Torchwood.
Okay, first of all: Ianto was not that hilariously wry last season, was he? I think I would have remembered that. But in 2.02, with all of the "Because I know everything. It says so at the bottom of the screen" and whatnot, I totally wanted to have his babies.
My utterly shallow comments by episode
Episode 1: Wow, they weren't even trying to make James Marsters not-Spike, were they? And they weren't even trying not to shamelessly pander to the Spike/Angel fangirls, were they? Oh, well: it worked. And I have to admit, I like Gwen and I always have, so I was pleased to see her "running" things while Jack was gone. (Sometimes I do wonder what the hell Gwen is there for, and then I remember that she was a police officer, and reasonably skilled - one presumes - at investigation. Or at least she's supposed to be. Any failures of that are in the writing, and I still really want to know if they're ever going to address the Gwen/Gwyneth/Eve Myles thing.)
Episode 2: Also known as the One Where Ianto is Made of Win. Oh, and there was something about a creepy arm sword thing and nuclear warheads. Other than that: daaaaamn, Toshiko Sato, you just keep on rockin' the office-chic look. On a show full of ridiculously pretty people, Tosh was totally the prettiest.
Episode 3: I admit: I totally bawled my eyes out. And there was so much delicious continuity! Owen obliquely referencing his emo love for Diane! Ianto obliquely referencing the destruction of Torchwood One! And there was lots of making out, which was not too bad either.
Other than that, things I like about the way the season is going so far:
- The growing relationships between some of the characters onscreen. I'm thinking particularly with Gwen and Ianto, like the brief sushi/bog body-disposal exchange in 2.01, and the awesomely adorable way he offered her his arm when walking away from storing Beth in 2.02. In a show bursting with people with blatant sexual chemistry, I like that their relationship is friendship-based, rather than I-secretly-want-to-sleep-with-you based. (It might also be devoted-to-Jack based, because Gwen clearly is.)
- The way Torchwood mainly managed by themselves, without Jack, and the way they accepted his return and his apology. They could have gone the "You left us and I don't think I can trust you anymore OMG" route, and...they got over that pretty quickly. They lead extraordinary lives, and I like that they were able to take Jack's statements about why he left and why he came back at face value. I also think that it helps that he's being the tiniest bit more open with them.
- Some half-way convincing arc set-ups. I'm assuming that Hart was someone that Jack ran cons with, not someone that he knew from the Time Agency, because I sure hope that they remember that Jack supposedly is missing memories from his stint with the Agency. Obviously Hart was a Time Agent, and maybe he was a victim too? Who knows? I do know that his comment as he left - that he'd "found" somebody, has promise. And then, the sleeper agents, too - the scariest part of them being that it's so hard to figure out who and where they are.
I know I could do a list of things I haven't liked, but I really think they've done a decent job of correcting some of the main problems they were having last season. Also, as long as no one starts glowing and floating from psychic energy, I guess that puts them in the plus column. Plus, Martha Jones, coming soon to a small screen near you! Whee! (I wonder how that's going to play out in the hormonal melting-pot that is Torchwood.)