Torchwood Series 2 Episode 1
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang -- written by Chris Chibnall
The new BBC television series from Doctor Who revivalist Russell T. Davies has a new villain, played by James Marsters, best known as Spike in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
This is a review of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, the first episode of the second series of Torchwood, the spin-off television series from the BBC's massively successful Doctor Who revival. Torchwood was created by Russell T. Davies, the man credited with much of the success of the new Doctor Who. The first series of Torchwood went out on digital television after the 'watershed' of 9pm, but the new series debuts on terrestrial channels, and moves to a more family-friendly 7pm slot on a Thursday night. No doubt US viewers will be able to pick it up later in the year.
The Torchwood Team
The episode opens with a woman standing at a pedestrian crossing watching a car driven by an alien with the head of a blowfish.Shortly afterward an SUV driven by the Torchwood team -- minus Captain Jack, who the team complain is still missing sinve vanishing abruptly at the end of series one -- pursues the blowfish to a suburban semi-detached house. The blowfish taunts the Torchwood team; "So this is team Torchwood? Missing your master?" the clumsy character iteration that follows to brief the viewer confirms that series producer Chris Chibnall is still apprentice to his master Russell Davies.
But Captain Jack is soon back, followed almost immediately by an old foe, who indulges in some gratutitous killing to establish his amorality. They meet in a deserted bar and, no doubt to the delight of those viewers who their sex sado-masochistic, indulge in a long kiss, followed by a longer fistfight.
James Marsters
Captain Jack's old friend / enemy Captain John Hart is another time agent, from the same agency as Torchwood's leader worked for before meeting the Doctor in The Empty Child.
"How's the Time agency?" Captain Jack says.
"You didn't hear?" Hart replies. "They shut it down. There are only seven of us left now."
James Marsters bring all of Spike's attitude from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and is as morally ambiguous as the earlier role, but there is an added dimension, in that his character is at times genuinely appealing. It's much more interesting than the MacGuffin, radiation cluster bombs sent through the Rift in space and time that Cardiff straddles to threaten the city.
Captain Jack Harkness
The second series of Torchwood is theoretically much more about Captain Jack than the first series was, but in practice he is still as much on the sidelines as before -- the first episode spends much more time introducing the series villain (Marsters) and reprising the back-story from series one . What is interesting is that the mutual attraction with Gwen is brought out much more into the open. In his absence, they have to fend much more for themselves, and there are some excellent sparks flying as they try to jockey for dominance.
Torchwood still can't make up it's mind whether it wants to be an edgy, dark series, or family-friendly; but rather than criticize it, it would be fairer to commend Doctor Who for managing to balance the conflicting demands on it; Chris Chibnall has yet to learn to master the knack, but series two starts promisingly. If the script-writers can manage to improve the continuing weak points --the characters still sound insincere when they are trying to sound earnest, and there are often enough holes in the plot to drive a bus through-- while keeping the pace, the glossy looks, and the occasionally crackling dialogue, Torchwood might actually realize its potential, and be the best SF series on TV.
