19 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (Series 2 Episode 1)

Written By: Chris Chibnall

Original Air Date: 16 January 2008

Sentence Sum-Up: Jack returns after his absence and a man from his past comes around causing trouble.

Notable New Characters:

Captain John Hart (James Marsters): Jack's former partner and lover from when he was in the Time Agency. He comes to town causing trouble and carrying a secret. He's a lot like Doctor Who Jack was, a shameless flirt, but a lot more evil.

Favorite Quote:

Jack: "How are you, Ianto?"
Ianto: "All the better for having you back, sir."
Jack: "Can we maybe drop the "sir" now? I mean while I was away I was thinking. Maybe we could... when this is all done... dinner, a movie…"
Ianto: "Are you asking me out on a date?"
Jack: "Interested?"
Ianto: "Huh, well. As long as it's not in an office. Some fetishes should be kept to yourself."

Never Noticed:

I think I have watched this episode 1 million times. I've probably watched it more than any other episode. I don't think a never noticed section is appropriate here. I have this thing I like to do when I re-watch Torchwood. I pick one character and I watch them the whole episode, even when they are not talking I look at what they are doing. That's a great way to catch brilliant moments and see things you haven't before. I've done that for this episode, for each character, several times. Last night was Ianto but unintentionally, I really was trying to pay attention to the whole cast but my eyes kept drifting. My point, I noticed it all before.

WTF Moments:

The difference between Gwen in Series 1 and 2. I know that time has passed, I think they general consensus is 3 months? But talk about a transformation. From one episode to the next she went to this whiny brat who is insanely self-centered making a mistake every other episode to a competent leader. Don't get me wrong I am thrilled about it, I really found her almost entirely inoffensive this episode but it does seem sudden. Part of that I'm sure is to do with the fact I am watching an episode a day and part of it is probably intentional. We've been away for a season and so has Jack. He comes back and things have changed since he's been gone. I think he was supposed to be surprised with how well they coped and so were we.  I was. That being said I still get cheating ho vibe from her and I still get the feeling she's acting with her heart instead of her brain, which we've seen gets her in trouble. And she really shouldn't have let John get behind her. I rolled my eyes at that.

Jack makes me want to yell! At the start of the episode he looks square at Ianto and tells him he came back for him (don't argue this point, that's what happened, watch again if you disagree). Then he says the same thing to Gwen! Then he asks Ianto out and makes it seem like he wanted them both I am so confused! I refuse to think that Ianto is his second choice. I hate when people say that. Regardless of feelings he may have for Gwen he perused Ianto when he could have easily had Gwen. He said he came back for Ianto before that scene with Gwen. This just makes me all confused inside. I think we're supposed to feel the conflict but it makes me sad. Ianto is amazing, easy decision here.

After he's handled the team John heads back to the Hub and steals the triangle thingy off of the dead blowfish. Why was it still there? Team Torchwood seems to have an ongoing problem leaving things behind. Wouldn't they have searched the body? Shouldn't that weird metal thing have been archived by now? I don't know that seems like a slip up.

Gwen punches people a lot. Maybe she should consider anger management? She's very violent isn't she? In this episode alone she shoves Jack and then slugs John. And that scene we've all seen from Miracle Day literally the first thing we see of her is her punching someone. Gwen likes to talk with her fist.

Why did they let John go? He's killed people and tried to kill everyone on the team. He's a generally not good guy with no remorse. He's almost certainly going to harm people again. So why did they not detain him? I mean isn't that what they do with evil aliens? It seemed weird that they just let him go. I guess Jack was thinking he's better off being someone elses problem but why trust him to stay away? Bad call Jack. I get that he was emotional for a lot of reasons but letting him go is part of the reason he was free to cause havoc the second time around. Even though, well, you know.

Random Rants:

Jack/John/Ianto is the best thing ever. The not actual love triangle was a genius genius move. John and Jack are hysterical together and they play off each other so well. The reactions it get's out of Ianto are priceless. The moments between John and Ianto and Jack and Ianto are so well done. The three of them together are perfect, well scripted, well acted and endlessly interesting. There's a lot of fanfic to come out of this one episode and those three characters. Love them.

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

John Hart. John played by the incomparable James Marsters is such an asset to the cast. The character was written with him in mind and very much caters to his specific brand of charm and cheek. The questions the character's presence brings up and the reaction everyone has to him are great. He's the star of this episode.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

After watching this time I had trouble choosing. My first inclination was to say Gareth because even though I was trying to pay attention to everyone he kept grabbing my attention. Then I thought James because it really is a John episode and he's so great as John and that deserves to be noticed. I briefly considered John but as far as this episode I think he's just a little outshone by Gareth and James. Then I thought maybe I'd just have it shared by the three of them but that seemed like a cop out. So I decided to go with my first thought. I'm going to say Gareth because in every single scene he's doing something worth watching. He's hilarious in this episode and had some tender times as well. I literally couldn't take my eyes off of him. Also, because he gave us my favorite thing in this whole episode, orgy consideration face. It happened. Here it is:

If you don't remember this watch the last scene with John in the Hub again. They zoom in on him and it's hysterical. Gareth gets it for the sheer brilliance of his face throughout. Don't even get me started on the patent Ianto eye roll.

Episode Grade:

A+
This episode is practically perfect in every way. I say practically because there is that painful to watch Jack and Gwen moment that I prefer to forget. Despite all that it's one of my favorite episodes and I can't stop watching it. Chris Chibnall continues to be my favorite Torchwood writer (Miracle Day excluded). This episode had just the right amounts of angst and humor. And the office scene is a classic. I don't know one fan who doesn't list this amongst their favorite episodes.

Tomorrow's Episode: Sleeper (Series 2, Episode 2 ). 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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20 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: End of Days (Series 1 Episode 13)

Written By: Chris Chibnall (Who I think I've decided is officially my favorite Torchwood writer. TW:MD obviously not included.)

Original Air Date: 1 January 2007

Sentence Sum Up: The Rift goes crazy because Owen opened it and the team is manipulated into making it worse by opening the Rift again.

Notable New Characters:

Abaddon (I don't think there is an actor that large, probably computer generated.): Demon that is released from his prison beneath the Rift. Anyone caught in his shadow dies immediately. For more on Abaddon read The Twilight Streets Torchwood novel by Gary Russell , great book.

Favorite Quote:

Ianto: (Reading from a book) "Abaddon, the great devourer, who will lead the world into shadow..."
Jack: "Yeah, thanks, Ianto. I can do without the superstition. You people love any story that denies the randomness of existence."
Ianto: "Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better."

Never Noticed:

There's a part where Jack is checking over a body. He scans the body with a long metal instrument with a green light at the tip. It looks and sounds a lot like a sonic screwdriver. I wonder what it actually it, I bet it's sonic...

WTF Moments:

These characters all seem to have odd mood swings. Granted we don't know the time-lapse between last episode and this one but I'm assuming it's not too long. The idea is this episode is the fall-out of decisions of the last so it should be pretty immediate really. Why is Gwen OK now? Last episode she was guilt ridden and devastated and drugging her boyfriend. Why does she seem perfectly normal now? Maybe I just need to be better and noticing when someone is putting on a brave face because I had this same problem with Owen last episode. Either way it was a bit weird. I know she went back to loopy-land soon enough but it was sort of jarring.

Do we ever understand why Billis can do what he can do? I feel like it was covered somewhere and I'm just not remembering. I know it's not relevant to the episode and I'm fine just accepting it but, anyone know?

I love Fragments I think it's a brilliant episode. If you haven't seen it yet look forward to it it's wonderful. The problem with Fragments is on re-watch it makes me see a lot of moments differently and it makes me question things. I think when the show started and as it progressed RTD had various levels of details in his mind for the back-stories of each character. By the time he got to Fragments he had it all sussed out but I think on more than one occasion we can see something that seemingly conflicts with those later decided origins.

