Torchwood: They Keep Killing Suzie

(Originally written 19/8/13)

Suzie Costello is a complex character. On one hand, she probably did use her meetings at Pilgrim to vent about working at Torchwood, so in that sense she’s no different from the other characters (Gwen, Tosh) who’ve sought ways to express everything they’ve been keeping bottled up. On the other hand, she meticulously planned her return from the dead, so she obviously knew that what she was doing was wrong but didn’t care. On one hand, coming back from the dead has given her quite a philosophical outlook, as she discusses the meaning of life with Gwen in the car. On the other hand, she laughs maniacally towards the end when she realises she still can’t die. So she isn’t an out-and-out villain. Although, speaking of “out”, she does appear to kiss Gwen on the lips soon before she dies, so is that her compulsory queer moment?

And speaking of Gwen, this episode is all about her compassion – not only towards Suzie, but towards all those other people who she brought back to life, because the glove works best for empathic, compassionate people (who conduct affairs with their co-workers and avoid going home to their sweet live-in boyfriends. And apparently Owen was shagging Suzie as well. What a classy guy.). And what appeared to be one of Gwen’s strongest moments in this episode – defending Suzie’s actions to Jack – was made redundant when it turned out that Suzie didn’t actually become obsessed with the glove because she wanted to her father to recover from cancer, because she actually hated her father. So well done Gwen. And extra points for apparently being employed by Torchwood for three months before finding out that they take all your possessions – and your body – when you die and lock it all away.

(I also thought there should be some sly mention of the fact that Gwen was feeling unwell before we were informed by Owen that she had two hours to live. And that having Gwen wearing eyeliner initially, before removing it to make her look unwell, probably isn’t the best decision by the make-up team.)

Mind you, it’s really Jack’s fault for keeping Gwen around, especially since he claims he’s going to fire her when he sees her heading out with Suzie. But maybe he was distracted throughout this episode, since he seems to find himself quite impressed with the antics of Ianto (from naming the various devices to getting phone reception), culminating in the famous Stopwatch Scene. I couldn’t help but smile throughout this scene, but surely that’s only because I know eventuates from it. It could have had so much more of an impact at the time if there was any sort of a hint that Ianto was ready to move on (in a big way) from Lisa. Oh well, now it’s happened, so I’ll be keeping a lookout for any further references to this relationship. 

The best thing about the episode though? Detective Swanson: a highly entertaining character who’s quite happy to put Torchwood in their place. It’s a pity we never see her again.

Torchwood: Greeks Bearing Gifts

(Originally written 13/8/13, modified 29/10/13)

It was nice to have an episode focusing on Tosh for once, though I don’t know how well it matches with what we’ve seen before. Tosh supposedly has a “stick up her arse”, but just like the others, she was taking things from the base back in Everything Changes. Maybe we’re just not meant to have noticed things from her point of view until now.

 

This episode also did a pretty good job of progressing the other characters’ developments, especially the increasing intimacy between Gwen and Owen (thankfully not from Gwen’s point of view). It’s quite odd to see Gwen so relaxed around Torchwood – is this a result of the affair? In any case, this time it’s Tosh’s turn to be the wide-eyed outsider. In fact, she follows a similar development to Gwen last episode in that she needs to share her experiences with someone else, and ends up in a sexual relationship because of it (though this time there is actually talking involved). I also liked all the little hints at her past with Owen, knowing what ends up happening between them next season.

We hear about how Ianto’s coping (or not) with Lisa’s death – unfortunately though, he actually only had one spoken line, and I think three lines of thought. Not great for his character. We also learn some more about the mystery of Jack, with the revelation that Tosh can’t read his mind. But there were some old-fashioned Jack antics in there as well, with his story about his friend Vincent/Vanessa. This line has sparked some controversy because it implies Jack is "nervous" about transgender people, but with John Barrowman's casual delivery, I interpreted the line as simply showing Jack's experience (in sexuality) to give him skills in other matters (knowing when someone is having an inner battle).

