To the Last Man by Helen Raynor
The second season of Torchwood just goes from strength to strength, and one of its main strong points is variety. Episode one was a suitable season opener -- it was light on plot, just a simple MacGuffin chase designed to facilitate a display of characters and the show's style, with suitable amounts of humour, violence, language and snogging present. Then there was Sleeper, with its creepy sci-fi mystery and apocalyptic ending working alongside a strong character-based plot.
Now we have Helen Raynor's latest contribution to the Whoniverse (after last season's rather good Ghost Machine and Doctor Who's rather bad Evolution of the Daleks two-parter). The characters are even more central here than in Sleeper, and, where last week's episode gave the great part to a guest star, here it goes to Tosh. It's nice to see Naoko Mori at the centre of an episode again as, with the exception of last season's Greeks Bearing Gifts, Tosh seems to be mainly relegated to a supporting technical role. Here she's front and centre, in love with a World War One soldier who's awake for just one day every year... and who she must send back to 1918, to face certain death.
It's a decent sci-fi plot, actually, with a nice explanation involving scrunched up paper. But where Sleeper's sci-fi story was the main thread and the human impact a subplot, To the Last Man reverses things -- in fact, the mystery is so reduced that the solution is literally handed to the team in time-sealed orders from 1918. But it's the execution of those orders, tied inextricably to the relationship we've seen develop between Tosh and Tommy, that provides the drama of the story's climax. Both Mori and Anthony Lewis as Tommy give excellent performances, creating moments of intense happiness and sadness in such a short space of time. There are no easy answers to the dilemmas they face.
It's this, and the downbeat ending that develops from it, which makes Torchwood a show for grown-up audiences this week. Yes, some episodes may use the adult-focus remit to provide violence, gore and sex, but when others use it for affecting human drama it's clear that the show can be, and now often is, a lot more than some would care to give it credit for. In an earlier review I expressed hope that they keep up the level of variety and experimentation; on the evidence of this opening salvo of episodes, and the trailer for next week's, I'd say they're doing a good job. Long may it continue.
Showing posts with label time travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time travel. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Thursday, 24 January 2008
TV: Torchwood - Season 2, Episode 2
Sleeper by James Moran
The central premise of this second episode is an excellent one: there are a group of aliens in Cardiff, who don't know they're aliens, gathering information to eventually mount an attack so their race can seize the planet. It's a play on the idea of sleeper cells -- groups of terrorists in hiding in a country, working on plans to attack. Thankfully this analogy is never made too blatant: rather than using sci-fi to make a 'clever' comment, it uses a very modern, real concept to launch its own strong tale.
The episode is a bit of a slow burn, surely closer to the sort of adult drama many critics were demanding of Torchwood, though it's neatly decorated with action, blood and gore when appropriate. The whole episode hinges on Beth, who is magnificently portrayed by Nikki Amuka-Bird. I've seen her in a few other things and not always been that impressed, to be honest, but here she shines, carrying all of the episode's emotion -- and there's a lot of it. Beth is one of those aliens-who-doesn't know, who comes to the attention of Torchwood following an accidental manifestation of her alien abilities. The plot then makes a beeline through their discoveries about her true identity to a plot involving a secret nuclear missile base and the destruction of the planet.
This is the sort of episode where Torchwood can really shine: a mix of powerful human emotion, original and well-considered science-fiction, and a nice bit of action and gore to round things off. The adult time slot and focus also allow it to be more uncertain than Doctor Who ever will be, in terms of the moral compass of the characters (even the good guys) and the sorts of endings we might find -- in this case, one both downbeat and with several key threads unresolved.
If Torchwood can keep up the level of quality and variety displayed in the first two episodes then we're in for an excellent season, one where the show doesn't so much find its feet as pull on its boots and sprint off. With a gun. To kick some alien arse.
The central premise of this second episode is an excellent one: there are a group of aliens in Cardiff, who don't know they're aliens, gathering information to eventually mount an attack so their race can seize the planet. It's a play on the idea of sleeper cells -- groups of terrorists in hiding in a country, working on plans to attack. Thankfully this analogy is never made too blatant: rather than using sci-fi to make a 'clever' comment, it uses a very modern, real concept to launch its own strong tale.
The episode is a bit of a slow burn, surely closer to the sort of adult drama many critics were demanding of Torchwood, though it's neatly decorated with action, blood and gore when appropriate. The whole episode hinges on Beth, who is magnificently portrayed by Nikki Amuka-Bird. I've seen her in a few other things and not always been that impressed, to be honest, but here she shines, carrying all of the episode's emotion -- and there's a lot of it. Beth is one of those aliens-who-doesn't know, who comes to the attention of Torchwood following an accidental manifestation of her alien abilities. The plot then makes a beeline through their discoveries about her true identity to a plot involving a secret nuclear missile base and the destruction of the planet.
This is the sort of episode where Torchwood can really shine: a mix of powerful human emotion, original and well-considered science-fiction, and a nice bit of action and gore to round things off. The adult time slot and focus also allow it to be more uncertain than Doctor Who ever will be, in terms of the moral compass of the characters (even the good guys) and the sorts of endings we might find -- in this case, one both downbeat and with several key threads unresolved.
If Torchwood can keep up the level of quality and variety displayed in the first two episodes then we're in for an excellent season, one where the show doesn't so much find its feet as pull on its boots and sprint off. With a gun. To kick some alien arse.
Saturday, 19 January 2008
TV: Primeval - Season 2, Episode 2
If you've never seen Primeval then you need to know that it is essentially a "Monster of the Week" style show. And this week the monsters are... giant worms. Not as in Dune-style massive, mind; more dog-sized. As monsters go, they sound almost as weak as the first season's Dodo episode, though at least that had a killer virus to help liven things up.
Now, to be fair, the worms aren't as weak as they sound. Hidden in mist, their sudden attacks are almost surprising enough to make the viewer jump (but not quite), and there's some degree of eeriness as they potential skulk around nearby. But they seem to spit mud, for some reason, which I at first thought was perhaps mud-a-like poison, but it doesn't seem to have any effect whatsoever. And when one of them got Connor's head in its mouth, for a good 30 seconds it seemed, he came out just a bit gooey when Cutter finally got round to killing it. So not that threatening at all, really. In fact, the worms were at their worst when they did, spraying baby worms all over our heroes which then tried to burrow into their skin, in what seemed to be a desperate attempt at dragging things out by about 90 seconds.
I'm probably being too harsh on Primeval again. As I believe I said before, it manages the whole action/adventure thing moderately well. Sometimes. Other times it's just a bit dragging and repetitive. It also seems to be fighting a losing battle against its on-going plot threads, either like it really really wants to remain a Monster of the Week show but those pesky story arcs won't go away, or like the writers really really want to turn it into a conspiracy-based serial but don't quite have the nerve to lose those monsters.
As far as I'm concerned, the mysteries hinted at are more interesting: what does Helen want (as she turns up, briefly and for no good reason, this week)? How will the whole Jenny/Claudia thing play out? What was all that about with the undead security guard / soldier thing? And just what is the point of the anomalies / where do they come from / etc? That last question is an especially interesting one; one that the show keeps asking but I'm afraid will never answer. It seems to be central to the whole purpose of this little group and their ARC -- finding out what the anomalies are, where they come from, how to stop them -- yet they're just stuck fighting the latest things to come through it each week. This would be fine if the anomalies had been somehow explained, if they were just an occurrence and it was their effects that needed halting; but the whole mystery of what they are is constantly repeated, central to the point of the team, and yet they never get a chance to look into it because they're always having to shoot raptors or behead worms.
I'm not saying I want Primeval to switch from monster-killing action to a group of men in a room debating time travel phenomena. But it would be nice if there was some progression, or some hint that they'll eventually find answers. They've made the existence and point of the anomalies into a mystery rather than a simple fact, so now they need to pay it off and explain it at some point... I just don't believe they'll ever bother. Maybe I'm underestimating them, but on the evidence so far I'm not sure.
In the meantime, next week's sabretooth cat looks like it could be fun...
Now, to be fair, the worms aren't as weak as they sound. Hidden in mist, their sudden attacks are almost surprising enough to make the viewer jump (but not quite), and there's some degree of eeriness as they potential skulk around nearby. But they seem to spit mud, for some reason, which I at first thought was perhaps mud-a-like poison, but it doesn't seem to have any effect whatsoever. And when one of them got Connor's head in its mouth, for a good 30 seconds it seemed, he came out just a bit gooey when Cutter finally got round to killing it. So not that threatening at all, really. In fact, the worms were at their worst when they did, spraying baby worms all over our heroes which then tried to burrow into their skin, in what seemed to be a desperate attempt at dragging things out by about 90 seconds.
