Torchwood Season 1 vs. Season 2

[OmahaStar]

I've finished watching the first season of Torchwood. I'm not sure how I really feel about this show. I mean, sure it has ties to Doctor Who, and some of the same aliens, but in ways it feels like a police procedural show set in the Who universe, but .. not.

Some of the characters are well thought out. Others seem to exist only to move the plot forward, without having any other purpose. Owen is a great example of that. What does he really DO? Nothing. But when they need someone to screw the alien of the week, or open a rift or something, they've got him. Otherwise, he serves no purpose. He's a plot device.

But then, so are most of the characters. They aren't really fleshed out. With the Doctor or Sarah Jane, the leads of the other two (current) shows, they are much more fleshed out. They serve a purpose. What does Jack (or whatever his name is) do? He sits around trying to look pretty and waiting for the next "hello" to walk by.

Speaking of ... We've known his name since The Empty Child. Now we find out in the next to last episode of the first season here, we don't even know his name. He randomly picked somebody else's name. Why, exactly? It served no purpose other than as a set up for him and the "other" Jack to snog.

It's really bad writing, in my opinion. The whole of the series is nothing more than attempts at shocking the audience, trying to be "different" than its parent series, and it pretty much fails at every level.

So I have to wonder ... Is season 2 just more of the same? Or does it take a dramatically different turn? Other than Martha, whose actress can't act, is there any reason at all to watch it?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Most people think season two is better than season one, that the series was trying to find its feet in season one and not really succeeding.

I loved season one. It was this bleak, nihilistic thing. And I adored Owen, narcissistic prat that he was. And when he lost Diane, my heart fucking broke.

I really liked season two, but I didn't love it. The nihilism was gone.

There are reasons to watch season two. Gwen looks far more fanciable in season two, for some reason. Also, "Sleeper" was solid. "Adrift" was amazing. Season two is more consistent across the board.

As for Martha, while she appears in three episodes, she's only a factor in "Reset."

 

[The Nth Doctor]

In my opinion, season 2 is much, much better than season 1. With season 1, I would argue only "Out of Time" and "Captain Jack Harkness" were good, whereas with season 2, almost all of the episodes were good to great (with one horrible exception).

 

[Cali]

Season two is much better. And the finale to season two was, in my opinion, brilliant.

 

[Thrall]

It's really bad writing, in my opinion. The whole of the series is nothing more than attempts at shocking the audience, trying to be "different" than its parent series, and it pretty much fails at every level.

Gotta agree here. I did not like it. It was less about a highly top secret government organization who's job is to monitor alien activity on Earth and more of a who's-fucking-whofest bad soap opera. There were some good episodes like Captain Jack Harkness, Small Worlds, End of Days, and Countrycide. But overall, it was weak, cliche writing. The characters were terrible, except Jack but he was just kind of the leader guy and not much more. Owen was an obnoxious turd with delusions of James Marsters.

Season Two is a big improvement. The writing is solid. The characters are very enjoyable. They seem to actually act like a kick ass team of hero's as opposed to just a bunch of assholes who somehow got a government job. Owen becomes my favorite character here believe it or not. Ianto, however, remains the biggest waste of time in TV history.

 

[diankra]

It's really bad writing, in my opinion. The whole of the series is nothing more than attempts at shocking the audience, trying to be "different" than its parent series, and it pretty much fails at every level.

Gotta agree here. I did not like it. It was less about a highly top secret government organization who's job is to monitor alien activity on Earth and more of a who's-fucking-whofest bad soap opera. There were some good episodes like Captain Jack Harkness, Small Worlds, End of Days, and Countrycide. But overall, it was weak, cliche writing. The characters were terrible, except Jack but he was just kind of the leader guy and not much more. Owen was an obnoxious turd with delusions of James Marsters.

Season Two is a big improvement. The writing is solid. The characters are very enjoyable. They seem to actually act like a kick ass team of hero's as opposed to just a bunch of assholes who somehow got a government job. Owen becomes my favorite character here believe it or not. Ianto, however, remains the biggest waste of time in TV history.

