Torchwood: The Complete Series Two

DVD review (region 2)
Starring John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori, Gareth David-Lloyd
Release date Out now

Captain Jack Harkness and the Torchwood team investigate more weird happenings in Cardiff…

As the second series of the ‘grown-up Doctor Who’ begins it appears as if the nagging problems of the first have been fixed. Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Tosh all seem to work together as a much more cohesive team in opening adventure Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, with Gareth David-Lloyd’s Ianto in particular fleshed out as a quip-spraying love interest rather than glorified tea boy. But as the series progresses it becomes evident that the show still suffers from some of the flaws – as well as the strengths – of the first series.

Too often Torchwood never quite lives up to its bold ideas. Adam, for example, has a potentially fascinating alternate universe-style set-up in which the mysterious title character is a fully-fledged member of Torchwood and we see a meek Owen lusting after Tosh. But the story becomes rapidly less interesting and original as it progresses, though it does feature some amusing hamming by Gareth David-Lloyd.

The Torchwood team may be more fleshed-out, but the arrival of Martha Jones midway through the series seems entirely superfluous. Her presence is no doubt an initial draw for many Doctor Who fans, but she’s given extraordinary little to do (especially in Dead Man Walking) and just doesn’t seem to gel with the team.

The best episodes are fun standalone adventures such as Sleeper (Terminator 2 meets The Bourne Identity as razor-armed sleeper aliens awaken) and Meat (giant alien whale is kept for its rare meat), rather than the ones that are vaguely arc-driven; Owen’s death and subsequent resurrection is particularly awkward, the writers seemingly not quite sure what to do with the idea.

The big season finale has much to recommend it, with fine performances from Eve Myles, Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori in particular. But it’s countered by some truly ridiculous moments that go against any pretence of realism (Captain Jack is buried for thousands of years but doesn’t seem remotely traumatised!) and – spoiler alert! – the killing off of two characters is a serious mis-step, blunting the audience reaction that one death would have had.

In short Torchwood is still a frequently frustrating show. But the lack of a clear direction and tone is, strangely, also what makes it such unique and compelling. It’s light, it’s fun, it’s well acted, it’s inventive – but it could be so much more. Over to you series 3… James Skipp