Torchwood: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Jan. 20th, 2008 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kerravonsenWell, I've finally managed to grab some time to watch the first episode of Torchwood season 2. I'd gathered from the non-cut parts of my flist posts, that this was a good episode. While that could speak hopefully for the rest of the season, it might not, considering that I thought the first episode of Season 1 was really good also.
And I'm so glad I managed to avoid spoilers, because I got a very pleasant surprise. I'm rather surprised I managed to avoid that spoiler, actually.
James Marsters! The first minutes he was on screen, I was wondering "surely that isn't Spike?" But yes, it was. Those cheekbones! That voice!
Y'know, I was thinking, in that scene on the rooftop between Jack and John, that James Marsters is really more handsome than John Barrowman. It's the cheekbones. I like those cheekbones.
Anyway... we get reference to Jack being gone:
"Where were you?"
"I found my doctor."
The two continuities again don't quite mesh perfectly, but "it's good enough for government work", as they say. No mention of Saxon or the Himalayas.
"I died so many times... I saw the end of the world."
Interesting that he said he came back for Gwen, and then he asks Ianto out on a date. But, yes, I liked the fundamentals that he came back for his team.
And I loved how they were working as a team in the opening section -- and then, hey, Jack comes in! But it isn't that Jack casts them into the shade, I loved how the team saved each other.
And I loved how John (oh yes, James Marsters can act!), he was still all cocky when the team came in pointing guns at him, but he figured, hey, I can rattle them by telling them that Jack is dead, and Whoops! He's not dead. And JM played it how it was clear that this shook him, but he was still trying to bluff and banter and manipulate, and it wasn't working.
Though it might have worked on S1 Jack, who was still angsting about not being able to die. But no, we have New Improved "back to his old self" Jack!
And I loved how every time John tries to manipulate Jack, it doesn't quite work.
The opening moments of the story were so very...
"Have you seen a blowfish driving a sportscar?"
"Bloody Torchwood."
Y'know, I think I'm squeeing.
But I still don't have very high expectations. Or maybe I'm in the mode of "Oh, it's Torchwood, they're going to have crude sexual innuendo" (rolls eyes)
Owen is still a jerk.
Gwen... well, she's engaged, hmmm. That doesn't mean she's still not going to make an idiot of herself with her relationship.
Interesting that she assumed the leader role while Jack was gone, but again, not that surprising. She and Ianto are the generalists in the team. And she's the kind of person who would take charge because things needed to be done, not because she's attracted to power.
And John -- now I forget what his name was. Though I expect it isn't any more his real name than Jack's is. Interesting things about the Time Agency. Though of course, it is true that one can't believe anything he says. On the other hand, the best lies are made up of half-truths.
"There were only seven of us left."
I'd been doing a certain amount of brainstorming with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aizain about the Time Agency, and one of the things we'd teased out was that the Time Agency seemed to be -- with their interest in scavenging tech -- a group that were fighting against something and trying to keep order, but not easily. So the "the Time Agency is gone" revelation rather fits in with that. Though I think I'm going to cherry-pick what is said here, as far as my own writing goes.
"Murder rehab." Heh. John's a psychopath. And every word out of his mouth is manipulation. Or is he just chanelling Early Spike?
Martha Jones! Yay!
Though from the look of it, I expect she's just going to be a guest-character in one episode.
And it looks like John's back. I'm not sure whether to be glad or sorry about that. Glad, because JM has charisma in spades. Sorry, because John is very bad news.
Now I can go and read other people's posts. But not yet, because I'm being called for dinner.
And I'm so glad I managed to avoid spoilers, because I got a very pleasant surprise. I'm rather surprised I managed to avoid that spoiler, actually.
James Marsters! The first minutes he was on screen, I was wondering "surely that isn't Spike?" But yes, it was. Those cheekbones! That voice!
Y'know, I was thinking, in that scene on the rooftop between Jack and John, that James Marsters is really more handsome than John Barrowman. It's the cheekbones. I like those cheekbones.
Anyway... we get reference to Jack being gone:
"Where were you?"
"I found my doctor."
The two continuities again don't quite mesh perfectly, but "it's good enough for government work", as they say. No mention of Saxon or the Himalayas.
"I died so many times... I saw the end of the world."
