Torchwood: The New World


I finally got around to seeing what is season four of Torchwood. The new series that premiered on the Starz network is titled, Miracle Day because all over the world people stop dying. I am writing this as someone who has only seen the first episode of season one of Torchwood, but I hope to catch up quick as season four moves along.

Torchwood is a BBC show filmed in the U.K. Miracle Day begins a reboot of the series brining the show to the U.S. along with three regulars to the series. Originally, the new Torchwood was to be shown on the Fox network before the deal fell through.

The show opens with the execution of convicted pedophile and murderer Oswald Danes played by Bill Pullman. Danes is given a lethal injection, but does not die. During this event, an email is sent to various agencies of the U.S. government with the word Torchwood. While being briefed on the incident by colleague Esther Drummond, played by Alexa Havins, CIA agent Rex Matheson, played by Mekhi Phifer  is injured in a car accident.

Torchwood - The New World

Matheson survives and becomes aware of what the media calls Miracle Day and begins working with Drummond to find out how the phenomenon has occurred and its connection to Torchwood. We learn that although people cannot die they can still become sick and be injured. Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, shows up in the U.S. erasing all mentions of Torchwood onlinw prompting Drummond to search the CIA archive for files which she discovered. Just as Drummond begins to read the files Harkness appears just in time to save her from an assassin who tries to kill her and blows up the archive. Harkness tells Drummond about Torchwood, but the gives her an amnesia pill. However, the next day, Drummonds memories are triggered by a file brought to her on Torchwood by CIA agent Noah Vickers.

Later Oswald, who threatens to launch a lawsuit against the government, is released because technically he served his sentence. Meanwhile, in Wales, former Torchwood operative Gwen Cooper, played by Eve Myles, hides out in a remote location with her newborn daughter. Cooper is called to the hospital after her father suffers a heart attack and learns about Miracle Day. Cooper wants to investigate but is dissuaded by her husband. When Cooper returns home she is confronted by Matheson who with the help of Drummond tracked her down. Before Cooper can escape they are attacked by a helicopter. Harkness arrives to help and the group escapes taking down the helicopter.

Torchwood - The New World

The group arrives at the original Torchwood Institute site where Harkness reveals to everyone that his healing abilities no longer work and he appears to be mortal while everyone else on earth is immortal. As Cooper and Harkness discuss what to do next Matheson, with help of the local police takes the group into custody and announces that he is renditioning Torchwood to the United States.

Overall, I love the premise and not having a full history of Torchwood I feel the idea of making everyone immortal while making Jack mortal is an interesting tactic. Also, during the episode we see that some people were not happy with the Miracle Day saying that these people should be dead and are “Living Corpses.” The show makes sure to answer questions such as, if you remove the head do you still live, the answer is yes. In addition, we learn that by not having daily deaths and continuing to have daily births that society would collapse onto itself within months.

I thought the pacing of the show was well done, as were the visuals except for some of the news report backgrounds. I think a new spin on Torchwood could be a good thing, but I will hold my final judgment until I catch up with the previous seasons. I am just glad it did not end up on Fox or it may not have made it past episode 1.

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J.A. Laraque


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