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After thankfully avoiding Torchwood over the last week, I decided to check out episode 5 of season 1. I’ll be honest- for Torchwood, that wasn’t too bad. I still have absolutely no investment in the central characters as such, there were some hokey examples of CGI during particular moments, and there is something utterly unbelievable about a “top secret” organisation driving about in vans with the word “Torchwood” overtly printed on it, but as a stand-alone story, it held my interest enough. And I can’t say it was as bombarded with moronic sexual gags and infantile dialogue either (courtesy of P.J Hammond), though there was the occasional twee moment here and there.
The programme doesn’t seem to resemble anything remotely related to gritty science fiction at all, though. Not only does the characterisation remain crass generally across the board, but each episode so far seems to have delved into whimsical or implausible narratives that rely on fantasy above all else (as evidenced by this with the emphasis on “fairies”, and episode 3) and are often bookended by the same tweeness that encapsulates much of NuWho. This isn’t bad on its own, but it’s not necessarily “adult” in that sense either. In fact, I don’t see what warrants its status as adult TV at all beyond the stupid gags and occasional profanity- it’s not exactly complex or mature. That being said, this was a massive improvement on the absolute disaster of Cyberwoman (not that such an accomplishment is difficult), and there was at least some semblance of narrative structure and story logic here. I can’t think of much to say about it- it was passable by the standards of Torchwood anyway.
Sadly, I have Countrycide by Chibnall next, so I only expect things to become extraordinarily awful again shortly.
The programme doesn’t seem to resemble anything remotely related to gritty science fiction at all, though. Not only does the characterisation remain crass generally across the board, but each episode so far seems to have delved into whimsical or implausible narratives that rely on fantasy above all else (as evidenced by this with the emphasis on “fairies”, and episode 3) and are often bookended by the same tweeness that encapsulates much of NuWho. This isn’t bad on its own, but it’s not necessarily “adult” in that sense either. In fact, I don’t see what warrants its status as adult TV at all beyond the stupid gags and occasional profanity- it’s not exactly complex or mature. That being said, this was a massive improvement on the absolute disaster of Cyberwoman (not that such an accomplishment is difficult), and there was at least some semblance of narrative structure and story logic here. I can’t think of much to say about it- it was passable by the standards of Torchwood anyway.
Sadly, I have Countrycide by Chibnall next, so I only expect things to become extraordinarily awful again shortly.
