nothing tranquil awaits me
A few of my more immediate reactions to tonight's Torchwood episode, Out Of Time
So I kept waiting for something to happen, and then nothing did. And unlike last week's episode, which I expected to be fairly eventless in a quirky, fun sort of way, this week's big dose o' melodrama just didn't push any buttons for me.
Yes, we get that Jack has lots of angst, and is unhappy with his immortality and with being stuck in the early twenty-first century and all that jazz. But the hand-holding assisted suicide (or at least, complacency in suicide) scene was all a bit Thelma And Louise except with no guns or sexual misadventures. And the little monologue to Tosh about the helplessness of the situation, the fact that there are no enemies to fight, no solution to find; yeah, would've been fine if it had happened in an actual scene, rather than simply being a fifteen second soundbite that needed to be directed at someone - anyone - to show Jack's feelings on the matter.
Didn't buy the grand Owen romance. The gratuitous shots of slow, lavish sex on the Giant Purple Bed Of Love did nothing for me, and the theatrical romantic gestures were all a bit meh. I get that we were supposed to feel for Owen, poor boy, never been in love before, but I just wasn't feeling it.
Gwen's bonding with Emma was very sweet, and I was very much cheering for Emma in her effort to fit into contemporary life, right up to her riding off to London, the Little Time-Traveller That Could. Also cheering for the fact that Rhys was present! And had lines! And is apparently not a complete idiot or walkover, finally starting to suspect and confront Gwen about her deceptions. Cannot wait to see his reactions next week.
Overall, though, the whole episode fell a bit flat. I could see the potential, and I could see what bits were supposed to be pushing which emotional buttons, but I just couldn't feel it. Last week, I felt it, despite the quirkiness - or perhaps because of it. But this week, nah. Not a bad episode, but not one I found particularly interesting.
And two final gripes: (1) yet again, no Tosh, and (2) yet again, Ianto stuck with the drudge work - taking their refugees out to the supermarket when everyone else is taking them to the pub. All I can say is, the job perks better be worth it.
Now I'm off to watch the first half of Hogfather, which I recorded earlier this evening. The previews have made me optimistic, and such is my love for the idea of Marc Warren as Teatime that I'll even give the dodgy accent a chance.
So I kept waiting for something to happen, and then nothing did. And unlike last week's episode, which I expected to be fairly eventless in a quirky, fun sort of way, this week's big dose o' melodrama just didn't push any buttons for me.
Yes, we get that Jack has lots of angst, and is unhappy with his immortality and with being stuck in the early twenty-first century and all that jazz. But the hand-holding assisted suicide (or at least, complacency in suicide) scene was all a bit Thelma And Louise except with no guns or sexual misadventures. And the little monologue to Tosh about the helplessness of the situation, the fact that there are no enemies to fight, no solution to find; yeah, would've been fine if it had happened in an actual scene, rather than simply being a fifteen second soundbite that needed to be directed at someone - anyone - to show Jack's feelings on the matter.
Didn't buy the grand Owen romance. The gratuitous shots of slow, lavish sex on the Giant Purple Bed Of Love did nothing for me, and the theatrical romantic gestures were all a bit meh. I get that we were supposed to feel for Owen, poor boy, never been in love before, but I just wasn't feeling it.
Gwen's bonding with Emma was very sweet, and I was very much cheering for Emma in her effort to fit into contemporary life, right up to her riding off to London, the Little Time-Traveller That Could. Also cheering for the fact that Rhys was present! And had lines! And is apparently not a complete idiot or walkover, finally starting to suspect and confront Gwen about her deceptions. Cannot wait to see his reactions next week.
Overall, though, the whole episode fell a bit flat. I could see the potential, and I could see what bits were supposed to be pushing which emotional buttons, but I just couldn't feel it. Last week, I felt it, despite the quirkiness - or perhaps because of it. But this week, nah. Not a bad episode, but not one I found particularly interesting.
And two final gripes: (1) yet again, no Tosh, and (2) yet again, Ianto stuck with the drudge work - taking their refugees out to the supermarket when everyone else is taking them to the pub. All I can say is, the job perks better be worth it.
Now I'm off to watch the first half of Hogfather, which I recorded earlier this evening. The previews have made me optimistic, and such is my love for the idea of Marc Warren as Teatime that I'll even give the dodgy accent a chance.