I quite liked the distinctive direction, with its zooms and slow-mos, as it was a fitting way to portray how Tosh experienced the world when she was wearing the pendant. I also liked the insights into Mary’s culture and people, emphasising how different it is (e.g. she finds it off-putting watching mouths talk). But then this just emphasised how weird it is that an alien partakes in the quite human activity of smoking. I suppose since she’s practically immortal, she doesn’t have to worry about getting cancer?

That’s pretty much all I have to say on this one. Quite good in itself, quite good as part of an ongoing story, but nothing amazing. And no matter how many times I hear it, the action figure line sounds really unnatural.

Torchwood: Countrycide

Trying to fit in posts before work now. Let's see how long this lasts.

(Originally written 12/8/13) 

I started out quite enjoying this episode, but after a while it became apparent that the atmosphere is very much based on the idea of not knowing what the monster is. Since I did know what the monster is, that feeling of anticipation was kind of ruined.

In fact, there was, I feel, quite an early clue that the monster was closer to being human – the body on the road, whose head was just a soccer ball in a hoodie. This sort of disguise seems like something a human – someone more familiar with our ways – would do, as opposed to a savage alien beast. Of course, the diegetic music from the car radio, singing, “Is it a monster?”, is meant to subtly lead us in the other direction.

I was pleased that all the characters got a good amount of screentime in this episode. Jack probably got the least, but he was able to come across as quite scary when he was threatening the guy with torture, and his slow-mo shooting was, it has to be said, pretty awesome. I was confused about his glaring at Ianto early on though, after Lisa was mentioned – isn’t the guy allowed to grieve for his girlfriend? Especially since Gwen (unintentionally) brought it up with her stupid kissing game. This reminded me of her bemusement at the idea that no one else had a “partner” in Day One; that same idea of superiority because she has such a great love life.

And yet, this is the episode in which she officially hooks up with Owen. This is after he acted like a complete arsehole at the beginning, ranting about how much he hates the countryside and getting uncomfortably rapey when he pushed her up against the tree (I thought Ghost Machine made you change, Owen!). But later, he saves her life with his Amazing Doctor Skills, so that apparently counters how he acts the other 90% of the time.

And it’s implied that they get together so they (mainly Gwen) can be open about their experiences (presumably because Gwen was so disturbed by this latest outing), but I don’t quite buy this. It’s pretty well established that Owen wants to shag her – that’s what the whole tree conversation was all about (I think we all know the line). Does he actually stop and talk about his feelings with her? Does she do so with him? They’re not in love, it’s more or less a purely physical relationship (as far as we can see), so unless I see evidence to the contrary, it seems like Gwen is just looking for excuses and Owen is taking advantage of her.

Meanwhile, Ianto takes on the role of the Torchwood rookie, openly asking Tosh how she can enjoy the danger so much. I can't remember if he has any more character development along these lines as the season progresses. I hope he does.

Torchwood: Small Worlds

Apologies to anyone who has been eagerly awaiting the next update (so, no one). Planning for Armageddon Melbourne got in the way, then actual Armageddon Melbourne, then the aftermath of Armageddon Melbourne. I'm also planning on spending November editing the novel I wrote last year for NaNoWriMo and haven't touched since - in fact, it turns out I lost the complete first draft earlier this year, so I've got to re-write about 5,000 words. So that's fun.

So without any further ado, I present my review of Torchwood: Small Worlds - originally written 8/8/13. And the main feeling I have about this episode is confusion.

  Why is Jack sleeping in what looks like a really awkward position, and what are the odds that he would happen to dream about an old encounter with Torchwood’s latest threat (maybe a side effect of the Rift?)?

How come ‘computer genius’ Tosh can assess the paedophile’s cause of death? Shouldn’t Owen have been brought along for that (or does this suggest that Tosh does indeed have some medical knowledge, hence the reason why she was capable of going undercover in Owen’s place in Aliens of London)? 

(Speaking of paedophiles, does anyone else find it kinda uncomfortable that Jack fell in love with Estelle at first sight when she was 17?)

When Torchwood keeps driving around to places connected to the fairies, why are they accepted with open arms? The police and military may have some idea that Torchwood is ‘special ops’, but the school and Jasmine’s mum wouldn’t. Speaking of which, how the hell is Torchwood going to cover up/retcon the events of the party? A man died, a child disappeared, and there were heaps of guests who were evacuated and very well could have driven away. 