Why I am bringing this up is because of the bits in this episode with everyone seeing who they loved, who could manipulate them into opening the Rift. While the argument could be made that Owen loved Diane (you know how on the fence I am there) he definitely loved Katie. Do you really think if everyone is seeing the one person to convince them to do the worst Owen would see Diane over Katie? I know the Diane thing was more fresh in this mind but the Katie thing is a huge part of what makes Owen Owen. It's what made him so bitter towards the world, it's what made him give up on love and it's a crucial part of his character. I am not blaming this issue of the episode writer because I think this is RTD's oversight. I think he didn't yet figure out why Owen was the way he was and so Diane was the go to person. It's not a big deal. I know. Understand that I love Torchwood almost all these episodes are none-stop genius, this section really is just to nitpick so we can think it all through.

Why did Gwen kissing Jack bring him back? Explain it to me. I am trying to figure it out and I don't know. This brings us back to Cyberwoman when Jack more or less kisses Ianto back to life. The popular theory there is that Jack transferred some of his life force via kiss. And I suppose it could be the same thing with Gwen and Jack but it's not like she has a particularly powerful life force is it? Watching it this time around I started to think of Doctor Who. Remember the episode where Rose brings the Dalek back by touching it? I mean I know they were touching him before, but it's a different kind of touch. Maybe it's like that? I really don't know, it's sort of a question mark. Does anyone have theories?

Small curiosity. Why did the team leave to go get coffee at the end? Was the coffee machine a victim of the end of the world shenanigans? Also, why did so many go? Hardly seems like a 3 person job and wouldn't they want to stay with Jack who was just more dead than they've ever seen him? Maybe they thought he needed time alone. I guess we'll go with that.

One more giant WTF. And this one is fully directed towards RTD. He was at this time running both Doctor Who and Torchwood he had ultimate control so it irks me when things do not line up. Continuity should be easy as pie and even little slips ups should be avoided. THIS IS NOT A LITTLE SLIP UP! I have heard explanations as to why this isn't a mess up but I don't buy it. At the end of End of Days the TARDIS appears in the Hub. We don't see it but we hear it and we see papers flying around. Then at the beginning of Utopia (in Doctor Who) we see the same event but the TARDIS appears on the Plass above the Hub. It's inconsistent. It just is. Watch for yourself.

Random Rants:

As an obsessive Janto fan I love this episode. I love the way in every episode he writes Chris Chibnall pays special attention to them and gives them great moments even if they're not always big moments. Let's go over just a couple moments.  When the team turns against Jack. Owen goes off and Jack turns to Ianto. Jack: "Make sure you stop him" Ianto: "No." That moment had my jaw on the floor. Holy crap. And the look on Jack's face he never expected Ianto would side against him. He knows Ianto would challenge him but never turn against him. It was an emotional slap in the face. When Jack goes off on the team and is calling them all out  he condemns Ianto for the events of Cyberwoman but then he tries to tell him that he shouldn't trust the others. He's actually still looking out for him even though he's so angry. Then when Owen shoots Jack, Ianto falls to the floor beside him horrified. He pushes those feelings aside trying to remain on task but the look had me gutted. Later the team is in the streets and Abaddon descends. In that moment Jack grabs onto Ianto. He sure does. When Jack dies again and the team is in the morgue Ianto is silent and crushed, the look is absolute agony. Not to mention that lovely moment with him cuddling Jack's coat when he thinks he's gone for good. There are so many little moments, silent moments that are really telling of how much they mean to each other. Lastly, who could forget the magic moment when Jack comes back and they have the adorable kiss of adorableness. Lets all pretend we've forgotten, so I have an excuse to post the video, deal?

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

You know I don't actually have one. I think this episode was very equal. All the characters had great moments and I really wouldn't know how to choose a standout. This is going to be like the award for best ensemble, but with characters. Go with it.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

This one I can choose. Eve Myles for sure. She had a lot of really tough scenes. She had breakdowns and moments of rage and she even successfully pretended to hate Jack! She was outstanding, in every moment. Of course Gwen I have less that positive feelings for but Eve nailed it. The way she clinged to Rhys, all those moments she really made me believe that Gwen loves him. Even if she's a skanky cheater. Gwen, not Eve. She had more than one great scene with John as well, great pair work. Eve is insanely talented. Fact.

Episode Grade:

A
I'm giving it an A and not an A+ even though it's an incredible episode. The fact of the matter is this episode is amazing but it is just a little less amazing that my favorites. It's not the episode I watch over and over again. It's just missing that intangible something that would've awarded it the +. But it's a hell of a season closer. So much happening, so intense and what a depressing ending! I can't imagine what it was like watching live, seeing Jack take off and not knowing what's going to happen to Torchwood the whole time between series. I would have gone mad. Great cliffhanger.

Tomorrow's Episode: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (Series 2, Episode 1). 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

Countdown
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21 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Captain Jack Harkness  (Series 1 Episode 12)

Written By: Catherine Tregenna (Who also wrote Out of Time)

Original Air Date: 1 January 2007

Sentence Sum-Up: Jack and Tosh get trapped in 1941 where they meet the real Captain Jack Harkness.

Notable New Characters:

Captain Jack Harkness, Real (Matt Rippy): RAF Captian who has one more day to live in 1941. The chap whose name our Jack stole. We didn't expect him to be so hot.

*To avoid confusion we're gonna refer to our Jack as Jack and the Real Captain Jack Harkness as Captain Harkness from now on. And yes I stole that from Wikipedia*

Bilis Manger (Murray Melvin): Caretaker of a dance hall from the 40s. He can travel through time. He causes a lot of trouble in this episode and the next. Wears a cravat.

Favorite Quote:

Tosh: "I'm not used to writing with these things!"
Jack: "Don't press so hard."

Never Noticed:

Jack is wearing his dress shoes out for when they get trapped in the dance hall. Not his boots as he usually does. I s'pose he could have put them on because he was going to a dance hall. Doesn't really bother me.

When the alarms go off at the hall and Jack finds Tosh they grab each others hands and it's adorable. I have such a friendship crush on them. My favorite thing about this episode is it's a fully Jack and Tosh episode, what a great team. Oh and Jack being so protective of Tosh. Just love. So much love for them together.

As the episode progressed Ianto comes apart more and more. Obviously the panic sets in, the idea they might not get Tosh and Jack back and he's dealing with an irrational Owen. But I love that he also starts to show it in his wardrobe. He starts off with his dress shirt and waistcoat pristine. Then he rolls up his sleeves. Then his waistcoat is undone. It's so subtle and they never show him doing it it's wonderful. What a lovely touch.

WTF Moments:

I am confused by Jack. Jack starts the episode on the same page as Tosh. They are trying to send the equations to the Hub so that the rest of the team can open the rift and bring them back. But at the end of the episode Owen brings them back and Jack is furious that Owen opened it. In the next episode he goes off on him and says that they are never to open the rift ever but it seems like he contradicting himself. Some people suggest he's upset because he did it when the equations weren't complete but that doesn't seem to be his point. Jack is wishy washy on this point and it irks me at least a little.

Magic finding powers. Every time I watch this episode I wonder about why Gwen can find every clue Tosh left her and Owen can find the piece to make the rift manipulator work. I don't get it. It all seems too easy, why would either have thought to look in those places. I know it's not a hugely important point but it bugs me.

I talked in my They Keep Killing Suzie blog about this but Jack and Ianto's relationship confuses me. I love them, you all know by now I am team Janto but there is a lot to be desired with what is shown on screen. No, I am not just being a perv and demanding sex scenes but we seem to miss a lot of steps in their relationship and a lot of times what we miss makes it all seem out of order. It leaves things wide open for interpretation but it makes it hard to know if I should be upset or not. On the one hand we have Ianto in the Hub, who clearly is invested in Jack and is talking like something is going on. AND THEN we have Jack in 1941 who when asked if he has a girlfriend says "No, there's no one". NO ONE!? IANTO IS NO ONE!? And it's not like he was being vague or iffy, he wasn't saying he didn't have a girlfriend, he specified NO ONE.  I wonder what Jack is getting at! Is he just lying because he wants a shot with himself? I just don't know how to interpret this. It makes me sad and the whole thing wreaks of Jack leaving Ianto pining and cheating. I wish we had a proper explanation of the order of events between Jack and Ianto, Someone make an official time-line and fill in the blanks. RTD I'm looking at you!!

