Loving the Alien: watching last week's Torchwood...

[rhythmaning]

This week, I watched the last four episodes of BBC's Torchwood series (or is that miniseries?) "Children of Earth", which ran over five nights the week before last (I recorded it, watching one episode a few days after it broadcast and the other four in one long, hefty Torchwood marathon last Monday).

I watched the first series of Torchwood, which was enjoyable but so-so; the second series I saw one or two of and found it completely unengaging, and I didn't go back.

So I'm not quite sure why I bothered recording Children of Earth; but I am very glad I did: I found the first episode gripping, and the series excellent.

And much, much better than what I saw of the last series.

I am not quite sure what it was about this series that worked so well for me, but I think the extended story format was very successful, and rather gripping. The story itself worked (and not seeing the monster was an excellent trick), though obviously there were big plot flaws. (It wasn't clear why the history of 546 was so shaming... Or why the drugs worked to such an extent.)

I thought John Barrowman was excellent, and the previously drippy Eve Myles I thought was excellent, too. The role of the counter culture was frankly marvellous, and the (omg) gay storyline was pretty well handled.

After his wonderful showing in The Thick Of It and most recently In The Loop, I thought Peter Capaldi was great as a creepy civil servant.

As I say, not all of it made logical sense, but it had pace and tension and heroic characters.

And I loved it.