fajrdrako | Torchwood: Cyberwoman... (Reply)

Is it just me, or did the stakes just go up? Emotionally, philosophically, psychologically? Seems to me there was much more substance here, much more of a complex story than we've seen yet. Real conflict. Jack vs. Ianto for the future of humanity. Jack able to do the right difficult thing, but pushing Ianto beyond his limits. Making him pick sides. Trying to make him see how far this goes beyond the personal? But for Ianto - for most people, including many heroes - there is nothing beyond the personal.

Woo. I think I'll be digesting this one for a while.

I'm too tired to say the things I'd like to, but a few brief comments:

1. The pterodactyl - we got to see him! and in fine form. Since we heard his noises later, I believe and hope Lisa did not manage to hurt him.

2. Loved the banter between Owen and Gwen. I still don't like Owen much... don't find him as amusing as he ought to be... but I am warming to him a little.

3. I want more about Tosh. Okay, okay, I shouldn't be impatient - I'd been wanting more about Ianto and I got it in spades.

4. Seems to me Ianto has hit a low point and has nowhere to go but up from here. I suppose suicide is an option, but not one Ianto will take. I wonder how he feels about himself now. Judging by the final scenes, I think he'll pick himself up and think things through, and will decide that Torchwood is the way to go. After all, they're there to prevent things like what happened to Lisa from happening ever again. I hope we get follow-up, not just things being all right with him later, or the situation between him and Jack ignored.

5. Loved it that I was browsing the website that gave the background to the episode right before seeing it. Inadvertent good timing. It added a little to the episode.

6. The suspense - will Gwen get home in time to record Rhys's TV show for him? Will their relationship hang in the balance?

7. Gwen still seems oddly naive to me. This was much less about her (and her viewpoint) than the previous episodes. That was a nice change. More spotlight on Jack, too. Good.

8. Loved the scene where Jack kissed Ianto. That wasn't artificial respiration by any stretch of the imagination, but it also wasn't what the Doctor did to Rose in "The Parting of the Ways" and it certainly wasn't what Jack did to Carys at the end of "Day One". It was... it was more like Prince Charming kissing Sleeping Beauty to bring her out of a coma.

9. Loved the basketball game.

10. I love it that Jack trusted Ianto and all the time he was betraying Jack's trust in a major way - using Torchwood for his own purposes. (For how long?) And Lisa's purposes too, hence he was a tool of the Cyberman agenda. Jack neither killed him nor fired him. What next?

Keeping Ianto at Torchwood seems to me very like keeping Suzie on would have been, if she hadn't killed herself. Does this imply that Jack has more of a heart than he pretends? That he doesn't give up on anyone? After all, he never actually shot Ianto, though he had numerous chances. I see the influence of the Doctor here.

11. The pizza girl... How will they explain her disappearance? And the Japanese cyber-doctor?

12. Loved it when Ianto and then Gwen asked Jack if he'd ever loved anyone, and Jack's refusal to answer. I felt like a kid not called on in class - "I know the answer, I know! Yes, he loved someone, and I know who, but he's not going to say anything to you lot!"

13. Also loved Jack's last line, about feeling alive because he'd thought he might die.