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Post by The Doctor on Jan 17, 2008 20:48:34 GMT
I was out last night so watched the season opener this evening on the Beeb Torchwood website.
It was...it was...
My word, that was dull insipid crap of the highest order.
-Ralph
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Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
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Post by Hero on Jan 18, 2008 2:06:36 GMT
Overall, a strong start to the season, I thought; they seem to have taken some of the criticisms on board. I enjoyed Marsters' performance, but he was really just playing a version of Spike, wasn't he? Certainly is going down the Spike route with the needed/dislikable anti-hero thing, if he ends up in a position where he can't murder anymore it'll be like a carbon copy. The romantic/violent bar scene with Cap Jack was like a simular themed scene from Buffy involving her and Spike in an old house. Marsters will be cropping up quite a bit as well as Torchwood he's be returning soon to Smallville, appearing in the new film P.S I Love You, and also playing Picolo in the Dragonball Z film. I was'nt too thrilled with this episode, I sort of like the show more for gap-toothed but sexy Gwen and the familiar Cardiff scenery. The Torchwood base is almost like the Ninja Turtles sewer lair if Donatello had a say in the decor  Martha Jones appearing next week should be cool. ===KEN |
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Nigel
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
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Post by Nigel on Jan 18, 2008 9:31:54 GMT
The romantic/violent bar scene with Cap Jack was like a simular themed scene from Buffy involving her and Spike in an old house. ===KEN I hadn't thought of that. They didn't bring the house down in Torchwood, though. I wouldn't object to Gwen and Martha re-enacting the scene.   |
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 18, 2008 11:40:07 GMT
First episode was ok. Generally enjoyed it. James Masters played his part very well, but too much like Spike, as has already been hit on. I think they overdo the sexual thing alot. Almost gratuitous in places. The possible romance between Owen and, sorry can't remember her name, was a bit clumsy. But I think if they suceed in making the characters more likable then it should be better than season 1.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 20, 2008 14:10:08 GMT
Matha's not due for a few weeks - that's a this season promo thing. I think there's stuff from e1 in there.
In news to delight every Torchwood fan and calm the fears of all DW fans out there Chris Chibnall has a new job !
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 20, 2008 17:35:06 GMT
So I heard. He's off to Law and Order: London. Thank goodness. The man can't write for toffee.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jan 20, 2008 17:59:47 GMT
So I heard. He's off to Law and Order: London. Thank goodness. The man can't write for toffee. -Ralph Fortunately he won't need to do too much writing there I think. Apparently the plan is to remake scripts from the early seasons of the US series - so its more a case of reworking existing material than actually coming up with new stuff. Karl |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 21, 2008 13:11:03 GMT
Bet he can balls it up though
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 21, 2008 14:14:52 GMT
So I heard. He's off to Law and Order: London. Thank goodness. The man can't write for toffee. -Ralph Fortunately he won't need to do too much writing there I think. Apparently the plan is to remake scripts from the early seasons of the US series - so its more a case of reworking existing material than actually coming up with new stuff. Karl That's terrible ain't it? If you can't blasting-well think up new stuff, what's the point? Give the money/air-time to some other NEW show! Blimey... |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 21, 2008 21:02:36 GMT
I think the nadir of Chibnall style writing was the teaser for Torchwod season 2 when suddenly the fish alien knows all about the team members and enunciates little summaries of their key character points. At which point the script clunked to the floor and I lost interest. And there was still another 45 minutes to go.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jan 21, 2008 21:35:35 GMT
I think the nadir of Chibnall style writing was the teaser for Torchwod season 2 when suddenly the fish alien knows all about the team members and enunciates little summaries of their key character points. At which point the script clunked to the floor and I lost interest. And there was still another 45 minutes to go. -Ralph Ah yes, I think I was making coffee whilst that was going on, I could hear him doing the info-dump in the background but I was preoccupied with doing a little running countdown until Jack Harkness appeared with the "plot resolution" stick to end the scene. (I didn't bother speculating as to what his first line of dialogue would be - I just assumed it would be the largest cliche available to fit the hole). Karl |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 24, 2008 18:36:15 GMT
Well episode two aired last night. An interesting concept, admittedly one that has been done before but well handled by the cast. Enjoyed the banter between the Torchwood staff, something that was lacking a little in the first series.
Andy
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Post by charlesrocketboy on Jan 24, 2008 21:24:36 GMT
not only is the organisation known about but there also appears to be animosity towards it. Well, they did open the Rift (twice) and cause a giant demon to rampage in Cardiff killing folk. That can't make them very popular. |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 24, 2008 22:20:50 GMT
Ah, the difference a decent writer makes. Not an original idea but well done and engaged my interest throughout.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 24, 2008 22:27:00 GMT
I liked the look of the coral reef grenades that came out of their arm.
Andy
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 25, 2008 7:54:59 GMT
A very good episode. My Radio Times for next week says that episode three is the strongest episode of the season so far though, but then again Radio Times likes Primeval.
Martin
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Gav
Drone
John Travoltage!
