torchwood
- Thread starter nightowl
- Start date
QueenOfGoths
Fuck you Dave!
I spent quite a bit of last night wondering about the logistics of who Peter Capaldi's character shot first 
Decided it would probably be the Mum otherwise she would try to attact him but then thought would the kids freak out then I wondered if he explained it to them first
Mark of a good programme though, I think, when I start thinking about part of it is such detail
Decided it would probably be the Mum otherwise she would try to attact him but then thought would the kids freak out then I wondered if he explained it to them first
Mark of a good programme though, I think, when I start thinking about part of it is such detail
FiFi
Hot Cross Bunny
I spent quite a bit of last night wondering about the logistics of who Peter Capaldi's character shot first
Decided it would probably be the Mum otherwise she would try to attact him but then thought would the kids freak out then I wondered if he explained it to them first
Mark of a good programme though, I think, when I start thinking about part of it is such detail
That scene was only one of many I lay awake thinking about last night.
The whole programme was just so dark and disturbing.
Was I the only person who went into their childs room "just to check" after watching it?
Gromit
International Man of Misery
I spent quite a bit of last night wondering about the logistics of who Peter Capaldi's character shot first
Decided it would probably be the Mum otherwise she would try to attact him but then thought would the kids freak out then I wondered if he explained it to them first
Mark of a good programme though, I think, when I start thinking about part of it is such detail
If he'd let them take his kids they would have in the end been saved by Jack... the guy he wouldn't let deal with the aliens and tried to kill.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
I wondered what countries without league tables would do . . . It's all so nuts 
Gromit
International Man of Misery
I wondered what countries without league tables would do . . . It's all so nuts
Brazil would have football tryouts. The kids who always end up picked last in the playground would be history.
PacificOcean
Unhinged User
Alien druggies trying to score
I never saw that coming!
I never saw that coming!
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
the tone was light, but the harmonics behind it gave a sense of weighty ph33r. There was also the pauses and the sense that these creatures were almost playing back recieved words. IYSWIM
'You yielded in the past, and you will do again'
FabricLiveBaby!
Live Baby Fabric!
Children are always going to be an emotive subject ain't they?
Personally I thought it was little more than alright.
It was better than the last series of Torchwood. But then that's not difficuult.
It had great moments but some really cheesy moments too, some really bad writing and some great writing in parts. I thought that the last eopisoode lacked the science. The build up the the finale was pretty good but it just seemed a bit of a let down in the end.
The problem of how to get rid of the 456 was solved in a matter of about ooh 30 seconds, with little explantion. It's the normal "magic" shit that Russel T. Davis uses. Some moments were OTT, like when the Home Office minister goes to shoot his family (which was a cool bit) but sounding out the 3 gunshots, with a fourth final one after a pause, just ruined it for me. We all knew what he was about to do, it would have been more pognient without treating the audience like morons.
Jack seeming escaping just annoyed me. The whole point of the Torchwood organisation was to protect earth whilst the Doctor can't be there. So now what? Just rely on the Doctor completely? Jack had an ego so massive that it seems really out of character for him just to run, like a defeated man.
He gives up, then as soon as they break him out of jail he's willing to just help again???!?
There's so many little annoyances about this series. But generally it was watchable and exciting. But nothing like OMG THAT WAS AWSCOME!!!11!!
In all a mixed bag for me.
It's a shame because it has such potential to be super brilliant, but for some reason, like Dr who it just misses the mark with over hammyness, patchy story telling tying everything up with magical gilltery unicorn farts. (But then, I don't get on with Russel T. Davis as posted earlier)
The thing that pulls it through for most I suspect is the subject matter of kids. Everyone loves kids. Most people watching this will have kids. And most people will place themselves and their kids in that situation and bawl along with it despite the direction, and mediocre acting, and patchy writing.
I probably would have been sobbing and bawling all over the place in the same way if they had replaced the kids with adorable puppies
So My verdict. Ok watchable stuff. But annoyed that it didn't reach the potenital it had for utter super amazingness.
Personally I thought it was little more than alright.
It was better than the last series of Torchwood. But then that's not difficuult.
It had great moments but some really cheesy moments too, some really bad writing and some great writing in parts. I thought that the last eopisoode lacked the science. The build up the the finale was pretty good but it just seemed a bit of a let down in the end.
The problem of how to get rid of the 456 was solved in a matter of about ooh 30 seconds, with little explantion. It's the normal "magic" shit that Russel T. Davis uses. Some moments were OTT, like when the Home Office minister goes to shoot his family (which was a cool bit) but sounding out the 3 gunshots, with a fourth final one after a pause, just ruined it for me. We all knew what he was about to do, it would have been more pognient without treating the audience like morons.
Jack seeming escaping just annoyed me. The whole point of the Torchwood organisation was to protect earth whilst the Doctor can't be there. So now what? Just rely on the Doctor completely? Jack had an ego so massive that it seems really out of character for him just to run, like a defeated man.
He gives up, then as soon as they break him out of jail he's willing to just help again???!?
There's so many little annoyances about this series. But generally it was watchable and exciting. But nothing like OMG THAT WAS AWSCOME!!!11!!
In all a mixed bag for me.
It's a shame because it has such potential to be super brilliant, but for some reason, like Dr who it just misses the mark with over hammyness, patchy story telling tying everything up with magical gilltery unicorn farts. (But then, I don't get on with Russel T. Davis as posted earlier)
The thing that pulls it through for most I suspect is the subject matter of kids. Everyone loves kids. Most people watching this will have kids. And most people will place themselves and their kids in that situation and bawl along with it despite the direction, and mediocre acting, and patchy writing.
