Law and Order: SVU- Authority

What the hell was that? The plot went in different directions, and Robin Williams was ridiculously over the top. Please, SVU- enough of the "special guest stars". They get lamer and lamer with each episode. Only good point: Munch had something to do for a change.

I didn't even bother with a review of last weeks episode, "Closet". Ugh. I think it's time to put this show out to pasture!

House is back...but it moved to Monday, so I forgot about it...

Lost: The Shape of Things to Come

They killed Alex! The bastards!!!!!!

Very good episode. We found out why Sayid works for Ben in the future...and that Ben plans to kill Widmore's daughter Penny to avenge Alex (though it was his fault she was killed). Aw, Desmond is not going to like that at all. Poor Sayid. He finally found Nadia and married her, only to have her murdered...presumably by Widmore's people. But with Ben, you never know...he could be lying just to get Sayid to do his bidding.

And Claire almost got killed! At least, her house got blown up!

And Lostzilla made an appearance! Took out a bunch of bad guys. Wheeeee, what fun!

And oh, yeah- the Boaties admit that they never intended to rescue the Losties. Duh.

I think things are finally starting to fall into place. Obviously, there's this big personal war between Ben and Mr. Widmore ("it's my island and it will be again.')

Damn. I hope they can resolve a few things in the few episodes we have left this season.

Torchwood: Exit Wounds and a Doctor Who bonus!

Once again, from my live journal with a few additions. I re-watched both Fragments and Exit Wounds tonight, and cried all the way through the last five minutes.

My take on Exit Wounds, with some screen caps by invaderwitch and marishna . (thanks so much!)

Captain John Hart returns, and all hell breaks loose because of him. Bombs go off all around Cardiff, throwing the city into chaos. He tortures Jack and takes him back to the year 27 A.D., and there they meet Jack's long lost brother, Gray. Gray stabs Jack, and orders John to bury him. It turns out that Gray is controlling John, because he wants revenge on Jack for losing him as a child. John leaves a tracking device in the grave...and Jack is buried until 1901. The Torchwood of that era digs him up and freezes him.

Meanwhile, Gwen and the rest run around Cardiff, trying to fix the damage. When they return to the Hub, Gray is there- and he locks them and John in the Weevil cells. Gray has unleashed the Weevils on the city, but Owen (using his "King of the Weevils" status) is able to control them somewhat. He runs to the nuclear power plant to help stop a meltdown, with Tosh giving him instructions from the Hub. Gray shoots Tosh. She continues to help Owen, not letting him know she is hurt. She realizes that Owen can not get out of the control room in time to save himself. He loses control until Tosh begs him to stop...then he says goodbye (still not knowing that she is hurt). The control room is flooded with radiation, and Owen is presumed killed (or rather, destroyed, as he is already dead).

Jack is released from the cryo-chamber- he knocks Gray out and releases his team. They rush to Tosh, but it is too late to help her. She dies in Jack's arms.

The episode ends with news of the destruction in Cardiff, and the team mourning Tosh and Owen. Jack decides to freeze Gray rather than kill him. John decides to stay on Earth for a while to see why Jack loves it so much. While cleaning out Tosh and Owen's desks, a pre-recorded message from Tosh appears, thanking Jack for all he's done for her, and that she loves Owen (of course, he is not there to hear it), and all of them. Gwen breaks down, as if she can't go on, but Jack says they must.

I don't think I've ever been so heartbroken by a season finale (No, not even Deep Space Nine's Tears of the Prophets!). I went in totally spoiled, so I was prepared, but I still couldn't help crying. Overall, the episode was pretty good, if a bit slow in parts. It was great to have John Hart back, and I'm glad he wasn't really responsible for what happened. That means we'll be seeing James Marsters again for sure! The Cardiff explosions were scary. There was a disturbing lack of Ianto, though he kicked ass in his few scenes. I actually liked Gwen in this episode. She really took control like she knew what she was doing. I also liked having both Rhys and P.C. Andy in on the action. I really didn't think Gray was a good actor, but he looks and sounds enough like John Barrowman to pass. The whole "Jack buried alive for 1800+ years" was a little ridiculous- how could he go through that and not be totally batshit insane? If there is a third series with Jack, they're going to have to deal with it. It was fun to see 1901 Torchwood, though. Nice continuity with Owen as King of the Weevils. The Weevils bowing before him was a bit of needed humor! The whole final conversation between Owen and Tosh was beautifully done, with Owen railing against his fate and Tosh trying to calm him ("you're breaking my heart" was corny, but still made me cry). Fantastic work by Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori. Owen's resignation about his second death was heartbreaking. I completely lost it, though, when Jack found Tosh, and she died in his arms. I loved her final goodbye through the computer. The last shot of the three survivors holding on to each other in the Hub was a fitting end to the season.