I'm probably being too harsh on Primeval again. As I believe I said before, it manages the whole action/adventure thing moderately well. Sometimes. Other times it's just a bit dragging and repetitive. It also seems to be fighting a losing battle against its on-going plot threads, either like it really really wants to remain a Monster of the Week show but those pesky story arcs won't go away, or like the writers really really want to turn it into a conspiracy-based serial but don't quite have the nerve to lose those monsters.
As far as I'm concerned, the mysteries hinted at are more interesting: what does Helen want (as she turns up, briefly and for no good reason, this week)? How will the whole Jenny/Claudia thing play out? What was all that about with the undead security guard / soldier thing? And just what is the point of the anomalies / where do they come from / etc? That last question is an especially interesting one; one that the show keeps asking but I'm afraid will never answer. It seems to be central to the whole purpose of this little group and their ARC -- finding out what the anomalies are, where they come from, how to stop them -- yet they're just stuck fighting the latest things to come through it each week. This would be fine if the anomalies had been somehow explained, if they were just an occurrence and it was their effects that needed halting; but the whole mystery of what they are is constantly repeated, central to the point of the team, and yet they never get a chance to look into it because they're always having to shoot raptors or behead worms.
I'm not saying I want Primeval to switch from monster-killing action to a group of men in a room debating time travel phenomena. But it would be nice if there was some progression, or some hint that they'll eventually find answers. They've made the existence and point of the anomalies into a mystery rather than a simple fact, so now they need to pay it off and explain it at some point... I just don't believe they'll ever bother. Maybe I'm underestimating them, but on the evidence so far I'm not sure.
In the meantime, next week's sabretooth cat looks like it could be fun...
Thursday, 17 January 2008
TV: Torchwood - Season 2, Episode 1
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Chris Chibnall
Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto are back, for another 13 stories of... well, you can never quite be sure what you'll get with Torchwood. Which has led to a lot of criticism, but is one of my favourite things about the show. There were some really good episodes in the first season, as well as some dreadful ones -- and, tellingly, most people disagree over which stories fall into which category. The writers dared to be a little experimental in what sorts of tales they chose to tell last year, which opened it up to easy criticism when something didn't quite work. But it has a lot more potential -- and, in fact, a much higher general quality level -- than many review scores would lead you to believe.
This new season doesn't necessarily feel greatly different to how it did first time round -- it's Torchwood 1.1 not Torchwood 2.0, if you will. Despite what some of those critics would have you believe, this is no bad thing: the show's first run was far from perfect, true, but it didn't need a total overhaul. It needed tweaking, not redesigning, and that's what they've done. It's funnier, faster paced, action-packed, the characters are more likable, they get on (finally), and there were fewer faintly embarrassing moments (though I still think the use of video instead of film is still poorly handled, making it look cheap and amateurish from time to time). Of course, this is just episode one, so some of the old problems may still be in store. But compare this to the overall impression of last year's opener and you can feel the subtle shifts. It's altogether more promising. Incidentally, there's no sign as yet that they'll lose that experimental side I praised above, so fingers crossed they don't -- while I didn't fully enjoy every episode of season one, I did always appreciate their attempts to provide something a bit different.
This episode is what might be deemed a 'standard one' (or 'normal one', or whatever), which seems wholly appropriate for a season opener. James Marsters turns up as Captain John Hart, a clear parallel of Captain Jack and reminiscent of how Jack was before the Doctor effected him. Relatively little is made of the "Jack used to behave like this" angle, which is perhaps something of a shame, but equally stops the episode from getting bogged down in anything so introspective. Instead they all race off an exciting quest to find three missing bombs, and Chibnall weaves his character scenes in around this rather effectively. The main emotional thread here is the return of Jack, who has been missing for several months. The reactions of the rest of the team are nicely played, coming across as more realistic and consistent than they ever seemed in season one. Hopefully they'll continue on this path.