I probably would have been sobbing and bawling all over the place in the same way if they had replaced the kids with adorable puppies
So My verdict. Ok watchable stuff. But annoyed that it didn't reach the potenital it had for utter super amazingness.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
flux capacitor, reverse the polarity, forward power to the tachyon matrix etc etc
TV sci fi nearly ALWAYS has the glib miracle machine story resolver. It's not an issue that affects only Russel T Davis and the Whoniverse
Aye. its not about science its about people.
Pingu
Credo
^^
this
as someone wo couldnt even be arsed to watch most of the previous series this 5 parter really gripped me. for me it worked.
do i give a shit if at some arty luvvie level it wasnt "true to the script"? no. tbh couldnt give a toss - i was entertained and that is pretty much all i ask for from a prog like torchwood
FabricLiveBaby!
Live Baby Fabric!
Yeah, it's true. But it seems to affect this series more than most. In say, every episode, all the time. All theyy need to do is spend a little more time thinking about it and explainign it in an exciting dynamic way, and it would be amazing.
That's what I mean though. It simply always missies the mark by just that irritatingly tiny bit.
FabricLiveBaby!
Live Baby Fabric!
The thing is that the best, most long running TV programmes with the biggest fanbases are always true to the script and manage to attract more and more people to watch.
It's not particularly arty or lovey to expect higher standards of entertainment. If I wanted shit entertainment I'd switch over to channel four to watch Big Brother.
Having said that Torchwood wasn't shit. I watched all five eps so it kept me gripped and kept me tuning in. I just felt that the ending was a bit of a deflation for me. They'd spent such a long time building it up that the whole ending felt rushed over and a bit of a let down. IYSWIM
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
It's been said several times so I'll just mention that Frobisher wasn't a Minister he was a civil servant (Permanent Secretary to the Home Office) - it matters in terms of the storyline about political accountability and to whom, as well as international legal accountability. For example, the Prime Minister ceded authority firstly to his civil service and then the USA, thus avoiding direct responsibility himself and for the UK Government.
Not really echo's of T. Blair and his Dossier at all then, esp. in relation to suicides.
Fwiw, the character of Evil Woman is apparently 'Johnson':
She likes a tickle.
Not really echo's of T. Blair and his Dossier at all then, esp. in relation to suicides.
Fwiw, the character of Evil Woman is apparently 'Johnson':
She likes a tickle.
madzone
Physically unfavourable
How do you know?
QueenOfGoths
Fuck you Dave!
It's been said several times so I'll just mention that Frobisher wasn't a Minister he was a civil servant (Permanent Secretary to the Home Office) - it matters in terms of the storyline about political accountability and to whom, as well as international legal accountability. For example, the Prime Minister ceded authority firstly to his civil service and then the USA, thus avoiding direct responsibility himself and for the UK Government.
Not really echo's of T. Blair and his Dossier at all then, esp. in relation to suicides.
Fwiw, the character of Evil Woman is apparently 'Johnson':
She likes a tickle.
Dangeroue though - if you don't tickle her properly she might shoot you
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
SCI FI Science Man 1
If we irradiate the warp field with a positive tachyon beam the electrolytes in the tractor beam may become over charged enough to release the ship.
Handy SCI FI Layman
Just like blowing up a balloon until it bursts. Brilliant.
FabricLiveBaby!
Live Baby Fabric!
Becuase if you look at all the fan club conventions or browse the forums of long ruinning SCI FI and drama shows: star trek, 24, the old Dr Who, Blakes 7, Babylon 5, Battestar Gallactica (the old and the new series) etc, the writers and directors pretty much always take their references from past series. And yeah, there's always infighting between the hardcore fans, but for most a nearly watertight script and character development normally does it OK.
It's like getting to know a freind really well. And if that freind suddenly changes personality or wipes out a whole chapter of their lives, then it aint that friend that you thought you knew.
Is how I see it anyway.
It does seem particularly bad with Davies though, there's not enough build up or explanation, just a straight jump from "We have to think of something" to "Let's put my grandkid in the magical baby killing machine". That scene should have been an entire episode, or at least a signifigant part of one.
Having said that, I enjoyed the the show right up until then.
FabricLiveBaby!
Live Baby Fabric!
Leafster
.
This was the one thing that I was disappointed about (apart from them killing off Ianto). I know, like DC says that it's often the case with scifi that solutions to problems are often pulled out of thin air. But with a story arc over five episodes it seemed too much of a cop out to arrive at a solution in such a short space of time without any real development of the idea or fuller explanation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this series and it's bleakness gave me pause for thought but I do wonder where things can go from here. I hope they will recommission another series but having decimated the main characters in such a short period of time (Owen & Tosh at the end of the previous season and Ianto in this) I'm at a loss to know who is left to carry the Torch. Would it be a case of building up Rhys's or PC Andy's parts, bringing in Lois or Johnson or what?
Iguana
Well-Known Member
I agree, each of the first 3 gunshots felt like being punched in the stomach and the pause before the fourth made me cry. I thought it was really powerful.
(Although it was quite unrealistic that Frobisher was asked to sacrifice his kids. No one who knew the truth would give their kids over willingly on camera, and he wasn't a particularly high profile politician. They would have asked some minister who didn't know what was happening to get on tv and have their kids "inoculated")
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
gnoriac
lowly seer
I'm at a loss to know who is left to carry the Torch. Would it be a case of building up Rhys's or PC Andy's parts, bringing in Lois or Johnson or what?
Johnson would be good. Cold, hard female characters in TV drama are pretty rare. TBH I didn't much like any of the Torchwood characters, remember how boring Ianto was before he got it on with Jack?
I'm at a loss to know who is left to carry the Torch. Would it be a case of building up Rhys's or PC Andy's parts, bringing in Lois or Johnson or what?
Gwen, Johnson, Lois and the chavvy brother in law
