Torchwood Review

After weeks and weeks of watching the ads for this show, I was prepared to be let down a little when it finally arrived. Not so! It was more than I expected: funnier, deeper, more intense. I was amazed. I've fallen in love with all the characters. I've been moved to tears, laughed out loud, kept on the edge of my seat. The stories are deeply human despite the science fiction trappings. So far the writing has been consistently good - clever without being snide, managing to explore the inner workings of all the characters without being melodramatic or sappy. To me, the theme that keeps cropping up is sacrifice, what these people have to give up, and keep giving up, in order to do what they do, which is save the world over and over again. Being a hero, even behind the scenes, is a lonely, harrowing job. We get to see just what that's like and how these characters cope with it all. Yes, it has aliens and ghosts and monsters and time rifts and all those wonderful, non-realistic, fantasy trappings, but that's not what it's ABOUT. It's about life. Like any truly good show, Torchwood can be viewed on many levels, and appreciated on all of them. And like any truly good show, it teaches us lessons without preaching at us or hitting us over the head with them. It makes us think, makes us feel, and hopefully, helps us understand each other a little better. The plots are usually pretty straightforward, but what keeps our attention is the characters' responses. The characters are all very different from each other, complex and surprising, with complicated issues. They are also very likeable, and this is what draws me back each week; I want to see what happens to them. The development so far has been fascinating. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this show has a long life and continues with the fine writing we've seen so far. Watch it!