My opinion of this episode has always boiled down to “Too much Gwen, but it’s made up for by topless Janto.” Watching this time, however, my thoughts were very different.
For one thing, I actually enjoyed Gwen in this. Maybe it was because she was trying to recover her compassion, as opposed to having it ooze out of her with ease (finally someone acknowledges that Torchwood has changed her!). I certainly found it ironic that she’s going out of her way to help Nikki find Jonah, but is quite happy to treat Andy like shit in the process.
Let’s talk about Andy. First of all, he seems to know a lot more about Torchwood than he did last season (to the extent that Gwen asks him to verify her story to Nikki). Is this just because of what he witnessed in End of Days? Because I can’t think of another example.
Secondly, we have the revelation that he used to have a thing for Gwen and he looks down on Rhys for his weight. Sorry, but where did this come from and why is it necessary? Is it purely because they needed to explain why Andy wasn’t at the wedding? Is it to make us feel less sorry for an otherwise-sweet character when Gwen keeps fobbing him off this episode? Is it to reinforce the idea that all men find Gwen irresistible?
The other man in Gwen’s life, Rhys, fared much better. I think the argument about having a baby is the best of the couple’s confrontations this season at least. I guess I like it because it’s not about the mystery of Gwen’s job, and there’s no added baggage with her having an affair – it’s just about how it will affect their future. It’s a bit annoying though that this is never followed up on – when Gwen gets pregnant in Children of Earth they figure that they’ll deal with it, and then Torchwood is conveniently abolished before she has the baby.
I can’t keep talking about motherhood without mentioning Ruth Jones – what a wonderful performance. I particularly liked the paralleled scenes of her getting rid of Jonah’s stuff with Gwen removing the photos – both forced to give up on what they believed in.
Of course I liked the Janto, but I also think it might have served a purpose. Jack was obviously comfortable telling Ianto about the island (since Ianto gave Gwen the GPS), so the episode needed to remind the viewer just how close Jack and Ianto are.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Tosh investigated the matter in secret, and I can’t help wondering if they had any other work they should have been doing at the time. Must have been a slow week, since Jack and Ianto had all that time for naked hide-and-seek.
Adding the lovely music and shots as Gwen approaches the island, and the fascinating idea of the rift taking people, this is surely one of Chris Chibnall’s best stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment