15 days left and we're continuing on my countdown to Miracle Day, Torchwood re-watch! I'll be watching an episode a day and blogging bits and thoughts. With any luck this is going to read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!
Episode: Adam (Series 2 Episode 5)
Written By: Catherine Tregenna
Original Air Date: 13 February 2008
Sentence Sum-Up: An alien infiltrates the Hub, manipulating the memories and personalities of the team.
Notable New Characters:
Adam Smith (Bryan Dick): An alien that survives off of memories. He infiltrates the Hub by manipulating the personalities and memories of the team so they think he's one of them.
Favorite Quote:
Ianto: "I'll have a look in the diary. I like to log the interesting stuff."
Tosh: "You write about artifacts in your diary? "
Ianto: "Among other things." [winks]
Never Noticed:
The part where Gwen calls Jack to come help with Rhys, who she believes to be an intruder. Adam comes along and Rhys asks who he is. Jack says he's "one of us" and Rhys drops it. Wouldn't that raise a red flag in Jack's mind? Rhys has seen the Hub and met the whole team, why would he not have met Adam? I guess Jack was detracted by Gwen's forgetting.
That exchange between Tosh and Ianto that's listed as my favorite quote. Or that wink! Winky Ianto was hilarious and unexpected. This episode and next he's freely hinting at his sexual exploits. It was such an unexpected moment but it was great.
The scene with Rhys and Gwen at the grocery store. I remember him complaining about something, that he wasn't being helped, but what I don't remember is that he just leaves the money and goes. Gwen has a breakthrough with her memory and Rhys can't be bothered to wait for the guy. That's a little bit like stealing, but not entirely.
When Adam is planting the fake memories in Ianto's mind and Ianto is sobbing. Adam holds him close and continues to feed the awful memories and just before he lets him go, he kisses him on the lips. Totally missed that.
WTF Moments:
Why did Adam change Owen and Tosh's personalities but leave Jack and Ianto as their normal selves? Was it just because he wanted Tosh and to make Owen suffer? I don't know, I never considered it before but it's interesting.
I am a little confused about the situation with Jack's memories. If I am understanding right he didn't have memories of his parents but he did of Grey? Then Adam gave him back his memory of his parents and then he corrupted them. When Adam was defeated all the planted memories through the team were gone but Jack's remained because they were his memories. That's all kinds of confusing and I'm not sure I have that all right. And why do the corruptions to Jack's memories stay? Or do they? it would seem that any affects Adam had would go away. Any ideas?
Random Rants:
Never say Jack is not a flawed character. His main issue is trust. I can understand a lot of reasons he's have trust issues but from the start of Torchwood and even now he struggles. Even after what they've been through together over the years and what each member has come to mean to him he shuts the team out. When he see's Grey he is so quick to get rid of Ianto. And he continues not trusting or sharing himself through Children of Earth, which is part of what brings about ass hat Jack. I never noticed before how much it's there from the start and it is off-putting and Ianto is totally in the right being as upset as he is about it. But it's fine, a perfect, flawless character is a boring character.
As annoyed as I was with Jack's secretive behavior in this episode and others he does have some, redeeming qualities. It's the weirdest thing he trusts his team and has this unshakable faith in them, but he won't open up to them, not often at least. This episode he really stepped up as a leader and whatever he is to Ianto and supported him. He refused to believe the worst in him and he stayed calm and helped him through. He helped the hole team through. It was all very sweet and he's such a complicated character.
MVC (Most Valuable Character)/MVA (Most Valuable Actor):
What's interesting about this episode is there is a lot going on at the same time. Several different stories surrounding each character. An argument could be made that any of the characters. outside of Owen, were the center of this episode. Tosh was the object of Adam's desire, at least to some extent. We see her fall in love and go through yet another heart ache and we see her story with Owen develop. Gwen losses her memory of Rhys and the whole start of the investigation is around trying to restore that. We see her and Rhys struggle to rebuild their relationship. We learn a lot about Jack's past, the mystery of his family and his sadness. Ianto is the one who figures it out and has to be dealt with. Those false memories and he and jack figuring out the truth about Adam is a plot on it's own. It's so weird it's like a team episode with almost no team time. Everyone is alone, together. Despite that I do have a feel for who this episode centered around in my head and in my heart and that's Ianto. When I think back on this episode I always think of it as a Ianto heavy episode and remember all he goes through. I remember how clever he is in solving the case and I remember the tender and funny bits with Jack. So I'm giving it to Ianto and especially to Gareth, Gareth blew me away this episode, that man can act! He had some really tough scene's and he nailed every one of them. I cannot praise his performance enough. I think this is the point I went from being a Ianto fan to being a Gareth David-Lloyd fan, He's just brilliant. He also get's it because he is an amazing man-crier and we know how I like that. And because the best thing to come from this episode is the IANTO CRYING GIF.
Episode Grade:
A
It's a great episode. Everyone I know loves it, I love it, and it more than redeems Catherine Tregenna for last episode. I think it's brilliant and complicated. Like I said so many different stories going on at once and it never seems crowded. A lot of emotional moments and while I love this episode it is sometimes hard to watch. I challenge you to watch Ianto cry and not cry with him. Can't be done! This is the episode you want to watch in bed with ice cream. The episode that makes you need a hug afterwards. It's beautifully written and acted. It gets a A and not A+ because it's still not in the running for one of my favorites. But it's close.
Tomorrow's Episode: Reset (Series 2, Episode 6). Remember, I'll be live tweeting my re-watch on the @BarrowmanDay twitter at 12:00am PST (US - West coast) and 8:00am GMT (UK). Hope you all can watch with me and chat.
