Torchwood (2006-2011) TV series - Ravishing!

Looking what to watch after Intelligence I ran into some site with recommendations and after a few links came upon this wonderful show - Torchwood that blew my mind!

First of all, it is sci-fi, action, team-work, everything I like. But it's also much more than that. I found the series completely unusual in many way, perhaps because it is British, but hey! I've seen Bugs and it was OK yet far from this one. So I will so far assume it is Welsh, not English, as they note many times, and it was originally developed by BBC Cymru/Whales (4th season made by BBC World in USA 2 years after the 3rd one, but that's a separate story).

So, what do we have so unusual here?

1. Some secondary characters smoke (not the main but nevertheless noticeable).
2. Main hero (Captain Jack Harkness - in the middle above) - is gay, or, rather bi, but we're shown only the gay part and I must say it was uncomfortable to watch at first but you get used to it, especially with such kind of a charmer.
3. Main characters die. Counting death is not as straightforward in this show, we are left with 3 of 5 by the end of season 2 and 2 of five at the end of season 3. The American story had to be a bit more conventional and I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing - I'm glad to see them alive but it definitely lost its depth.
4. It's dramatic. I mean, every episode contains some kind of tragedy for one or more of the main characters for 2 traditional season (1 story per episode). So, feelings and coping take an important part in the story, which is unusual but very enriching for an action show. I mean, you see people with feelings, not just tin figurines with a set of personal "rules".
5. It's hearty. You get an awful lot of feelings for what one could've expect from a British-made show. I don't know, may be it's English/Welsh thing but the one man from there I ever met in my life was as frozen as the traditional Londoner image. And they change each other with those feelings. Which is the unrealistic but very refreshing part - I mean who gets to show or see so much real feelings expressed in real life nowadays?
6. It's complicated. You get many questions without right answers - a realistic thing, something to relate to, to think about: what would you have done in their place? And the most excellent is that some answers are far from what is traditionally considered right (that's the main difference from the most of this market made by Americans where there is always a way to do it right).
7. Yet it's light. You aren't left with hard feelings after tragedies despite all the tears in the process or perhaps thanks to them. They get through and accept it is they way it is. At least Gwen does it like any other person normally could: rages, grieves, takes actions she believes in or accepts it and emerges enriched like we all should. 
8. It's inspiring. This is not so unique but very rare lately. A certain uniqueness is in combination with "no right answers" or "no making it right" stories. So it inspires you that life goes on despite that. Mainly thanks to Jack Harkness who just doesn't carry any emotional luggage with him (or he'd sure loose his mind in the centuries he lived). He just gets done what needs to be done and that inspires you to do it. Action taken - no regrets, it's pointless. There might be tears, a few good words or a punch to get to work, if needed, but he gets them and us through it. He's their sun and he acts like one professionally, his spirit never fails or gives up.
9. It's crazy. Not a unique quality either but they bring it on the large scale almost approaching later Farscape, whose fans should appreciate this brilliant reference:
   
   No, I really enjoy seeing people doing crazy stuff, unbound by conventional opinion! I mean when thanks to this they get some useful things done, not just to defy common sense :)
10. It tells about different types of love! That is really something I haven't seen a lot anywhere on screen but here it's like a regular thing to describe. You have silent love, gay love, pleasure sex, love-hate, spiritual love, familial love and none of it really interferes with each other! Kinda really broadens your views on the matter. Well, it's a particular cherry on top for me :)

All in all it moves you, not just entertains!


A few notes on season 4: Americans in season 4 absolutely had to flatten it, of course. Besides bringing in several local heroes and practically making the main one by screen time an Afro-American CIA agent, they however did not completely kill the charm of this show, just spoiled it a bit.

The worst of it was when the 2 original characters were getting ready to kill each other for their own survival, which they finally didn't have to do, but the intent was disappointing enough. I don't know if it's realistic, because yes, most of the times people do ugly stuff because they're just selfish or they're afraid. And these were certainly new and frightening circumstances even for such a trained couple. It's just that nothing before or after confirms such a shameless self-interest or smallness of soul in them.

I was practically sure they'll kill the immortal Jack Harkness by the end since there finally was such a possibility, but the Americans did not disappoint with their happy ending. I'm only not sure it's a good thing because it robs the story of definitiveness and perhaps of depth.
Moreover they had to bring back their own hero as well, so we got 2 immortals at the end. Which was a curious setup for a next season, if we only had one. But I really didn't care for the other guy even though he's straight, sorry. He's just different, he hasn't got what Jack had even despite all the latter's dubious actions. Meaning, remove Jack and I wouldn't watch the story. Remove the CIA guy - I wouldn't wink.

Nevertheless there were some really beautiful moments in it (perhaps from the original creators?) and also some crazy in the best traditions of Torchwood. The CIA guy is crazy enough for Torchwood, at least, moreover he puts a fresh lantern on just how crazy are they. I also kinda like him calling Jack "World War II", it's somewhat funny. They even kept a gay element - love story from Jack's past.

Well, speaking further is pretty pointless, you just have to watch it if you love the stuff I love.

I just have to say at the end I really enjoy this couple - Gwen and Jack. They're the only 2 left but I liked them from the start. They're not a real couple, since Gwen is happily married but they have this unique kind of spiritual love between them I'd say. And of course, experience-bound camaraderie.