I'm going to miss Owen and Tosh so much. I don't know if it will be worth watching next season. I really don't like the rumors of a toned-down Torchwood. What would be the point? I'm pretty sure Tosh is permanently dead, but we didn't really see Owen go, did we? Gorman made some jokes about Owen escaping into the sewers or something, and he repeatedly says he'll be back. But if not, hey, he's going to be working for a long time!

There were a lot of great quotes- this whole Owen/Tosh exchange was so good:

Owen: [can't get out of the room and is about to be vaporised] [hysterical] TOSH! TOSHIKO I CAN'T GET OUT! NOT LIKE THIS!! I'M NOT DYING HERE! Get me out of here Tosh. GET ME OUT OF HERE, I DIED ONCE AND I'M NOT DOING IT AGAIN! Where's Jack? Where's Gwen, Ianto? YOU WANNA WATCH THE DEAD MAN DIE AGAIN?!
Tosh: Owen, just stay calm.
Owen: Why should I do that? Where's the FUN IN THAT! I'm gonna rage my way to oblivion [Yells continuously]
Tosh: [almost whisper] Please stop
Owen: WHY? GIVE ME ONE GOOD BLOODY REASON WHY I SHOULD, ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T KEEP SCREAMING!
Tosh: [crying] Because you're breaking my heart.
Owen: [calms down] Sorry.

Rhys and Andy discuss the sudden disappearance of the Weevils:
"Where've they gone?" "Abergavenny?" Hee!

Sometimes a simple phrase will do- after Ianto and Tosh waste the "monks":
Ianto: "There we are then."
Tosh: "Sorted."

John to the chained up Jack: "Suddenly you're anti-bondage?" Bwaaah.

Jack: The end is where we start from.

A few of the screen caps:

Bang bang, without the Kiss kiss.



"Uh, Jack can't come to the phone right now...he is a bit tied up at the moment."



Cardiff go boom boom. :(



I know little brothers are supposed to be annoying, but burying big brother alive for 1800 years? That's a little much...



I think Owen knew Tosh was hurt. :(



Torchwood 1901 FTW.



Poor, poor Owen.



Poor, poor Tosh. Hasn't she suffered enough? :( At least Jack is with her...



This is where I really lost it- Jack putting away Owen's lab coat:



Oh, yeah. This made me cry, too.



But not as much as this...

"I hope I did good." Yes, honey. You sure did. :(



All that remains...



The end is where we start from...



Well, that's it for season two. I'll do a recap later, plus a recap of season one, now that I've watched the DVDs, including the Torchwood Declassified. I will say there was only one episode I didn't like at all- From Out of the Rain. And even that one had a couple of nice moments.

I was pretty much glued to the tube tonight. I wasn't home last week, so I missed Doctor Who. I watched Season Three's final three episodes, Utopia, The Sound of Drums, and Last of the Time Lords. Wow. That was a fun ride. I'm not ready to call myself a Whovian, but I really enjoyed all three episodes! I also liked the previous episode, Blink. I really need to check out the other two seasons (of new Who). In the U.S., Doctor Who has moved back to the Sci-Fi channel, so they'll probably repeat them. And the library has many videos of old school Who to check out. Just what I needed, a new fandom! Season Four starts here soon.

Law&Order:SVU- Undercover

Wow, that didn't suck. Benson and Fin go undercover at a women's prison to investigate the rape of an inmate's daughter. They find a lot of abuse and cover-ups. It was scary without being exploitative. Poor Benson was almost raped, but at least she got the creep. The guest stars were good. The daughter was heartbreaking with her lack of trust in the police (honestly, I don't blame her). The evil captain was a little bit over the top. Otherwise, a pretty good episode. Maybe I'll stick around for the rest of the season.

Looking forward to the return of House and Lost now...especially since Torchwood finishes this week.

NBC announced recently that next season is the last for ER- to which I say, "What took you guys so long"? It should have died years ago. I only watch it if I'm bored.

Torchwood: Fragments

Once again, a repost from live journal, with a few additions. As always, pics are from The Institute.

Torchwood searches an abandoned building for aliens. Instead, they find explosive devices, which bring the building down all around them. As they wait for rescue (from Gwen and Rhys), Jack, Tosh, Ianto, and Owen look back on how each joined Torchwood.