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Post by Gav on Jan 25, 2008 8:50:54 GMT
I caught the second episode on my recently found Virgin 'TV ON DEMAND' service, and i enjoyed it well enough. Captain Jack was a total dick throughout, which was great.
The 'businessman' sleeper agent was amazing though. Glassy eyed swine!
Looking forward to the next episode.
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 25, 2008 9:38:13 GMT
Yeah not a bad episode. I think they're defo making the cast more likeable, which is good. Thought they overdid the 'oh the humanity' in this ep, but a good offering.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 30, 2008 21:58:46 GMT
Best Torchwood ever tonight, I reckon.
Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2008 22:04:14 GMT
I'm watching the series via the iPlayer thingy on the Torchwod website. Now maybe I'm thick but I'm buggered if I can find the button to make the picture larger. It plays fine, but a bit titchy.
Not watched episode 3 as yet. I hope it continues the quality of last week rather than the Chibnall pish of episode 1.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 31, 2008 8:09:52 GMT
We joked a while back that Doctor Who/Torchwood were gradually working their way one building at a time around Cardiff Bay: Bosphorous restaurant, Roald Dahl Place, WMC, Senedd, and that next on the list would be the Norwegian church. And it bloody was the setting for two scenes last night!  The Scott memorial also got a plug. Next building following this pattern will be the Tube. Watch out for it, kids!  Martin |
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Gav
Drone
John Travoltage!
Posts: 2,047
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Post by Gav on Jan 31, 2008 10:12:41 GMT
What last night's episode needed was a little less 'ridiculous'.
Also once they had explained the 'apparitions' from 1918 as merely people coming through timeslips, there was really no need to keep up the shock-ghost music every time one appeared.
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 31, 2008 10:56:20 GMT
I though it was the best yet. Enjoyed it. Far less 'Oh the Humanity' than last week. Good episode.
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 1, 2008 22:07:28 GMT
It was ok. Very good premise and some nice moments but struggled to fill the 50 minutes. Had the potential to be really spooky but seemed to want to go for Serious Drama instead but there just wasn't enough material. Pretty watchable in a once-only sort of way and miles better than the Chibnall pish of a fortnight ago. Hard to believe it's the same show! I did think the actor playing the young soldier put in a decent turn.
Trailer for next week's ep looks a bit season 1-ish. Hmmm.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Feb 1, 2008 22:51:05 GMT
I thought it was decent. Thematically it was Helen Raynor's second run at an idea that she did in the first season. Fortunately this was an improved version. They were definitely reaching towards getting more "serious drama" genes in this script. I'm not sure how well that worked considering it had to blend with the "ghosts" plotline and it's "thumpingly-unsubtle-dramatic-music-of-DOOM". Definitely better than their previous attempt at the same idea and reasonably watchable. Did feel a little short of things to do for the full fifty minutes, with a certain amount of "we're just going to cover this again while we're at it".
Good to finally see that Naoko Mori is a reasonably competent actress. (Really, up until this point I would have been hard-pressed to tell.)
EDIT - Oh, and I take it I was not the only one who watched the trailer for next weeks episode and muttere - "It's Aliens. Soylent Green is aliens."?
Karl
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 3, 2008 0:07:07 GMT
I think, so far, they're are suceeding in making the characters more likeable, partic Owen, and in general it's making the show more watchable. Mori was good in the last ep, but I agree the spookyness just didn't work, apart from that one scene where a nurse walks down a corridor away from Gwen, but then leans backwards to look back at her. That scared Mrs Shockprowl!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 5, 2008 20:52:20 GMT
They need to go some way to match the 19040's timeslip ep last year with the real Captain Jack. Now that was good squishy
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 10, 2008 8:23:21 GMT
Decent ep this week I thought. Gwen's chap was presented fairly well. I was expecting them to make a hash of it. But it turned out ok. And a fighting role for what's-his-name in the suite! Nice one!
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 12, 2008 21:34:08 GMT
Caught up with the 'Meat' episode this evening before it's taken off the Beeb's player. Didn't really hold my interest and I found myself checking e-mails and the like while it was on. Trailer for the next episode was so confusing I have no idea what it's meant to be about!
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Feb 12, 2008 22:53:43 GMT
Caught up with the 'Meat' episode this evening before it's taken off the Beeb's player. Didn't really hold my interest and I found myself checking e-mails and the like while it was on. Trailer for the next episode was so confusing I have no idea what it's meant to be about! -Ralph I blew a bit hot and cold on the "Meat" episode to be honest. I think part of the problem was that a) I didn't realise for most of the teaser that the bloke in the car was Gwen's fiance, and b) I'm not attached to that relationship in the slightest. Mostly I think because Gwen treated him so abysmally last season that it doesn't really feel like she deserves him. Also, they need to do a lot of work before I can take Ianto seriously in the role of "grimly violent bloke". Ironically for an episode about meat, there wasn't a lot of meat to the plot and it did feel it was stretching the running time more than a little. The basic idea was sound, but not really enough to sustain fifteen minutes as it stood. Might just be me, but was John Barrowman on the verge of corpsing in a couple of scenes there though? As to the trailer for this weeks episode.... do you know I can't remember a single thing about it at all now I come to think about it. Karl |
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