As Captain John, Marsters was perhaps a little too much like Spike from Buffy and Angel (for those who might not know, that's the role Marsters is best known for), but then Spike was a damn good character and Captain John shows enough differences to still be enjoyable. It's not much of a spoiler to say this (as the trailer at the end revealed it!), but he'll be back, and I for one am very glad. The other performances were also aided by the improvements in the writing. Jack's much more fun again after his time with the Doctor, Owen is less irritating, Tosh is more active, and Ianto is still quietly effective. Which leaves Gwen: unduly hated by some, she is still the show's emotional heart and will clearly continue to be so. Considering the others can often be lacking in this department, it's a much needed role; but it's nice that she is now also fully one of the team, to the extent that she led it in Jack's absence, and is not just a filter for the viewer's understanding.
Some of Torchwood's critics could do with getting down off their high horses. They moan that the show's not genuinely adult or grown-up enough. Actually, Torchwood delivers exactly what it promises: "Doctor Who for adults". That means it is essentially a romp, with content that displays more violence, sex and adult characters & relationships than its parent show. It may not be 'deep' or 'complex' or 'intricate', and you may be able to follow the plot without the feeling you need a character map and a degree -- don't get me wrong, because I absolutely adore those sorts of dramas too -- but that doesn't mean that Torchwood is not a good quality programme for a grown-up audience.
Maybe some people just need to learn how to have a bit of fun?
Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto are back, for another 13 stories of... well, you can never quite be sure what you'll get with Torchwood. Which has led to a lot of criticism, but is one of my favourite things about the show. There were some really good episodes in the first season, as well as some dreadful ones -- and, tellingly, most people disagree over which stories fall into which category. The writers dared to be a little experimental in what sorts of tales they chose to tell last year, which opened it up to easy criticism when something didn't quite work. But it has a lot more potential -- and, in fact, a much higher general quality level -- than many review scores would lead you to believe.
This new season doesn't necessarily feel greatly different to how it did first time round -- it's Torchwood 1.1 not Torchwood 2.0, if you will. Despite what some of those critics would have you believe, this is no bad thing: the show's first run was far from perfect, true, but it didn't need a total overhaul. It needed tweaking, not redesigning, and that's what they've done. It's funnier, faster paced, action-packed, the characters are more likable, they get on (finally), and there were fewer faintly embarrassing moments (though I still think the use of video instead of film is still poorly handled, making it look cheap and amateurish from time to time). Of course, this is just episode one, so some of the old problems may still be in store. But compare this to the overall impression of last year's opener and you can feel the subtle shifts. It's altogether more promising. Incidentally, there's no sign as yet that they'll lose that experimental side I praised above, so fingers crossed they don't -- while I didn't fully enjoy every episode of season one, I did always appreciate their attempts to provide something a bit different.
This episode is what might be deemed a 'standard one' (or 'normal one', or whatever), which seems wholly appropriate for a season opener. James Marsters turns up as Captain John Hart, a clear parallel of Captain Jack and reminiscent of how Jack was before the Doctor effected him. Relatively little is made of the "Jack used to behave like this" angle, which is perhaps something of a shame, but equally stops the episode from getting bogged down in anything so introspective. Instead they all race off an exciting quest to find three missing bombs, and Chibnall weaves his character scenes in around this rather effectively. The main emotional thread here is the return of Jack, who has been missing for several months. The reactions of the rest of the team are nicely played, coming across as more realistic and consistent than they ever seemed in season one. Hopefully they'll continue on this path.
As Captain John, Marsters was perhaps a little too much like Spike from Buffy and Angel (for those who might not know, that's the role Marsters is best known for), but then Spike was a damn good character and Captain John shows enough differences to still be enjoyable. It's not much of a spoiler to say this (as the trailer at the end revealed it!), but he'll be back, and I for one am very glad. The other performances were also aided by the improvements in the writing. Jack's much more fun again after his time with the Doctor, Owen is less irritating, Tosh is more active, and Ianto is still quietly effective. Which leaves Gwen: unduly hated by some, she is still the show's emotional heart and will clearly continue to be so. Considering the others can often be lacking in this department, it's a much needed role; but it's nice that she is now also fully one of the team, to the extent that she led it in Jack's absence, and is not just a filter for the viewer's understanding.
Some of Torchwood's critics could do with getting down off their high horses. They moan that the show's not genuinely adult or grown-up enough. Actually, Torchwood delivers exactly what it promises: "Doctor Who for adults". That means it is essentially a romp, with content that displays more violence, sex and adult characters & relationships than its parent show. It may not be 'deep' or 'complex' or 'intricate', and you may be able to follow the plot without the feeling you need a character map and a degree -- don't get me wrong, because I absolutely adore those sorts of dramas too -- but that doesn't mean that Torchwood is not a good quality programme for a grown-up audience.
