Review: Torchwood S2 12 Fragments

[crabby_lioness]

Sorry about the delay.  It's the Secret Origins of Torchwood episode!

I watched the Location Photos thread on OG this summer.  After a report of Jack and Ianto taking out a Weevil but not knowing each other and a report of Tosh working with UNIT, I said, "This is going to be a 'Secret Origins' episode."  Looks like I called it.  ("Secret Origins" stories occur in comic books to show where characters came from.)  Although I pictured them telling stories around a few beers, not lying half dead from bomb blasts.  

We start with our Team investigating an alien reading.  (I've never seen them this color-coordinated.  They're all wearing black/dark grey coats and medium blue/light grey shirts.)  The readings turn out to be a trap.  Traps are not accidents.  Traps are set on purpose.  This trap was purposely set by someone who:

1)  knows how the Team operates,

2) knows how to fool the Team's sensors,

3) sent the Team to an unpopulated area away from both innocent civilians and emergency help (i.e., not Bilis)

4) knew how to entice the Team to split up,

5) uses bombs,

6) uses bombs that are seriously underpowered and/or have charges shaped to send blast away from where the Team is likely to be standing.  In other words, it's someone who could easily have killed them but instead gives the Team a good chance to survive.  YET who still uses potentially lethal bombs on them.

Hmm, who does that remind us of?

The bomb blasts trigger flashbacks.  We start with Jack's.

"1392 deaths earlier."   Gee, isn't that number kinda low?  I mean, it's been over 100 years, 2 world wars, goodness knows how many alien invasions, and let's not forget the Master.  Jack gets picked up by the psycho lesbian couple running Torchwood 3 in 1899. 

*blink*  Okay.  Goodness knows there were plenty of psychos running things in 1899.  And lesbians weren't frowned on as long as they kept their private business private; it was only after Freud that people really got into psychoanalyzing sex.  And since Torchwood was Victoria's pet project, she could appoint all the female chiefs she wanted without Parliamentary interference.  Still, it's been a while since I've seen a psycho lesbian couple.  Almost makes me feel nostalgic.

Almost.

But why add fuel to the "There are no good lesbians in Torchwood" fire?

After killing him a few times, they interrogate him about the Doctor.  (These ladies could learn a lesson from Mony Python's Vikings.  Get the order right!)  Seems like Jack has been getting drunk and muttering in his cups about his favorite Time Lord in every grog shop in town.  This would explain why he no longer drinks in public.  Curiously, they don't torture him for everything he knows, but stop at the few scraps that he tells them which they have probably already got from any Doctor-witness.  Instead they offer to hire him as a freelance alien catcher, only it turns out that "catcher" means "hit man" even though someone else actually pulls the trigger.

That's quite a fall, from Doctor's Companion to alien assassin, and Jack feels every inch of it.  Barrowman conveys Jack's pain, anger, repugnance, and frustration very well.  But he's told that Torchwood will consider him an enemy if he leaves and the Doctor won't show up again until the 21st Century, so he's left with few other choices, especially since he would have to change his ID completely every few years if he didn't work for them.  After a century on the job he's made it from freelancer to field operative, surely one of the slowest career paths on record, and inherits T3 in 1999 after his last boss goes nuts and kills everyone else.

By my count this means that the only T3 boss we've seen who doesn't wind up crazy (and I include Jack) is the one from To the Last Man, who retired early shortly after we met him.  No people, it's not that Jack's a bad leader, it's that he's got a very bad job.

Cut to Tosh's flashback.

It's 5 years ago, and Tosh is working at the Ministry of Defense.  Bad guys kidnap her Mum in exchange for Tosh stealing the plans for a Top Secret McGuffin and building a working model for them.  Why Tosh doesn't blooming tell someone I don't know, nor why she gives them a fully functional McGuffin.  Honestly, would it have been any harder to build one that burned out a critical circuit after half an hour?  That seems to be about how long any gadget I buy lasts these days.  And why on this or any other planet did she trust them to keep their word?

I could understand Ianto's desperate hope for Lisa in the face of the unknown.  There was insufficient data to say if she could be saved or not.  I could understand Tosh's desperation as well.  But terrorist kidnappers are a known quantity.  Anyone over the age of 15, tops, knows they don't willingly return their victims in one piece.  While I can understand feeling that level of desperation, acting that way is -- the nicest thing to call it is naive.

