Torchwood: Miracle Day, episodes 2 and 3: 'Rendition' and 'Dead of Night'...

[fajrdrako]

Watched Torchwood: Miracle Day episodes 2 and three this evening with maaseru and Pim. Enjoyed it. Though I was too busy to see episode 2 last week, I think I was also wary of watching it for fear of what will happen. In some ways, my fears have been laid to rest, and in others, not. There's an awful lot of Jack suffering. I don't like that; all that hurt without the comfort for counterbalance is hard on my nerves.

Specific comments:

1. I love the title sequence, with the red line on a white background. My favourite Torchwood motif yet.
   
   
2. Love the bits of American/British banter.
   
   
   
   
3. When Jack says he's American, is he lying, or is there some truth behind it? Is he just keeping the cover he's had for so long, in honour of the first Captain Jack Harkness, or is he in some way attached to the U.S.? Legally or otherwise?
   
   
4. Gwen is still way too emo but I love her for it. Loved her line "I'm Welsh!" before she decked Lyn. Loved her comment about crisps, and driving on the wrong side of the road. My love of Gwen is still strong.
   
   
5. And of course my love of Captain Jack never falters, but I wish he was on-screen more. All the time, maybe? That would suit me just fine.
   
   
6. Rex is not as obnoxious as he was in the first episode. He's still not admirable or endearing, but I've come to trust him.
   
   
7. I liked it that they mentioned Ianto, but I wish they had said Tosh's name.
   
   
8. I love Dichen Lachman, and I'm sorry she's a villain. I wonder if we'll see her again. She was nicely creepy, walking around with her head on backwards.
   
   
9. Bill Pullman is such a brilliant actor. I love his role. Are we supposed to understand that conversation he had with Jack? Why did he think Jack had caused the death of a child? Did he know? What did he mean about - whatever he said - about absorbing the death of the child he killed? Is he an alien? Presumably not, though the Sleepers were good at hiding, so maybe he is, too.
   
   
10. I loved the parallel sex scenes, one het, one gay. Beautifully done.
    
    
11. I really, really like Dr. Vera Juarez. She's the most interesting of the Americans. So much so that I was a little disappointed that she had sex with a sleazoid like Rex, but it was a nice hot scene, so that's okay.
    
    
12. I was glad Gwen had the eye-spy device still, and I'd like to disbelieve her about that being the only thing left of Torchwood technology. I'm sure Jack had all sorts of things squirreled away off-site. I don't believe the government found all their warehouses and hiding places.
    
    
13. Esther Drummond is okay, but a little boring. She seems impossibly young. She's the kind of character who says, "I'm only a..." and fills in with her role or job title. In a way, this is all right: it gives the character room to grow and change. But still. Esther is nice, but not impressive. I loved her conversation with Gwen, especially about her sister. It reminded me of Gwen's interactions with Emma in "Out of Time".
    
    
14. One of gamergrrl's comments to me was that though she liked the show, it wasn't really Torchwood, because it was an American show. But even though the setting and most of the characters are American, it doesn't feel American to me. The style of dialogue, the mood, the grotty settings, the attitudes all feel much more British to me. This isn't a criticism - I like it - and find it interesting. I was curious as to whether or how much Russell T Davies would change his style to try to appeal to Americans. Not at all, it would seem.
    
    
    
    
15. Jack's sex scene was very interesting. In the past, he always seemed (to me) to be quite the romantic, so it was interesting to see him go for a one night stand that was pure sex, no emotion. And no coincidence that after it, or during it, even, he phoned Gwen to make contact with the only person on earth who cares about him. And then she drops him to talk to Rhys and Anwen. My heart bled for Jack.
    
    
16. I loved Gwen's conversation with Rhys and the baby. That was quite wonderful. And at last they said the baby's name.
    
    
17. And as for that sex scene - weren't we promised full-frontal Jack nudity? Is that still to come? Will it be in a sexual context? Hey, I have my priorities.
    
    
18. I assume there will be aliens. At least they've started talking about the possibility. I think real Americans would be making more of the religious angle, which Russell T Davies is going light on, aside from a few digs. Which I heartily loved.
    
    
19. And we have a name, or at least a cover name, for the aliens with the drug company PhiCorp. I like this for a lot of reasons. Can't guess what the aliens' motives are, thought. Revenge? I was hoping for more about the Sleepers, but it clearly isn't them. And though these people remind me of the 456 (with the drug angle), it doesn't seem to be their methodology, either. Shapechangers?
    
    
20. I notice Jack talks about the morphic field, but doesn't mention the vortex energy that once made him immortal. Well, he understandably wouldn't want to implicate the Doctor.
    
    
21. I love Lauren Ambrose as Jilly Kitzinger. Her acting is spot on. What a brilliant antagonist.
    
    
22. "A distant moon of a distant star." I loved that dialogue. And I loved jack's hair, all messed up from his rough night.
    
    
    
    
23. Some scenes went on too long. Not just any scene without Jack in it; things like digging through the plane for the weird ingredients that revived Jack so quickly - makes it a little hard to believe Jack is really mortal. Maybe he's some sort of immortal/mortal hybrid now.
    
    
24. There was some very nice composition and cinematography. Is it Billy Gierhart we have to thank for that? His input too may have contributed to the sense of it being a British show.
    
    
25. I wonder why the aliens want Jack dead. Possibly because he knows too much - but doesn't at present know what part of what he knows is applicable to the situation.