Torchwood: They Keep Killing Suzie

[mllelaurel]

- Oh my God, someone just called Torchwood on all the bystander casualties. This show's getting some self-awareness!

- Continuity! Actual use of the tech! Gwen taking the amoral but useful stance! Five and a half minutes in, and I'm loving this.

- "The Risen Mitten." Looks like someone applied the glove to Ianto's sense of humor.

- "What if I wanted to leave my stuff to Rhys?"
"We'd stash him, too."

- I fucking love Suzie.

- There's even continuity on the amnesia pills, only it's Suzie using them, the way half the fandom seemed to think Jack did.

- I'm perfectly aware that it might just be wrong to ship Suzie/Gwen solely on the basis of: "You saved my life."
"Maybe I came back for a reason." But when has 'wrong' ever stopped me?

- Jack openly admitting past relationship with a guy! Casually, too. As part of an anecdote. Now that's more the Jack I remember.

ETA: In fact, Jack's been more *Jack* in this episode than he has in the entire series so far. It really says something that two newbie writers get the characterization spot-on, while the showrunners flounder. Either way, I kind of want to marry McCulloch and Tomalin now. Along with Helen Rayner.

- Liking Gwen right now. Really liking her.

- Go Ianto! Work those mad phonin' skillz!

- The detective, she is made of win. Yes she is. A minute and a half later, double that statement.

- Stopwatch! That's all I'm saying.

ETA: The one part I could have done without was Suzie belittling herself in favor of Gwen, since I personally think Suzie's a million times cooler. However, from the hints we get I think we can fairly assume that Suzie's father was abusive. No clue on specifics, but it would make sense for someone who came from an abusive background to have low self-esteem.


In conclusion: Original plot, good characterization, an episode that feels like a part of an arc and part of the show, and all the various elements that've been missing in the series so far. Highly recommended!

Hmm...episode nine's been renamed again. It's now called "Random Shoes." I like this title better than "Invisible Eugene," so it's all good. Also, "Apocalypse" is now "End of Days." Didn't it start with that title?

Comments

[yoritomo-reiko.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I kind of liked the fact that Suzie belittled herself because it's NOT true. Gwen even told her. Gwen's got her own place in Torchwood, she's not a Suzie replacement. But all SUZIE can see is that Gwen, who is confident and aggressive and all the things that Suzie can't see in herself, has come into Torchwood and Suzie wasn't even missed.

It fits well with her getting easily addicted to the glove, too. The power over life and death. A replacement for the power of confidence and such that she never got when she was growing up because her father was abusive (and yeah, I totally think he was). All she sees is Gwen, who can use the glove more easily than she can and has fit in so well.

I find it more interesting that Jack absolutely can't use the glove and that Owen couldn't, either. Then Jack says that it has to be used by someone who can connect with it, possibly with compassion. At first, I thought it was because Jack, himself, has been too close to death to use it, but has this job made him lose his compassion? It's an interesting thought.

And gloves come in pairs. Troubling.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

I dunno. I never see self-belittling as an attractive character trait or plot device. I can buy it as a part of Suzie's characterization - see above - but I don't have to like it.

I actually don't think compassion is it. I think it's more a *desire* to bring back the dead. Jack even said that Gwen brought back Suzie all the way because she wanted it so much. Someone like Jack, who knows what being brought back from the dead entails, wouldn't want to inflict that on someone else, no matter what common sense dictated. Especially since it's gut instinct that drives the glove; the subconscious rather than rational thought. It's very likely the same principle can be applied to Owen. He's a doctor; he knows in intimate detail how much people suffer right before they die. I can't imagine him wanting to bring someone back. Ever.

Troubling? Nah. Interesting's more like it. The Glove's been one of the more interesting plot devices on the show, and I'd be good with seeing it again, provided they don't overuse it.

death by Torchwood

[nevacaruso.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I liked this one a great deal. It was was smart and scary and wonderfully acted. They managed to fulfill Suzie's potential in this single episode. Loved Owen cradling the revived Gwen, and Ianto coming up with catchy tech names. And, oh, that look on Jack's face at the end.

Re: death by Torchwood

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

If more episodes are like this, I'll...well, I don't know what I'll do, but it'll be a happy something, that's for sure.