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Torchwood 2x2 Sleeper Review: Caution: Cynicism
Sleeper, 2x2
It's at the point - way beyond it, really - where I think I have to stop critting the plot of SciFi Media (movies, TV shows) and ignore them almost completely, except in how the execution applies to the characters and setting and universe involved. That said, Sleeper had a completely by-the-numbers plot, which you could find in any cold-war era spy novel, or any other SF show. It's sort of there with the same frequency and reliability as the Groundhog Day episode every TV reiterates.
How did this overdone SF plot do in the Torchwood 'verse? Okay, I guess. In my head, I'm comparing it to the ST:TNG season 2 episode where Star Fleet is infiltrated with aliens that we never meet again. You didn't know who the aliens were, where they came from, or when they'd be back (if ever). It's cold war paranoia at its most intense and yet, most cliche.
And for Torchwood, this episode felt like it belonged to the first season, with Gwen being the ONLY empathic member of the gang - who is she supposed to be? Counselor Troi? Perhaps Gwen should be given a lisp and curl her hair. Heaven knows the clothing she wears could double for Troi's snug body-conforming low-neckline cat-suit. Pairing her up with Jack, the pragmatic one, who the alien/human trusts to do what is necessary because she KNOWS that Gwen is a pile of softening jello only good enough for Hallmark Card and a spoonful of sugar was, although yawnworthy as a character point (didn't we know this already kthanx?) was a good choice. It was established in the first show of the season that Ianto doesn't have the balls yet to shoot an alien blow-fish holding a gun to a young girl's head. And of course, the writers probably wanted to sidestep the possibility of Owen, the doctor, negating his hippocratic oath so early in the season. I mean, we all know how nasty he could be in the first season, whereas in this season, he's stepped back (so far) in order to allow his character to reform. And Tosh, was the techy, it wouldn't have made sense in this context.
Jack is continuing in the season 2 development as being completely in charge now. Gwen isn't butting heads over who is in charge - presumably because now the others are Just Fine with having Jack back in control with his full knowledge of What's Out There. And who knows. Perhaps Gwen realizes that with Jack in charge, she has fewer reasons to stay away from Rhys. Of course, the Humalien woman did have to ask Gwen the big question of, "Do YOU have someone important stashed away?" in order to confirm that yes, if the Humalien could not have asked that of anyone else in Torchwood and gotten a straight answer.
I enjoyed the actress who played the humalien. I think she did a good job of being sympathetic, tortured, progressively self-aware, and damn. I wouldn't mind seeing her in another production.
Torchwood did give this overplayed plot some definite Torchwood touches: the Sleepers activating and killing their families, their babies, whomever they were with, just for the hell of it, or because they just didn't give a shit. I admit I flinched when the young mother wheeling her baby in a pram let it go into traffic, and a moment later you hear the squeals of tires and a smash sound. Yeah, killing infants and children really sets the tone here. I can't decide whether it was a cheap shot at horror, or simply something that happen matter-of-factly in a situation like this. The fact that children and families were involved makes me wonder if the alien in these people was actually a part of the implant in the human's arms, using the humans as an avatar or proxy. Otherwise, I sure would like to see the writers bending over backward trying to explain human/alien progeny existing. Although I suppose the children of all the Sleepers could have been adopted... naw, I like my theory best. It's more science fiction than simply adoption.
Of course, Owen had one of the best lines in this episode, with everyone waiting to die - why not have sex? And then Ianto topped Owen with an even more awesome response. Tosh's expression was the icing on the cake.
Speaking of the scenes in the Torchwood homebase, those were well-done, with Tosh explaining in simpler and simpler language to Owen "THERE ARE NO PHONE LINES" was great, complete with the punchline of Jack contacting them through a radio. BUT the entire scene was negated when moments later, Tosh was able to hack into another computer, presumably in another location. Didn't require the phone lines she was so emphatic were not working? Unless she has the data bases for all computers in London and England in her hard drives. That was the only explanation I could come up with. It was the only obvious plot-hole I noticed, and I'm notoriously bad at spotting plot-holes when I'm in the midst of an episode.
Overall, I thought the actors put their all in the roles, were a bit over the top, and had fun with it; but it felt so by-the-numbers overall that when the story was over, I felt I didn't know anything new about the Torchwood characters, or their universe, nor did I, in the end, feel particularly bad for the Humalien woman, mostly because, well, I had Gwen doing all the empathy FOR me. Who needs that?
