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TorchwoodPDX
Registered: 01/01/07
Posts: 23
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 Friday, February 15 2008 @ 03:25 PM EST |
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When Jack handed out the pills, I found that scene all too weird.
I walked away feeling it had a heavy religious over tone that was just out of place. Jack walking around the room pulling the Sarek, share with me your pain….. (Star Trek V) and acting like the priest handing out communion wafers to his flock.
Well over the creepy point for me.
Other then that I liked the episode, it had that alternate reality feeling, the WHAT IF episode that you normally see on a Sci Fi show after the writers have build up the characters so the audience understands the change of behavior...... oh well.
The one thing I was really looking forward to after seeing the season opener was seeing the Jack and Ianto relationship grow and be something of meaning… have positive Gay relationship that was not all about casual sex, spray on libido, or Bisexual alien mind control intercourse. But no now we have Gwen and Jack secretly longing for each other and poor Ianto still Jack’s flavor of the month.
I think they did miss a great storyline by fixing Iantos bloodlust. Would have been great to have him killing and hiding the bodies behind the others for months, or even develop him into a super villain, one that has a complete understanding of Torchwood and can defeat them from within.
But I rattle on to much about Ianto, mostly because I fancy him! ☺
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seanhuxter
Registered: 08/27/05
Posts: 825
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| Friday, February 15 2008 @ 05:17 PM EST |
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[Quote by: Dalzo] ...
What made the book work a little better than the episode is that it is written in such a manner that if you knew nothing about the series and read the book you would take it for granted that James (as opposed to "Adam") was a main character instead of an imposter. |
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So did this episode. I haven't read the book, but this episode begins with Adam a good old bud from three years ago. Everyone's changed before the episode begins, so anyone just picking the show up at this episode wouldn't know the difference.
I thought that that was the right way to do it and they did it well.
Sean.
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One solid hope is worth a cartload of uncertainties.
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Linquel
Registered: 03/22/06
Posts: 729
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| Saturday, February 16 2008 @ 12:38 AM EST |
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I liked this one more than I usually like Torchwood, and I don't think it was just a case of my lowered expectations. It was interesting seeing the other characters in different lights. It makes sense, though. "A man is the sum of his memories you know, a Time Lord even more so."  I personally thought that Rhys would get to be the hero again, by drawing attention to the fact that Adam wasn't there when he met the Torchwood crew just a week (or more since his gunshot wound seems better) ago.
| [Quote by: Louis] I like this episode solely for the Captain Jack backstory. As for a creature existing entirely in the memories of others is a bit rubbish for me, but it served as a vehicle to uncover more about Captain Jack and his history, so I can look the other way on that aspect. |
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I don't know, Louis. Didn't they do something similar in Star Trek: Voyager where they flashed back to the time of Captain Sulu from Star Trek 6 because some creature was living in a fake memory? Having him be corporeal was maybe a step closer to rubbish, but I didn't think it was so bad.
| [Quote by: Louis] Yes. It reminded me of what the 5th Doctor once said about we are all the sum of our memories. |
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Ah, crap. You beat me to it. 
| [Quote by: TorchwoodPDX] Jack walking around the room pulling the Sarek, share with me your pain.. (Star Trek V) and acting like the priest handing out communion wafers to his flock. |
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Woo-hoo! More Star Trek references. I'm not the only one. 
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I'm going "Full Circle" and putting my avatar back to what it was when I first joined. :)
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sarahbot
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 36
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| Saturday, February 16 2008 @ 10:58 PM EST |
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This episode was the best yet until about half way through, and now it's quickly become my least favourite of the new series. The concept of Adam was terrific, though surely I cannot be the first one to spot an enormous resemblance to the Buffy episode "Superstar," where a character who's been a geek through all of high school suddenly becomes the most popular kid in town. However, Buffy went that one step further and didn't explain how Jonathon got popular until the characters figured it out for themselves. The episodes are very, very similar, right down to the insertion of Adam/Jonathon in the opening credits.
I liked the reveal of more of Jack's backstory, particularly given his comments about being a boy soldier in "Captain Jack Harkness." However, given that we knew that Grey survived before we even knew who he was, the emotional punch just isn't as strong for me. I understand that Jack's upset about remembering Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru his dad dying, but has he completely forgotten what Hart said?
I normally think John Barrowman's a great actor, but something about his dramatic delivery this series has been off. The line about "what have they done to you" from "Meat" and all the scenes in this episode where he's remembering his childhood just seem slightly . . . off. It might have worked better if they'd had him voice-over the scenes or had him monologue it, one or the other.
Did anyone else find something odd about the child Jack's accent? Everyone else seemed effortless North American, but maybe that child actor had a problem with the accent? I'm Canadian, so maybe someone from the UK could chime in with their two cents.
I liked seeing a stronger Tosh, but felt she didn't fight enough to protect Adam. She tried much harder to save whatshisface from WWI, and her relationship with him was nowhere near as strong.
Gareth was superb. I love him getting extra time this season, as I frankly couldn't see why people were gushing about him last series, given that he had so little screen time. I'm a big sucker for this sort of portrayal of dreams/memories (i.e. the Buffy episode "Restless"), and I think they nailed it. The same goes for Jack walking into and watching his own memories. Ianto's desperation and fear, while at the same time perfectly portraying the angry side: excellent.
Ultimately, I might have liked this episode better in the long run if they hadn't released two episodes at once. "Reset" and the return of Martha raised the bar again. |
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Linquel
Registered: 03/22/06
Posts: 729
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| Sunday, February 17 2008 @ 01:19 AM EST |
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| [Quote by: sarahbot] The episodes are very, very similar, right down to the insertion of Adam/Jonathon in the opening credits. |
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I wasn't sure what you were talking about at first, since the opening credits are so short and are just the names appearing with the Torchwood logo. But I played the opening of the ep again and I saw Adam was in the opening "The 21st Century is when it all changes..." bit. I guess I didn't notice originally because I assumed the show always included clips of that week's episode as a teaser, kind of like how Galactica does the quick clips of that night's show right after the credits.
