Torchwood: Greeks Bearing Gifts

[delericho]

No thread about this yet?

Tosh receives an amulet that allows her to hear thoughts. Badness ensues.

This episode featured a number of namechecks for UNIT, so they've obviously not been forgotten. And Tosh finally raised an issue that we've been commenting on for weeks, namely that they're not even remotely profession in their behaviour.

Unfortunately, that was about all I liked about the episode. I was particularly annoyed that Tosh's concerns were immediately dismissed as her being too uptight for her own good. I was also very annoyed at yet another example of a Torchwood member abusing the alien technology at their disposal, and the final fate of the amulet, while appropriate to the story, was entirely inappropriate given the supposed place of Torchwood within the UK. Finally, the portrayal of humanity in this show was not even remotely balanced.

All in all, I rate this as the weakest episode of the series to date.

Next week's ep sees the return of the resurrection glove. It looks interesting. If it doesn't live up to expectations, though, I think I'm done with this show.

 

[Fast Learner]

I'm disappointed, too. I thought the episode was just ok, right up until they destroyed the amulet, at which point it became crappy.

It's frustrating, really, as I like the old Captain Jack (who is almost entirely absent from this Jack) and I like the Gwen character quite a bit. The writing, though, just isn't doing it for me.

 

[Huw]

I thought this the second best (after Ghost Machine). I was wondering whether the amulet was being selective in the thoughts it gathers; after all, Mary gives to Toshiko so as to alienate her from her workmates.

 

[dravot]

The show's writing, character wise is ok, but I'm getting tired of the liberties they take with the concept of an elite unit.

This is 2nd time that someone let an alien threat into Torchwood, and no one is sacked. :\

 

[sniffles]

I thought this the second best (after Ghost Machine). I was wondering whether the amulet was being selective in the thoughts it gathers; after all, Mary gives to Toshiko so as to alienate her from her workmates.

Yes, I had the feeling that Mary wasn't telling Tosh everything about how it worked, so either it was selective or somehow she caused Tosh to focus only on negative thoughts.

I imagine that if you could really read peoples' minds it would be incredibly boring most of the time, because everyone would be thinking of dull things like shopping lists or what to wear to dinner. That wouldn't be much fun on a tv show, though.

I like the way they're exploring each of the characters individually. I particularly enjoyed the bits where Tosh was reading Gwen's and Owen's thoughts and they couldn't stop thinking about each other. I also liked it at one point when Jack asked Tosh if she'd completed a report for UNIT. And her not being able to read Jack's thoughts was a nice touch, too.

I don't think of Torchwood as being so much an elite organization as just one that is outside the normal legal channels. If it was truly 'elite' they'd have more people and more of a military presence. Torchwood isn't even particularly covert.

I'm really looking forward to next episode.

 

[glass]

I don't think of Torchwood as being so much an elite organization as just one that is outside the normal legal channels. If it was truly 'elite' they'd have more people and more of a military presence. Torchwood isn't even particularly covert.

I think it used to be elite but since the little trouble they had with (Dr Who spoiler)

Spoiler

millions of cybermen and daleks

, times have been hard.


glass.

 

[Hawklord]

I think it used to be elite but since the little trouble they had with (Dr Who spoiler)

Spoiler

millions of cybermen and daleks

, times have been hard.


glass.

I suspect that you're right. Torchwood One seems to have been the hub of the operation with lots of shiny offices and people running around in unforms with guns etc.

Captain Jack's outfit is pretty much the "Cardiff office" - important because of the Rift, but not really the main area - at least till Torchwood One got caught in the crossfire.

Judging by the way Gwen joined the unit it could be compsed of people who've pretty much stumbled into the organisation rather that being recruited and trained to elite status.

 

[Falkus]

I've gotten the sense that Torchwood operated with a cell structure, with each seperate unit having its own methedology for the handling of alien artifacts. Torchwood One seemed to be more learn and use (which, as mentioned before, got them into big trouble), while Jack's group seems to be more cautious with it, locking away or destroying the dangerous stuff (like the resurrection glove. I bet Torchwood One would have kept trying to figure out how to use it to its full potential).

 

[Fast Learner]

Based on previews for the next episode, that's what this Torchwood will be doing.

 

[delericho]

What bugs me is not the lack of 'elite' behaviour amongst the staff - it's that they're downright amateurish at times, and spend a lot of time doing things that leave the gamer in me screaming "No! You fools!"

Twice now, alien threats have been allowed into Torchwood, posing great risk. In a 'deserted' village in an area where more than a dozen people have disappeared, members of the team would wander around on their own, despite lacking any combat training and despite the lack of short-range radio comms to the rest of the group. Four of the six members seen so far have abused alien technology (the resurrection glove, the date-rape pheromone spray, the cyber-conversion unit, and now the amulet), and most of the team seem to spend most of their time treating all this as some sort of a joke. It's reaching a point where it's really starting to interfere with my enjoyment of the show.