Jack's story was fun. He is captured by the Torchwood of 1899, who are curious to find out why he can't die, and if he has connections to The Doctor...the reason Queen Victoria set up Torchwood in the first place. The ladies in charge make Jack a free agent...he finds aliens for them. Jack's segment ends in 1999, when another member of Torchwood kills the rest of the team...and leaves Jack in charge.

Tosh's story was sad. She steals plans and builds a device for the bad guys who kidnapped her mother. UNIT barges in and throws her in prison...where Jack finds her and gives her a job in Torchwood, seeing her potential. That brought back the "I saw you" comment he made in Adam. Poor Tosh has suffered too much this series!

Next, Ianto stalks Jack, practically begging him for a job. He helps him subdue a Weevil, brings him coffee, and finally helps him capture the pterodactyl who later resides in the Hub. Jack gives him the job...but Ianto seems despondent. Of course, viewers know his motivation at the beginning was to help his Cyber-ized girlfriend, Lisa. I loved Ianto's segment. He was so desperate and Jack so firmly against him...and the attraction is clearly there from the beginning.

Finally, we get Owen's story...his fiancée, Katie, appears to be suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's...but in reality, there's an alien in her brain. Jack shows up when she dies, and later when Owen visits her grave. Jack shows Owen Torchwood, and tells him he will have an opportunity to save many lives.

At the end, everyone is rescued by Gwen and Rhys (who now knows that Jack can't die!). As they leave, Jack's wristband beeps...a hologram of John Hart appears, telling Jack that he's going to destroy everything he loves. He shows an image of Jack's brother, Gray, as his prisoner. To be continued...

I think this episode explained a lot about the characters, especially Tosh and Owen. Tosh was always a genius with tech, but now we can see the motivation behind it- her desire to prove herself and to repay Jack for her freedom. I know some will disagree with me, but I can understand why Owen was such a prat before. Grief makes people do crazy things, and can totally change their personalities. Losing Katie the way Owen did made him wary of relationships. The gentle, loving person he was before was buried under bitterness...but eventually, the old Owen would come back. There were definitely signs of that in his dealings with Diane last season, and the way he was warming to Tosh, agreeing to a date, etc. Jack's story didn't really reveal much about him, but it did show his awkward relationship with Torchwood. Ianto's story was interesting because he was clearly conflicted about his feelings from the start...relief that he had the job and the means to help Lisa...guilt because he knew Jack was attracted to him, and that he was feeling the same thing. The most fun of the episode- Jack and Ianto catching Myfanwy! Who knew that pterodactyls liked dark chocolate?

Screen caps:

"Snap."



BOOM!!!



Evil Torchwood Lesbians torture Jack!



Love the sideburns, Jack.



Poor Tosh. Can't she get a break? And that jumpsuit does nothing for her figure!



Coffee, tea, me?



Myfanwy!



"I've read the manual, Ianto...this is not how to catch a pterodactyl..."



Aw. Poor doomed fiancée. Poor Owen. I liked sweet, tender, loving Owen. Bring him back for Tosh!



Jack introduces Owen to the Hub.



Heeeeeee's back!



A couple of quotes:

Jack: And you are?
Ianto: Jones. Ianto Jones.
Jack: Nice to meet you, Jones,Ianto Jones.

Ianto: (on hunting the pterodactyl) I've got a secret weapon; chocolate, preferably dark.

This sums up my feelings right now...

The latest news I've been reading about Torchwood Series Three is not what I wanted to hear. Still waiting for confirmation, but apparently Martha will replace Owen (that was a given, and I can live with that), and show is going to be made "family friendly"- to which I say bullshit! If all this stuff is true, well guess what? Most of Torchwood's fan base is going to be saying good-bye, myself included. I've it before, I want to watch Torchwood, not Doctor Who 2! The whole reason I liked it was the more adult themes. It was of the Whoniverse but its own unique animal, and I just don't understand why anyone would want to change that. The ratings were great, the actors were well loved by fans (which is why I'm baffled as to why two were axed), it was more successful than Doctor Who in the U.S.! Oh, well. That just leaves me extra time next year to read. At least Who is still good. And Jack will be back. It just won't be the same...sometimes change is a good thing, other times, it can be disastrous.

A non- science fiction entry for a change!

