This story might have the least engaging mystery I’ve ever seen in fiction.
A guy is killed in what appears to be a hit and run incident. It turns out what happened was that he was killed in what was a hit and run incident. But Gwen decides she needs to investigate this death because… he kind of stalked her and Torchwood (mostly her).
Maybe it was because the last thing he did on his phone before he died was to take some photos of some random shoes (hey that’s the episode title). I mean I guess that’s a weird thing to do, but it’s hardly worth Gwen wasting her time investigating what is clearly a hit and run death. Oh, and the reveal of why he took photos of random shoes is, well he didn’t mean to he just accidentally pressed the wrong button on his phone. The shoes mean literally nothing.
I don’t hate this episode. It is trying to give the nice “enjoy life, live each day” message. It just does this in a very heavy-handed and corny way. But it’s a nice enough sentiment. Honestly the episode, much like the character Eugene is relatively sweet and well-meaning. It’s just also boring and feels like a complete waste time.
A pretty simple story that is emotional and shows the sympathetic and caring side of Gwen really well. Its pretty fun but definitely can be boring at times. I like it for what it is though despite how different and tone breaking it is. Still, nothing special, and I would’ve preferred an episode where the whole team gets focus rather than just Gwen.
But it’s just so sweet. The mystery is compelling. It has some great Gwen moments. And ultimately it’s a story about how you should enjoy life and embrace every moment because you never know how long you have.
I thought this was a good episode and a change of pace. But I ultimately did think it was interesting and could’ve been better dead guy happens to be stalking one of the only people who could investigate it. Turns a hit and run into well a hit and run
Rewatching this one for the first time since it aired, and I’m astonished to see I gave it 10/10 originally. I quite liked it, but perfection it is not. Some of Gwen’s dialogue sounds like Eugene wrote it himself as his idea of what someone in love with him would say (“Don’t go now, Eugene. Eugene, please don’t go now. Eugene, please. Please!”). It’s still above average for series 1, but nowhere near as good as I apparently thought it was.
I like the concept of this episode a lot. Some of the execution doesn’t work, the dialogue is clunky and most of the side characters are pretty insufferable. But it’s such a big Gwen focussed story, I can’t help but like it.
There are a lot of things I liked about the episode. I thought the concept was pretty interesting and the mystery of Gwen investigating what happened in the case, using a connection of an ‘alien eye’ to justify her involvement with Torchwood was interesting.
Another weird little story about the human condition, like Greeks Bearing Gifts, and just like that one I really enjoyed this. It’s surprisingly sweet and tender for a show which only one episode previously implied the afterlife is a horrific nightmare world (although I’d prefer to think that’s just something experienced by people affected by the resurrection gauntlet - implying everyone in the Whoniverse is in for a terrible time when they die is a bit too grim for me). Eugene is a likeable one-off viewpoint character, there are some nice moments for Gwen, and I like the central theme of appreciating life while you have it. Plus, it feels very palpably mid-2000s which as a late 90s baby I found very nostalgic (Owain Hughes from Gavin and Stacey! A Renault Megane! A legally distinct, totally not Little Chef! That snatch of Walking with Monsters in the video shop! Heck, the video shop!) Only in the very last scene do things get a bit too saccharine, plus the stuff with Eugene’s dad is a little weirdly handled (and he does some impromptu singing, always a no-no in my book), but for the most part this is a lovely, surprisingly life-affirming episode.