Of course she gets caught.  Of course she gets thrown in the slammer.  Even excluding the extreme paranoia of 2003, I'm not sure I would believe someone so smart could be so -- naive.

Be that as it may, 2003 is a very bad year to even live on the same street as someone who has the same last name as a suspected terrorist, let alone what Tosh got caught doing.  Tosh gets dumped in a dungeon for several days.  Then Jack pays her a visit.  Turns out UNIT wants to make an example of her.  Jack finds her brave and clever, and offers to spring her if she'll come work for him.  There are some fairly harsh conditions though.  It's not clear if the conditions are Jack's or UNIT's, although from the way they're acting I'm inclined to say UNIT.

Some Old School DW fans don't believe UNIT could act this way.  This Old School DW fan doesn't see the problem.  UNIT had a nasty prison in the early 1970s called the Glasshouse.  Since 1973, the last time we got a good look at their operation, the Real World has seen Watergate, the end of the Vietnam War, and more scandals and wars than I can stomach listing.  It's completely in keeping with the world we live in.

Cut to Ianto's flashback.

Ianto's story seems to assume the viewer has seen Cyberwoman.  It's always a bad idea to assume that a viewer has seen any specific previous episode beforehand.  Maybe they couldn't find the opportunity to work Lisa's current condition in to the alloted time, but it's a mistake the Whoniverse doesn't tend to make.  It would also help to have seen Jack's Doctor Who episodes and the Massacre Battle of Canary Wharf.

Ianto is now in Cardiff, presumably with the critically injured Lisa tucked away nearby, needing access to Torchwood's tech, information, and contacts to save her life.  He sets out to acquire all these things by getting a job at Torchwood 3.

I've said several times that Gwen is Torchwood's terrier.  She finds a problem and worries it to shreds.  In contrast Ianto is a Welsh sheepdog.  He finds a problem, looks it up and down, and thinks, "How do I get this big, stupid beast to do what I want?"  In this case, the big, stupid beast is Jack.

A lot of people have commented, quite astutely, on Ianto's desperation to land a job to save Lisa, his anguish both when his plan succeeds and when he feels the first stirrings of attraction for Jack, and the use of Myfanwy to both get Lisa in the Hub and to take her out.  But Jack's reactions are just as interesting.

When he first meets Ianto, the younger man is dressed for cruising (Phoar!) and helps take down a Weevil.  Jack shows some personal interest until Ianto correctly identifies the alien.  After that it's the Ice Queen treatment.  That bit of TMI kills Jack's interest dead.  It doesn't look at this point that Jack has any interest in mixing business and pleasure.

The second meeting is the most revealing, not only for what we learn about Ianto but for what we learn about Jack.  Ianto offers Jack a cup of damn fine coffee, Jack pegs Ianto as a minor flunky at T1, reels off his less than stellar (but very believable) CV, and dismisses him.  Ianto tries to appeal to Jack's loyalty and compassion, but Jack blows him off.  This is the pre-Gwen Jack, who doesn't care about anything except the responsibilities directly in front of him and getting back to the Doctor.  Bash Gwen all  you like (and I do like) but at least she broke that up. 

Jack shows no compassion at all for the surviving T1 operatives, even though they can't all be blamed for Hartmann's stupidity.  It may just be an act, like it turned out to be with the Riftugees, but maybe not.  Not only was T1 monumentally stupid, but they also appear to him to have killed Rose.  Remember that Ianto isn't the only one in this segment with a with hidden agenda.

But there's an interesting sartorial subtext here (isn't there always with Ianto?)  The second time we see Ianto, he's dressed just like everyone else who works at T3 except Jack himself.  Jack disses Ianto as a loser when Ianto dresses like the Torchwood Cardiff operatives.  It's only when Ianto dresses and acts like a Torchwood London operative that Jack hires him.  That suggests Jack has some mixed feelings about Torchwood London and his own team, although he may not voice them out loud.

Cut to Owen's flashback.

Owen's bride-to-be comes down with what looks like early-onset Alzheimer's on the eve of their wedding, but turns out to be an alien on the brain who kills her and her surgical team.  It's a lovely story, but I'm not sure it's Owen's story.  It doesn't exactly gell with what Dian being Owen's First Real Love.  Burn Gorman sells the story for me because he's an incredible actor, instead of the script selling me the story.

Cut to the present.

Who has done this dastardly deed?  Why it's John, and he's found Jack's brother Grey and is holding him captive in an attention-getting scheme!

