Diary of a Torchwood Virgin – The end is where we start from

The second series of Torchwood finally comes to a close for me (which means I have a whole week to get through Children of Earth). The second series had some ups and downs, but definitely was more solid than the first. I enjoyed the couple of recurring characters and had to admit, in my last entry, that Rhys had finally grown on me a bit. I’m really looking forward to what the show can do with shorter, more concentrated runs in Children of Earth and Miracle Day. I really think that Torchwood will benefit from not having to fill thirteen hours in a series.

“Fragments” Series Two, Episode Twelve

It is kind of odd that they took twenty-five episodes before they got to a “how the team got together” episode, no?

You had to know that James Marsters was going to return as Captain John Hart. I really liked how it played out, too. The team was in peril long before we know who was to blame, or what were the motivations behind the attack. It was a great way to reintroduce the character, and provide the entire team with motivation to kill him, not just Jack.

Tosh and Owen’s backstories were easily the best. Tosh so often gets pigeonholed as the “pushover,” but the events that lead to her joining Torchwood prove that she’s got a lot more “badass” in her that she’s shown since. I would hate to be her now, have all of this freedom, yet still not able to contact her grandmother.

Several entries ago, I asked why exactly Owen was broken … and now we know. He lost his young fiancé tragically, but more so, he was haunted by the lives that need saving, how they keep piling up. I like Owen, and I think I’ve been more curious about his backstory than I have about Jack’s (though, that probably has to do with the anti-Dr. Who bias that has been creeping up in me … seriously folks, the more you tell me to watch the show, the less of a desire I have to actually watch).

“Exit Wounds” Episode Thirteen

Wow. “Exit Wounds” was one of those “Big Damn Episodes” that make for great seasons series finales. The team was pulled all over the place, Jack goes missing (because that’s what he does at the end of a series), and people die. Well, that part kind of sucked.

Hart was much more believable as a big bad than Jack’s brother Gray. I get years of feelings of betrayal piled on top of torture, but dude, burying your brother alive for 2000 years? That’s a bit of a leap. At least we already had seen Hart have a bit of a psychotic streak. Though, because of Gray’s control, Hart was allowed a bit of redemption in the end, and that might have been worth it.

It is a bit funny that, while Tosh and Owen both died in this episode, one was much more impactful than the other. I guess that is the by-product of actually already having killed Owen several episodes ago. Considering the conditions that he was living under, there was no way he was going to last long. He’s already carrying around a nasty gash and broken finger … how can he stay in the field and continue to break?

Parting with Tosh was a much more difficult proposition than I originally would have thought. That she’s never been my favorite character shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but somehow, along the way, I guess I grew a bit of a soft spot for her. Her last conversations with Owen were heartbreaking (as was her video message). I’m curious as to how the team dynamic will play out with losing two of their number at once.

You can check out previous entries in my Torchwood Virgin Diary here.

Clacked by Ivey West
on Jun 30, 2011 @ 16:00 EST5EDT