigates a meatpacking operation profiting on the flesh of apparently alien source. The story itself is pretty thin, but as with many eps. the saving grace is the character interaction - chiefly involving Rhys, Gwen's annoying fiancée.

"Adam". Who's Adam? Nobody seems to think that Adam has been anything but a longtime and loyal teammate, so nobody seems to realize that he just insinuated himself into the group and their memories. At first helpful, the script reveals how darkly dangerous a man with memory-altering powers can be. A great episode that reveals more background on Capt. Jack and also informs how much they care about each other.

"Reset" what would sci-fi be without a dig at the medical establishment? This was actually a weak story punctuated by a great appearance from Alan Dale (known in the US for "Lost" and "Ugly Betty"), the debut in Torchwood of "Doctor Who" vet Martha Jones (which provides for much cheerily licentious dialog) and a thoroughly heartbreaking ending.

"Dead Man Walking" picks up where "Reset" left off. The facts of the story substantially nullifies the tragedy that ended "Reset" without damaging the other episode's dramatic payoff. (Can't say anything else w/o a substantial spoiler.) The episode is the midway to the conclusive "A Day in the Death". Again, spoilfree review guidelines prevent more specific description. Suffice it to say that this ep. is "Random Shoes" of the season, only better than that ep.

"Something Borrowed" has Gwen and Rhys finally tying the knot. Only, a late night duel-to-the-death with a shape-shifting alien carnivore leaves Gwen in a compromising position that threatens to ruin the wedding. Funny, scary and still very adult, this is easily one of the show's more entertaining eps.

"From Out of the Rain" has Cardiff menaced by "Night Travelers", performers of a ghostly circus that steals the breath of ordinary human beings. A decidedly creepy ep. with a disappointing payoff.

"Adrift" a horrible story. Gwen follows up on a large volume of missing-person cases possibly tied to The Rift. In bonding to many civilians in search of missing loved ones, Gwen's makes some pretty obvious and painful errors in judgment. Anybody who thought last season's episodes "Small Worlds" and "Out of Time" were pointless will probably feel the same way about "Adrift".

"Fragments" a great episode in which a crisis situation forces each of our heroes to separately delve into their past and recall how they joined Torchwood. Best part of the episode: Jack meets Torchwood's saucy Victorian era operatives. This ep. sets the stage for the season finale -"Exit Wounds". It's very difficult to discuss the finale w/o spoilers. Let's just say that it involves Captain Jon and Jack's lost brother, Gray, and basically ends with final heartbreak for the team. Unfortunately, it also follows too closely the 3rd season finale of Doctor Who, with the emotional confrontation between hero and villain.

WHAT'S WRONG W/TORCHWOOD?
Torchwood never fully becomes the adult version of Doctor Who. Too many ideas are developed without a payoff (the "Night Travellers" being an obvious example; the show eerily introduces them, then quickly discards them); also, the show falls into the trap of so quickly assuming its maturity based on sexual content & bad language, that it sometimes leaves fatally obvious signs of its lineage to "that other show", itself originally a kid's show. It takes more than a profusion of potty language and a healthy diet of "snogging", to elevate "Torchwood" to maturity - think of kids playing "dress-up" and you get the idea. The other flaw is in the premise, but it's a somewhat complicated flaw. Watching the show, it's hard to get past the idea that "Torchwood" is often more in need of help than capable of providing. Their position often makes them vulnerable to otherworldly threats - despite Captain Jack's weekly refrain, "Torchwood" is NOT ready.

WHAT IS IRRESISTIBLE
But that premise actually the show's saving grace - the vulnerability of Jack, Ianto, Owen, Tosh and (especially) Gwen is the biggest reason for the show's appeal. The script works in well just how close these guys get to getting offed on a weekly basis, trading witty and well-timed banter even as half the cosmos wants them dead.

For the sake of the Cosmos, our lawyers insist on the following disclaimer: absolutely no DVD extras were viewed in the writing of this review (sheesh - we know we're controversial, but 20 unhelpful votes!?)

Season 2 of Torchwood was a definite step-up from the first season. The show is better written and organized. The first season was a bit too messy in terms of ending and putting together the episodes. The episodes and stories of this season 2 make more sense and a clear and consistent mythology has emerged. Many questions have been answered and even more have come about. The show also makes more tie-ins with Doctor Who.

The first season was all over the place, stretching and sending each character into a million and one places. They were testing the waters and finding out who each character was and how far he or she would go. Now, the show has found its soul (corny I know...). Each episode of this season was darker and edgier as each explored an aspect of each of the characters and the interactions between them. Each character is more consitently written and the show itself shows more consistency.

We learn more about the creation of Torchwood and how Jack came to be where he is now. We also get Freema Agyeman reprising her role of Martha Jones for a 3-episode arch. She is such a good character!

The show is definitely better, definitely worth watching.

Honestly, the only reason I started watching the show was because I thought John Barrowman was hot lol. Even though I heard negative reviews about it, I decided to watch it and judge for myself. I was pleasantly surprised with the show. Granted season 1 wasn't perfect but it had a lot of great moments. It had a lot of hits and misses but it was highly entertaining for the most part.

Now season 2 is absolutely fantastic! Much better than season 1. The show's dynamic has changed noticeably and the characters have become much more likable and fun. The story lines are more mature and interesting. Everything has been taken to a new level and the result has been great!
I can't wait to get my hands on the Season 2 DVD. The first season DVD was loaded with special features and I'm hoping this one would be the same. Every episode had commentaries, it's own behind the scenes look and miniature interviews with the cast and crew. It also included many deleted scenes and bloopers. But honestly, I would buy the DVD even if it didn't come with any extra material because the episodes this season have been really good.

I'll assume you're considering this because you've watched Torchwood when it was broadcast on BBC America. So here's the stories you enjoyed but: with great picture and sound quality and without the censorship - all the dialog as the writers intended :-)

A no-brainer if you're a fan of the series.

Ok, so if you're looking at this product and you haven't watched season 1, STOP IT. Go look at
season 1. Don't start here.

If you've watched season 1, and are still on the fence about liking Torchwood, or worse yet,
you DIDN'T like season 1, this set isn't likely to change your mind about anything.
It'll be more of the same stuff that you aren't sure if you like or not. Or that you don't like.

If you've seen season 1, watched every Captain Jack appearence in Dr Who, and love it then getting
this season is a no brainer. It's more of the good stuff you're expecting.

If you don't fall into one of these 3 groupings. Think about it some more. Because you do.

I was disappointed by the writing and occasional overacting in Season 1 of Torchwood, but I was quite taken by the characters. I wasn't going to give Season 2 a go, but decided to take a chance hoping things would improve. They did. Drastically. The writing is much tighter and the depth of humanity in the series' characters are what kept me glued to nearly every episode. I've never seen a Dr. Who episode, but I found the Torchwood series very easy to follow without knowing much about it. I must confess a horrible crush on Ianto Jones, too. Can't wait for Season 3.

Most series have uneven first seasons. Usually part way though the first season, the actors know their characters, and the writers (if they are regulars) have the feel of the series down.

This series got very good very quickly... by the second season it was even better. I like the darker tone of the second season... and I like the 'heroes' of this series. Like real people, they all have issues, they all try their best, and they don't always succeed. None of them are the boring, perfect, and fearless hero types as shown on a certain Paramount franchise.

[...]

In my review for the first season of Torchwood I concluded that the show had plenty of potential in regards to its setup, actors and production values, but which was obviously struggling to find its feet. A reliance on shock value, some sloppy scripts, and the inclusion of several unlikable main characters weakened the final product, though not so much that I wasn't intrigued by the possibility of these mistakes being rectified in the following season.

And for the most part, they are. Season two is aware of its past faults and makes an effort to fix them. The stories are less predictable and manage to be more fun and more serious at the same time. Characters are better developed, and the annoying qualities of Gwen and Owen have been toned down (though not eradicated). And rather than relying on singular episodes there is more of an overarching plot at work that allows for more depth in the storytelling.

A spin-off of Doctor Who that purports to be more "adult", Torchwood is the name of a not-so-secret organization that deals with the aliens, time-travelers and other anomalies that emerge through the Rift in space and time that it situated right over the city of Cardiff, Wales. The team is lead by the charming, enigmatic and impossible-to-kill Captain Jack Harkness, and made up of policewoman Gwen Cooper, computer-technician Toshiko Sato, medical doctor Owen Harper and faithful butler Ianto Jones. Making a pseudo-family of sorts, the colleges deal with the strange occurrences that threaten the city and its inhabitants.

And of strange occurrences there are many, including a familiar face from Jack's past out to cause trouble, alien sleepers planning an invasion, a cryogenically frozen soldier from the first world war, an alien that can seamlessly integrate himself into memories, a stranded alien whale, shape-shifters, creepy side-show performers that emerge from old film reels, and a range of civilian disappearances. For the most part the stories are well written and convincingly acted, and although some are certainly better than others, none of them are unwatchable.

But it's the human element that makes the second season an improvement on its predecessor. Every character is given more depth and background, and the actors seem a lot more settled in their roles. Gwen is far more useful and her much-vaunted empathy is actually shown rather than just harped on. Owen is still abrasive and arrogant, but at least his repugnant qualities have been significantly lessoned. The writers choose to deal with Owen and Gwen's affair by completely ignoring it (a little strange, but neither characters' finest moment, and so probably for the best). Tosh and Ianto are given more screen-time, and stories of their own.

Most of all, we learn more about the mysterious Captain Jack, first introduced in Doctor Who as a con-artist from the 51st century. There are plenty of insights into his life, including his childhood in the distant future, the loss of his little brother Grey, his time-traveling back into the Victorian era and his initial recruitment into Torchwood at the hands of some rather sassy 19th century ladies. The more we know, the more intriguing he becomes. In an extended flashback episode, we also learn how the three original members of Jack's team were brought together as a team, whether it was frightening, tragic or humorous. Midway through the series, one of the team-members goes through a (literally) life-changing experience, which changes our entire preconceptions of this character and how he operates within the group - and in fact, life itself.

There's also a plethora of guest stars that add color and interest to the usual routine. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will instantly recognize James Marsters as Captain John Hart, a fellow time agent and a foil to our Jack, whose true feelings and motivations are left slightly murky throughout his appearances. Martha Jones from Doctor Who stops by, significantly more grown-up and professional as a UNIT member and qualified doctor who lends her services to the team for a three-episode arc. And I have a soft-spot for Rhys, Gwen's befuddled fiancé who finally finds out the truth about his partner's job and reacts in quite a touching way. In many ways Rhys exemplifies the "everyman" far more than Gwen does, and when he steps up to the plate (with a chainsaw, no less), it's worth a round of applause.

Altogether, I definitely enjoyed this season more than the last, though it continues to irritate me that the Torchwood team always seems to come across as a group of very smart people doing very stupid things. Despite Jack's opening narrative: "Torchwood is ready," nothing could be further from the truth. This is not a team of professionals, but a few individuals recruited as much for their dysfunctional natures as their skills. Whether this makes them all the more endearing or just plain irritating usually depends on the context of the story they're in and the quality of the episode. As always, the DVD is packed full of supplementary material, including outtakes, deleted scenes, a featurette on Jack, and an in-depth look at all the episodes.

Next up is Torchwood: Children of Earth. Wish me luck.

I love TORCHWOOD. It's great writing, direction and acting, combined with amazing effects. I am a huge fan of Davies' world--his DOCTOR WHO series is just tremendously fun to watch and this spin-off is just as captivating. In Season 2, Captain JAck and his crew go through a series of much more emotionally complex territory and along the way there are some nasty shocks and surprises, which keep you on the edge of your seat. I love the brilliant cast. Barrowman is simply adorable in the role of his life and everyone else is equally on par with the handsome lead. If you enjoy the new DOCTOR WHO, then this show is well worth your time! And on BLU RAY, the show looks and sounds even more amazing!

I found Torchwood Series 2 to be thoroughly enjoyable. Once again, the show manages to balance very real tragedy with a sense of fun and hope; something that was not achieved in the subsequent Children of Earth miniseries.