Back into Torchwood again (had to return it to the library because someone else wanted it) and just watched Episode 7: Greeks Bearing Gifts. This was another really good one. It had adult content, but wasn’t graphic, an intriguing villain, was a really good character piece for Tosh, but without short-changing the other leads, and was just a good piece of sci-fi. Again, this feels like an episode of the X-Files. Rated 9/10.
I really like Greeks Bearing Gifts too! the only thing bringing it down for me is the weird transphobic monologue they give Jack at the end, which is so out of character for him it’s ridiculous, and therefore in my head firmly not canon
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I wouldn’t go so far to say that “Cyberwoman” is my second favourite episode (in truth, it’s not even close for me), but I do enjoy it and I can’t help but feel that much of the problem with it could easily be overcome (let’s start with erasing Lisa’s “glamourous” high heeled cyber bikini look) with a critical eye and a bit of quality control. There’s some really good stuff there, it’s just a shame there is some superficial but very obvious bad stuff that gets in the way. 
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And so, Episode 8: They Keep Killing Suzie is over. It was good. Definitely some interesting concepts here. I actually don’t have that much to say. This is the kind of thing that a more mature show set in the Whoniverse can really do well. I keep comparing this show to X-Files (which I’ve only ever dabbled in), but this has such potential to do more cerebral sci-fi. Mature concepts, more character-oriented drama, things that Doctor Who could never really do, especially on TV, while still fitting into the universe and not feeling like it’s just tangentally connected by name alone. This one was good, limited violence, barely any gore, and no sex because it wasn’t necessary to the story. One mention of Gwen and Owen’s affair, and that’s it. Plus, we’re starting to get hints of the season arc and finale. Which is great in an episode just past the half-way point that ties heavily into the premire. In the end, probably a 4/5.
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Just watched Episode 9: Random Shoes. That, was amazing. So well done. This isn’t one I remember that well from when I originally watched the season. But it was so simple, so elegant, so… human. This is probably my favorite of the season thus far. It’s not violent or gory, there’s no sex, it’s just solving a dead man’s murder and seeing his life leading up to it. It’s beautiful. I wouldn’t want this every episode, but this was so good. On a side note, Eugene reminded me a lot of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.
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I love Random Shoes as well, but many people didn’t like it. I think it’s quite similar to Love and Monsters, in that it doesn’t focus on the main cast but tries to tell a story about how others perceive the main cast.
It’s a very sweet episode.
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I think Random Shoes being sweet and at all optimistic about anything after death is fundamentally wrong for and antithetical to Torchwood lol. It might have have been a nice episode of SJA or Doctor Who tho.
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Maybe. I will admit that having two episodes dealing very differently with death and the afterlife back to back is an interesting choice. That said, I still really liked this one.
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Watched Episode 10: Out of Time tonight. Wow! That was really good. It seems like Torchwood is at its best when telling personal character-driven stories. I remembered the basics from my original watch, and the sex scenes, but this was so well done. Yes, there were sex scenes, but they were tastefully done and didn’t like they were just there to prove how adult the show is like in Day One. The three stories were quite interesting, it’s just a shame that Tosh and Ianto are the team members sidelined the most often. That said, this was an excellent episode for Gwen and Owen. I think John Ellis had the strongest storyline of the three castaways, it was so heartbreaking and real. Not that the other two weren’t, but his resonated the most with me. The scene at the end in the car was so powerful and so sweet. I’d rate this 5/5. Two little things, I was impressed by the writing and am a little surprised the writer hasn’t done more (for the record, she wrote three more episodes of Torchwood across Series 1 and 2, and The Girl Who Lived for Series 9 of Doctor Who), and it’s amazing how ancient the TVs look in the shopping montage at the beginning.
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Just looked it up and wow, yeah, it’s absolutely criminal she hasn’t, all her Torchwood stories are 8 or 9 out of 10 for me, and The Woman Who lived while it’s only a 5/10 for me, is a very very fun 5/10
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Finally getting back into this with Episode 11: Combat. This was good, but there have better episodes this season. I liked the focus on Owen and the through-line from the previous episode and the continuation of Gwen and Rhys’ relationship. I found the direction really good, and was genuinely surprised to see that it was written by Noel Clarke. I liked the fight club idea too. I don’t really have much else to say on this one.
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While Combat as a whole isn’t one of my favorite episodes, the bit where Owen poses as a salesman (I think of eels?) with Tosh’s assistance is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show
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Combat I think is probably the most middle of the road Torchwood episode. It’s good, it’s got some great character stuff for Owen, some very fun scenes (like Owen posing as a salesman), but it’s not got anything that’s super standout (no history for Jack like From out of the Rain, or Small Worlds, and no extremely stand out performances like End of Day’s Billis)
Generally it’s one I always forget, but re-appreciate on the rewatch
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Just watched Episode 12: Captain Jack Harkness. It’s quite good. The whole cast gets bits of spotlight and Bilis is suitably creepy. I also liked the Vote Saxon posters around the Ritz. Not much else to say really.
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Let me say it for you then… 
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There we go! I just finished Episode 13: End of Days. That was really good. Dark, but not juvenile. Minor nudity, very little gore and violence, and yet very mature themes. I really enjoyed this. Why does it seem like Chibnall writes better (usually) for Torchwood than for Doctor Who proper? Bilis is a fascinating villain and seemms like a prototype to the Harbingers we got in Series 14 for Maestro and Sutehk. I only really have two minor complaints about this one. First, the monster’s CGI hasn’t aged well, but it only gets limited screentime anyway, so it’s not that bad. And what is it with RTD and Christ-like resurrections this year? We get Jack here and then The Doctor shortly afterwards in the Series 3 finale. Anyway, good episode and rather enjoyable Season Finale. (Overall Series 1 thoughts pending.)
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Bilis is potentially my favourite villain in all of Doctor Who even with only two on screen appearances. The casting for him is just incredible, whoever got Murray Melvin deserves all the raises.
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So, I’ve finally finished Torchwood Series 1. It took me almost five months. I enjoyed it a lot more this time at age 31/32 than I did at 18/19. The biggest reason is because I was prepared for the sex, violence and language and wasn’t caught completely off-guard by it like when I first tried this show. Is this a great show? I don’t know if I’d call it great, but it is good and has a lot of potential. I’ve never really got into X-Files (watching a few season 1 episodes after discovering it with the relaunch mini-series), but Torchwood feels like a British X-Files set in the Whoniverse. At times, there are some brilliant stories. There are also some weird ones that are still good, and then there’s “Day One”. I’ll be tackling Series 2 fairly soon whenever the DVD gets returned to the library (it’s due October 9th), and this will be entirely virgin territory for me. I plan on continuing this thread as I go, and I’m eagerly awaiting reaching Children of Earth. I doubt that I’ll delve much into Torchwood on Big Finish as I’ve got way too much Doctor Who to listen to. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed this season for the most part and think I can recommend at least Series 1 to people with the content warnings that I never got.
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I’m very curious to hear what you will have to say about Season 2. I always thought Season 2 was as close to a good mainstream series as Torchwood ever got (with Children of Earth being better and also not mainstream at all ). Looking forward to reading your thoughts about it! 
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Thanks. Got to wait for the DVD to be returned to the library first.
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