Superstar is one of my all-time favorite Buffy eps, though. |
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I'm going "Full Circle" and putting my avatar back to what it was when I first joined. :)
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sarahbot
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 36
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| Sunday, February 17 2008 @ 01:31 PM EST |
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| Yeah, I guess I should have been clearer on that. I kinda wish they'd incorporated him more, like shooting the slo-mo walk with the whole team at the end of the opening sequence with him included for just this one ep. |
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daveac
Registered: 04/12/06
Posts: 2636
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| Sunday, February 17 2008 @ 03:09 PM EST |
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| [Quote by: sarahbot] Yeah, I guess I should have been clearer on that. I kinda wish they'd incorporated him more, like shooting the slo-mo walk with the whole team at the end of the opening sequence with him included for just this one ep. |
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The trouble with having him in those shots would mean Gwen's line 'Who's he?' would make no sence.
She comes into work late - a nice touch that (to show how her and Rhys are happy again) - whilst all the others have been touched by Adam.
Oooh err... they've all been touched up in Torchwood 
The scene later with Gewn finding a 'stranger' in her home really worked well there.
Cheers - and welcome - daveac
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daveac on blip.tv, TalkShoe, iTunes, LiveVideo, uStream, GE, Sci-Fi, DWO, DS & WTA, Dave C on WLP,
cooperda on AVF, dac100 on YouTube & PB, dac on Tiscali
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Linquel
Registered: 03/22/06
Posts: 729
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| Sunday, February 17 2008 @ 04:30 PM EST |
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[Quote by: daveac] She comes into work late - a nice touch that (to show how her and Rhys are happy again) - whilst all the others have been touched by Adam.
Oooh err... they've all been touched up in Torchwood
The scene later with Gewn finding a 'stranger' in her home really worked well there. |
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Didn't they say something like Gwen and Rhys went away to Paris for a few days or something? I was under the impression she was on vacation when Adam came.
Not that it really matters that much. |
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I'm going "Full Circle" and putting my avatar back to what it was when I first joined. :)
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Tin Dog Podcast
Registered: 04/19/07
Posts: 599
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 05:10 AM EST |
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incase you missed them
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Guest Host on the WHOCAST
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Linquel
Registered: 03/22/06
Posts: 729
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 10:00 AM EST |
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[Quote by: Tin Dog Podcast] incase you missed them
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Holy crap. Are those the Dalek tommyguns from Evolution of the Daleks? |
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I'm going "Full Circle" and putting my avatar back to what it was when I first joined. :)
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merlin_mccarley
Registered: 07/30/06
Posts: 733
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 10:10 AM EST |
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[Quote by: Linquel] [Quote by: Tin Dog Podcast] incase you missed them
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Holy crap. Are those the Dalek tommyguns from Evolution of the Daleks? |
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Can't you just see the conversation in 1930's NY?
"What are these things? They look Welsh, send them to Torchwood."  |
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I'm a Time Traveler, I point and laugh at archaeologist.
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mad4plaid
Registered: 02/02/06
Posts: 880
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 04:50 PM EST |
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| [Quote by: sarahbot] I normally think John Barrowman's a great actor, but something about his dramatic delivery this series has been off. |
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I'd quickly reply that what's wrong with his acting is called CAMP! But that's probably unfair. It almost feels to me that he is acting as if he would for a live audience in a stage production instead of for TV. In stage, you tend to find "larger" gestures and less subtle emotions/etc. due to you trying to make certain that cheapskate in the last row the forth balcony can see you as well! |
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supremacy is relative
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sarahbot
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 36
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 05:44 PM EST |
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[Quote by: mad4plaid] | [Quote by: sarahbot] I normally think John Barrowman's a great actor, but something about his dramatic delivery this series has been off. |
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I'd quickly reply that what's wrong with his acting is called CAMP! But that's probably unfair. It almost feels to me that he is acting as if he would for a live audience in a stage production instead of for TV. In stage, you tend to find "larger" gestures and less subtle emotions/etc. due to you trying to make certain that cheapskate in the last row the forth balcony can see you as well! |
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You know, that may well be it. I sure hope they tone it down right quick. Take the Phantom of the Opera movie, where they made the exact same mistake. Or heck, the entire oeuvre of Kenneth Branagh, love him as I do. |
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daveac
Registered: 04/12/06
Posts: 2636
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 06:23 PM EST |
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| [Quote by: mad4plaid] It almost feels to me that he is acting as if he would for a live audience in a stage production instead of for TV. In stage, you tend to find "larger" gestures and less subtle emotions/etc. due to you trying to make certain that cheapskate in the last row the forth balcony can see you as well! |
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Yes he does a lot of 'qwiggling' ie. when he's holding a gun on someone he's moving his centre of gravity etc. rather than just holding the gun.
To be fair I thinks it's just his stage acting background coming out.
Cheers, daveac
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daveac on blip.tv, TalkShoe, iTunes, LiveVideo, uStream, GE, Sci-Fi, DWO, DS & WTA, Dave C on WLP,
cooperda on AVF, dac100 on YouTube & PB, dac on Tiscali
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rocko
Registered: 07/21/06
Posts: 370
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| Monday, February 18 2008 @ 06:36 PM EST |
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| [Quote by: daveac] To be fair I thinks it's just his stage acting background coming out. |
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I'd bet you're right. But I always just thought of Jack as being the overly dramatic, hey-look-at-me type of guy. |
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Did you say "74,384,338 to 1 against"? That's my lucky number!
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