Episode review 2.05 and 2.06

[donutsweeper]

Not an in depth one for either one, just some quick thoughts, more for my own benefit to try to wrap my head around it...

"Adam" made me uncomfortable, the premise itself.  Mucking with memories is one of those plot ideas I just don't like. We are who our memories make us. Who would Jack have been if he'd not had those two years erased? Would he have left the Time Agency? Would he have become a conman? By altering memories what was Adam doing to what we think of as the core personality of each member of the team?  Tosh wasn't in full control of her mental facilities- Adam planted the year of dating memories and then basically raped her.  (Would she have slept with him without the memories? No?  Then it's not consentual sex)

I didn't understand the sand being in the box- was Adam actually supposed to have been on Jack's homeworld?

And what about Rhys? He'd met Adam, abet briefly, but won't he wonder about Gwen's 48 memory loss and whatnot?

And I'm surprised Jack didn't leave a 'you lost 48 hours of memory on purpose' sort of message for himself. Because, really, is Jack they type to actually let something like that slide?

On a 'hey we learned something' front- we actually know 100% now that Jack is from the 51st century.  (Still don't know his name or what the worst monsters you can imagine are though)

BUT- I hate episodes that don't happen.  It's a frequent plot device in scifi, but I've never liked it.


"Reset" had a lot of great bits.  Martha's interactions with the team were wonderful.  All geeky doctor stuff with Owen, girl talk with Gwen, teasing Ianto and trying to find out about him and Jack... loved it all.

However I have one word for the TW team.  CPR!  Why oh why oh why not perform it!

Now, I have not read a single spoiler (and please don't mention one in comments) but I have trouble believing Owen's dead.  So the "DRAMA" ending left me with a shrug and a "oh, they'll figure their way around that somehow."

Comments

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think for me, the things I learned about the characters were what I took away from the episode, even if they don't remember saying them. But I can see why people don't like that.

Martha is all kinds of awesome. Except when she fails to perform basic first aid *facepalm* It really bugs me when they do that on non-medical shows - they're doctors! they don't just stand there! Although if she had, she'd have been buggified, so probably just as well she didn't...

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

But in the last scene? There are many things they could do while they tried to get him back to the Hub, and there had to be random bits of tech there that could have helped.... But why no CPR then? Or why no glowy kiss from Jack?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

She did the whole needle in the chest thing *is ignorant* but exactly! There have been some real 'waving my hands at the TV' moments this series.

Mind you, I'm still in the 'he's not really dead' frame of mind, so I guess they're just saving it for next week...

*rereads* Good grief, I really am in a good mood today - hopeless optimism a speciality ;D

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I had the same thought- Owen's not really dead- no way- no how. So not only am I am in the same hopelessly good mood I'm also overcome by dashes.

[k-haldane.livejournal.com]

I think Jack was afraid to leave any sort of evidence, because he doesn't know how much Adam needs to be remembered in order to survive. That's why he didn't tell himself what happened.

And re CPR: No chance. Owen was hit in the aorta by the looks of it, in which case the human body will bleed out in thirty seconds. He was effectively dead by the time they took down the doctor guy and reached him. There's no point doing CPR on a heart with a hole in it - that's first aid for a stopped heart, not a ripped-up one. (I worked nine years in a cardiac surgery theatre, there wasn't a thing they could do, and Martha's experienced enough to know it.)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Maybe, but this is Torchwood with all sorts of alien doodads... I just have trouble buying them not trying ANYTHING

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I was kind of bothered that Jack didn't leave himself some kind of note.

I think the sand was supposed to be what was left of Adam?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yeah- I've seen plenty of scifi shows where their memories were wiped on purpose but they screwed up in some way and then wound up remembering and had to wipe their memories all over again. Some sort of "I did this, don't mess with it" message from Jack to Jack would have made a lot of sense.

and the sand? No clue. Was it what was left of Adam, or a sign he was on Jack's world or the writers messing with us? no idea

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

He seems the type of guy to do that sort of thing.

My guess? The writers messing with us.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

the idea that the writers are messing with us (or just dont care enough to make things clear) is all that gets me through certain episodes of some shows. That and looking forward to the episode tags people will write as a result

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I think they just get bored, sometimes...

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

or lazy

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

That too.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

although, to be fair, TW isn't as bad as others on that front

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Not at all.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

NCIS and SGA make me want to pull my hair out some episodes. TW is only mildly annoying in comparison

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

SGA...ugh.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

exactly. TW isn't nearly as bad.

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Not even close.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

as much as dropped storylines and plot holes you could drive trucks through annoy me on TW, I never get the 'do these writers even watch the show" feeling that I get with my other shows sometime

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

LOL...very true.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Okay I need to cling on to the he's really dead (not because I hate him or anything) but to make it play out so I'm just going to forget I read that last bit!


As to the first bit I did think that the reason he went wandering off and didn't take his retcon with the others was to go off and leave himself notes and whatnot so that ending didn't work for me either :(

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I don't know if he is or isn't dead. I could accept it being either way.

Jack not leaving a not for himself was unbelievable

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Dear Jack,
Shit happens.
Just be thankful it was only 2 days, and not 2 years like the last time.

love Jack

PS. No, really, don't encourage anyone to try and remember!
PPS. Ianto's Diary: Dec 3rd last year DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE or Ianto will kill you for it ;-)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

perfect! I'm still waiting for the episode tag with Jack getting a hold of the UNIT cap for Ianto...

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

My daughter rewound that conversation Martha had with Ianto and she's not even that big a fan...


(though she did write smut for my last fandom once... so maybe that explains it!)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I still have no idea how they managed that scene with a straight face, Jack "dabbles"?

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I did wonder why you chose that particular word in those comments to me last night :D

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

sorry, the phrasing of that overtook my brain

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

If I'd already seen the episode back then I'd have laughed alongside you, I promise :D

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

instead you were thinking.. she's even crazier than I first thought...

:)

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Not at all I was thinking dabble? So it's like a hobby now??

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

it isn't? (especially for Jack)

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

For Jack? No it's more like a way of life :D

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

so very true... Ianto's so lucky

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

He is *nods*

*potters off to bed* (alone :s)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

at least you'll have dreams about at certain Captain to keep you company.

Sleep well!