paratti

I really liked it. It upped the pace nicely after last week's pause of creepiness after the angst of the Owen Death Arc. We got a tight Gwen pov episode to balance out the tight Owen pov of his. We got Gwen and Tosh teaming up to solve the case while Jack and Ianto went 'Weevil hunting'. We got Ianto slipping Gwen a clue to the location she needed to go to next after the girls had worked out what was happening to the missing. We got Ianto and Jack getting hot and heavy amid Owen's plants - and Jack up for a threesome.

We got a show of both Gwen caring and a friend that loves her calling her on when she slipped into doesn't. We got a reason why Andy wasn't at the wedding and it be a good character point. We got the Aw Bless reunion and the Oh Fuck! some things can't be fixed and some people would be better off with just hope over the knowledge of horror. We got Jack called on his shit and the way he behaves - both openly by Gwen and on the down-low by Ianto. We got the two natural seconds in command that are Jack and Gwen compete for alpha status. And above all, we got a story whose plot device was so wonderfully sensible - of course a rift that drops off things and people will also take them. There's more story in stuff and beings that get dropped off but basic physics tells us that for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so of course it will take people and some of them will find their way back, and because there's not only wonders out there but horrors to be faced and fought there will inevitably be casualties too - especially unprepared civilians without a tame-ish Time Lord or Time Agent to run with.

I'm sure some of the Gwen haters will hate the fact that PC Andy - who was quite unbelievably cute and adorable and pretty in this - does love her, but I don't. It adds a lovely extra line of story for them, the Andy snark at Rhys - who was also adorable in this - and the Rhys snark at Andy felt real and human rather than the side effect of Sue- ishness, which the show avoided by having all three of them be shown as very human and fallible and by having each of them calling each other of their shit, rather than boosting one at the expense of the other two which is an epitome of Sue Horror. It also let the show explore why Gwen's doing what she is as well as whether the mother would be happier retconned, which she can't be without doing the damaged son who probably shouldn't have more meddling done to his mind.

I like that the rift can take people to terrible places, like the solar system burning. Wonders if that was Ark in Space solar flares or the Earth frying tonight. I, as a crossover fiend, love that Team Cardiff have given us a crossover device par excellence in the form of a rift that can go anywhere and anywhen. As a lover of consequences I love that using it can have costs to the unlucky and the uniformed.

And I love Gwen with Rhys - they argue so well and support and love each other so much. And I love Andy and that he does love his friend and that's why he wouldn't go to the wedding. Got to love someone who knows better than and values themselves enough to put themselves through that. And Andy wants to join Torchwood. YES PLEASE. And Gwen doesn't want - presumably not only for his own sake but to avoid, presumably, a repeat of the Owen situation.

Speaking of Owen, he didn't have much to do - but he has had huge amounts recently, so that was fair.

Did anyone else think of Sea Devils - WANTS Sea Devils on either show soon, please - or Fang Rock when they were on the island?

I'm sure some people won't like the position Jack takes in this one re the missing and the return, but they did do a good job in showing why he took the position he did from the situation he inherited and given that they can't retrieve them until they turn up again.

And we get another episode on Friday:) For which this one oomped up the pace nicely, after the necessary breather that was PJ Hammond's Sapphire and Steel script.

X Posted to IJ