purplecat | Jan. 17th, 2008

You're viewing

purplecat's journal
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: light

Jan. 17th, 2008

The start of season 2 Torchwood, plus numerous soundbites from Chris Chibnall suggested the production team have surprisingly perhaps (given many of the New Who production office statements) taken the criticisms of season 1 to heart and made a good attempt at fixing the problems without completely rewriting the characters or concepts. So the Torchwood team, while still being a bit useless, are at least no longer obviously stupid and mutinous.

It did occur to me, though, that the show is still too tied to the Dr Who template. Ultimately Dr Who is all about the Doctor and only in exceptional circumstances can the companion really save the day (this is one of the reasons why it still struggles with allegations of racism and sexism). Torchwood is an opportunity to do a proper ensemble piece and yet it still has to be Jack who kills the Blowfish and only Jack is actually competent to handle Captain John. This may have been a dramatic necessity to re-introduce him as an important component in the show but I did feel a little that I was watching a show called Captain Jack not a show called Torchwood.

At the end of the day it didn't leave me fuming with irritation like the latter half of season 1 did but I'm not exactly jumping up and down with excitement. I guess that's the problem with listening to fans, you do what they want and they say "that's nice" and then go looking for something more interesting and unexpected. I suppose another problem is that I never really took to the Torchwood team (even Captain Jack who I've liked whenever he's been in Dr Who) and since they haven't had major character surgery I'm still not particularly interested in them.

As something of an aside I was interested to note while reading SFX last night that the production team perceived the major complaint to be the swearing. Really? I hardly noticed any swearing in season 1 and was more irritated by the idiocy of the characters and the adolescent attitude to sex. Anyway, apparently the swearing has been toned down - SFX helpfully informed me that there were only two swear words in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, though it must be said I couldn't tell you when either of them occurred.