Interesting that he said he came back for Gwen, and then he asks Ianto out on a date. But, yes, I liked the fundamentals that he came back for his team.
And I loved how they were working as a team in the opening section -- and then, hey, Jack comes in! But it isn't that Jack casts them into the shade, I loved how the team saved each other.
And I loved how John (oh yes, James Marsters can act!), he was still all cocky when the team came in pointing guns at him, but he figured, hey, I can rattle them by telling them that Jack is dead, and Whoops! He's not dead. And JM played it how it was clear that this shook him, but he was still trying to bluff and banter and manipulate, and it wasn't working.
Though it might have worked on S1 Jack, who was still angsting about not being able to die. But no, we have New Improved "back to his old self" Jack!
And I loved how every time John tries to manipulate Jack, it doesn't quite work.
The opening moments of the story were so very...
"Have you seen a blowfish driving a sportscar?"
"Bloody Torchwood."
Y'know, I think I'm squeeing.
But I still don't have very high expectations. Or maybe I'm in the mode of "Oh, it's Torchwood, they're going to have crude sexual innuendo" (rolls eyes)
Owen is still a jerk.
Gwen... well, she's engaged, hmmm. That doesn't mean she's still not going to make an idiot of herself with her relationship.
Interesting that she assumed the leader role while Jack was gone, but again, not that surprising. She and Ianto are the generalists in the team. And she's the kind of person who would take charge because things needed to be done, not because she's attracted to power.
And John -- now I forget what his name was. Though I expect it isn't any more his real name than Jack's is. Interesting things about the Time Agency. Though of course, it is true that one can't believe anything he says. On the other hand, the best lies are made up of half-truths.
"There were only seven of us left."
I'd been doing a certain amount of brainstorming with
aizain about the Time Agency, and one of the things we'd teased out was that the Time Agency seemed to be -- with their interest in scavenging tech -- a group that were fighting against something and trying to keep order, but not easily. So the "the Time Agency is gone" revelation rather fits in with that. Though I think I'm going to cherry-pick what is said here, as far as my own writing goes."Murder rehab." Heh. John's a psychopath. And every word out of his mouth is manipulation. Or is he just chanelling Early Spike?
Martha Jones! Yay!
Though from the look of it, I expect she's just going to be a guest-character in one episode.
And it looks like John's back. I'm not sure whether to be glad or sorry about that. Glad, because JM has charisma in spades. Sorry, because John is very bad news.
Now I can go and read other people's posts. But not yet, because I'm being called for dinner.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 09:47 am (UTC)Interesting that he said he came back for Gwen, and then he asks Ianto out on a date.
I interpreted that "you" in "I came back for you" as a plural "you." He came back for all of them.
He's not dead. And JM played it how it was clear that this shook him, but he was still trying to bluff and banter and manipulate, and it wasn't working.
Yeah, I think that was an interesting, and ultimately very good acting choice, the way he plays that so visibly shaken and not quite able to pull it off, even if he was thinking and talking fast.
Y'know, I think I'm squeeing.
LOL! It happens to the best of us. :)
Owen is still a jerk.
Owen will mostly likely always be a jerk, but I must say I found him more tolerable than usual here.
Though I expect it isn't any more his real name than Jack's is. Interesting things about the Time Agency.
Jack has to wait for him to say it, so I think it's pretty clear that it isn't.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 11:54 am (UTC)Oh, I know that, but what he was saying was ambiguous due to the nature of the English language.
Jack has to wait for him to say it, so I think it's pretty clear that it isn't.
Good point.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 10:46 am (UTC)and Jack is so much lighter - the Jack I know and love.
John was a blast!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 11:56 am (UTC)Yes, indeed. For those watching, humour is better than sex. 8-)
and Jack is so much lighter - the Jack I know and love.
Yes! While we love our angst-bunnies, that wasn't what we liked Jack for.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 05:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 07:55 pm (UTC)Agreed. So much for their being Top Secret. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 01:39 pm (UTC)Funny how on the Ianto comm I'm on, everyone's convinced he was looking at Ianto! :)
Or is he just chanelling Early Spike?
I was getting Spike!vibes with a lot of this ep, actually. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 09:00 pm (UTC)Yeah, especially reminiscent of Spike when he came in to the Vampire den and offed the "Chosen One" vampire.