Another confusing thing is not just in relation to the episode but the show in general. If Captain Jack Harkness disappeared from history in 1941, how has Jack managed to stay off the records for so long? I suppose Torchwood might have wiped the records, but Jack has met so many people along the way (whose memories haven’t been wiped) and never used a different name, yet it never seems to have caused any trouble. 

I think the thing I liked most about this episode was the characterisation of Gwen. Gwen usually thinks she’s better than everyone else, whereas here, she’s simply sceptical about the fairies because she wants to think logically. Gwen usually looks longingly at Jack and follows him around like a puppy, whereas here, she is accepting of his relationship with Estelle but is also visibly upset after the fairies broke into her house. She doesn’t take any shit.  

Other things I liked were the reference to the Mara (although this is apparently a coincidence?) and the ending (though it would have been nice if it wasn’t a rip-off of The Shining). Things I disliked were the music (after the umpteenth time) and the fact that Estelle died because she went looking for the freaking cat.

After Cyberwoman, I said I’d “search very hard for any hints as to why [Ianto] might want to become Jack’s fuckbuddy”. Well, this episode opens with both Jack and Ianto hanging around the office in the wee hours of the morning (before Jack rubs Ianto’s shoulder quite thoroughly). Even if Janto wasn’t a thing back then, I feel this scene could have been expanded on, just a bit, to show that Ianto’s working late to make up for what happened with Lisa. He’s trying hard to earn Jack’s trust back, and that would have been the perfect launching pad for their relationship. But... no.   

Torchwood: Cyberwoman

First of all - yes, I am aware of the current big news of the Whoniverse (the discovery of Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear) and yes, I do intend to blog about them soon. I was up 'til midnight last night watching Enemy, which would have been fine if I didn't have to be in the city at 8 this morning gearing up to meet Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar) and Ian McNeice (Winston Churchill) at Lords of Time 1.5. So for the moment, you're getting a nice pre-written post.

(Originally written 5/8/13, modified 12/10/13)

This episode has a bit of a reputation for being, well, crap. I knew this going into it, especially after the amazing Ghost Machine, but I have to admit that I didn’t hate the episode - in fact, I found it an enjoyably cheesy way to spend an hour of my time. I laughed so hard at Rhys’s request for Wife Swap to be taped; and when Lisa said “This building belongs to me now”, I couldn’t help but think “All your base are belong to us”.

Comparing Ianto’s actions to, say, Suzie’s a more than a bit unfair. Sure the guy did the wrong thing, but he never wanted anyone to get hurt. He wanted to save a life, and even if that life was his girlfriend’s, you can’t call his actions totally selfish. Having said that, I do wonder if one of the reasons he was allowed to stay at Torchwood is because without Lisa, there was nothing else left for him. And now I’m going to search very hard for any hints as to why he might want to become Jack’s fuckbuddy. 

There were a couple of things that seemed to be set up at the start purely so they could be used later on. Myfanwy flies around during the basketball game so she can maul Lisa later on, and Ianto orders pizza so the delivery girl can have her head opened up. (She really took her time, btw).

And of course, there were some quite problematic elements. At the beginning when Ianto’s showing Lisa to the cybernetics experts, he exclaims, “My God!” Meanwhile, I was cringily saying, “Oh God” as I saw Lisa’s cyber-bikini line. I think it bothers me more than the breasts, because while they’re at least covered by the armour, her bikini is shaped by it.

So not only is the monster fetishised because it’s a woman, but it’s also a woman of colour. As far as I can recall this is the first black person in the series, and she’s a villain – and to be quite honest, Lisa’s facial features seem to be intended to make her look even more monstrous; an effect which I don’t think would have been achieved the same way with a white woman. Then, this is arguably repeated next season in Sleeper.

I had issues with both kissing scenes. I’ve never quite worked out whether Jack was meant to be resuscitating Ianto or not – surely he’d been lying there for too long anyway? So tonight I determined that he was “doing a Donna” and trying to shock him awake. As for Gwen and Owen, I know this is cliché, but if your characters are going to shack up whilst being forced to lie on top of each other, I’d prefer if there was some sexual tension between them first. In fact, I think Gwen’s whole arc may have been improved if it was simplified – instead of her having an affair with the bad boy while fancying the boss, why couldn’t she just fancy/have an affair with the bad boy? I reckon it would represent her decaying moral compass a lot better.