Random Rants:

When Jack is in the dance hall he specifically turns down a drink and says he'll just have water. We hardly ever see him drinking alcohol and it's almost always when he's really upset. It's accepted amongst fans that Jack hardly ever drinks and a lot of people have guessed as to why. Someone mentioned that there was an official account in a novel or something of that sort that said his FPP (Fixed Point Predicament) made it so alcohol doesn't effect him. If that's the case OK but why would he do it sometimes then? He seems to do it when he's down like others do, to try to numb the pain, which seems to imply he can be effected. I really don't understand the specifics. I don't know that there is a perfect explanation.

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

Ianto. Holy hell does Ianto step it up this episode! He takes charge of the situation and even though we see him falling apart he doesn't let the situation get away from him. He guides Gwen, he puts Owen in his place and he doesn't back down. He remains rational despite what he might want and he keeps true to his principles to the point where he shoots Owen to try to keep things together. Ianto handles business this episode.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

Of course Jack was a huge part of this episode and a big part of the story it tells. We find out more about Jack in this episode both factually and emotionally in this one episode that we have in all of Doctor Who and Torchwood to date. It is without a doubt a Jack episode and I don't mean to demean the characters contribution by giving the last category to Ianto but it felt right. That being said John is the outstanding actor in this. It's a great job by Burn, Gareth, Naoko and Matt as well, everyone was spot on and really I struggle choosing standouts every episode. This episode John Barrowman stole the show, absolutely without a doubt. He so suits the time period and the subtext of this story. Every single moment he's on screen you are effected, every line he delivers every look he gives you feel something. Most of the time you're heart is breaking for him and at times you are elated for him and what it's like for him being back in that time. You fall in 'love' with him. You feel every moment of Jack's journey. John Barrowman killed it. End.

This video. Best thing ever.

Episode Grade:

A+
You've heard my issues with this episode. They exist. This is not a perfect episode but it gets a perfect grade because despite any hangups I have it's is a beautiful episode with beautiful performances and I am weepy every watching. It's got something intangible that makes it perfect despite any flaws. It's perfect in it's own way. I love it. A+

Tomorrow's Episode: End of Days (Series 1, Episode 13). 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

Countdown
All "Countdown" Blogs

22 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Combat (Series 1 Episode 11)

Written By: Noel Clarke

Original Air Date: 24 December 2006

Sentence Sum-Up: Owen infiltrates Weevil fight club.

Notable New Characters:

Mark Lynch (Alex Hassell): Realtor by day sleazy Weevil fight club member by night.

Janet (Paul Kasey): Torchwood's pet Weevil, we've seen her before but she was a major star in this episode.

Favorite Quote:

Tosh: "You want to release a Weevil in the middle of Cardiff? "
Jack: "Not exactly in the middle, a little to the side."

Never Noticed:

Noel Clarke!! The fellow who plays Mickey in Doctor Who wrote this episode. Apparently he writes as well as acts! That came out of nowhere and I've certainly never noticed it.

At Mark's place there is a giant photo of a boxing match on the wall. That's a bit on the nose isn't it? That would be like a serial killer having a Dexter poster up. Although I don't know maybe a serial killer would have a Dexter poster up...How about if Jack put an X-Files poster up in the Hub?

Mark says very randomly "Something's coming, out there in the darkness, something's coming" a very oddly place warning and the first we've heard of something lurking in the darkness since Suzie made a similar comment in They Keep Killing Suzie I never noticed that moment and I am wondering about it now. With Suzie it made sense, she had been dead, seen things, why would Mark say that? I think we're supposed to wonder, they are laying hints for the season closer but how do they explain Mark saying that? Is he influenced by someone?

After she tells Rhys the truth and Retcons him (and trust me I'm getting to that) Gwen shows up and the Hub with pizza boxes. Very reminiscent of the first episode and she seems just as lost. I wonder if that was intentional.

WTF Moments:

At the start of the episode Owen is acting normal and he sort of rapidly swings into a suicidal rage/depression. He gets quiet once he's alone with Gwen and then goes off on her and switches into meltdown mode the rest of the episode. If it was supposed to be him trying to fake that he was fine he did it too well. I really thought Owen was over it and then I had the rug pulled out from under me.

Jellied Eels. Has to be said, Tosh is brilliant in this episode. She goes from sticking up for Weevil rights with Jack to creating a seriously thought out cover for Owen. She's amazing and not a bit catty this episode. But jellied eels? C'mon Tosh you can do better than that.

Boys and fighting. I am so over it. Fight club was good but if I said I understood the impulse men has to fight I would be lying. I don't get it, men are weird. But if we're accepting that that's the case fine. I just don't like it, I give it a WTF for sheer disdain, ti doesn't interest me, it was the focus of the episode and I didn't care.

To add to that I am giving a complete WTF to them first off using the Weevils in the fight club but especially to Mark for keeping one in his upstairs lair to beat when he feels like it. That's ridiculous and horrible. I get that hes supposed to be horrible but really? That's one step up from puppy kicker.

Owen. Owen is way over the top and all over the place. I've already mentioned his sudden change in mood that didn't feel right but I also think Owen is overreacting. I think even if he loved her, which honestly I'm not sold on being able to love someone so thoroughly in so short a time, he's being a bitch about it! Suck it up, people lose their lovers all the time they don't all go crazy suicidal! I think there needs to be another explanation for his reaction, keep reading I will mention a thought in my random rants about that.

The dead guy's phone. Why did they leave it in the Hub? Seems a little silly. They wouldn't want to keep it for things like convenient texts with location data? And how about the texter? The person notifying members of Weevil fight club? They know that Torchwood has the phone (the talked to each other) why would they still send the address? Is it a mass text and they didn't think? That seems off. Or are they setting them up for a trap? It really seems someone didn't think something trough. I just don't like this bit.

Random Rants:

I love Jack and Tosh in this episode. I am really noticing the way they play off each other on this time through the series and both John and Naoko are great. I adore the scene with the phone ringing on the corpse and the ringer. It was funny. Tosh: "Don't answer it" Jack: *answers it*. I love that that is there relationship. Also, was I the only one thinking Jack can't let a phone ring? The Dead Line? Anyone?

Gwen, Gwen, Gwen. Let me tell you, Gwen needs a good slap. I am so over her. I am so over it. I am done giving her a second chance, I think I hate her more now than last time I watched! Let the bashing begin! First of all, how self centered is she!? She is whining at Owen about her problems when he's dealing with something and she's just going on and on. If I was Owen i would've gone off on her too. When she confessed to Rhys what she'd been doing, or who rather, I thought maybe she's redeeming herself. Maybe I'll forgive her and so will Rhys. Even though I knew it was coming it was still a knock when she told Rhys she'd drugged him. What is wrong with her!? You either want to come clean or you don't! She doesn't get to unburden herself and not face any consequences. That just makes her a worse person! Rhys calls her a selfish bitch and man do I agree. Later in the episode she's broken up about it and crying, I think we're supposed to feel bad for her but really she deserves to feel bad. She's supposed to be this huge hearted person who loves to much. Hell of a way of showing it! Hussy!! OK. I feel better, I will now try giving her another chance. I don't want to hate this character. I think Eve Myles is great.

Owen asks "Do you always know what's best Jack?" I've never thought about it but having watched later episodes and knowing how Owen came to Torchwood and how Jack seemed to him do you think that is where a bit of this is coming from? And do you think his past heartbreak is a factor in why he's crumbling emotionally? I hope so, if I believe there is more too it that what we are shown here I feel bad for Owen, otherwise he comes off a bit too whiny.