Profile

purplecat

July 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Tags

100 papers [10]
absent friends [2]
academia [87]
- dead scientists [2]
- edinburgh informatics [3]
- groups
  - dream [2]
- impact [1]
- public understanding [28]
  - lego rover [21]
- publications [50]
- scientists
  - aaron sloman [1]
  - alan bundy [4]
  - douglas hofstadter [1]
  - john mccarthy [2]
- talks [22]
- teaching [1]
administrivia [1]
agents of shield [1]
ai [28]
- agents [24]
  - ail [9]
  - bdi [11]
    - goals [2]
  - groups [3]
  - languages
    - agentspeak [1]
    - oopl [1]
  - organisations [3]
- automated reasoning [7]
  - rippling [1]
  - sat [1]
  - smt [1]
- ethics [7]
- explainability [2]
- hybrid systems [1]
- knowledge representation [1]
- lego robots [1]
- planning [1]
- robotics [4]
aisb [10]
amazon [1]
anecdote [1]
arthuriana [6]
bernice summerfield [6]
- review [5]
birthday [11]
books [54]
- author
  - andrew cartmel [3]
  - ben aaronovitch [4]
  - c s lewis [1]
  - charlotte bronte [1]
  - craig hinton [2]
  - david mcintee [1]
  - david whittaker [1]
  - dorothy l sayers [1]
  - iain m banks [2]
  - ian rankin [2]
  - j r r tolkien [1]
  - jacqueline rayner [2]
  - jane austen [1]
  - jeff vandermeer [1]
  - jim mortimore [1]
  - jonathan blum [2]
  - justin richards [3]
  - kate orman [2]
  - kelly hale [1]
  - lance parkin [4]
  - lawrence miles [6]
  - mags halliday [5]
  - malcolm hulke [1]
  - marc platt [2]
  - mark michalowski [3]
  - mary stewart [1]
  - megan whalen turner [3]
  - michael moorcock [2]
  - neal stephenson [3]
  - paul cornell [4]
  - paul dale smith [5]
  - paul magrs [11]
  - philip purser-hallard [10]
  - phyllis ann karr [1]
  - rob shearman [3]
  - rosemary sutcliff [2]
  - sara paretskey [1]
  - shakespeare [1]
  - simon guerrier [2]
  - terrance dicks [2]
  - terry pratchett [1]
  - tolkien [3]
castle [1]
christmas [2]
class [7]
- review [7]
computer science [15]
- complexity theory [4]
- game theory [5]
  - economics [1]
- np problems [1]
- verification [3]
  - induction [1]
conferences [3]
- aamas [1]
- arw [1]
- clima [1]
conventions [6]
- eastercon [11]
  - 2010 [2]
  - 2011 [4]
  - 2012 [1]
  - 2015 [1]
  - 2025 [1]
- lass o gowrie [1]
crochet [40]
- amigurumi [11]
- garment [5]
- moogly cal [8]
- non-euclidean [10]
current events [24]
dark [1]
- icons [1]
diary [14]
doctor who [979]
- books [47]
  - annual [8]
  - cover [52]
    - benny adventure [1]
    - eda [4]
    - misc [9]
    - missing adventure [1]
    - new adventure [10]
    - nuwho [2]
    - pda [9]
    - target [16]
  - edas [2]
  - nas [4]
  - new series [9]
  - pdas [1]
  - storybook [1]
  - time and relative disse [5]
- comic [11]
  - fifth doctor [2]
  - first doctor [3]
  - fourth doctor [2]
  - second doctor [2]
  - sixth doctor [2]
  - third doctor [1]
- costume bracket [122]
- factsheet [1]
- fandom [2]
- fanzine [8]
  - channel d [1]
  - dwb [2]
  - skaro [1]
  - tides of time [1]
  - web planet [4]
- fiction [1]
  - martha [1]
  - thirteen [1]
  - yaz [1]
- icons [69]
  - ace [1]
  - adric [1]
  - amy+rory+river [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - barbara+ian [1]
  - ben [1]
  - bill+nardole+twelve [1]
  - chang lee [1]
  - cybermen [1]
  - dalek [1]
  - dan [1]
  - doctor+master [1]
  - dodo [1]
  - eight [1]
  - eleven [1]
  - eleven+river [1]
  - faction paradox [1]
  - fifteen [1]
  - four [1]
  - four+leela [1]
  - four+sarah [1]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - grace [1]
  - graham+ryan [1]
  - harry [1]
  - ian [1]
  - ice warriors [1]
  - jamie [1]
  - jamie+victoria [1]
  - jamie+zoe [1]
  - jo [1]
  - katarina [1]
  - leela [1]
  - liz [1]
  - mel [1]
  - nardole [1]
  - nine [1]
  - nyssa [1]
  - one [1]
  - osgood [1]
  - peri [1]
  - polly [1]
  - romana [1]
  - romana1 [1]
  - romana2 [1]
  - ruby [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [1]
  - sarah+three [1]
  - sea devils [1]
  - seven [2]
  - shalka [1]
  - silurians [1]
  - six [1]
  - sontarans [1]
  - steven [1]
  - susan [1]
  - tegan [1]
  - tegan+turlough [1]
  - the master [3]
  - the rani [1]
  - thirteen+yaz [1]
  - three [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - two [1]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [1]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
  - zygons [1]
- new series [6]
- nuwho rewatch [72]
- paper dolls [79]
- picture [216]
  - ainley master [2]
  - alien [1]
  - amy [1]
  - amy/rory [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - behind the scenes [14]
  - bill [1]
  - bonnie langford [1]
  - cast [3]
  - clara [1]
  - convention [1]
  - daphne ashbrook [1]
  - david tennant [1]
  - delgado master [3]
  - donna [2]
  - dvd cover [5]
  - dwm [4]
    - cover [2]
  - eighth doctor [1]
  - eleventh doctor [3]
  - eleventh doctor episo [7]
  - elizabeth sladen [1]
  - exhibition [1]
  - fanart [8]
  - fifth doctor [4]
  - fifth doctor episode [7]
  - fiftheenth doctor epi [1]
  - first doctor [4]
  - first doctor episode [16]
  - fourth doctor [5]
  - fourth doctor episode [7]
  - frazer hines [2]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - india fisher [1]
  - jamie [4]
  - jo [3]
  - joanna lumley [1]
  - jodie whittaker [4]
  - k9 [1]
  - leela [2]
  - martha [3]
  - matt smith [1]
  - mickey [1]
