OK, I never planned to write reviews for Torchwood – especially not an American version – but I just have to pause briefly in my normal Who stream to comment on the second episode of Miracle Day, titled "Rendition."
This is the episode in which the "team" is forcibly flown back to the US, hijinks ensue, etc. Now I don't know how the British public will react, but I can't be the only American viewer who had a hard time taking Rex's boss (played by Wayne Knight) seriously as an antagonist! For any Brits who may not be familiar with this actor, he's well known for his comedic roles (if you've ever watched an episode of Seinfeld, you've seen the guy).
It's not that he did a poor job – he certainly played the role to perfection – it's just that my own prior experiences with the actor combined with my unfortunate mental conditioning from post-Hiatus Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures kept me half-expecting the poor sap to start unzipping his forehead! That's not the vibe Torchwood is trying to put out…
So seriously. Comment for me so I know I'm not alone. Anyone else have the niggling feeling the guy was just wearing a flesh suit?
‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’ – Rendition : My two penneth.
Finally, after almost a week of waiting (why do us Brits have to wait soooo long to watch these shows legally) I sat and watched episode 2 of the new Torchwood series (season).
Straight to the point, I have to say I was slightly disappointed by this one, after the ripple that the first action packed episode left. It felt more like an outing to the 24 set, only missing the action and suspense. At times, considered flicking channels, just to check that I was actually still watching Torchwood.
That aside, where Gwen and Jack (I’m mentioning Gwen first as this series seems to be more about her than Jack) did appear though, normal service was resumed. The kit-bag of action and one liners remained firmly wedged open.
I was puzzled by the scenes on the plane. Not by the acting, actors or the set, but by the complete lack of background noise – the plane was uncannily quiet. Especially when they lifted the floor. Unless, of course, the FBI/CIA in this series have found the perfect acoustic shielding.
I have to agree with the original review. I too was half expecting Wayne Knight to flood the offices with bright, blue light as he unzipped his forehead, but also timed nicely with a organisation-wide enforced security lock-down – “Ah-ah-ahh. You didn’t say the magic word”. [sorry to say though, I didn’t think there was a flesh suit involved]
Bill Pulman was great again. His appearance was brief, but well done. I think that’s about all I can say on that part.
The new, mysterious, seemingly ‘Jacquline of all trades’ character is intriguing. Just what is she up to? Who does she work for? Where are the script writers going with her? How long will she last? She has an air of River Song WHO-ness about her with regard to the mystery.
Ignoring the afore mentioned disappointment though, I still enjoyed the episode; it is Torchwood after all. I just hope to see more of Torchwood than the FBI/CIA in future episodes.