Starz Torchwood- A Miracle Day

[long_time_DNC]

What an utter waste of an hour!! They could've done this episode in 15 minutes, total. I could recut this episode, tell the same story, and wrap it all up in 15 minutes, and I'm not a tv producer!

This show is now on a week-to-week probation with me. If it doesn't go somewhere and advance the plot next week, that timer is toast...

 

[TNGTony]

It's amazing at the way different people view the same thing. I actually watched this episode (save for the gay sex scenes I skipped over- I do the same for straight sex scenes--don't need to see that when I am interested in the story--- I skip over the story when I want to see that type of movie but I digress) I thought the way they set up the back-story and motivation worked great! This was the first episode since the opener that I actually watched without me doing something else on my laptop while the story unfolds.

Spoiler

Though I wondered why the butcher didn't dismember and burn the guy rather than have the crowd continually run him through.

 

[KAB]

The only high point was Jack's mention of The Doctor.

 

[mike123abc]

I think the real problem is that they did not come up with enough story arc to fill out 10 episodes. It is like they sketched a few things out on the back of a napkin at lunch and just let the rest be filler. It is only 10 hours of programming and they appear to have the budget needed. They just need to have some plot.

 

[FitzAusTex]

Rex and Ester are beyond painful - terrible acting. For me, last night's episode was one of the better ones...I found the back-story far more interesting than the rest of the show. Found myself wishing the writers would just keep us in the past for the rest of the series...

 

[long_time_DNC]

Here's my list of keeper scenes. Probably runs 20 minutes, max, and tells the same story:

Ellis Island 1927.
Jack talking to Angelo in cell (shorten the narrative and get to the document change faster).
Catholic church scene, meet Padre, get wine.
Get nabbed by thugs and agree to move crate.
Gwen needs to talk to Jack downstairs, Ester asks if something's wrong.
Gwen tases Jack.
Crate and creature scene (cut down narrative more...goes on far too long).
Keep 10% of Gwen/Jack in car scenes. Her love of Torchwood isn't relevant. Why babble about it when if she hated it she wouldn't be there. Jack's line about ripping the skin from her skull works.
Jack ditches Angelo. Keep it simple. We didn't need the extended, multiple massacres of Jack scene. We know he can't die. Once or twice, then the trio shows up, would've been plenty.
Ester finds the contact lens info log, they go after Gwen/Jack
Cut down the narrative and waiting for the Nana Visitor (nice to see her again) car scene. Who cares that Jack saw a Firebird once? Did we get to see it? No. We know Jack doesn't want to die, and that he's lived multiple lifetimes (700 years or so) and he's not ready to end yet. Got it, move on.
Keep everything from when the black SUV's pull up through the end.

What's that, about 20-25 minutes? It's taught, more suspenseful, moves along better and tells the same story...

 

[MikeD-C05]

Well isn't it good to see Jack getting some now in just about every episode. Good thing he leans more toward men than women or he would have a whole gaggle of children by now living on this planet: Considering he has lived for ever now. Could get really messy having sex with your great grand children. OF course this very scenario played out on True Blood a few weeks back when Bill found out the girl he was messing with was his great, great, grand daughter.

 

[TNGTony]

DMC, You can say that about the entire series! I could have shortened Children of Earth to a 3 hour movie! The entire season this year could be condensed to about 90 minutes using the same logic. The fun is in the story-telling, not the destination or conclusion of the story.

I just watched the episode again. I am still convinced it was the best episode this season bar none.

 

[KAB]

DMC, The fun is in the story-telling, not the destination or conclusion of the story.

And I contend it is a poor story written around a promising concept. You've heard the basic ingredients of a good story...a beginning, a middle and an end. IMO, this has been a series of unrelated beginnings, many completely abandoned (Oswald, the Phicor exec and his man jumping off a building). There has been no middle...and I don't hold much promise for the ending.

About the only thing that is clear is that Gwen is racking up a hell of a lot of frequent flier points.

 

[long_time_DNC]

The fun is in the story-telling, not the destination or conclusion of the story. I just watched the episode again. I am still convinced it was the best episode this season bar none.

The fun is in the story-telling, only if the story-telling is done well. Such has not been the case, not even with this latest episode. Out of the 9 episodes we've seen thus far, only 3 have (IMHO) had the components that make for good story-telling. 30% is a lousy average...

 

[TNGTony]

I guess this is why there is more than one channel. I respectfully disagree with your POV. I hope you like the rest of the series. But for me, if the rest of the series are like the episodes before this week, I will go back to having the show play in the background as I read on my laptop.

 

[long_time_DNC]

I guess this is why there is more than one channel. I respectfully disagree with your POV. I hope you like the rest of the series. But for me, if the rest of the series are like the episodes before this week, I will go back to having the show play in the background as I read on my laptop.

And you have every right to disagree. That's why people like different movies better than other movies. Same for TV shows. Lots of people like Eureka, I just couldn't get into it...

 

[theoak]

The only high point was Jack's mention of The Doctor.

Its about time there was a reference to The Doctor!

I was wondering how long the series would go before/if The Doctor would be referenced.

This is in my books was more "classic" Torchwood.

They sure are playing the "gay" card however with Jack. In the originaly BBC series I don't think they played Jack as "gay" as they are here ... more as ... whatever he was in the mood for. There were even some back stories where he would meet women of his past. Anyway ... for me ... they can definitely turn down the whole sex scenes in general (gay or straight).

The basic story of the episode though ... again ... much more classic Torchwood.

It is about time they started to move the story though! It took them like three of four episodes to explain the modules. Three episodes too many

Good episode I thought.

 

[osu1991]

I can most definitely do without the gay scenes too. It adds nothing to the story. Other than that, I agree this was classic Torchwood story telling. Lots of little pieces of the story will come together at the end.

 

[MikeD-C05]

From what I can tell about Jack, he seems to like fast easy sex with men and he craves emotional attachment /fulfillment with women like Gwen. So they are really playing up the gay scenes. It kind of "sucks" and I hope they don't get to "behind " in the story telling.

 

[long_time_DNC]

I can most definitely do without the gay scenes too. It adds nothing to the story.

Agreed...

 

[dfergie]

Caught up last night, watched 2 from the popcorn hour & one from Starz ... It is slow, but look at who is involved, Jane Espenson.

 

[KAB]

MaryAnn's review....on the money again, IMO.
Torchwood: Miracle Day: Episode 7: ?Immortal Sins? (review) | MaryAnn Johanson's FlickFilosopher.com

 

[long_time_DNC]

MaryAnn's review....on the money again, IMO.
Torchwood: Miracle Day: Episode 7: ?Immortal Sins? (review) | MaryAnn Johanson's FlickFilosopher.com

Man, did she ever nail that!

 

[MikeD-C05]

She knows WAY too much about Torchwood/Dr.Who. I think this would ruin it for me if I knew that much detail and couldn't suspend disbelief long enough to watch the show.