Which makes no sense at all.  If John found Grey, he could expect a hero's welcome from Jack.  Why ruin that with the unnecessary histrionics?   John's a better con man than that, and he knows Jack better than that.

(Why yes, I have read the spoilers seen the next episode.  It's still a point worth making.)

I'll try to have the final review up in the next few days.  I doubt I'll do this sort of deep review for Doctor Who Series 4.  I just don't care for Ten that much.  Lord knows he's pretty, brave, and clever; but at the end of the day he's too much like Gwen.  Both share a fundamental cluelessness about human nature, although at least the Doctor has the excuse of not being human.  And once I realized RTD would never, ever give the Doctor a Companion strong enough to really call his shit on the carpet (say, like Joan Redfern) I lost a lot of enthusiasm.  PiC was funny and laid some interesting groundwork, but that's about it.

Comments

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

I've said several times that Gwen is Torchwood's terrier. She finds a problem and worries it to shreds. In contrast Ianto is a Welsh sheepdog. He finds a problem, looks it up and down, and thinks, "How do I get this big, stupid beast to do what I want?" In this case, the big, stupid beast is Jack.

Heh. This is just a lovely image.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

I know. :D I was going to link it to a lovely picture of a Welsh sheepdog herding a cow, but the closeup was down. :(

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

I much prefer Ianto as a Welsh sheepdog than a Welsh pony, for some reason. :-)

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Jack is always eager for a ride.

[eumenidis.livejournal.com]

But Jack never says "Neigh"--don't hit! don't hit!

[melody2tds.livejournal.com]

And once I realized RTD would never, ever give the Doctor a Companion strong enough to really call his shit on the carpet (say, like Joan Redfern) I lost a lot of enthusiasm.

You might actually like Donna. Jury is still out, but I'm rather hopeful.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Donna makes ordinary into a virtue. I may write that review yet.

[anni-q.livejournal.com]

Very insightful, as always. I have no idea what "Phoar!" means but I'm pretty sure I agree with it. And I agree with everyone else: I love the terrier vs. sheepdog analogy.

I very much want to comment on the John/Gray dynamic, but I think I'll save that for the finale review.

Like many people, I've been watching Dr. Who since Tom Baker, or maybe a little before. And I have to say that Ten is the first Doctor who doesn't seem quite alien _enough_ to me, while at the same time (as you say) he remains pretty oblivious to human behavior and emotions at times. Makes for decent fanfic, I suppose, but not for great continuity.

[dragonmage86.livejournal.com]

I think she might have meant "Phwoar", which is an exclamation associated with finding someone very attractive.

And i really looked forward to this review. I find her insights very enjoyable.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Like many people, I've been watching Dr. Who since Tom Baker, or maybe a little before. And I have to say that Ten is the first Doctor who doesn't seem quite alien _enough_ to me, while at the same time (as you say) he remains pretty oblivious to human behavior and emotions at times. Makes for decent fanfic, I suppose, but not for great continuity.

If you look at it as him on a learning curve, it makes sense. He's trying to mimic human behavior without truly understanding it.

[phineyj.livejournal.com]

Honestly, would it have been any harder to build one that burned out a critical circuit after half an hour? And why on this or any other planet did she trust them to keep their word? Good point!

And I like Riftugees Great review! I didn't like Owen's backstory very much either - it created all sorts of problems with timelines and ages and contradicted that stuff they had on the official site about him having inappropriate relationships with patients (which I did find believable).

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

And on the road, his fury had turned hot.

[erinnthered.livejournal.com]

Jack disses Ianto as a loser when Ianto dresses like the Torchwood Cardiff operatives. It's only when Ianto dresses and acts like a Torchwood London operative that Jack hires him. That suggests Jack has some mixed feelings about Torchwood London and his own team, although he may not voice them out loud.

Very good point. It even ties into why Jack would want to bring him in on field work in season 1 too. And so true that Jack would have seen T1 as having killed Rose.

I don't quite see Ten as a Gwen type though. I find Tennant to be a lot more charismatic, so I can buy that people would follow him. I see him more as a cross between Pertwee and Davison. Aloof and arrogant, but certain people can break the shell.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Gwen is very charismatic. That's how she convinces people her ideas are worthwhile. But charisma without good ideas doesn't go far.

[erinnthered.livejournal.com]

See, I don't really think she's convincing. I think the writers want her to be, so they portray it like other characters are convinced. That's not the same thing. We have to believe too.

