Torchwood: Miracle Day

Well, finding a bit more out about who maybe behind this, but not how it was done. And if you had problems with the sex jokes in part 2, you won't like a few scenes in part 3! Nudity had to show up sometime, it is Starz after all.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others. I liked it, but didn't love it like the last two weeks. I had a few problems with it other than the one described after Ronpur's quote. I thought the ending made no sense, with Jack confronting Oswald. It left me confused as to why Jack would do that, when he didn't know Oswald at all earlier in the episode. Jack was all preachy at the episode start that they need to stick together as a team and then he goes and sneaks out to confront this guy. Also a few minor details bugged me, like the cops only sending one car to a break-in at a high level CIA agents house, and Gwen's baby audibly crying but the video showing her with a pacifier in her mouth (very minor, but sloppy sound editing bugs me). Then there was Oswald agreeing to go with Julie, essentially a stranger, after being chased by civilians and beaten up by cops. He went from a situation where his trust was betrayed to trusting a total stranger in under 2 minutes. Weird.

All minor nitpicking stuff that I only really had a problem with because the first 2 episodes were so spectacular. Still a good episode and I'm looking forward to the next one with just as much anticipation as before.

And I really can't wait to find out the who, how, and why regarding the Miracle.

Ronpur wrote:

And if you had problems with the sex jokes in part 2, you won't like a few scenes in part 3! Nudity had to show up sometime, it is Starz after all.

I had no problems with the jokes in part 2, but I had a problem with the scenes in part 3. Namely Rex & his doctor. It was completely unnecessary. There was no reason for it, it had nothing to do with the plot, and the circumstances leading to it were nonsensical. It just happened for no rhyme or reason other than to shock viewers by having scenes of gay sex mixed with scenes of interracial sex at the same time. I'm all for a good sex scene if it makes sense and fits into the story, but this did neither.

rdks wrote:

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others. I liked it, but didn't love it like the last two weeks. I had a few problems with it other than the one described after Ronpur's quote. I thought the ending made no sense, with Jack confronting Oswald. It left me confused as to why Jack would do that, when he didn't know Oswald at all earlier in the episode. Jack was all preachy at the episode start that they need to stick together as a team and then he goes and sneaks out to confront this guy. Also a few minor details bugged me, like the cops only sending one car to a break-in at a high level CIA agents house, and Gwen's baby audibly crying but the video showing her with a pacifier in her mouth (very minor, but sloppy sound editing bugs me). Then there was Oswald agreeing to go with Julie, essentially a stranger, after being chased by civilians and beaten up by cops. He went from a situation where his trust was betrayed to trusting a total stranger in under 2 minutes. Weird.

had no problems with the jokes in part 2, but I had a problem with the scenes in part 3. Namely Rex & his doctor. It was completely unnecessary. There was no reason for it, it had nothing to do with the plot, and the circumstances leading to it were nonsensical. It just happened for no rhyme or reason other than to shock viewers by having scenes of gay sex mixed with scenes of interracial sex at the same time. I'm all for a good sex scene if it makes sense and fits into the story, but this did neither.

Man big one to quote. In any sense, I enjoyed this episode. It was more of a downturn episode that focused on individual relationships so not as action packed at the last two. . .

I think Jack confronted Oswald for several reasons:

1. As Jack said, they need to check out everyone who profited from the Miracle day, and with Oswald on the TV and at the pharmacy company, it's just too much of a coincidence. He just keeps popping up and it just doesn't smell right.

2. As jack took the life of his grandson, he knows the pain of such an act and when he sees Oswald on Tv claiming remorse and that he's been forgiven and such, well it just gets in his craw so to speak. . .he knows oswald is lying and it makes him angry for Jack too is seeking forgiveness for his own sins.

3. Oswald was set to be executed on Miracle day, big freaking coincidence if you ask me. . .and perhaps since most executions happen on midnight or early in the morning. . he might have been the first not to die. . .or maybe I'm just reaching here.

Regarding Oswald going with Julie, technically she wasn't a stranger and I think by this time, he realized that he might need some help or protection to get around in this world.

I agree with you on the Rex and doctor thing being out of the blue. . .perhaps they knew each other previously? Seemed like it. . .but again I may be reaching. . .and what's with this brief nudity crap? Flaunt it if you got it I say!

timewarrior, those are some pretty interesting reasons. I was hoping to find some discussion on this....

I think all those reasons make complete sense. Everything is such a coincidence, it's clear that he is a key player in all this. Then especially if it's on a personal level, like you've mentioned...it's further motivation. I was also suspecting throughout the episode itself, that Jack would 'split up' from the rest of the team, as it seemed he was more 'let's do this by ourselves without help, torchwood-style', and Rex wasn't considering it.

And......I thought it was clear that he HAD had this kind of relationship with his doctor previously. I might be mistaken, but wasn't there a reference to it not being a completely professional relationship?

And, timewarrior, it WAS incredibly brief. Which makes it baffling why the UK broadcast is edited.

Slow!

workstinx wrote:

Slow!

What is slow? Your IQ, my wit, a snail, the service at Chipotle or The episode? If it's the episode. . .well it's more or less a character piece. . .giving you some of the story but at the same time delving into the emotions of the characters. . .

BTW:

Jack's phone call to Gwen. . .very heartbreaking. . .you can see he's still hurting and still very much in love with Gwen.

Finally I get to catch the rerun

Done. Now bedtime.

Tomorrow I can take the time to read what everyone has been saying about this ep

Ninja Gwen.

That was cool.

My biggest question is..Doctor Who and Torchwood are suppose to exist in the same world, If no human can die then shouldn't someway effect Amy & Rory in the upcoming Doctor Whos?

timewarrior wrote:

workstinx wrote:

Slow!

What is slow? Your IQ, my wit, a snail, the service at Chipotle or The episode? If it's the episode. . .well it's more or less a character piece. . .giving you some of the story but at the same time delving into the emotions of the characters. . .

BTW:

Jack's phone call to Gwen. . .very heartbreaking. . .you can see he's still hurting and still very much in love with Gwen.

The season so for....I am enjoying it - however - it could do with being a bit more fast paced. I normally sit in silence watching Who/Torchwood etc. Sadly, I now find myself either getting into small talk with my little swamp duck or popping off to put the kettle on for a cuppa & puting it on pause.

It could be that there's a bit too much story padding to fill the 10 episodes?

ok, this episode wasn't so bad. as far as the doctor/rex thing, i think they came together under stress. these are two strangers who met under the most unlikely of circumstances, and can almost only seem to trust each other (although you can see rex's secretary from the cia getting jealous, and rex doesn't notice it at all. what, does every woman in this show have the hots for rex?).

2., or b., the scene between gwen and jack/the phonecall. wow, this was powerfull stuff, but i probably saw it in a different way than most of you. this was an angel/spike moment for me. if you don't know angle and spike from buffy, angel made spike into a vampire, so that he could have someone as sick and twisted as he was to spend eternity with (not like that). that's what i got with gwen and jack. now that gwen was immortal, jack almost felt like she was completely like him (what he had been trying to turn her into since the first series). thing is, gwen still has her feet on the ground. she still has rhys, and her baby. without them, i'm sure she could be turned more into jack, but just like spike to angel, gwen is not as sick and twisted as jack. jack got most of torchwood killed, and even killed his grandson. i don't think gwen ever could. jack wants someone to be like him, so he won't feel so bad about himself (whatever happened to captain john hart?).

3. that goes into the oswald danes thing. i hope he really does turn into something other than a coincidence. bill pullman is milking this for everything he can. now, basically for protection and money, he's being an endorser. not bad for a former criminal.

d, or 4. i think my favorite part of this episode was the creepy masks of the "soulless ones". that really got under my skin (especially the kids). if anyone here has watched the screwfly solution, you know how people will create new religions to justify what they are doing. i hope this cult will have a major impact in the story. really creepy.

in closing, this was better than last weeks episode. i wasn't shocked by jack's tryst (i've watched all the previous torchwoods', i know what to expect). i'm really curious as to who jillie kitsinger really is?

I'm not here to comment on the episode, 'cause, well... yeah... but I have to correct you, bret! Drusilla sired Spike, not Angel. Of the primary Buffy vamp family (and ignoring the minor vamps the lot of them sired along the way), the Master sired Darla, Darla sired Angel, Angel sired Dru (after driving her mad), Dru sired Spike. Dru later (re)sired Darla.

Wes Crayon wrote:

I'm not here to comment on the episode, 'cause, well... yeah... but I have to correct you, bret! Drusilla sired Spike, not Angel. Of the primary Buffy vamp family (and ignoring the minor vamps the lot of them sired along the way), the Master sired Darla, Darla sired Angel, Angel sired Dru (after driving her mad), Dru sired Spike. Dru later (re)sired Darla.

Yuppers...

There is a reference though that does give that impression.. in School Hard, Spike does say that Angel was his sire.

