Torchwood 3x03 minor comment

[donutsweeper]

Interesting that Alice's mom planned for there to be issues. Knew that there would be. And that she was Torchwood, but lived to die a natural death. Alice was stupid to call and check on Jack, but at least she used someone else's phone. And taking someone out with a cutting board? All kinds of awesome.

Frobisher is Permanent Secretary to the Home Office of the UK and Norther Ireland? Can any UKers tell me what that means?

Why would there be someone from UNIT AND the US armed forces? Shouldn't it JUST be UNIT? Or UNIT and every government's armed forces? And yippie for making the US guy look like an ass at first.

Overall, not a lot happened except moving the plot forward. Although, if she lives, it looks like TW has a new member in Lois.

Comments

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

I could not love Alice more and the plot bunnies are getting twitchy.

I don't know how it works in the US, but in the UK, the Government is effectively made up of 2 parts. The politicians who are party-political, elected by the people and who take the decisions. Then there are the civil servants, who are employees of the government. They're not elected, and technically, they're just there to do as the Government tells them. They're the administrators and detail people who help to make things actually happen. Have you ever heard of the series "Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister"? They illustrate the differences between the party-political politicians and the (supposedly) neutral civil service. The independence of the civil service is a big thing over here.

Civil servants have ranks within each department, and the top-ranking civil servant in any department is the Permanent Secretary. The Permanent is because he doesn't change when the politicians do. Traditionally, the most powerful civil servant in the country is the Cabinet Secretary, who heads the whole civil service. Behind him, the Treasury and the Home Office are the next most 'prestigious' positions. So from what he says, we know that he's a high-ranking civil servant, but not *the* highest ranking.

Deos that make sense?

Ah, yes. Just as US dramas traditionally make the bad guy British, we make Americans look daft, at least at first. It's a reciprocal thing ;)

I love how we've all been watching Torchwood long enough to preface predictions with "if the character survives..." ;D

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

We don't make the bad guy British. We make the bad guy French or German. Y'know from the Frankenreich. :D

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with the cutting board part. I'll have to remember that one.