I also didn’t like the quick cutting, like when Lisa was being moved and Ianto was crying.

Okay, so the episode had its problematic elements, but I still wouldn't call it awful. The worst episode of this season remains Day One... for now.

Torchwood: Ghost Machine

(Originally written 29/7/13)

All I can say is holy crap. I absolutely loved watching this episode, and I do not recall doing so the first time around. But it’s very clear now that if Day One was a failure of a sci-fi-show-with-sex, Ghost Machine is a success.

 

Finally, the subject of rape is treated with the sensitivity that it deserves. It’s uncomfortable for the viewer to watch Lizzie being preyed upon, and that’s good. It’s so wonderfully apt for the misogynistic Owen to be the one to feel like the victim, and this shared emotion is carried through to the viewer during his accusation scene with Edwin Morgan. It was such a tense scene, with the superb direction making me feel like I was in the room with them. I pretty much know nothing about direction, but I know this was good. And even though Owen was obviously way out of line, he was still trying to do some good in a very Owen-y way. So it’s keeping in character.

And Owen also had some lighter things to do, like the backyard chase scene with Bernie and a short scene out with Tosh in a bar. This is subtle but I think it shows early signs of what’s to come between these two, since they actually appear to enjoy each other’s company outside of work.

Owen’s stuff was certainly more interesting to watch than Gwen’s. Completely disobeying Jack’s orders, she took the ghost machine out of Torchwood, apparently for the sole purpose of reliving cute moments with her boyfriend. Of course, why she actually pressed the button in the first place is a mystery which doesn’t really get explained. When you’re working with unknown alien objects, pressing random buttons is probably not a good idea. 

And one problem, which is more the fault of the writing than anything else, is the chat with Thomas Flanagan. He just gives this massive info-dump about being sent to Wales, not knowing anyone, being abandoned, being scared, being found and being taken in. I know he’s an old geezer, but I find it difficult to believe that he would talk that much about a subject which has no relevance to the reason Gwen was supposedly in the house.

But my final problem, in this sex-sensitive episode, is the sexualisation of Gwen’s firearms training. Putting aside the fact that she probably should have been taught this stuff before she even had her first day on the job (hey Jack, do you actually ask your field operatives if they can use guns?), she is learning to extinguish life here, so I really don’t think it’s appropriate for her to feel turned on because Jack is standing up against her. 

In spite of those few little things, this episode really raised the bar. And it was a real bonus to discover that it was written by a woman - Helen Raynor. 

Torchwood: Day One

(Originally written 23/7/13, modified 9/10/13)

I’m mostly okay with the silly sex alien plot of this episode – what I have more of a problem with is the things that happen around it. It is so irresponsible of the Torchwood team to look on when Gwen and Carys are kissing, even for a little bit. I found it funny enough that the bouncer was wanking to the CCTV footage, because he’s already been established as, well, a bit of a wanker. But Torchwood are meant to be professionals, even Owen, and they know how dangerous Carys is.

Owen’s slimeball behaviour continues when he refers to Gwen at the beginning as “sweetheart” and “sweetcheeks”, and my mind boggles as to why Gwen would want to sleep with this man. But despite his being an arsehole, especially insulting Gwen after her run-in with Carys, I still found it unacceptable that Gwen effectively grabs Owen by his neck and pushes him against the wall. Verbal bullying isn’t a good thing, but neither is physical bullying.

Speaking of assault, I’m not particularly keen on kissing as a means of thanks (seen several times throughout the Whoniverse recently, including this episode when Gwen kisses Jack). Even though it wasn’t as forceful as some of the kisses in the Moffat era (eg Amy/Eleven, Eleven/Rory, Eleven/Jenny), Jack clearly wasn’t expecting that kiss, and Gwen didn’t even do it to show romantic intentions. I personally view kissing on the lips as a consensual act between two individuals expressing desire and affection for each other – not as a substitute for the words “thank you” between two people in a platonic relationship.