However, that was in the early days before they really worked out the back story between those 4 and showed it on screen.

wes crayon, yes, dru sired spike. however, who trained him? they went over this plot point many times in the later angel seasons. spike was angel's toy (not like that).

Best episode yet in my opinion.


Escape to LA is making this series even better.


Plus Gwen and Rhys didn't scream at each other which is new.

Rocco wrote:

Best episode yet in my opinion.


Escape to LA is making this series even better.


Plus Gwen and Rhys didn't scream at each other which is new.

Certainly did. The pace also picked up drastically from last week.

Awesome episode. Just finished watching. One of those episodes where I thought it was almost over but it wasn't even halfway, but kept me interested the whole time. Loved C. Thomas Howell. It was driving me nuts where I'd seen the woman who played Ellie Monroe before, but when I looked her up I realized it could of been from a number of things.

Really eager to find out who/what is behind the miracle. After this episode even more so!

Definitely more so after this episode...really getting to see how there are these key players we haven't even seen yet. It was also interesting to see the focus on the family lives of the characters...

And.....am I the only one irked that the actress who plays Vera is not in the opening credits? I think she should be in the opening credits!! She's definitely a main character!!

Only thing I did not like was the stupidity of Elle and her sister. They used to do the same thing on 24 to get agents into compromising situations, and it just seams silly. Are agents that stupid? Plus, someone needs to smash Gwen's phone before she compromises things with her calls.

Interestingly, Gwen wouldn't be doing this if it were two or three years ago. I think it is was the departure from this sort of life, along with having a child, that has made her this conscious about putting her family first. Unlike before, when she would have put her work ahead of everything else. It's clear she feels as if she has more responsibility towards them now, and doesn't care if things are compromised, as long as they are safe.

kcooper76 wrote:

And.....am I the only one irked that the actress who plays Vera is not in the opening credits? I think she should be in the opening credits!! She's definitely a main character!!

I think of her as a main character. I'm surprised she isn't credited in the opening. She's going to be around the whole season (not like she can die, right?)

Ronpur wrote:

Plus, someone needs to smash Gwen's phone before she compromises things with her calls.

I was wondering about that as well then figured it was just some fancy Torchwood phone that no one can trace.... until the plot calls for it.

MY ON DEMAND SERVICE WON'T PLAY IT RIGHT NOW!

WHY GOD, WHY???

Okay... I'm back again. Not going to say that much about the episode, but I did think it was a lot less painful than the last two. The way they got Frumkin's biometrics was actually quite neat, though Gwen did diminish it a bit by admitting that she wasn't sure it would work. Which leads us to...

Ronpur wrote:

Only thing I did not like was the stupidity of Elle and her sister. They used to do the same thing on 24 to get agents into compromising situations, and it just [seems] silly. Are agents that stupid?

I don't think it's limited to just Elle -- I've ALWAYS felt that way about the Torchwood team, and this series hasn't done anything to sway my opinion. Probably the one saving grace of this series with respect to that is that Rex keeps echoing my sentiments on the matter. :)

But I'm really here to ask a question: how many of you folks who are loving the show (or at least aren't finding things to criticize about it, whether you love it or not) are in the US?

I ask because I wonder if that -- and the decidedly more "realistic" setting of Torchwood when compared to Doctor Who (despite them both taking place in more/less the same universe/continuity) -- is affecting my ability to suspend disbelief for the sake of the show. For instance, the guy starts tracking them in DC... and suddenly they're in LA. That's a long enough drive that not only should the transition not have been a quick cut, but that a tracker should have apprehended them long before they got all the way to their destination. (Even if they drove straight through, they'd still have had to stop somewhere to switch drivers... and I think if I were going to take someone down, a rest stop would be a pretty choice location.) Sure, you can come up with theories to explain why he waited, but I'm more miffed that the show's writers didn't. Or, if they did, they had the character shot in the throat before he could explain. :P

But the main thing that I can't get past is Oswald Danes. Maybe this would fly in the UK -- I don't know -- but there is no freaking way a convicted child murderer would get this much support or positive publicity in the US no matter WHAT was going on. Absolutely none. You see how sympathetic we are towards Casey Anthony, and there wasn't even enough evidence to prove her guilt. (And she's much, much hotter than Oswald Danes. ;)) That a known child murderer could become a spokesperson and advocate for anything is preposterous even in a world where the charred severed head of a dude who got Michael Bay ka-boom'd is still alive and conscious and blinking. :P

Haven't seen any of these yet, so without spoilers could someone tell me whether or not it's worth catching up on?