Maybe some people just need to learn how to have a bit of fun?
Saturday, 12 January 2008
TV: Primeval - Season 2, Episode 1
ITV's answer to Doctor Who is back for a second series, this time with 7 episodes -- conveniently bumping the total number to an international-sales-friendly 13. Not usually a good sign for longevity. But regardless -- Primeval is Torchwood crossed with Jurassic Park for a family audience, essentially, as a team of semi-qualified pretty people chase dinosaurs (and other prehistoric beasties) that have fallen through time all over England.
Primeval's main problem, for me, is that it's actually quite slow-moving. For all the quick editing, slick direction, good quality special effects, and quick start to the plot, once things get to the meat of the situation not much happens. For instance, this week's episode resolves (sort of) and moves on from last season's cliffhanger in a matter of seconds, then rushes us through a revised setup, before sending the team out on a new mission, all within about five minutes. And then, for the next 50, they run around a shopping centre trying (and usually failing) to stop a pair of raptors. Sensible plotting and large chunks of continuity gradually go out the window in the quest for new set pieces to prolong the story. The thing is, there's just not enough actual plot to fill the running time, so we're left with half a storyline stretched out with repetitive action sequences. Usually non-sensical ones. That repeat themselves.
I don't want to be too harsh on Primeval. Well, OK, I do a little. It does have its moments, now and then: some of the action is quite decent, the mystery of the anomalies is occasionally intriguing, and there's even the odd moment of something approaching character development. Even the acting seems to have improved on season one, although as I came to this after watching last night's Echo Beach it would be hard not to look good. On that topic, Moving Wallpaper's Ben Miller is here, still as hopelessly out of place as ever -- though I've come to believe that's not really his fault: he's great in his show with Alexander Armstrong, he's the best thing about the whole of that Cornish-based-soap-production-hour (I need to find a catchier combined title for that...), but in Primeval his character is simply badly written. He's actually quite well-cast for the role intended, it's just that the intended role shouldn't be such dismal comic relief. And now they've given him an all-too-similar and equally bizarre sidekick/deputy, just to compound the problem. Oh dear.
This is just one of Primeval's flaws that, in spite of the fun and excitement, do still niggle away, occasionally bursting through into unmissable obviousness. Primeval can be fun, but you suspect that with a bit more effort that sentence could read, "Primeval is fun."
Primeval's main problem, for me, is that it's actually quite slow-moving. For all the quick editing, slick direction, good quality special effects, and quick start to the plot, once things get to the meat of the situation not much happens. For instance, this week's episode resolves (sort of) and moves on from last season's cliffhanger in a matter of seconds, then rushes us through a revised setup, before sending the team out on a new mission, all within about five minutes. And then, for the next 50, they run around a shopping centre trying (and usually failing) to stop a pair of raptors. Sensible plotting and large chunks of continuity gradually go out the window in the quest for new set pieces to prolong the story. The thing is, there's just not enough actual plot to fill the running time, so we're left with half a storyline stretched out with repetitive action sequences. Usually non-sensical ones. That repeat themselves.
I don't want to be too harsh on Primeval. Well, OK, I do a little. It does have its moments, now and then: some of the action is quite decent, the mystery of the anomalies is occasionally intriguing, and there's even the odd moment of something approaching character development. Even the acting seems to have improved on season one, although as I came to this after watching last night's Echo Beach it would be hard not to look good. On that topic, Moving Wallpaper's Ben Miller is here, still as hopelessly out of place as ever -- though I've come to believe that's not really his fault: he's great in his show with Alexander Armstrong, he's the best thing about the whole of that Cornish-based-soap-production-hour (I need to find a catchier combined title for that...), but in Primeval his character is simply badly written. He's actually quite well-cast for the role intended, it's just that the intended role shouldn't be such dismal comic relief. And now they've given him an all-too-similar and equally bizarre sidekick/deputy, just to compound the problem. Oh dear.
This is just one of Primeval's flaws that, in spite of the fun and excitement, do still niggle away, occasionally bursting through into unmissable obviousness. Primeval can be fun, but you suspect that with a bit more effort that sentence could read, "Primeval is fun."
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