I missed out on most of Masterpiece Classics recent Complete Jane Austen. I heard mostly bad things about Mansfield Park (Billie Piper as Fanny, are they kidding? Not even the gorgeous James D'Arcy could convince me to sit through that!), so I skipped that one. I missed Persuasion and Northhanger Abbey, and I'd already seen Emma (which I really didn't care for) and the now-classic Pride and Prejudice (really, there is no other Mr. Darcy than Colin Firth!), so I ended up only seeing Sense and Sensibility. I'm glad I caught that one, at least! It was a lovely adaptation, very true to the book, and well cast. It was adapted by Andrew Davies, who did the fantastic Bleak House three years ago (now one of my favorite miniseries ever). I tried not to compare too much with the Ang Lee directed version- but the girl playing Marianne was no Kate Winslet, and I liked Hugh Grant much more as Edward than Dan Stevens (one of those British actors I keep seeing but always forget his name...). For some reason, though, I actually liked David Morrissey (from Blackpool, another favorite series of mine) as Colonel Brandon a little more than Alan Rickman's. Perhaps because he was closer to the right age...Overall, the two-parter was very successful. The sets, costumes, pacing, and script were very well done. I may have to buy the DVD! I hope Persuasion and Northhanger Abbey are repeated.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/senseandsensibility/index.html



I mentioned Bleak House...I recently re-watched that one. I'll write about it later.

One quibble about the new format of Masterpiece (formerly Masterpiece Theater)- I'm not so sure about Gillian Anderson as host. She's a wonderful actress, but as a presenter she seemed very stiff. Of course, I did only see her intros for S&S. And I don't like the re-vamped theme!

Also, they seem to have remade A Room With A View. I'm not sure I can accept anyone other than Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy! I'll check it out when it airs, though. It's become one of my favorite books.

Torchwood: Adrift

Largely a repost from my live journal entry...with added pictures.

Oh, wow. That one made me cry.

Gwen really gets a wake up call to the darker side of Torchwood in this episode. A boy goes missing, and her former partner, P.C. Andy, tries to get her help, believing that Torchwood is somehow responsible. With Tosh's help, she figures out that the Rift is responsible for many disappearances over the last decade. Jack tries to put a stop to her inquiries, but Ianto gives her the location of a "hospital" where the few returnees are cared for. Gwen finds the boy, aged and horribly injured. She reunites the boy with his mum. He's so changed that the reunion utterly destroys the mother. Gwen gives up her searches for the missing, now that she knows the truth. She goes home and breaks down in Rhys's arms.

That was just so sad. Unbearable, even. I admit to not being a huge Gwen fan, but this was a good episode for her. She had to learn a hard lesson, that Torchwood can't always make things right when it comes to aliens. Other good points: The return of P.C. Andy! Always good to see him. Tosh and Gwen make a pretty good team, researching the missing people from the Rift. Rhys once again shows he's a good man- first by making Gwen see that it's not always about her (Damn right!) and later by being there when she completely breaks down. The casting was really good- Ruth Jones as the mother and Robert Pugh as the aged Jonah. That's the one consistent thing about Torchwood this season- the guest stars have been almost all perfect.

Oh, yeah, the one happy spot in the episode- Gwen walking in on Jack and Ianto, half naked and getting it on in the hothouse. Guh. Guh. Guh. Did I mention, GUH???



This will probably be the most re-watched scene in the history of the show...

Good quotes:

Jack: We could have used you an hour ago for Naked Hide-and-Seek.
Ianto: He cheats. He always cheats.

Gwen: [As Jack walks away] So is that it, then? We just sweep it under the carpet?

Owen: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. (holds up his permanently broken hand)

Gwen: Well, bollocks to serenity!

Owen: For a lovely girl you've got a very dirty mouth.

(like he should talk...:p)

Seriously, that was one of the better episodes the show has done. Definitely made up for From Out of the Rain.

A couple of extra pictures from The Institute:

Aw. I love Ianto's "hand caught in the biscuit tin" face. Also the fact that Jack didn't bother to do up his trousers even with Gwen present...naughty boys!



P.C. Andy appears!



Rhys comforts Gwen. I still think she doesn't deserve him! He sure puts up with a lot of stuff...




Redscharlach at live journal has come up with even more great icons- including one based on the hot house scene in Adrift. Also, the whale from Meat, and one from Adam. Her icons are just the best...



Well, I have already seen Exit Wounds, the finale. I'm a very sad fangirl today. But I'll wait to post my review (and of Fragments) until after it airs on BBC America. With all the rumors surrounding the third series, I'm not sure I'll be watching. I really don't want it to turn into a kiddie show.