Torchwood – The Complete
Second Season (BBC DVD)
Picture: B- Sound:
B-
Extras: B+ Episodes: A+
The popular BBC spinoff of Doctor Who returns in this complete second season boxed set. Folks new to Torchwood should check out our review of the Complete
First Season in both formats as follows:
DVD-Video
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6699/Torchwood+–+The+Complete+First+Season+(2007/BBC
Blu-ray
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7632/Torchwood+–+The+Complete+First+Season+(2006/BBC
With all of the emotional and plot groundwork laid in the
previous season, this second installment possesses a smoothness and flow that
gives each episode added impact. When Season Two opens, Torchwood leader Jack
Harkness (John Barrowman) returns from his adventures with Doctor Who
(occurring at the end of Who Season
Three) to find Gwen (Eve Myles) running the operation. The team is slow to welcome Jack back, but
once they do, the season kicks into high gear with some amazing and
gut-wrenching tales. The show is famous
for its sexual tension among its cast members, and this season is no different,
seeing sparks fly between Gwen and Jack, while tragic circumstances
surround the fitful relationship of Owen and Toshiko.
This set provides plentiful extras. The
Life and Deaths of Captain Jack Harkness clocks in at twenty-two minutes
and examines the immortal nature of Torchwood's libidinous leader. Torchwood
Declassified provides extra details on every episode, giving fans a glimpse
of the behind the scenes production of the show. A number of deleted scenes and outtakes round
out the package. Both picture and sound
on this set are solid, and in keeping with the high quality of the previous
newer BBC releases.
Challenging any thought of the status quo for these
characters, the talented creative team puts them through incredible
hardship. It must have been tempting for
the writers and producers to "stay safe", not upsetting the balance
the show had achieved. However, they
instead chose the high road and profited immensely from that choice with rich
stories that stick with the viewer long after watching. The Torchwood team faces a host of
villains, from an avatar of death itself, to one of the creepiest
characters ever conceived for BBC, the enigmatic Ghostmaker. The team ends the season forever changed, but
most important, they leave the viewer wanting more. With news of an abbreviated,
5-part third season in 2009, fans of the show will get just that.
- Scott R. Pyle