To me, this is part of the disconnect between what the writers want her to be, and what she really is. They want her to be a charismatic leader, but she isn't. The fact that her ideas have no substance is just another nail in the coffin...or across the chalkboard.

[qthewetsprocket.livejournal.com]

To me, this is part of the disconnect between what the writers want her to be, and what she really is.

WORD. i've been trying to put into words just why gwen cooper annoys me so much (rose tyler annoys me for the same reason) and you've just done it more succinctly than i ever could. not only do they both come across as terrible teacher's pets; it's monumentally lazy writing. don't go around having everyone else say how wonderful and brilliant and competent your pet character is; do the friggin work and actually make them wonderful and brilliant and competent.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

No, the woman I know who is like Gwen is very convincing to people who haven't known very well/for very long/aren't that bright. The rest of us can't stand her. That's definitely Gwen.

[erinnthered.livejournal.com]

That still doesn't explain why anyone within Torchwood 3 would still be impressed with her. I've always taken the team to be flawed, but intelligent. Who wants to watch a show about clueless idiots?

If they mean to portray as that type then they would need to make it clear to the audience that she is only being convincing because they don't know her. They aren't. We, the audience, are supposed to be convinced. That shows a disconnect between reality and what they want reality to be.

Have you seen the comments in tencrush's journal? Turns out that Gwen isn't even showing up on the tvQ scores in the US. As in, she's not even popular enough to be in the top 5 characters, and people would rather see Rhys and Jack than Rhys and Gwen. Check this out. (http://tencrush.livejournal.com/106964.html?thread=919252#t919252)

[eumenidis.livejournal.com]

& charisma without *sane* ideas is disasterous.

[dhae_knight_1]

In this case, the big, stupid beast is Jack.

Very, very happy I hadn't just taken a sip of my coffee, there...

Love your analysis - love the comments on the sartorial choices. Very interesting, indeed.

[nikki4noo.livejournal.com]

I agree most of your comments in relation to Ianto's dress sense in trying to woo his way into T3 but in relation to his suit at the end. I can't remember the exact interview but Gareth has stated before that Ianto is naturally more comfortable in suits, so not only is it that he looks like a T1 operative (which I found to be a great insight) but he is also 'himself'. So to me that was quite poignant as the way that Ianto finally got into T3 was to act like himself, the disagreeing with Jack, the little flirty side comments, coming up with a better plan and then catching Jack when Jack stuffs up.

[katiebugs18.livejournal.com]

YEAH Crabbylioness review!!

Of course she gets caught. Of course she gets thrown in the slammer. Even excluding the extreme paranoia of 2003, I'm not sure I would believe someone so smart could be so -- naive.

Completely agree. For the most part all the backgrounds worked for me but Tosh and Owen's stood out as the ones with the weakest foundation. But Jack's almost seduction (and I don't mean in a physical sense) of them into Torchwood is great.

When he first meets Ianto, the younger man is dressed for cruising (Phoar!)

LOVE the studded belt but I have to say I love the waist down shot of Ianto in front of the SUV even more. Ianto has a wonderful tailer because those pants, well they fit very nicely.

It's only when Ianto dresses and acts like a Torchwood London operative that Jack hires him. That suggests Jack has some mixed feelings about Torchwood London and his own team, although he may not voice them out loud.

While I don't disagree with that I don't know if I completely agree. I took Jack's hiring of Ianto as a result of Jack having had fun catching Myfanwy, something that he's probably not had in his job for a while. That and the realization that he's genuinely attracted to this man beyond the immediate attraction of their first encounter. And Ianto's proven himself capable (LOVE the whole "got your favorite. YEAH"). But then, knowing Jack, it's probably one of those things where it's all of the above.

Jack pegs Ianto as a minor flunky at T1, reels off his less than stellar (but very believable) CV, and dismisses him.

See, I'm still not completely on board with this. Especially considering the recruiting standards and practices of T1. I'm not saying it's not possible I'm just saying it doesn't fit T1's pattern of hiring the best and the brightest. Though Ianto has since proven himself to be both.

One more thing...I loved Ianto's expression when Jack asked him if he could handle his shoulder being popped back into place. He looked like he was almost offended that Jack had to ask him that. I don't know, I'm weird like that but I just love that expression.

Ok, off to watch ep. 13. Teehee!!!

[(Anonymous)]

yeah, TW1 seems to have been hiring the best, plus, isn't there an ep in Who where 10 tries to use his psychic paper on a scientist there and it doesn't work cuz as the guy informs him ALL Torchwood employees r trained and at least low level telepaths?
so, i've been thinking...what if Ianto hacked into the database and altered his CV? C, he would like to appear as hireable but not overly...dangerous or smth right? A I-can-help-with-the-job-but-i-m-nothing-too-much-so-don-t-pay-attention-to-me thing. And it could b possible that he picked up smth about how Jack would prefer him to act in order to hire him.
e

[mwrgana.livejournal.com]

I'm just re-reading crabbylinoness's "Fragments" review and, late though it is to do so, I just had to say how much I agree with you about:
I loved Ianto's expression when Jack asked him if he could handle his shoulder being popped back into place. He looked like he was almost offended that Jack had to ask him that. I don't know, I'm weird like that but I just love that expression.

I adored that expression. I'm so glad, finally, to find someone has commented on it. It also seemed to me that he was taking the piss out himself and his own machismo. Gareth has an amazingly extensive store of beautiful, subtle expressions, especially for such a young actor, that stretches your imagination while watching his scenes.

[kinkerbelle13.livejournal.com]

But why add fuel to the "There are no good lesbians in Torchwood" fire?
A bit hard not to at this point, I think? I could just hear the strongly worded forum posts when the creepy brunnette (side question: same actress seen in 2x13?? how far were those apart? She's like the same age... wtf?) says the creepy blonde is prettier than Jack. I found them hilarious and totally Torchwood approriate, but I guess that's not the general opinion. Oh well.

"1392 deaths earlier." Gee, isn't that number kinda low?
Is it just me, or is everyone's time line fuck-uck-ed up? Like, 21 months Ianto had been working there? I really need somebody to draw me a map because now I'm confuzzled. Tosh had been there five years? How old was she supposed to be in that flashback?

It's a lovely story, but I'm not sure it's Owen's story.
Agreed. To cut back up to the time line thing above: it got all rushed and mashed about. It doesn't fit in with how Owen starts. It's like a fanfic writer wrote two stories about Owen and since they liked them both so much, just copied and pasted one onto the other and posted it without even the thought of a beta. In fact, that's sort of how everyone's story feels to me. I feel like how they joined up with Torchwood was really right and perfectly acted but their actual background was just a little too slapdash. But idk, at this point it wouldn't be Torchwood if it wasn't a bit crap, you know?

When he first meets Ianto, the younger man is dressed for cruising (Phoar!)
LOL. That's what I kept thinking. Although my personal favorite outfit is the unexplainedly metro get up on the dock the next morning. Foofy while shirt with the button undone? Check. Hempy necklace? Check. Gel in hair? Check. Shaved chest? I haven't been able to decipher yet but I'm working on it... Regardless, he's delicious as usual.

Ten sidenote: Nine just grew on me too much. I skipped series 2 and when I went right to series 3 and he was being a friggin' jerk face to Martha (a dear, dear love of mine) I was less inclined to actually love him. I'm fond, but not excessively so. Not anywhere near approaching my Ianto!Love, at any rate.

another very compelling review, I loved it and can't wait for your thoughts on 2x13

[antelope-writes.livejournal.com]

I think the Steampunk!Torchwood scenes in Fragments and Exit Wounds are supposed to be only 2-3 years apart (1899-1901) so having Alice Guppy look more or less the same age would be OK.

If they're going to continue TW (and I really hope they do) they need to sit down and develop a character bible, complete with timelines and other such logical things.

[jamoche]

Not so much an "evil lesbians" as a gratuitous "yes, everyone in TW is bi. Yes, everyone. Even back then. Yes, really."

And not so much evil as totally loyal to Queen, country, and species, and if you're not human you're beneath consideration. Which is what Torchwood was intended to be, and was in DW.

And Jack, to them, doesn't count as human.

(I love Steampunk Torchwood with a deep and unholy glee, because finally we have a reason for Jack not being the incorrigible flirt of DW and (unusually for TW!) it makes sense. But then they go and do Spoiler to him in the next ep, which is probably not going to have any effect on him at all...)

[shirasade]

Yay, new review from you, something I always enjoy. Loved the sheepdog parallel and the interesting points on Ianto's clothing choices/Jack's reaction to him. Tosh's story almost made me cry - I mean, she can't have been more than, what, 20/21, and she was probably completely unprepared for that sort of thing, but, naiveté aside, the way she pulled a Mission Impossible was brilliant. (And oh, I'm still sniffling about 'Exit Wounds'...)

As for Ten - I think I fell too much in love with Nine and there's just something about Ten that rubs me slightly the wrong way (maybe the ridiculous coupledom with Rose in season 2 - I loved the way Nine/Rose was written, but with Ten it just went too far - paired with his treatment of Martha, who I love).

Anyway, looking forward to your review of the finale!

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Ten and Rose were bad for each other. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. And both of them were too intoxicated to realize it.

[remindmeofthe.livejournal.com]

*pops in to comment randomly, hi!*

Seriously. I'm rewatching a bunch of DW eps that I haven't seen since I first watched them last summer, and I've had "The Impossible Planet" on pause and being ignored for the last hour because I can't stand how smug and mouthy Rose is and how Ten encourages her. I remembered the aggravating shippy nonsense, but I'd forgotten how much they brought out bad behavior in each other. The contrast with Nine and Rose in the S1 eps I've watched in the past few days is astounding. I don't think Nine would like Ten very much as far as his history with companions has gone, and doesn't that bend my brain in half to think about.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

I can't get through the werewolf one, myself.

[remindmeofthe.livejournal.com]

That episode is on my "never, ever again" list. The "we are not amused" running gag was unbearable. I barely even noticed the formation of Torchwood because I was too busy cheering the Queen for knocking Rose down a few pegs.

[antelope-writes.livejournal.com]

And that's really too bad, because if you look at what all the normal people are doing (the lady of the manor, the kitchen women, all of them), it's amazing. Some real heroics in the middle of senseless tragedy, yet we're continually assaulted with the Doctor and Rose acting like drunken teenagers.

[remindmeofthe.livejournal.com]

I vaguely remember the rest of the episode being decent, but that running gag just stomped on my embarrassment squick. I can't stand to watch that sort of behavior from characters who should know better just because the writers thought it would be funny.

[mwrgana.livejournal.com]

I've been waiting for ever for this review - so glad to see it finally.
I'm with you totally with the "phoar" at Ianto's first appearance. I was so completely lost at the sight of that belt that I had to rerun the sequence, oh at least 5 times, before I really knew what they were talking about.
And Ianto as a Welsh collie! I've got a Welsh collie - points at icon. Perhaps I'll have to rename him...

Are you groaning, as well, at the sight of bloody Rose in the new DW? (I mean, I knew she was supposed to be making a come back but give us a break, in the very first episode? I see she still hasn't brushed her hair.) Just as I'm thinking that Donna, after all, doesn't seem to be so bad - or should that be "just when you thought it was safe to go back into the TARDIS.."?

But seriously - Ianto should rule the universe.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

And Ianto as a Welsh collie! I've got a Welsh collie - points at icon.

What a cutie!

We don't have any collies or shepherds right now, our place is too small. We do have terriers though.

Are you groaning, as well, at the sight of bloody Rose in the new DW?

Yes. I hope to be amazed by how mature she's grown, but I don't expect it.

They had to put her in the first episode, though. Just to build up the suspense for those who do like her. My 8yo nearly split my eardrums screaming when she saw Rose turn around.

[thewatch.livejournal.com]

Great review as always.

A couple of points though. You comment on Ianto's flashback that the viewer is assumed to have seen Cyberwoman, and so pick up on the subtext of what's happening and that's something that shouldn't be relied upon.

Personally I find it refreshing for a change for a show to reward long term viewers in that way. It was something I always found frustrating with Buffy and Angel, that they got longer and longer "Previously on..." recaps at the beginning of an episode. When you have seen everthying beforehand it's a waste of your time and slightly rude to your intelligence.

I agree that Tosh is incredibly naive in her flashback, but she's also so sweet and sincere and desperate, I can't help feeling for her.

Also regarding Owen, you mention extra info from the website about his pre-Torchwood history. In that case you maybe assuming the prior knoweldge where there might not be. I haven't really looked at the website at all so pretty much all my character knowledge comes from what's been aired and how much of the website content could count as canon is arguable.

I found his flashback to fill in things nicely, his issues with relationships, aliens and women coming from being so deeply hurt by that loss. From not having a good relationship with his Mother either I can see his defence of his feelings being his wankeryness.

Just a few thoughts you brought up while I was reading. Your reviews are always very astute and enjoyable, hope you don't mind what I said.