Primeval: A reason or two to watch it

Lately on Saturday evenings on BBC America (in the 9:00 hour when TORCHWOOD used to show) I've been watching PRIMEVAL which is similar in the fact that there is a temporal portal nearby. The big difference is the rift in Primeval is actually many portals and they appear and disappear randomly, where as Torchwood there is just one time rift and it isn't the only plot devise. The ads for Primeval describe it as TORCHWOOD meets JURASSIC PARK and they are sort of right. Anyway it is a show I really enjoy and will have to get the DVD of it soon. The region 1 version of Series 1 & 2 comes out soon.

After I started seeing promos for Primeval I felt I had to watch it. One of the many reasons to watch is Hannah Spearritt.



Well worth the admission price I'd say.

Oh and in case you weren't convinced that chasing dinosaurs and fictional predatory creatures from the future was worth watching the show. Early on they showed us this;


Sorry guys Hannah doesn't run around half naked every week. They haven't shown her like that much any more and BBC America is now into Season (Series as they say in the UK) 2. In the UK they are gearing up for Series 3, which means it will be next fall when we see it in the states I suppose. Meanwhile over at TORCHWOOD they have started filimg series 3 which BBC will start in the spring of 09 and I would guess BBC America would start a few weeks to about a month later.

On The Move

I haven't posted lately because I have been doing a lot of packing for moving, and still have a ton of more packing to do. I'm posting this message to get my May posting quota in. I fell behind in my posting my reviews about the sci-fi television episodes of my fave shows I've seen. Torchwood finished up their season 2 a couple of weeks ago (I'm jonesin' for a new episode already), and Doctor Who Season 4 has begun being shown on the Sci-Fi Channel, and the other spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures has been shown on Sci-Fi. In fact this last friday I totally forgot about the shows and missed The SJA episodes, Sci-Fi only shows them once they don't rerun them, I did catch the Doctor Who episode for friday though, they rerun that at least. Comcast Cable doesn't put it on demand but the Sci-Fi Channel at least shows it several times. It was OK, a little better than I thought it would be, but I still don't like the Ood Aliens. They remind me of the Mind-Flayers monsters in Dungeons and Dragons.

TORCHWOOD Episode 2.11 "Adrift"

Eve Myles and John Barrowman

TORCHWOOD
Episode 2.11
"Adrift"

**WARNING - This Episode Review contains SPOILERS!**

This episode was a middle excitement level episode. This one concentrated on yet another mystery within the bowels of Torchwood. Gwen (Eve Myles) learns of the mysterious disappearance of a teenager she soon learns that it is just one of many unexplained disappearances. During her investigation, which she starts unofficially but with help from her former Police partner, she discovers that the disappearances are related to negative power spikes to the Cardiff Rift. Instead of aliens coming to Earth, people from Earth are going somewhere else. She asks Jack (John Barrowman) to launch an official Torchwood investigation into it, but he refuses on the grounds that it is too big a problem in scope for them to do anything about it without exposing publicly all of what Torchwood is. She also learns a Torchwood secret, some of the victims have returned and Torchwood is keeping them in a secret location for many obvious reasons.

As usual I enjoyed this episode, even though as I said it was a middle of the road episode. There was a homo erotic Eww moment between Jack and Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd) when Gwen catches them naked together. Moving on. The way this plot was there was no real conclusion, just knew knowledge of a problem that can't be fixed but needs to be dealt with in some way.