I suppose it could be argued that Jack isn’t entirely blameless for Gwen’s affections, due to a comment he makes at the beginning. When an officer calls Gwen a “little girl”, Jack says she isn’t, because she has “all the right curves in all the right places”. This sounds kind of creepy to me – it’s basically saying you’re a grown woman if you have boobs and hips, which wouldn’t necessarily be true for some early developers. It also says nothing of her grown-up mind and intellect, because it all depends on her body.

But how smart is Gwen? In my review for Everything Changes I mentioned how she joined Torchwood mere minutes after watching Suzie talk about how the job completely takes over one’s life - then in this episode, she asks what everyone does to switch off. Now, Gwen believes the perfect solution is to have a boyfriend, and she's baffled that no one else has a partner. She came across to me in that scene as a bit elitist, like she's better than them for having a boyfriend. But even if Torchwood wasn't a 24/7 job, who's to say that out of a small group of people in their 20s and 30s, none of them would have long-term partners? 

(Oh, and Gwen ends this episode by telling Rhys "Let's go to bed". Because after watching all those people die from climaxing, she couldn't be more turned on.)

I would like to acknowledge that my previous review's comments on Jack's weird-sounding lines may have been a little premature, because he certainly uses some technobabble in this episode. However, he also acknowledges this, making it sound more like he’s trying to emulate his hero as opposed to actually being him. As for the “mystery” of Jack though, that comes across more like River Song or Clara. “Who are you, Jack?” After everything that happened in this episode, that’s really not a top priority right now. It doesn’t help that it was stated aloud, seemingly out of nowhere.

Given how problematic this episode is, I’d definitely call it worse than Everything Changes.

Torchwood: Everything Changes

(Originally written 22/7/13)

You can’t talk about early Torchwood without describing it as “camp”, but there’s not much of an indication of that in this first episode. The silliest scenes are unintentionally so – Tosh using alien technology to digitise a book (they have Kindles for that now), and Gwen watching a pizza delivery, then thinking, “Hmm, I wonder if Torchwood orders pizza?” Surely that could have been done better – maybe it could have been triggered in conversation by Rhys at some point? And the scene apparently intended to be funniest is the date-rape. That’s not a good thing. 

 

Jack is much more serious than in DW, with only a little bit of flirting. His first lines are weird, standing out in the rain talking about oestrogen and the water cycle and that he “loves this planet”. It sets him up as much more alien than he actually is, and I don’t recall if he acts like this again. Mysterious and aloof, sure, but this line in particular is more Doctor than Jack.

(Also on Jack, there’s a nice subtle hint that the only Captain Jack Harkness on record disappeared during the Blitz. Of course we all assume that this was our Jack, but only later do we realise the Jack who disappeared isn’t the Jack who signed up in the first place...)

I’ve always found Miracle Day’s Esther to be similar to Gwen, and that is especially apparent in this episode. Like Gwen, Esther was investigating Torchwood, was told about it by Jack, got retconned, and later had her memory triggered. I also find both characters very annoying, but I’m not annoyed by Gwen yet, so we’ll see how long that takes. Given that she ruins everything next episode, probably not very long.

I did wonder what the hell Gwen was thinking about joining up though. She’s only just witnessed Suzie pouring her heart out about how the job has consumed her, turned her into a murderer and she could never do another job afterwards, before promptly committing suicide. How did that make Gwen decide she wants to be a part of this, without even wondering if something like that will happen to her? 

In summary: a fairly standard episode which sets things up quite well, but doesn’t clearly indicate the tone of the series. I don’t know if it would entice a non-Whovian back for the second episode, because that’s not who I am.

Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen

Today’s missing episodes news got me in the mood for some black-and-white Who, so I hopped onto iView for Tomb of the Cybermen. I’ve been told several times about how racist this story is, and while I could acknowledge these elements, they just couldn’t take away from the sheer thrill and suspense of the story.

Don’t get me wrong – the plot is very simple, and when you think about it, not a whole lot actually happens. And the villains don’t have a very complex motivation for wanting the power of the Cybermen (what specific power exactly?) – just a general will to rule the world (with a dose of madness thrown in for Klieg). But the story is tight, with no boring bits. It never makes itself out to be anything other than an adventure/horror story, and from that point of view it succeeds tremendously.

