Torchwood Miracle Day Ep 1 - Thoughts - No spoilers.

[missthingsplace]

Now there was a time when i wasn't going towatch this, Children Of Earth really did a number on me and i had no interest in watching a programme that still called itself Torchwood with only two of the main characters in ... and believe me, i thought this for a very long time. But, although i am still angry about the killing off of three main characters in two series i decided that i should give it a chance.

I watched episode 1 of TW MD last night. First impressions? Well, to my mind it's been more than a little Americanized, those watching in the US who have never seen the programme before will see it as just another US series, it kinda reminded me a little of 24 in a way ... but at least they didn't put 3 or 4 scenes on the screen at once!

I have to say that despite this i did find myself enjoying it, i mean, how could it not please with Captain Jack being ... well Captain Jack in it?

But, and bearing in mind that i have only watched it once and i may change my mind with passing episodes, it didn't feel anything like the Torchwood we know and love.

My daughter was totally unimpressed, she said that she will give it one, maybe two more to impress her and if not, then she won't be watching any more.

I am hoping i will come to love it as much as i always have - despite CoE - and intend to watch in full.

Di x

PS I am so sorry for not posting any fic for a while but my bunnies appear to have done a bunk, the next chapter of Goodnight Sweetheart is half written, which i did a few days ago, so things are beginning to look up. I hope.

Comments

[angstosaur.livejournal.com]

the thing is I really liked the first ep of COE, it was exciting and showed promise ... I quite liked it all the way up to Day 3, although I was getting worried at the tone and the forboding ... then I read a spoiler online for Day 4 (someone had got their DVD delivered early enough to spoil) and I felt sick before I even watched Day 4 ... as for the rest, my emotions felt ambushed and I was a wreck for days afterwards....

so I'm very wary of MD ... yes, I want to see JB as CJH once again, I want to hear that he is grieving a bit ... I want to hear them mention the friends they've lost (and more than the ref I've read about in the 1st ep) ...

I don't want to watch an Americanised version of a show I loved, yet part of me wants to see Jack again ... maybe more as himself, because in COE he was woefully OOC ... so I need to weigh up the pros and cons ... read the spoilers so I knwo what's going to happen and then, maybe, after 10 weeks, peek behind the sofa and watch it then ... but I fear I may be drawn into watching it as it airs ...

my partner says it's like watching an ex-husband who left you, without warning, who you haven't stopped loving, moving on to a new partner ...

[missthingsplace]

I agree completely about CoE, when the first episode hit ti screen it was like wow, that was amazing and i looked forward to it eagerly every night. On the thursday when they aired day 4 i stayed up really late to watch it as i had friends around for the evening and how i made it through work the next day i'll never know as i didn't sleep a wink that night. I spen the night in shock and in tears that they killed off another, well loved character. I told everyone at work that i had been up all night with a migraine.

I was very wary of MD, in fact i didn't want to watch it alone and even though i had it to watch in the morning i waited to watch it in the evening with my daughter. The main reason for watching was to see JB as CJH again and he was himself ... i think both he and Ianto were both rather OOC in CoE ... they ceratinly weren't acting anything like they should!

I can't really say more about the episode without giving away spoilers and i don't want to do that. My daughter wasn't impressed as i said in my post, but i do have to admit that i am looking forward to the next episode now, despite my feelings on hiw different it comes across to the Torchwood we are used to.

And yes, i think your partners analogy fits the bill perfectly.

[angstosaur.livejournal.com]

I was also in shock - couldn't eat more than a piece of toast the following day, having been up all night in tears ...

that's why I don't trust RTD to twist the knife once more, rather than provide anything to salve the still open wounds ...

oh yes ... that metaphorical husband broke our hearts once and it's going to be hard forgiving him ... even with those dimples and sparkly blue eyes

[missthingsplace]

RTD seems to be all about the shock factor ... so i agree, i'm a little scared that he will do something unexpected and heartbreaking again ... if he does, that's it. I won't be watching again, no matter now many series of TW he makes. He certainly doesn't seem to give a toss about the programmes fans.

[thraceadams]

This was EXACTLY how I felt about COE - it's like you are in my head!!! Right down to the very last little bit.

I'm extremely wary about MD - I did watch the first epi & although it was enjoyable it didn't grab me like episode one of COE did AND it's definitely not the Torchwood I grew to love. I'm going to continue to watch but very cautiously - I seriously don't trust RTD not to kill Captain Jack.

[missthingsplace]

I think quite a few of us felt that way about CoE, it affected me for a long time, in a way a tv programme or character had ever done before and i've seen a lot of main characters die in other series. I honestly don't know how i got through the following week, letalone that night it was aired and the following day, i must have looked a right state the next day at work, hence me lying and telling them i had been up all night with a migraine.