Another vote here for season two as a massive improvement.
Aside from the end of season one's inversion of the Trek movie syndrome (in that most of the even-numbered episodes of season one made me wonder why I'd left the TV on for the full 50 minutes. Captain Jack Harkness being the most obvious exception to that rule...), there's also Ianto developing a character, and Owen shifting from being an obnoxious git you you'd happily see dead to someone whose reasons for being a bit of a git are understood, and make you sympathise with him.
There are still let-downs, but it's far better, if only because it no longer feels as if it's being made by 12 year olds who think it's cool to swear and talk about sex, and that's enough to keep people watching.

 

[DWF]

Season two is better than season one but I think it's unfair to compare the development of the main cahracters of the other two shows, Tennant's been playing the Doctor for three seasons now and Sarah Jane has been around for more than 30 years. But I do think that they needed the first season to figure out the characters somewhat then they could figure out what they can do with them. And I think Rhys has become a more important character in the second season as well.

 

[bigdaddy]

They shouldn't have made the show so soon. I would have kept him on Doctor Who longer and then MAYBE a spinoff down the road.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Series 2 was a great improvement. Almost every episode was at least good. I enjoyed series 1, but I wasn't blind to it's faults. And if you're thinking Martha is a good reason to tune in, you'll be disappointed.

 

[Starkers]

I really disliked S1, it tried too hard to be shocking and way too hard to be 'adult' coming off in the process like something written by 16 year olds. It was far too self concious, and quite obviously hadn't been made giving nearly enough time to polish it.

S2 by contrast I really enjoyed. The show feels more relaxed, there's far less swearing for the sake of it (which thus makes those instances when there is swearing more shocking and beleivable) the scripts feel more polished and the characters more comfortable.

It isn't perfect- it still can't do creepy very well because its always overlit like it's Hollyoaks, some stories are ill thought out (take what happens to Jack in the finale) and shoehorning Martha in for 3 eps was pointless.

But pound for pound I really liked S2, and am looking forward to S3.

ps. Ianto is Da Man!

 

[Jim Steele]

I couldn't stand season 1.

Season 2 was a vast improvement, and brilliant compared to the first series, but it was still pants imho. It's like comparing a kick to the balls with a chinese burn. The latter is preferable, but I can do without either.

When your finale villain channels Hayden Christiansen, you fucked up.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

Count me in as a big fan of both series but there's no pretending that series 2 smashed it out of the park. Owen was brilliant, Ianto was fantastic, the stories were better, there was more fun and it stopped being so frivilous with the swearing and sex.

Emh - what's the one horrible exception episode? The only one I didn't like was From Out of the Rain.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Nah, I loved "From Out of the Rain." The one season 2 episode I didn't like was "Something Borrowed." Hideous.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

I don't agree with you at all, but somehow I knew you were going to say that!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yeah, that episode is definitely one of those you either love it or hate it. The discussion thread for it was...interesting.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm currently watching the Season 1 finale right now, and I've found I actually really like this show. It's different than what I'm used to watching.

It feels a little uneven, and I agree about Owen, but overall I really enjoy what I'm seeing. I love Gwen's relationship with her boyfriend. I love the mystery surrounding Captain Jack, and I was both shocked and moved when he kissed the "real" Captain Jack.

Uh-oh, Reese is about to be eaten by a Weavel. Gotta go!


...or stabbed by the creepy guy. My mistake.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Uh-oh, Reese is about to be eaten by a Weavel. Gotta go!


...or stabbed by the creepy guy. My mistake.

Just a small correction, his name is Rhys

 

[RoJoHen]

I knew I spelled it wrong (did not know the correct spelling), but I kind of wanted a peanut butter cup, so that spelling was good enough at the time.

 

[Jim Steele]

I knew I spelled it wrong (did not know the correct spelling), but I kind of wanted a peanut butter cup, so that spelling was good enough at the time.

I nominate this for Post of the Week (tm).

 

[auntiehill]

I didn't care too much for season 1. It tried WAAAAAY too hard to be "sexy and adult." Puh-leeeze. The second season was much better (Something Borrowed being the exception) and the finale was really rather touching. Although, I never really warmed to Owen much. I was really starting to like Tosh, though.