N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
I’d approached this re-watch of the first series of Torchwood somewhat apprehensively. Barring one or two episodes, what little I remembered, I did not remember fondly.
“It’s all bollocks, really.”
Mark, Combat
It’s fair to say I still find it massively flawed, but I have enjoyed revisiting these stories much more than I’d expected — this despite the sometime immature attempts at maturity, the wildly uneven quality of the writing and the often hilarious amount of Torchwood-branded merch on display.
(I was dying to extend Captain Jack’s voiceover at the beginning of each episode: ‘Outside the government, beyond the police … it says so on our business card — here take one, and have a mug, pen and keyfob while you’re at it!’)
“It’s not so bad once you get used to it.”
Owen, Out of Time
Those episodes I had remembered being good — Small Worlds and Captain Jack Harkness — were still the strongest for me. Likewise, the weaker ones — Cyberwoman and Countrycide — remained towards the bottom of the pile, but in between there were enough good moments that I never considered abandoning this marathon side-step early.
Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to returning to Doctor Who in the coming weeks. I was pleased to spot a ‘Vote Saxon’ flyer on the door of the Ritz ballroom in Captain Jack Harkness — Mr Saxon also got a mention in The Runaway Bride — which makes for a nice little Easter Egg for those revisiting this after watching Series 3, or as is my case, before re-watching Series 3.