Those iconic scenes of the Cybermen escaping their tombs? Yeah, they’re pretty cool (pun not intended). I found the music really added to the atmosphere and I think it will stick in my mind from this point onwards – though it was helped by the fact that I watched the Proms just yesterday and it was included in that. And there were some really great moments of dialogue: from the Doctor’s chat about family with Victoria (the kind of nice, quiet character moment you’d expect in the new series) to his testing of Klieg’s sanity (a predecessor to Davros’ moment in Genesis?). I also thought the characterisation of the Americans was hilarious.

Okay, I’ve mentioned race so I’ll keep going with it. Everyone knows this already, but it is problematic that the European Klieg and the (Middle-Eastern?) Kaftan are the baddies, while the rest of the white, English party are the goodies. And it is even more problematic that the only black member of the party is a servant, who says about 10 words in total, and whose sole value is based on his strength rather than his mind. One could compare him to another giant of British sci-fi – Gan from Blake’s 7 – but while Gan did make use of his muscles, he was also very loyal and friendly; a gentle giant who used his strength only when he needed to.

I had made it through three episodes without thinking too much of Toberman’s characterisation, but that changed the moment Kaftan died. The Doctor convinces Toberman to come back to the human side by talking to him like he’s a child; this could very well have meant to come across as keeping things clear enough for Toberman’s Cyber side to understand it, but given the emphasis on the character’s physical abilities over his mental ones, it just seems like Toberman is a bit simple. Even worse is when the Doctor says, “They've tried to make you their slave. They just want to use you. They are evil. Think of Kaftan.” The irony of telling someone’s personal servant about how he was going to be enslaved, and to think of his former mistress, is almost too much to bear.

The treatment of women is, I think, a lot better. Even though the male characters are constantly telling the women to stay put, Victoria puts up a fight (if a Victorian character recognises sexism then the writers probably don't agree with it), while Kaftan is quite happy to be underestimated and use the situation to her advantage. This story is arguably Victoria’s best. Of course she gets scared sometimes (who wouldn’t?), but she genuinely seems to try her best, even when she doesn’t get it right (e.g. being drugged by Kaftan). In some respects here she’s similar to what they were trying to do with Mel – someone who wants to be the Doctor’s companion, but just isn’t terribly good at it. And when she thinks she’s out of her depth, she calls for help from the pilot. I don’t see that as weak – I see that as recognising her own abilities and those of others. She’s arguably even braver than Jamie, who wants to return to the TARDIS at several points throughout the story.

There are a lot of good things going for this story, and some of the worse ones could be changed by a simple recasting. I’m mostly happy with what we’ve got, but there’s just one thing which confuses me: why would Cybermen build guns that would kill other Cybermen?

"What are you doing here?"

So yet another blog has been added to the Internet, and right now you’re asking “Why should I read it?”

I don’t know if I can answer that and, truth be told, I’m not out to do so. I haven’t created this blog to generate readers, but to generate my own writing. Because for someone who calls themselves a writer, I really don’t do enough of it.

I’m good at consuming media, though. Reading, watching, listening – these are things that I do every day, particularly in relation to my favourite TV show, Doctor Who. And you can add organising and editing to that list, in my role as Vice President of the Doctor Who Club of Australia and editor of its magazine, Data Extract. I love this position, and will quite happily procrastinate doing my own work if there’s something to do for the club.

So yes, Doctor Who is a big part of my life, and that is what I’ll be primarily writing about, probably in the form of reviews (though a couple of other shows and movies might sneak in). Normally I only feel comfortable reviewing something if I’ve got particularly strong feelings about it, or if I’m experiencing it for the second time. Since I’ve been doing a lot of rewatching lately, that shouldn’t be a problem. In fact I’ve been rewatching Torchwood for the past 11 weeks already, and have a nice big backlog of reviews to post. That means I can avoid actively writing for the next few weeks!

I’ve never made out that I’m a brilliant writer. I’m not a particularly eloquent person – I tend to just tell it like it is. But I’ve always enjoyed telling stories and expressing myself through the written word, so after 23 years on this Earth, it’s about time I gave myself a public way of doing so.

That’s what I’m doing here.