That's it for today! Hope you enjoyed my run down. What did you all think of this episode? Did you notice anything new? What grade would you give it? xx
<3Dana
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Episode: Adam (Series 2 Episode 5)
Written By: Catherine Tregenna
Original Air Date: 13 February 2008
Sentence Sum-Up: An alien infiltrates the Hub, manipulating the memories and personalities of the team.
Notable New Characters:
Adam Smith (Bryan Dick): An alien that survives off of memories. He infiltrates the Hub by manipulating the personalities and memories of the team so they think he's one of them.
Favorite Quote:
Ianto: "I'll have a look in the diary. I like to log the interesting stuff."
Tosh: "You write about artifacts in your diary? "
Ianto: "Among other things." [winks]
Never Noticed:
The part where Gwen calls Jack to come help with Rhys, who she believes to be an intruder. Adam comes along and Rhys asks who he is. Jack says he's "one of us" and Rhys drops it. Wouldn't that raise a red flag in Jack's mind? Rhys has seen the Hub and met the whole team, why would he not have met Adam? I guess Jack was detracted by Gwen's forgetting.
That exchange between Tosh and Ianto that's listed as my favorite quote. Or that wink! Winky Ianto was hilarious and unexpected. This episode and next he's freely hinting at his sexual exploits. It was such an unexpected moment but it was great.
The scene with Rhys and Gwen at the grocery store. I remember him complaining about something, that he wasn't being helped, but what I don't remember is that he just leaves the money and goes. Gwen has a breakthrough with her memory and Rhys can't be bothered to wait for the guy. That's a little bit like stealing, but not entirely.
When Adam is planting the fake memories in Ianto's mind and Ianto is sobbing. Adam holds him close and continues to feed the awful memories and just before he lets him go, he kisses him on the lips. Totally missed that.
WTF Moments:
Why did Adam change Owen and Tosh's personalities but leave Jack and Ianto as their normal selves? Was it just because he wanted Tosh and to make Owen suffer? I don't know, I never considered it before but it's interesting.
I am a little confused about the situation with Jack's memories. If I am understanding right he didn't have memories of his parents but he did of Grey? Then Adam gave him back his memory of his parents and then he corrupted them. When Adam was defeated all the planted memories through the team were gone but Jack's remained because they were his memories. That's all kinds of confusing and I'm not sure I have that all right. And why do the corruptions to Jack's memories stay? Or do they? it would seem that any affects Adam had would go away. Any ideas?
Random Rants:
Never say Jack is not a flawed character. His main issue is trust. I can understand a lot of reasons he's have trust issues but from the start of Torchwood and even now he struggles. Even after what they've been through together over the years and what each member has come to mean to him he shuts the team out. When he see's Grey he is so quick to get rid of Ianto. And he continues not trusting or sharing himself through Children of Earth, which is part of what brings about ass hat Jack. I never noticed before how much it's there from the start and it is off-putting and Ianto is totally in the right being as upset as he is about it. But it's fine, a perfect, flawless character is a boring character.
As annoyed as I was with Jack's secretive behavior in this episode and others he does have some, redeeming qualities. It's the weirdest thing he trusts his team and has this unshakable faith in them, but he won't open up to them, not often at least. This episode he really stepped up as a leader and whatever he is to Ianto and supported him. He refused to believe the worst in him and he stayed calm and helped him through. He helped the hole team through. It was all very sweet and he's such a complicated character.
MVC (Most Valuable Character)/MVA (Most Valuable Actor):
What's interesting about this episode is there is a lot going on at the same time. Several different stories surrounding each character. An argument could be made that any of the characters. outside of Owen, were the center of this episode. Tosh was the object of Adam's desire, at least to some extent. We see her fall in love and go through yet another heart ache and we see her story with Owen develop. Gwen losses her memory of Rhys and the whole start of the investigation is around trying to restore that. We see her and Rhys struggle to rebuild their relationship. We learn a lot about Jack's past, the mystery of his family and his sadness. Ianto is the one who figures it out and has to be dealt with. Those false memories and he and jack figuring out the truth about Adam is a plot on it's own. It's so weird it's like a team episode with almost no team time. Everyone is alone, together. Despite that I do have a feel for who this episode centered around in my head and in my heart and that's Ianto. When I think back on this episode I always think of it as a Ianto heavy episode and remember all he goes through. I remember how clever he is in solving the case and I remember the tender and funny bits with Jack. So I'm giving it to Ianto and especially to Gareth, Gareth blew me away this episode, that man can act! He had some really tough scene's and he nailed every one of them. I cannot praise his performance enough. I think this is the point I went from being a Ianto fan to being a Gareth David-Lloyd fan, He's just brilliant. He also get's it because he is an amazing man-crier and we know how I like that. And because the best thing to come from this episode is the IANTO CRYING GIF.
Episode Grade:
A
It's a great episode. Everyone I know loves it, I love it, and it more than redeems Catherine Tregenna for last episode. I think it's brilliant and complicated. Like I said so many different stories going on at once and it never seems crowded. A lot of emotional moments and while I love this episode it is sometimes hard to watch. I challenge you to watch Ianto cry and not cry with him. Can't be done! This is the episode you want to watch in bed with ice cream. The episode that makes you need a hug afterwards. It's beautifully written and acted. It gets a A and not A+ because it's still not in the running for one of my favorites. But it's close.
Tomorrow's Episode: Reset (Series 2, Episode 6). Remember, I'll be live tweeting my re-watch on the @BarrowmanDay twitter at 12:00am PST (US - West coast) and 8:00am GMT (UK). Hope you all can watch with me and chat.
That's it for today! Hope you enjoyed my run down. What did you all think of this episode? Did you notice anything new? What grade would you give it? xx
<3Dana
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