It's at the point - way beyond it, really - where I think I have to stop critting the plot of SciFi Media (movies, TV shows) and ignore them almost completely, except in how the execution applies to the characters and setting and universe involved. That said, Sleeper had a completely by-the-numbers plot, which you could find in any cold-war era spy novel, or any other SF show. It's sort of there with the same frequency and reliability as the Groundhog Day episode every TV reiterates.
How did this overdone SF plot do in the Torchwood 'verse? Okay, I guess. In my head, I'm comparing it to the ST:TNG season 2 episode where Star Fleet is infiltrated with aliens that we never meet again. You didn't know who the aliens were, where they came from, or when they'd be back (if ever). It's cold war paranoia at its most intense and yet, most cliche.
And for Torchwood, this episode felt like it belonged to the first season, with Gwen being the ONLY empathic member of the gang - who is she supposed to be? Counselor Troi? Perhaps Gwen should be given a lisp and curl her hair. Heaven knows the clothing she wears could double for Troi's snug body-conforming low-neckline cat-suit. Pairing her up with Jack, the pragmatic one, who the alien/human trusts to do what is necessary because she KNOWS that Gwen is a pile of softening jello only good enough for Hallmark Card and a spoonful of sugar was, although yawnworthy as a character point (didn't we know this already kthanx?) was a good choice. It was established in the first show of the season that Ianto doesn't have the balls yet to shoot an alien blow-fish holding a gun to a young girl's head. And of course, the writers probably wanted to sidestep the possibility of Owen, the doctor, negating his hippocratic oath so early in the season. I mean, we all know how nasty he could be in the first season, whereas in this season, he's stepped back (so far) in order to allow his character to reform. And Tosh, was the techy, it wouldn't have made sense in this context.
Jack is continuing in the season 2 development as being completely in charge now. Gwen isn't butting heads over who is in charge - presumably because now the others are Just Fine with having Jack back in control with his full knowledge of What's Out There. And who knows. Perhaps Gwen realizes that with Jack in charge, she has fewer reasons to stay away from Rhys. Of course, the Humalien woman did have to ask Gwen the big question of, "Do YOU have someone important stashed away?" in order to confirm that yes, if the Humalien could not have asked that of anyone else in Torchwood and gotten a straight answer.
I enjoyed the actress who played the humalien. I think she did a good job of being sympathetic, tortured, progressively self-aware, and damn. I wouldn't mind seeing her in another production.
Torchwood did give this overplayed plot some definite Torchwood touches: the Sleepers activating and killing their families, their babies, whomever they were with, just for the hell of it, or because they just didn't give a shit. I admit I flinched when the young mother wheeling her baby in a pram let it go into traffic, and a moment later you hear the squeals of tires and a smash sound. Yeah, killing infants and children really sets the tone here. I can't decide whether it was a cheap shot at horror, or simply something that happen matter-of-factly in a situation like this. The fact that children and families were involved makes me wonder if the alien in these people was actually a part of the implant in the human's arms, using the humans as an avatar or proxy. Otherwise, I sure would like to see the writers bending over backward trying to explain human/alien progeny existing. Although I suppose the children of all the Sleepers could have been adopted... naw, I like my theory best. It's more science fiction than simply adoption.
Of course, Owen had one of the best lines in this episode, with everyone waiting to die - why not have sex? And then Ianto topped Owen with an even more awesome response. Tosh's expression was the icing on the cake.
Speaking of the scenes in the Torchwood homebase, those were well-done, with Tosh explaining in simpler and simpler language to Owen "THERE ARE NO PHONE LINES" was great, complete with the punchline of Jack contacting them through a radio. BUT the entire scene was negated when moments later, Tosh was able to hack into another computer, presumably in another location. Didn't require the phone lines she was so emphatic were not working? Unless she has the data bases for all computers in London and England in her hard drives. That was the only explanation I could come up with. It was the only obvious plot-hole I noticed, and I'm notoriously bad at spotting plot-holes when I'm in the midst of an episode.
Overall, I thought the actors put their all in the roles, were a bit over the top, and had fun with it; but it felt so by-the-numbers overall that when the story was over, I felt I didn't know anything new about the Torchwood characters, or their universe, nor did I, in the end, feel particularly bad for the Humalien woman, mostly because, well, I had Gwen doing all the empathy FOR me. Who needs that?
no subject
Also they wouldn't necessarily need phones to use the Intarnets... maybe they're stuck on a satellite connection like me, poor bastards.
no subject
Nor did the possibility of satellite. Could the computers have been on a cable line, do you think? I'm not sure if cable is always routed the same way as phone lines...but okay, I guess there are ways around it. Maybe. It still strikes me as a little weird.
no subject