Yes, i enjoyed ep1 of MD, and the ending of it left me wanting more ... i find myself craving the original format of one story an episode, or over 2 although i get that this atory arc is way to big to do that. I used to like how buffy did their story arcs, over the whole series but there was other things in each episode. I do find myself actually wondering if 10 episodes is going to be too many and stringing it out!

And that worries me greatly, that Captain Jack is now mortal and also scares me that RTD will use this to kill Jack off completely. I shall watch each episode with trepidation.

[thraceadams]

UGH that is so how I felt and during that time the hubs was on deployment I was staying with my parents and I couldn't just be moping around all the time even though what I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry on my bed.

same here, I did enjoy it, I wasn't in love with it. I do like how Buffy did things - with having one overreaching arc but then individual things during each episode.

And again, especially now that I've seen the "official" press release about the radio plays I really don't trust RTD AT ALL. So yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if Gwen and the Americans are the only ones left standing.

[msmaxine.livejournal.com]

I agree that for newcomers to Torchwood there was nothing spectacular in MD episode 1 to grab their attention. Sure there was an explosion or two, but that's not why I watch. It's the Torchwood members that bring me back and neither Jack nor Gwen, and by extension Rhys and Andy were their charismatic selves. It was great seeing them again, though. And I hope in future episodes (yes, I intend to watch them all) they will go back to being themselves. I will happily admit that the baby is cute!

[missthingsplace]

Agreed, i never watched it for the explosions, just to see the characters we have come to love on the screen again. It did remind me a lot of 24 ... which i loved and i hope it changes to more of what we are used to.

And yes, the baby was so cute, she was always smiling.

[trektorch]

I thought TW:MDs first episode was good, but not great. It seemed a little disjointed at times. Of course, it was the first episode, and was just introducing characters and setting the premis for the story. I believe, though, that unless you had seen the series you were lost with the Cpt Jack and Gwen/Rhys characters. I assume, that things about them will become more clear as the episodes progress. Being RTD likes to kill characters off, I am looking for someone to be toast by the end. In my view that person will be poor Rhys. I did like when Jack said he was "CIA Owen Harper" in that one scene. I have read that Ianto will be mentioned several times--let see how that is handled. I can only hope that Jack acknowledges his feelings for Ianto. Hope your bunnies pick up because I miss your stories!

[cloak_dagger]

I truly do not want to watch T:MD, despite longing to seeing our lovely Capt at his best again. I like my poverty-stricken plastic-monster Sci-fi British drama just as it is instead of becoming a second-class US version modeled on 24/CSI everywhere. I just can't imagine any joy in watching the Jack & Gwen plus extras show or the promotion of Rhys & Andy (much as I love them as 'bit' players in S1+2) to major character status; only sadness that the three characters that interested me & hooked me to Torchwood in the first place are missing &, to me, will not be replaceable. I was looking forward to the radio plays but the radio 4 write-up worries me (especially the leaving Ianto fans reeling with heart-breaking revelations in play 3!) Having watched COE for enjoyment & loving day 1 but becoming more & more confused with the characterization from then on in (& feeling physically hurt at the end of day 4; having no internet that week meant I wasn't fore-warned with spoilers) I don't feel I can cope with any more Janto loving of the RTD kind - I'll stick to the wondrous words you guys produce instead - I'm not dedicated enough to JB to torture myself any more. I'm really glad your bunnies are nibbling again 'cos with your writing skills I prefer your bunnies to those of canon post Exit Wounds.

[janto_x_naomily]

I felt exactly the same way as you. After my friend described it to me today at school, I was curious :/

To be honest, it felt like a totally new show but with old Torchwood actors and like someone had stolen the names for the characters and the basic outline of what Torchwood was that spewed out of 'Jack's' mouth *shrugs*

The only connection to Torchwood was that there was one scene on the Plass...

Plus they had 'Jack' out of uniform a few times...
IT WAS SO FRICKING WEIRD O_O

I swear I like to torture myself or something... There was a teeny few seconds of 'Jack' snogging some bloke and I rewound it and paused on it for awhile just staring...
It was so weird... I just felt detachment towards this show to be honest like it was a brand new TV show...

[r2d2antics]

I have stopped watching Dr Who this year, hope Torchwood isn't next on the list........

Hope you are well Missthing?? x x

[dibbun_k]

I have to agree with what you've said here. I watched it on Friday morning (thank god for iplayer!) and I was a little bit unsure of how I felt about it. I loved the bits with Jack being Jack but the rest was a bit... american. I'll probably watch the rest but only because I'll be depriving myself of Jack otherwise. If they do anything bad to him though I will never ever forgive them (and I'll probably cry for a month).