Torchwood: Children of Earth - A review of my Torchwood experience

Slight change of format tonight. No poems, and not a typical review. More just me ranting about Torchwood: Children of Earth and my feelings towards what has surprisingly become my television highlight of the year.

Here's the basic background with my Torchwood experience.

About 2 years ago My boyfriend of the time introduced me to Doctor Who. Other than a vague memory of some sci-fi show I saw as a kid, I wasn't too interested in Doctor Who - it was starring Billie - of 'Because We Want To' fame which was plenty excuse for me to avoid it.

But I gave it a chance (for the boyfriend's sake) and found that beyond all expectations Doctor Who was an involving, fast-paced, funny, witty, intelligent programme. So much so that I became obsessed to a level only previously given to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Then came Torchwood.

It was starring Captin Jack - one of my favourite guest stars from the Whoniverse so I had high hopes. These hopes were pretty quickly dashed upon watching the first season of Torchwood. The stories were predictable, the acting average and the dialogue laughably unrealistic. Frankly, it struck me as the closest you could come to an American version of Doctor Who without involving any Americans!

But, my interest was warily maintained when I heard that James Marsters (aka the sexiest vampire to grace tv screens) was coming onboard for the opening episode of season 2. I'm a massive Buffy obsessive so I decided to give Torchwood one more chance.

The opening episode seemed different to what I'd witnessed in Season 1. It was still a little cheesy, but a little less predictable and they finally seemed to have worked out that 'dark' does not equal 'everyone shagging everyone else'

So I continued to watch. The first 5 episodes of season 2 seemed to get better and better. Finally we had some truly interesting ideas, some wonderful storylines (My favourites being To the Last Man and Adam) and some excellent guest stars (particularly Nikki Amuka-Bird in Sleeper. It was the episode Adam that also highlighted for me the hidden gem within Torchwood's regular cast - Gareth David-Lloyd 'Ianto'. Season 2 and 'Adam' in particular transformed Ianto from a very two-dimensional office boy to a character that was capable of wit, compassion, emotional depth and a sharp mind. Some of the episodes did not impress. The introduction of Martha Jones felt contrived and seemed a weak attempt at maintaining a character who was not particularly liked in Doctor Who. Also, I considered Owen Harper to be possibly the most irritating character I've ever had the misfortune to watch, so a 3 episode story-arc in the middle of the season which heavily featured Jones and Harper nearly put me off again. Fortunately the series redeemed itself with 3 excellent episodes in the last half of the season - 'From Out of the Rain', 'Fragments' and 'Exit Wounds'

So finally we come to season 3.

I was initially frustrated at the prospect of a mere 5 episodes, to be aired over the course of 1 week. Surely in a year where we have no full season of Doctor Who, and the specials went from being spread out throughout the year (as the initial rumours implied) to one in April and the rest at the end of the year, we should at least be allowed a full season of Torchwood?

Besides which, how could we possibly have 5 decent quality episodes if the BBC felt the show was not deserving of a full run. It didn't seem to be an exhibition of much confidence in the showrunner's abilities.

Well we are now 4 episodes in out of the 5 and I am chowing down on a rather large slice of humble pie.

I. Was. Wrong.

Not only have we been presented with the best Torchwood episodes yet, but the format works really well. It was advertised as an 'event' and it really is.

I have each night sat next to my telly counting down the minutes until the next episode airs, and at the end of each part I have found myself worked up to such a state that I find myself staying up well past my bedtime to wax lyrical about the brilliance of what I have just watched.

From this point on be spoilers

If you don't want to know about major cast changes post season 2 stop here.

Okay, here come the spoilers - no more warnings!

Having culled the two weaker members of the team at the end of season 2 (the endlessly annoying, arrogant Owen and interminably boring Tosh), we are left with a far more serious Torchwood. Rhys has found his role increased, which is wonderful because Kai Owen truly provides us with an everyman that grounds the rest of the team (and his flat out refusal to be considered part of Torchwood is wonderful, as I was briefly concerned at the beginning of the week that they were up for hiring any old joe from off the street!)

Each episode has surpassed the previous one to the point that I am now compelled to write this blog praising a show that this time last year I didn't think I'd bother watching again!

My only worry now is that Russel T Davies seems to have become rather trigger happy with his team. I have just witnessed the death of my favourite character - Ianto. I know that in the whoniverse death is rarely final, and I still keep some hope that tomorrow a miracle will occur. But a big part of me feels that what I consider to have been a huge mistake on RTD's part is indeed the end for this wonderful character.

Reducing the team to only Jack and Gwen is a bold, but dangerous move. I can't decide yet if this will affect my decision to watch the next series (which I expect is pretty much a definite if the Beeb pay any attention to their ratings!) I will say this though, Torchwood's third season has kept my on the edge of my seat all week and regardless of my feelings towards character deaths, all involved have managed to surpass all expectations and provided a piece of television that is truly original, tense, surprising, thought-provoking and just damn good fun.

Now I'm off to bed to dream of aliens, corrupt politicians and a very charming welshman!