  - missy [1]
  - monster [13]
  - new adventures [1]
  - nicholas courtney [2]
  - nicola bryant [1]
  - ninth doctor [1]
  - ninth doctor episode [1]
  - patrick troughton [1]
  - paul mcgann [1]
  - pearl mackie [2]
  - peri [2]
  - peter capaldi [1]
  - production team [1]
  - puzzle [1]
  - river song [1]
  - romana [3]
  - romana 1 [1]
  - romana 2 [2]
  - rose [3]
  - rowan atkinson [1]
  - russell t davies [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [4]
  - second doctor [6]
  - second doctor episode [7]
  - seventh doctor episod [6]
  - shalka doctor [1]
  - sixth doctor [5]
  - sixth doctor episode [4]
  - susan [1]
  - sylvester mccoy [2]
  - tardis [3]
  - tegan [2]
  - tenth doctor [2]
  - tenth doctor episode [10]
  - the brigadier [1]
  - the master [3]
  - theatre [2]
  - third doctor [5]
  - third doctor episode [2]
  - thirteenth doctor [2]
  - thirteenth doctor epi [2]
  - tom baker [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - tv movie [1]
  - twelfth doctor episod [3]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [3]
  - villain [1]
  - web planet [2]
  - william hartnell [2]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
- rec [1]
- review [429]
  - book [34]
    - non-fiction [7]
  - film [1]
  - tv [395]
    - classic [150]
    - new new series [11]
    - new series [233]
- russell davies [3]
- steven moffat [2]
- the randomizer [152]
- verity podcast [1]
- whordle [4]
dolls [78]
- lego [5]
  - nasa [3]
- paper dolls [79]
dreamwidth [3]
edinburgh [8]
- festival [1]
exercise [18]
- running [37]
  - london marathon [19]
facebook [5]
faction paradox [3]
- review [3]
family [12]
- b [23]
  - animals [1]
  - dinosaurs [16]
  - fossils [4]
  - media stardom [19]
- cousins [1]
- days out [1]
- g [4]
  - school [1]
fandom [3]
fandom friday [2]
fandom stocking [1]
fanfiction [3]
feminism [5]
films [8]
follow friday [7]
food [51]
- heston blumenthal [1]
- recipe [40]
fools and heroes [11]
fossil friday [56]
friends [2]
genealogy [16]
granny's diary [5]
grimm [1]
- icons [1]
history [4]
holidays [66]
- cleveland way [5]
- cornwall [3]
- hadrian's wall [23]
- inca trail [9]
- orkney [13]
- ridgeway [3]
- scotland [2]
- snowdonia [5]
- wales [2]
- west highland way [9]
house [16]
i have no tag for this [24]
i saw this last week [108]
icons [43]
- castle [1]
- ladybird books [1]
iris wildthyme [5]
- review [4]
jobs [3]
kin-strife [10]
linkspam [21]
livejournal [14]
lizzie bennet diaries [1]
mathematics [21]
- formal proof [1]
- logic [1]
- non-euclidean [10]
- philosophy [6]
  - proof [2]
- verification [1]
mcu [2]
- icons [1]
  - natasha [1]
media stardom [7]
meme [65]
meta [1]
model checking [4]
- systems
  - java pathfinder [3]
oxford [1]
performing [1]
- music [1]
philosophy [8]
- ai [2]
- ethics [2]
- mathematics [3]
picspam [109]
- castle [30]
- hobbit hole [6]
- house [2]
- prehistoric monument [93]
- roman remains [8]
- travel [64]
  - holidays [43]
  - work related [22]
pokemon go [2]
- icons [1]
primeval [59]
- fiction [1]
  - becker [1]
  - blade [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - lester [1]
  - ryan [1]
  - ryan/stephen [2]
- icons [4]
  - abby/ryan [1]
  - becker [1]
  - becker/lester [1]
  - becker/matt [1]
  - becker/ryan [1]
  - blade/lester [1]
  - claudia/lester [1]
  - connor [1]
  - connor/lester [1]
  - danny [1]
  - danny/ryan [1]
  - jess/ryan [1]
  - lester [1]
  - lester/ryan [1]
  - nick/stephen [1]
  - ryan [1]
- review [45]
programming [14]
- ail [1]
- languages
  - agentspeak [2]
  - jason [1]
  - java [5]
  - maude [2]
  - prolog [2]
projects
- eass [13]
- mcapl [13]
- platform grant [1]
- rais [2]
- verifiable autonomy [1]
- vps [2]
random doctor who picture [268]
random poetry [1]
rant [6]
reading listening watching [93]
rec [1]
- humour [1]
resolutions [14]
review [590]
- book [136]
  - non-fiction [37]
    - history [25]
      - science [9]
- comic [2]
- film [9]
- tv [409]
  - class [6]
  - internet [1]
  - merlin [2]
  - sarah jane adventures [5]
  - survivors [4]
roleplaying [24]
ros [1]
science [1]
science fiction [2]
science
- astronomy [1]
  - apod [1]
share
- twitter [2]
social networking [3]
- google+ [2]
- tumblr [1]
star wars [2]
- dolls [1]
  - lego [1]
the expanse [2]
- icons [1]
  - crew [1]
the prisoner [1]
- icons [1]
theorem proving [6]
- middle-out reasoning [3]
- proof planning [5]
  - critics [2]
  - rippling [3]
- proof specification lang [2]
- systems
  - isabelle [2]
  - isaplanner [4]
  - maude [1]
  - proof general [3]
- theory slicing [1]
- tptp thf [3]
throwback thursday [53]
- an oxford childhood [12]
- ancestors [3]
- arthurians [6]
- conventions [1]
- dad [3]
- docsoc [1]
- family [1]
- larp [3]
- oules [1]
- politics [1]
- running [1]
- wheatley [3]
tolkienery [7]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - sauron [1]
torchwood [5]
- review [13]
travel [73]
- commuting [2]
- work related [34]
traveller [6]
tv [29]
- blakes seven [1]
- buffy [1]
- firefly [2]
- sapphire and steel [1]
urban dead [5]
web stuff [1]
wierd spam [2]
world war z [1]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
writing [2]

Page Summary

So... Torchwood

Active Entries

Style Credit

Base style: Transmogrified by Yvonne
Theme: Sleeping Warrior by dancing_serpent

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags