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Torchwood Ghost Machine |
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| Story No. | 3 | 
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| Production Code | Series One Episode Three | |
| Dates | October 29 2006 |
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With John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori and Gareth
David-Lloyd.
Written by Helen Raynor Directed by Colin Teague Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner. |
| Synopsis: An alien device allows a glimpse of the past and it isn't always easy to let go. |
Superb by Joe Ford 1/12/06
Remember I spoke about potential in Everything Changes? Well, after a momentary moment of utter madness in Day One we are finally seeing what this series can do. And boy is it impressive.
From the opening seconds you realise this is the most confident and assured episode yet, a breathless chase through the streets of Cardiff that gets your blood pumping straight away. Suddenly Gwen is transported back in time to a spooky train station and confronted by a lost child, a chilling pre-credits sequence that sets the tone for the rest of the episode.
What is especially pleasing about Ghost Machine is seeing the team working together so well on an intruiging mystery. Some very strong personalities are starting to emerge, especially Owen and Gwen (who has more than a little chemistry it must be said) but seeing these people knocking on peoples doors, asking questions, strolling through police records... it feels as though if they put their minds to it they could do anything.
Another excellent option this episode takes is by focusing on the domestic side of the side of the series which is much more successful and interesting than the alien side. Ghost Machine features an alien device affecting the lives of real people who do horrific things (rape, murder, blackmail) and the realism is much needed after the comic book tone of the last episode. Visiting people in their homes grounds this episode very much in the here and now and helps audience recognition greatly.
Helen Raynor has written a fantastic script and if her Doctor Who script is half as good as this, we are in for a treat. The concept of an alien device that offers glimpses into the past and future is great but rather than the episode resting on the idea there is a very clever narrative woven around it. The pace of the episode is fast but it never skimps on explanations or terrific character interaction.
Colin Teague's direction is outstanding and never more so in the scene under the bridge, easily the most downright terrifying scene in the series to date. Whilst the suggested rape and murder of a young girl is pushing the boundaries again, it is acceptable in this instance because the event is essential to the structure of the episode. Great acting, writing, direction and music all combine to make this a really uncomfortable moment as Morgan teases Lizzie before pouncing...
Unlike everyone else I loved the gun scene. The Outpost Gallifrey forum was bristling with people who were appalled with the series equating sex with violence (huh, what about films like the Matrix that see sexily clad men and women walking around shooting left, right and centre?) but I thought this was a well considered moment, a horny scene that suggests a real spark (ahem) between Jack and Gwen ("Doesn't it get lonely at night?").
It's just one smashing scene after another and the set piece in Gwen's apartment is also worthy of a mention simply because it is so heartwarming, the episode expressing (at this point) a surprising number of potent emotions. It's also great to see the series using alien technology to explore the personal lives of the central characters. Eve Myles is once again brilliant in the central role; she brings such a great deal of humanity and naturalism to her part it is easy to see why she was selected.
But for once another member of the team is given special attention and I am pleased that it is Owen. The scene where he experiences Lizzie's rape is a breakthrough moment because we finally see through that smug exterior and realise there is a human being in there. Whilst people have questioned his terrified reaction to the rape considering he pretty much date raped a man and a woman in the first episode, I think it is perfectly timed; he can see through the device that what he has done is very, very wrong and his fear is mixed with the horror of this realisation. I still question who these people answer to when they decide to go off on moral crusades like Owen does here; it adds another layer to the script that explores some very grey areas. The sequence where Owen confronts the rapist in his home is almost unbearably tense, who knew that this series was capable of such gripping drama? Burn Gorman is superb in this episode; it demands quite a bit from him physically and emotionally and as a showcase for what he is capable of I can't imagine this being beaten any time soon.
The episode keeps throwing up surprises. The machine can see into the future as well as the past. Is Owen a killer? Did Bernie Harris already visit Ed Morgan? And, to top it all off, there is an exciting, well-thought-through climax that leaves you wondering for a second whether Owen will genuinely go through with it ("I've got the knife!").
Everything comes together to create a gripping piece of drama and easily the best thing Torchwood has done so far; had the series started out on this note I would have been very impressed. There are two great guest performances from John Normington and Gareth Thomas and a brilliant chase through the gardens of Splot that I haven't mentioned yet as well!
I've got a taste of what Torchwood can achieve now. I want more!
Ghost D.O.G. by John Nor 11/12/06
In this episode the team encounter another piece of alien technology. It allows them to see "ghosts" of past or future events.
I noted in my review of the second episode Day One, that it would be interesting to discover whether future episodes would be like Day One, with a clear case for them to solve each week, or whether the format would be as unlimited as the first episode suggested.
This episode, Ghost Machine, repeats the pattern set up by Day One: the team chase after an alien item and an implied mission is presented to them as an accidental byproduct of this investigation. Their mission here seems to be to stop both the Hoodie being harmed by Morgan, and Owen harming Morgan (although this mission is revealed slowly through the episode.)
Like the first two episodes, there is a "bad guy", (in episode Day One this is the alien), and like the first two episodes, at the end here the "bad guy" is dead, though not necessarily at the hands of Torchwood.
This Wild West justice, with no judge or jury, is not really the focus of Torchwood's actions. It is just something that happens when they try and investigate aliens. Jack points out during the episode that the crime in the 60's that Owen now knows about cannot be presented in a court as the evidence relies on alien technology. Solving crimes is not the purpose of Torchwood it seems. Their purpose is to gather alien tech (so that mankind is ready for the future.) Jack repeats in this episode his phrase "The 21st Century's when it all changes, and you gotta be ready" from the first episode.
The team as such do not set out to "solve crimes", but they are presented with situations where certain members of the team feel compelled to do just that. It is a "sci-fi crime thriller", but crime-solving is not the business of Torchwood. Which is: hunting down alien tech.
The series is no more or less entertaining because of this, but I do find it interesting how the conventions of the crime show are used when they are not really a crime unit. Will the show continue to follow these conventions?
One slightly ridiculous scene stands out in this episode. The erotically charged firearm lesson on the shooting range between Gwen and Jack is over the top. When Gwen raises her arms in exultation after progressing excitedly from tentative aims to spectacular John Woo-style gunplay, you can't help but laugh. They can't really be wanting that scene to viewed as a parody of similar seductions, but that is how it comes across.
This scene of Gwen's temptation is nicely counterpointed though with the "ghosts" (past strong emotions to be found in her flat by the machine) of her relationship with her boyfriend, and she is not abandoning his lasagnas quite yet it seems, if indeed she ever will.
Quite a good episode then, but it really makes things hard for itself by conjuring up unfavourable comparisons with the superlative The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (with its very first scene featuring a spooky second world war kid!) Sheesh.