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

Even though she didn't have a big part I'm going to say Tosh. She wasn't overly featured but she got things done. She's a clever one as I described earlier and she added bits to the episode to make me like it more. Every time she was on the screen I was happy to see her. Yay Tosh.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

I'm going to surprise you all and say Eve. The fact that I am so annoyed and I so want to slap Gwen, that I could get so revved up, is a testament to how brilliant Eve Myles is. She is a very convincing selfish shrew and that's not easy to do. I believe she's Gwen and while I hate everything the character does, it seems authentic she genuinely seems like a horrible person who is struggling with all her horrible actions. Well played Eve.

Episode Grade:

B-
I flip-flopped about what to give this. Sometimes I think I hate this episode. Sometimes I think it's average. I gave it a B- because it's not as good as the others but I'm not sure it's as terrible as I sometimes think it is. Certainly not a favorite or mine but it does have some good points. Ok pretty much it's just Tosh and the good cop/bad cop Jack/Ianto scene. But those make up for the rest I think.

Tomorrow's Episode:Captain Jack Harkness  (Series 1, Episode 12). 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

Countdown
All "Countdown" Blogs

23 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Out of Time (Series 1 Episode 10)

Written By: Catherine Tregenna

Original Air Date: 17 December 2006

Sentence Sum-Up: Three travelers from 1953 come through the Rift and struggle assimilate.

Notable New Characters:

Diane Holmes (Louise Delamere): A pilot who came through the Rift in her plane. Her and Owen fall in love. Rather quickly.

John Ellis (Mark Lewis Jones): Shop owner and family man who came through the Rift in Diane's plane. He has a particularly hard time with the current state of the world. He doesn't see the point in living if it's not in the life he's built for himself.

Emma-Louise Cowell (Olivia Hallinan): A young woman who came through the Rift in Daine's plane. She has a passion for fashion that she puts to use in her new life in the 21st century. I'm obsessed with her pink coat. And her lapel pin.

Favorite Quote:

Diane amazed at the door opening: "How did it do that?"
Ianto: "It's automatic. It knows you're there."
Diane: "But how?"
Ianto: "There are wave bouncing detectors which emit high-frequency radio waves and then look for reflections—"
Diane: "Bananas!"
Ianto: "Of course bananas are far more interesting."

Never Noticed:

Let's start with what is now my new favorite scene in this episode. It's just random and adorable. I am posting the YouTube of it below it starts at 8:50:

It's just a scene that needs to be in there to get the story from point A to point B but the actions that go along with the words are enjoyable! I'm gonna walk you through the breakdown.

In the first scene we see letters on the Sky Gypsy and when I went to read it one character or another kept getting in the way. And all I could make out with the start and end of it. The start was G and the end was DL. GDL. I thought I was seeing things. For the record the full letters on the plane turned out to be G-AIDL.

Emma is wearing a lapel pin. And it looks a bit like a larger version of the pin Ianto's been wearing. It will haunt me forever. Someone ask Gareth what the story is!

Tosh and Jack. Over the last few episodes whenever Jack is struggling he ends up with Tosh and he acts differently around her. In the episode with Estelle you see him drinking. In this episode after John dies, he is lounging on the couch in a way that is very stripped away from his Captain persona. It's subtle but he's getting used to confiding in her and when she asks questions he tends to answer. I like their relationship.

WTF Moments:

I have none. This episode is wonderfully written without any major flaws or upsetting moments. I suppose my new favorite scene I discussed before could be slightly WTF. No, not really, just the picture on the wall. No idea what that's about.

Random Rants:

Owen in this episode. It's the first episode we really get into Owen and it's the first time we see the more redeeming qualities he has. I think most Owen fans starter to really like him in this episode. As Cyberwoman and Greeks Bearing Gifts where introductions to the depths of Ianto and Tosh, this was Owen's coming out, so to speak. Upon reflection the episode doesn't feel as much about him as it does about Jack but it is the start of Owen's development as a character and an Owen-centric story arch.

Really lovely acting by Burn and Louise (Diane). Their on-screen chemistry is phenomenal and their characters really challenge each other. I think it was a surprising relationship but one that really worked. Ultimately I think they had to get rid of Diane, I couldn't see her as a constant presence on the show or in Owen's life. She works better as a tragedy Owen has lived through than a brightness in his life.

Gwen in this episode, part 1. This writer really likes to put Gwen in her place and focus on the flaws in the character. She has Rhys call her out for lying and he makes a statement about how easy it is for her to lie. And during a talk with Emma about the 21st century and sex Emma says "I'm really not the kind of girl who sleeps around"  and Gwen goes sheet white. It's sort of brilliant. I think the writer really wanted Gwen to feel like shit for what she's done. Let me get this right, we're supposed to relate to Gwen and like her because she's flawed? I am not that flawed.

Gwen in this episode, part 2.We see in her protectiveness of Emma the starts of Mama Gwen. We see that she is over-protective and controlling. Emma is no one to her but she's trying to police her life. I think this is exactly what Anwen has to look forward to. "Don't talk to strangers, call me when you get there" and a sex talk about how it's ok to sleep around for fun but that sex should be special. And poor Anwen is going to be locked up as soon as she's old enough to walk. If she has a prayer of a life outside Gwen's meddling it's via intervention through Rhys.

The next paragraph has SPOILERS FOR CHILDREN OF EARTH I feel sort of silly putting spoiler alerts on COE forever but I know some STILL don't know. I am being over-cautious because it's such a huge spoiler.

The scene where John and Jack die in the car. They are gassed to death....in Ianto's car. If I didn't know better I would think that was tragic foreshadowing for what happens to Ianto in COE. I so know better because we know they kept meaning to kill Ianto and they only finally got around to it in COE. I belive he was supposed to die in Cyberwoman and I know for a fact it was supposed to be him rather than Owen dying and returning. The just kept keeping him longer because they loved him. And then...well, day 4. Just a funny observation.  Also, do you think he kept that car? The car his (maybe) lover and another died in? It's a bit disturbing.

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

Know who I really love who always stands out in this episode? Emma. Emma is a great gal who really takes control of her life and adapts to the situation well. She's cute as a button and she's spunky. She really makes the worst of a terrible situation and she' the poster child for Rift victims. Olivia plays her brilliantly and it's just a stand-out role.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

I want to be fair but I want to be honest about my feelings. It seems like I'm supposed to give this to Burn Gorman and he did have a great episode but as I mentioned before I think Jack stands out more and John definitely does. I don't know how many will agree but I think John Barrowman is a scene-stealer in this even if most of his scenes are him reacting as opposed to acting. I think that's actually much harder to act and the complex array of emotions Jack went through really pushed John. I love seeing Jack's reaction to people from that time. He's so nostalgic and also sad. He's struggling with their difficulties and trying to avoid those dilemma's within himself. John asks Jack to not condemn him to live. Talk about on the nose. I think this is an episode we got to see a lot of the sadness to Jack's character just by his response to the guest characters. When thinking back on this episode, my thought's linger on Jack, not Owen and that's down to John I think.

Episode Grade:

A+
This episode is nearly flawless. I can't complain about anything. I think it's just great. I had the hardest time writing this blog because I had no idea how to narrow down towns of brilliant moments, quotes and performances. I have a talent crush on Catherine Tregenna, she's killed it. It's easier for me to go on about things I hate, when I love something this much I just have no words. End.

Tomorrow's Episode: Combat (Series 1, Episode 11). 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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24 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Random Shoes (Series 1 Episode 9) 

Written By: Jacquetta May 

Original Air Date: 10 December 20061 

Sentence Sum-Up: Gwen can't resist the urge to investigate when Torchwood groupie Eugene Jones dies.

Notable New Characters: 

Eugene Jones (Paul Chequer): Torchwood groupie and alien artifact collector who dies in a hit and run accident. He sticks around, as a ghost, to help Gwen investigate his untimely end.  He has a alien eye that turns out to actually be an alien eye. He's in love with Gwen who never payed him attention while he was alive. Adorable despite his quirks.

Gary (Celyn Jones): Eugene's best friend. Worst person ever. He pretty much caused Eugene's death and screwed him over. But we're supposed to forgive him because he's sad about it.

Favorite Quote: 

Eugene: [narrating] The average life is full of near misses and absolute hits, of great love and small disasters. It's made up of banana milkshakes, loft insulation, and random shoes. It's dead ordinary and truly truly amazing. What you've got to realize is it's all here now. So breathe deep and swallow it whole because take it from me, life just whizzes by.

Never Noticed: 

When they leave the accident site and return to the Hub Tosh says "Couldn't even cross the road without messing it up." Not only do I not recall that line I am starting to realize that in the early episodes, in addition to being quiet, Tosh is selectively catty. That was just mean and uncalled for. Was that necessary? Even if he was annoying and followed them around she had to reminisce about the dead and emphasize he was a failure? I'm not loving this side of Tosh.

I never noticed how often we see the Torchwood screen saver. But I have in these last few episodes. I sort of love it.

WTF Moments:

Eugene can't touch anything but he can sit in the SUV. I know that the idea withe ghosts in general is they can get around but they can't effect things. But it never made sense to me why they can touch the ground of sit in a seat. I was always more pleased with ghosts that float slightly. I don't know. I realize that I'm just supposed to accept it, but I don't want to!

When Gwen and Owen are having a tiff he says she should just do Eugene's autopsy herself. And he start to go over it, like he is actually going to talk her through it. And she picks up the scalpel and goes for him. I know that he's dead and she can't kill him, but I also don't think she's qualified for this. ANd really an autopsy? There was nothing suspicious about how Eugene died I'm not even sure why she's compelled to investigate what led up to it. I guess it's Eugene lingering, making her want to. But really Gwen is being unreasonable. Even if she lucks into a find.

How many people does Gwen kiss? Other than Rhys her boyfriend! I feel like she's kissed everyone! And slept with Owen as well. What for? What is wrong with her? Loose lips is officially getting on my nerves. I adore Rhys. Whatever, Eugene get's a kiss, she's handing them out!

Random Rants:

The food in this episode. Let me tell you, every time I watch, or even think about watching I get cravings! Now I really want 2 eggs ham and chips. And then I want a banana milkshake. I cannot tell you how hard it is to get a banana milkshake in the US! I usually have to make them myself. Every time I watch. Now I'm hungry. I wonder if John likes banana milkshakes, we know he's fond of bananas. Mind out of the gutter people, he likes fruit is all I'm saying! 

Ianto. There needs to be more Ianto. There are certainly episodes in the first series where he is lacking bit for some reason this one always stands out. I always spend the whole time thinking, I wish Ianto was in this scene. I know it's not a particularly team heavy episode in general but, worth mentioning. I miss Ianto.

Last night watching with the @BarrowmanDayy twitter followers I noticed a trend. Most fans do not like this episode. They don't think it feels like Torchwood and some went so far as to say it was their least favorite episode ever. I had to think about this. Going in I was feeling positive, I generally count it amongst the episodes I quite like because I did like Eugene.  And so I watched it again and I listened to all the complaints and I think I've sussed out the issue.

It goes without saying that this is a particularly team light episode. Most of the story is told from Eugene and Gwen helps him along. I think it's a great idea that didn't quite come together as hoped. If I had to guess I am going to assume they were trying to duplicate the success of episodes of Doctor Who where we get a story having very little to do with the Doctor and we hardly see him. The obvious example (and it's not the only one) is Blink. Now blink is a brilliant episode and considered by many fans casual and dedicated to be their favorite. So what worked so well with Blink that was missing in Random Shoes? 

I think it was the villain honestly. There really wasn't one was there? There was a mystery and a interesting character telling a story but there was no overarching intensity making us forget that we haven't seen the characters we're accustomed to. I think the weeping angels could have made us forget that Jack was missing (if only for a while). It felt a bit like a filler episode with a specific purpose. They wanted to focus on Gwen and they wanted to do it in a way where there was no real danger so it made sense she was on her own. They wanted to prove that she was capable of doing something right, but I'm not sure they even did that. While she solved the case it was more out of luck and help from Eugene. I think this could have been a great episode but just ended up OK because still green not really threatened Gwen Cooper isn't enough to hold our attention. At least not yet.

MVC (Most Valuable Character)/MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

Don't really need separate sections today. It's Eugene Jones and Paul Chequer. He really is the main character of the episode. He carries it and he manages to make us care about him in a very short time. Despite my outlined issues overall the one thing they got quite right was Eugene. He was heartbreakingly adorable and I didn't even begrudge him being in love with Gwen. He was interesting and sad and quirky and Paul acted that beautifully. He's really the hero of this episode and the best thing about it, hands down. Well there was also that shirt Jack was wearing...but no Eugene was good.

Episode Grade:

B-
I thought this episode would grade higher going in. I remembered it fondly but I think now I am being a more critical viewer. It's a little sad that my fan goggles aren't on blinding me to weak episodes. This was a weak episode. It's not bad, it just doesn't measure up. I'll give it a B- it was slightly below par. But I liked Eugene. I was sad to see him go.

Tomorrow's Episode: Out of Time (Series 1, Episode 10). 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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25 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: They Keep Killing Suzie (Series 1 Episode 8)

Written By: Paul Tomalin and Dan McCulloch

Original Air Date: 3 December 2006

1 Sentence Sum-Up:When the team is forced to resurrect Suzie she tries to stay alive by stealing the life from Gwen.

New Characters:

Kathy Swanson (Yasmin Bannerman): A police Detective who calls in Torchwood when a series of murders are linked to them. She resents Torchwood and Jack for being entitled and cocky. Which to be fair they sort of are.

Favorite Quote:

Ianto: "If... you're interested, I've still got that stopwatch."
Jack: "So? "
Ianto: "Well. Think about it. Lots of things you can do with a stopwatch."
Jack: "Oh. Yeah. I could think of a few."
Ianto: "There's quite a list."
Jack: "I'll send the others home early. See you in my office in... ten."
Ianto: "That's ten minutes, and counting."

(I had the hardest time choosing here, "there's quite a list" of great quotes in this episode. So I went with the popular vote and the scene I think we all quote more often than any other.)

Never Noticed:

I don't remember them coming across the Emily Dickinson book in Suzie's storage unit. I think maybe that was a bit too on the nose putting that there and in their mind. I think Jack could have just realized that that poem part was Dickinson, or Ianto. Both really know a lot, Jack because he's been around so long and Ianto because he knows everything. Not that it matters really, except for one thing....keep reading for that in the WTF moments section.

On two separate occasions Owen mentions Ianto's stopwatch which we haven't seen before. Have we? I feel like it came out of nowhere and now they are making a big point of it. It's certainly more present later, but again I think they over emphasized it. While I love all the stopwatch moments I think it was a little over the top. And then of course it becomes an important part of the episode with the famous "stopwatch scene" I feel like this episode sets things up in a way that is sort of heavy-handed.

There's a height chart in the interrogation room. And very randomly placed. It seems like where they would take mugshots, which I just can't imagine. And they never use it in the show as far as I recall. I wonder why they chose to put it in and in that spot.

There's a pair of 3D glasses hanging from the lamp in Jack's office. Presumably they belonged to the Doctor. Didn't spot that before. I have read about Jack having a pair lying around in fanfic and it's mentioned he found them in the ruins of Torchwood 1. I think that's likely the case.

WTF Moments:

When they are at the club and Gwen is about to be attacked Suzie spots it on the CCTV and warns her. From later in the episode we know Suzie has no issue with Gwen dying. So I'm wondering why she warned her. Is it because she needs her to remain alive so she can continue to siphon life off of her? I assume that's it but if anyone has other ideas, let me know. Not so much a WTF moment, rather just a curious one.

There's a conversation between Gwen and Jack where she questions his willingness to kill Suzie if the need arises. Why? Why would she think he's incapable of being ruthless when just last episode he killed Mary without a second thought. I know it's a bit more personal this time but previously in the episode it's' established that no one was particularly close to Suzie or knew anything about her. Really not a crushing dilemma for Jack. But turns out Gwen is a bit of a pessimist, she really does always assume the worst in a situation and doubts the capabilities of people. It's really starting to bum me out.

When they are trying to get out of lock-down and have made the assumption te key is also to do with Emily Dickinson. Tosh says "Try the ISBN, each book has a different number". That was quick thinking by Tosh and she's absolutely right. But she is right. And that's a problem here. At least it is with something as vague as a book of poems by Emily Dickinson. There are tons and tons of versions of Emily Dickinson collections and even if it's the complete works there are different editions. And each edition has a different ISBN number. Detective Swanson has someone buy her a book of Emily Dickinson poetry and we see it's not the same edition as the one found in Suzie's things. Showing us that book in the beginning makes this even more unrealistic. That was not the edition we saw in Suzie's stuff and presumably that is the edition she would have used in creating the code. So the ISBN from a different edition would not work to override the lock-down. It just wouldn't.

Random Rants:

The best thing about this episode for me is easily Jack in the sea-foam green shirt and burgundy braces. It's my favorite look of Jack in any series including Doctor Who and including nude moments. Seriously he looks amazing. It's not really a rant so much as a mention and a reason to post the following picture.

And the picture is a good segway into my other rant. I want to talk about the stopwatch scene. The implication of the scene is Jack is upset and Ianto offers to make it better with sexy favors of undisclosed sorts. A lot of people comment that this is awfully forward of Ianto considering this is the first time we've seen Ianto return Jack's affection outside of the odd cheeky comment. They pair have only kissed so far and it was technically a one-sided resuscitation. So how did we jump from mostly one-sided flirting, that just last episode I said I didn't assume would ever go anywhere, to casual offers of sex?

It seem sudden because it is. I love Jack and Ianto and their relationship and I love every moment we get to see of them. However, I am not the only one to criticize that there seem to be very big gaps in their story that happen off screen. It's not that they should spoon feed us every milestone but they shouldn't make such huge leaps and blindside us or have things feel out of order. We're on episode 8 and it seems like they are having sex. This is episode 8 but we don't see a first kiss until the series closer, episodes away. And we don't see a first proper kiss until episode 3 of the next series! And yet we're supposed to keep in the back of our minds they have been intimate before those moments? The main sections people point out as missing is this jump from flirting to sex and the jump from series 2 and Children of Earth. That time lapse takes them from fooling around to seemingly serious relationship forcing issues and causing Jack to be an ass hat.

The question then arises concerning when Jack and Ianto got together or if this really is out of nowhere. If we assume they have been together previously it likely happened between Small Worlds and Greek's Bearing Gifts. It's either that or we accept that Ianto could have been cheating on Lisa. While that's a sometimes good theory for fanfic purposes I just don't buy it. He loved Lisa and jack was just his boss who flirted. The more I think about it and the more I think or Ianto the way I see Ianto I think this has to have been the first time. I don't think they had any sort of physical relationship before then, not even a kiss (Cyberwoman discounted for obvious reasons). I think first of all that people underestimate Ianto and forget that he does have a backbone and does in fact initiate most of he and Jack's relationship. Pay attention as we go forward I wouldn't put it past Ianto to proposition Jack out of the blue.

And then consider that Jack is hurting and Ianto knows that. Ianto wants to comfort him and maybe the only way he can think of to do that is physically. Maybe in a moment of compassion he gives himself to Jack, for the first time and maybe that's it. Maybe their relationship doesn't properly start then. Maybe Ianto  and Jack question what they did and there are lingering concerns and feeling that they don't pursue again immediately. If we accept this scenario, that kiss at the end of the series could have been a surprise in the moment but seemingly comfortable because they had been together once before. And perhaps the series 2 kiss and the date proposition were firsts. Perhaps it was them exploring a relationship for the first time outside of the isolated incident? I've never thought of it that way but I think I kind of like that story better than the working theories out there. Really it's all speculation, we may never know the full story of Jack and Ianto's relationship. What do you think? Watch the scene again and "think about it."

And "if you're interested" there is a great animated video of this scene and more that is sort of adorable. Man I really can't help quoting it, can I?

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

Suzie I suppose would be. She's in the title and she really is the center of the episode. She's particularly sinister in her planning to return to life and seemingly heartless. It's an interesting character who I genuinely dislike. But that's a good thing right? We can't all be Suzie sympathizers like Gwen. Bringing her back was a great twist and really gave us a lot of honest reactions from the surrounding characters. She was good for this episode, but I'm glad she didn't linger any longer.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

Tough one. I don't think Suzie had enough impressive moments on her own to give it to Indira. And Gwen who is arguably the other "main character" is not really up for it, Even played sick and unconscious for a good chunk of the episode. So I am going to say it was John on this one. John had a number of big moments. We saw Jack take control in a situation that was sticky to say the least. He did what had to be done and John portrayed the the silent conflict a leader can never show perfectly. And his flirting throughout with Gareth's Ianto was just enjoyable, they play so well off each other. Great performance by John.

Episode Grade:

B.
I went back and forth a lot on my grade here. I decided on B because B is solid but not exceptional. There are exceptional moments but there are too many off-putting moments (see my WTF moments section) to rate it any higher. I think the flaw was mainly in the writing, it was a little too spelled out. I don't think the audience needs that much. I don't know. I'm sticking with B, read the blog again and you'll see why I feel that way.

Tomorrow's Episode: Random Shoes  (Series 1, Episode 9). 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

Countdown
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26 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Greeks Bearing Gifts (Series 1 Episode 7)

Written By: Toby Whithouse

Original Air Date: 26 November 2006

1 Sentence Sum-Up: Tosh encounters a mysterious woman with a pendant that grants the wearer telepathic abilities.

New Characters:

Mary (Daniela Denby-Ashe): A woman Tosh meets that turns out to be an evil alien. Tosh falls for her and then Jack kills her.

Favorite Quote:

Ianto: [Thinking] "Can't imagine a time when this isn't everything. Pain so constant, like my stomach's full of rats. Feels like this is all I am now. There isn't an inch of me that doesn't hurt." [Out loud] "I’m about to brew some of Jack’s industrial strength coffee. Would you like a cup?"
Tosh: "I’m … fine, thanks Ianto."

Never Noticed:

There's an empty birdcage in Tosh's apartment. I'm curious as to it's implications. Is it just a decoration of did she have a bird that she neglected and either killed or had to give up?  Could it be a very clever metaphor for her life? She's an empty birdcage? Missing the essentials of what gives a birdcage purpose or makes a life worth living? And is it because she spends all of her time at Torchwood? Either that OR I am reading waaaaaaaay too much into an empty birdcage. Probably that, yea.

I swear I am not making this up. There is a giant dragon mural on a wall at the Hub. I don't remember which scene we saw it in, but it's visible behind Tosh. It's so random, but I think I'm ok with it. Torchwood 3 could use a bit of Welsh pride.

Maybe I noticed but I at least don't recall the greatness of Jack's outfit when he's on the phone to the Prime Minister. It's worth noting when he's not in his signature blue but to be in stripes and burgundy braces? Thrilling. I haven't been this excited by a wardrobe change since Ianto in jeans...oh wait that was last episode.

WTF Moments:

In the tent a conversation between Gwen and Owen makes it clear to Tosh they've been intimate and Tosh shoots Gwen a look of shear disdain. I never noticed it but I was happy Tosh did, what the heck Gwen? It's not like she doesn't know Tosh has feelings for Owen, why flaunt their affair? It's a bit mean spirited if you ask me. I'd expect that from Owen but why is Gwen going along with it? What happened to her caring so much about others?

Gwen's thought's about Tosh wearing boots and jeans. First of all Gwen isn't exactly the queen of fashion as demonstrated by the shirt she's wearing that scene. Secondly, Gwen does that ALL THE TIME, so who is she to criticize? Even in her head. Thirdly, I do it all the time and I think it's still happening. Whatever.

When Gwen is mocking Owen for his mistakes concerning the body they found. What? For someone who messes up as often and as thoroughly as Gwen does she sure is quick to judge and taunt. Not cool.

Random Rants ( I tried to break these up as they were lengthy so I numbered them to keep it clear):

1. Tosh comes into the Hub wearing the pendant and hears various thoughts from each member of the team. Of course when she's near Jack, instead of hearing his thought's she hears nothing. The first thing you think is, Jack is different from everyone else so this is just another side effect of the mystery of Jack. he can't stay dead and you can't get into his head. Easy enough to accept. But then later when Mary is holding Tosh hostage Jack projects his thoughts to Tosh. Or I guess that's what he does.

It makes no sense that she would be able to hear him at that point but not earlier so it has to be something Jack is actively doing. In that case it would seem to me that Jack is able to be read but is previously blocking Tosh. I don't think that at that point he suspected Tosh so I doubt he actively protected his thoughts. Which then leads me to the belief that his thought's are always protected without any sort of effort on Jack's part. Someone suggested that Jack has probably, during his time with the Time Agency, had some telepathic training. I guess I buy that. He's trained to have his guard up, but he can choose to let someone in. We never really get an answer and that's the case with many of Jack's quirks. It's not a bad thing, just sometimes irksome. I wish I knew!

2. I went into the re-watch with an open mind. I promised myself I would watch each episode and reacquaint myself with the characters. I said I would see if I love Ianto as much as I thought I did or if it was a result of COE that I remember him more fondly than he deserves. More to come on that rant sometime soon, I'm sure. I also said I would give Gwen a chance to convince me to love her. I would put aside my objections to her flirting with Jack and my preference for Jack and Ianto. I would let myself appreciate her as a character outside of that bias. It's been 7 episodes now.

In 7 episodes I have hardly thought about Jack and Ianto because at this point Jack and Ianto are nothing more than a flirtation and as a viewer I am not really anticipating it going anywhere. And while I am irked by the sexual tension Gwack scenes, I have put them aside and really given Gwen a chance to win me over, it would be great to love her in time for Torchwood: Miracle Day. But all those reasons I say I have issues with the character, my stock answers about her messing up so frequently and being of questionable morals (re: cheating) and letting her own feelings get in the way of what is best or right, all those reasons really are the reasons! I am more certain now than I was before. They are not insignificant things I am honing in on as a bitter Ianto fan. They are full character flaws that put me off to her.

I know I say it each time but I love Eve. I think Eve is lovely and a great actress, but Gwen, especially series 1 Gwen bothers me a lot. I am sorry Gwen fans I do try my best not to bad mouth her or Gwen-bash but I need to get this off my chest. All of my WTF moments from this episode, which really didn't have much to do with Gwen, were about Gwen. She managed to attract my negative attention when I should be focusing on the brilliance of Tosh. I know the character grows in future episodes, so I am still keeping an open mind. C'mon Gwen, win me over! I am begging you!

MVC (Most Valuable Character)/MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

Usually this is two different sections. Even if the MVC and MVA goes to an actor and their corresponding character it merits two different conversations about the greatness of each. Tonight I am putting the two together because I am having a hard time choosing and I think I'll just explain why once. The obvious choice for these section in this episode you'd think is Tosh and Naoko. And I'm not denying that both character and actress were brilliant in this. And it is a Tosh-centric episode but, I feel like there's a lot more to it. So after much consideration I am going to make it a tie. The MVCs are Tosh/Jack and the MVAs are Naoko/John.

I think when you haven't seen it recently it's easy to forget how vital a part Jack had in this episode. Throughout he's included in Tosh's journey. He tells her about Greek mythology, he confronts her about her heroics and he figures out everything she won't tell.  He saves the day as he often does but he does it in a much more subtle way. Stealth Jack is brilliant and on more than one occasion he provided comic relief for a rather heavy episode for Tosh.

But of course there is also Tosh and Naoko's wonderful job of portraying her. I love Tosh and really this episode is the first time we get a lot of Tosh. We get a glimpse of her feelings during Countrycide but this episode gives us so much more and we get to see sides of her we didn't know she had. We find out how deeply she can love and how capable she is of kicking ass. She has a crisis of faith and life and she experiences loss. Naoko really had to come to work every day and put Tosh's heart out there for all to see. Not an easy task, she's great at pulling on our heart strings. As Cyberwoman solidified our love for Ianto I think this episode made us certain Tosh had our hearts and sympathies. This was one of many heartbreaks to come for Tosh and really the first in depth look at a wonderful and tragic character. Ok maybe Tosh/Naoko win by a small margin. But really great job by all.

Episode Grade:

B+
There is a lot of things to love about this episode. Everything about Tosh for instance. What a lovely character and what a great introduction to someone we know very little about at this point. There are a lot of great moments, some wonderful on-screen chemistry between Jack and Tosh and Tosh and Mary. There are funny moments and ones that make us want to cry. Really a well put together episode. The reason it got a B+ instead of an A is simple. With this re-watch and with looking back on all the series it's just not one of my favorite episodes. To me and A is perfection and a perfect episode stands out as one of my favorites. This never has. It's not anything particular I can pick out making it just short but as a whole it doesn't quite match up with episodes like Cyberwoman and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Not a bad showing though, great episode.

Tomorrow's Episode: They Keep Killing Suzie  (Series 1, Episode 8). 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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27 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Countrycide (Series 1 Episode 6)

Written By: Chris Chibnall ( I love Chris Chibnall. I know I've said it before but he is pure genius. I just found out he has a TWITTER, follow him.)

Original Air Date: 19 November 2006

1 Sentence Sum-Up: The team investigates a series of disappearances in the Welsh countryside.

New Characters:

Evan Sherman (Owen Teale): The head cannibal. He eats people...because it makes him happy.

Helen Sherman (Maxine Evans): Mrs. head cannibal. She likes to play with her food.

Kieran (Calum Callaghan): A boy who is the lone survivor in the village of cannibals.

Huw (Rhys op Trefor): Police, also nephew of Evan and Helen. Cannibal as well.

Favorite Quote:

Owen: "I hate the countryside. It’s dirty, it’s unhygienic and what is that smell?"
Gwen: "That would be grass."
Owen: "It’s disgusting."

Never Noticed:

Ianto in jeans. Oh, wait, yes I have. I just wanted to mention it...and post a picture. Ianto in jeans is frankly thrilling. Like we're breaking a rule and we like it. Not to mention Ianto on a mission with the team. This whole episode is pushing Ianto's limits. Love it.

How easily scared Gwen is. And very pessimistic. Is she going to assume the worst outcome every episode? She needs to get more sure of the teams abilities and suck it up. I get she's supposed to be the person we relate to and a normal person seeing the things Torchwood see's would be horrified, but...I think they overdo it a bit. She needs to start getting used to it.

When questioned about what is terrorizing the town Kieran is very vague and doesn't give them much. He tells them "IT'S not human" not "they're my human". It's purposely misleading. Clever.

There's a point when Jack, Gwen, Owen and Kieran are fighting off the attacks from a pub. It's very "Shaun of The Dead" I wonder if it was an intentional nod to the film.

Hearts in a jar? Behind the bar, we see something, hearts, some bodily organs in jars. Gross. Nice touch.

When Jack is "torturing" the attacker he starts off with a slap. Best kind of torture. Or a good night, depending on the context.

When Ianto was struggling in the meat hanging room Evan knee's him in the man parts! Poor Ianto, he really goes through a lot this episode.

At the end when Jack saves the day, Ianto moves away from the cannibal and Gwen grabs and hugs him. It's quick and very sweet.

When Gwen interrogates Evan before his creepy explanation of what they do a single tear runs down his face. Somehow it makes the scene more disturbing. The truly scary fact of this episode is that the threat turns out to be human. And just then, that human emotion, reminds us of that fact.

WTF Moments:

At the beginning, the woman sees what she thinks is a body in the road and stops to check it out. I get it, she doesn't want to leave it in the road if she can help. Unfortunately, I am a wuss, I would have kept driving and then made a call to 911. I was yelling at the screen! Don't do it!! But that's just how horror stories go.

When they are investigating the village at first, Jack splits up the team, sending Tosh and Ianto on their own.Was it really a good idea to send the two remembers with the least field experience off on their own? He was asking for them to be kidnapped.

Once they've separated from the others Tosh and Ianto hear a suspicious noise. Tosh "What is that?" Ianto: "A fox of something". Ha! What? Ianto is smarter than that. And, are there a lot of foxes in the Welsh countryside? It was such a weird response. Maybe Ianto really had no clue but was trying to reassure Tosh. Let's go with that.

When Gwen get's shot Owen pulls out his med kit. Where did that come from? Wasn't everything in the SUV?

Gwen sleeping with Owen. Not WTF like I don't believe it, but WTF. I was so  disappointed in Gwen. I knew she had a wandering eye and I knew she's free with kissed but this was different. She full on cheated on Rhys and he's wonderful, I was so sad.

Random Rants:

Totally agree with Owen. Countryside is rubbish. Nature is gross. I do not want to celebrate my uniqueness.

The scene where the team is talking about who the last person they kissed was. There are a lot of theories about Ianto's answer. Of course he says it was Lisa. Then Jack gives him a "oh no it wasn't" look and Ianto seems to shoot him back a "go with it" look. The idea is that when Jack revived Ianto in Cyberwoman he kissed him. The question after this scene is why Ianto said what he did. Is it a) He doesn't remember it b) he doesn't consider it a kiss or c)he doesn't want anyone to know, for a myriad of reasons. I honestly don't know what I think. The look suggests he knows but why he isn't saying I'm not sure. Great scene. Very intense, well done.

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

Ianto. Ianto is MVC because let's be honest this is a Ianto heavy episode. Not just that but it really tests Ianto and he steps up to the challenge. He pushes through his own fears and comes through for the team more than once, And he looks good doing it. For his first time out he get's an A+.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

Gareth of course. I realize I am especially fond of Gareth and I want to give it to him most episodes but no one can deny he deserves it this time around. He finds a way to portray a vulnerability in Ianto while on the surface Ianto is trying to keep it together. He has to have emotional outburst while portraying a character that prefers to remain guarded. He shows the bravery in a man that is out of his league and steps up to the demands of the situation. It's a mish-mosh of emotions and he balances it all expertly. Also, he wears the hell out of those jeans.

Episode Grade:

A+
This episode is a brilliant complex horror movie that can very well stand on it's own. You know how, when you want to get a friend into Doctor Who in one episode you show them Blink? When I want to get friends into Torchwood I have them watch this episode. It's self-contained enough that you don't need much background and it really is a full feature in 50 minutes. The writing is witty and there is a great blend of high tension scenes and funny moments. Brilliant all around.

Tomorrow's Episode: Greeks Bearing Gifts  (Series 1, Episode 7). 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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28 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 gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: Small Worlds (Series 1 Episode 5)

Written By: Peter J. Hammond

Original Air Date: 12 November 2006

1 Sentence Sum-Up: Torchwood takes on "fairies" and Jack is forced to make a horrible compromise.

New Characters:

Jasmine Pierce (Lara Phillipart): A little girl designated as the next Chosen One. The "fairies", for lack of a better word, want to take her to become one of them. She wants to go with them. Creepy kid.

Lynn Pierce (Adrienne O'Sullivan): Jasmine's Mum. She's noticed her daughter is disturbed but not done much about it. She's mildly neglecting of her child and blinded by her love for her boyfriend who is an ass-hat. He doesn't even get a character description of his own. Or his name. He's a bad man who treats Jasmine like garbage.

Estelle (Eve Pearce): A woman from Jack's past. She believes Jack to be the son of the man she loved, we know he's the same man. Jack still loves her and looses her.


Favorite Quote: 

Jack: "You shouldn't be here."
Ianto: "Neither should you."

Never Noticed:

When chatting in the board room Owen is wearing a "bro-shirt" with odd calligraphy and the words "Fallen Angels" on it. Very odd and not particularly in line with what I typically consider to be Owen's style.

When we see the world through the eyes of the "Fairies" which happens several times the world is often filtered to show that we are seeing it from their eyes. But the filters change. At one point the fairies see in yellow tint, at another the world is green and another time entirely the world looks completely normal. I'm not sure what the point of the inconsistency there was; I must assume it was intentional.

The road leading to the old forest, or where the old forest once was, is called "Old Forest Road". How fitting.

When the "fairies" attack the party Jack and Gwen end up on the floor and Gwen is spooning Jack. I don't know if this is the best time for Gwen to be putting the moves on Jack. And Jack isn't having it; he gets right up and walks away.


WTF Moments:

Gwen is such a brat. When Jack takes her to Estelle's talk and they sit through exactly 2 minutes of talk about fairies, Gwen is fed up and annoyed. First of all why is she being so ridiculous? So what if she doesn't believe in fairies – she has to be disrespectful of those who do? And she's stubborn about her doubts through the episode in a really childish way.

Why do people keep doubting Jack? Why does his team have such little trust? And why is Gwen so disbelieving of everything? No one takes Jack seriously and when Jack has to make the only decision he could, they all judge him – condemn him – but none could supply a better course of action. Excuse my language, but that's outright fuckery. How about a little loyalty and faith in your leader, guys!

And Estelle. First of all, she's guilty of doubting Jack and then once she finally realizes he was right she disobeys the one thing he asked of her, to stay put. And why? To go find her cat!  Ridiculous. And then she is drowned in her garden. Guys, the "fairies" can control the elements, not people. If she just CLOSED HER MOUTH she would have not drowned. The place she was in wouldn't have flooded before Jack got to her and, sure, the "Fairies" could have tried a different method, but where would be the fun in that? I don't want to say she deserved to die, but...

Random Rants:

*SPOILER* You might not want to read this if you haven't seen Children of Earth.

Was anyone else thinking about Children of Earth and tragic foreshadowing? Jack being forced to give up a child to save the world? There was the incident in his past, as well as having to consider giving up more in COE. Not to mention his ultimate sacrifice of Stephen. It's one child for all of the world. It seems a no-brainer but at the same time it seems unforgivable. I wonder if Ianto, who was so adamant about them not getting even one child would say about Jack destroying the 456 with that method. Way to betray the man you love the second after he died. I am not saying whether or not I agree with his decision, my only point is I'm not sure Ianto would. Cue Teaboy rolling in his grave.

MVC (Most Valuable Character):

I'm going to say Jasmine. Jasmine really is the focus of this episode and ties so much of it together. She's incredibly creepy and she's the Chosen One, surely that makes her a shoe-in for MVC.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

John Barrowman. I know, I know. I am biased, I love him. But really, am I wrong? He went through a hell of a lot of emotions in this. We saw nostalgic Jack with Estelle and also Jack in love. We saw terrified Jack when faced with a threat he couldn't stop. We saw outraged Jack at the "fairies" wanting to take Jasmine. And we saw heartbroken Jack when he lost Estelle. Brilliant man crying from John. We saw brooding alcohol drinking Jack and contemplative in his discussion with Tosh. We saw tender Jack with Ianto, we saw tortured Jack with his past and we even caught a glimpse of cheeky Jack in the boardroom talking about magic mushrooms. Really there was A LOT to act and John Barrowman met the challenge. Bravo.

Episode Grade:

B
This episode was solid. It was well written, well acted and so forth but it doesn't stick out to me as a favorite. Mostly the impact it made was terrifying me. "Fairies" will never be the same and the wind is never just the wind. B it is.

Tomorrow's Episode: Countrycide  (Series 1, 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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