Viewed on 07April2008 at 20:00 on BBC America (On Demand)
Promo Picture by BCC - ***

TORCHWOOD Episode 2.10 "From Out Of The Rain"

Pearl (Camilla Power) and The Ghostmaker ( Julian Bleach)

TORCHWOOD

Episode 2.10
"From Out Of The Rain"

This episode started sort of slow, but was quite enjoyable. It wasn't as action packed as last weeks episode but it still held it's own. There was one bit that made me scratch my head thinking they will explain it later on in the episode but they didn't really, I guess I'll have to watch it again to try and find the answer I am seeking. Since I've procrastinated on this review, I peaked at a couple of other reviews of this episode, and found that others seem to be disappointed by this episode. Some call it the worst written episode of the entire series. They seem to do what many do with films and DVDs they take it too seriously. I'm not saying to turn your brain off, all I am saying is don't over-analyze it. I mean come on the whole concept of the series takes a major suspension of disbelief to begin with. The Torchwood team's headquarters is in an abandoned subway excuse me tube station that sits above a major rift in the "time/Space" continuum, and their leader is from some unknown future and is apparently immortal.

Without giving too much away this episode dealt with some beings of unknown origins, maybe alien, that literally take your breath away. They steal the last breath of their victims and keep them contained in a metal flask. Known as the "Night Travelers" from legends, these creatures came from out of an old film of a traveling side-show. A part of Capt. Jack's (John Barrowman) past was partly reviled, but not fully explained. Even thought the Night Travelers threat was stopped, the door was left wide open for them to return someday.

I found it interesting that Gwen (Eve Myles) was in this episode as she is supposed to be on her honeymoon. I guess the Gwen/Rhys homeymoon episodes come later in the series? OK so the series continity is slightly off, since Gwen appears prominently in next weeks episode.

Viewed on 29Mar2008 at 21:00 BBC America ***.5
Image by BBC via The Institute website http://torchwood.time-and-space.co.uk/v1/index.php

TORCHWOOD Episode 2.9 "Something Borrowed"

Eve Myles and John Barrowman

TORCHWOOD
Episode 2.9
"Something Borrowed"

WARNING! This review contains SPOILERS!

Wow! What an exciting episode. When I saw the "next Week" teaser previews for this episode I thought [sarcasm] OH! Great a vampire/shape-shifter episode that will really suck[/sarcasm] (pardon the pun), but I was pleasantly surprised (No Vampires). Even with the heavy concentration on the reoccurring plot element of Gwen and Rhys' relationship, which I'm not too thrilled about. Strange since Gwen is a hottie she would obviously have a relationship with someone, or not. At times their relationship bores me. It must be that I don't like the Rhys character, he's too normal.

The story concentrates on the wedding day of the happy couple of Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Rhys Williams (Kai Owen). The day is anything but ordinary as they find out that Gwen is now pregnant with an alien egg, having been bitten by a shape-shifting alien on the night just before their wedding. This alien species hunts in pairs and mates for life. After fertilization the female passes the egg to the male who then bites a humanoid surrogate mother/victim transfers the egg to the victim and then the female hunts down the victim and when the egg is ready to hatch tears the host apart to free the egg. What fun. The Male is killed by Jack (John Barrowman) just after Gwen has been bitten. During the autopsy of the male the team discovers what type of alien they are dealing with and realize that the female "mom" would start tracking down Gwen. Gwen insists that no matter what, alien pregnancy or not she is going to marry Rhys and become Mrs. Williams, no more postponements, the job won't interfere with her wedding day. She made up her mind don't mess with her shape-shifting scumbags of the universe.

The X-Files like story keeps flowing and is fast paced action and drama. This is one of those episodes that I wouldn't have minded if they made it a two-parter, but would be slightly annoyed at having to wait the the conclusion. Good thing it was contained in one action packed episode. In the end the crisis is aborted, as is the alien pregnancy, and the love birds get on with their I Do's.

This episode as I said concentrated on the action and the X-Files-ness of the series. The homo-erotic tones were quiet with the exception of one moment, which actually gave me a good laugh.

Viewed on 22Mar2008 at 21:00 BBC America ****

TORCHWOOD Episode 2.8 "A Day In The Death"

Burn Gorman as Dr. Owen Harper

TORCHWOOD
Episode 2.8
"A Day In The Death"

---SPOILERS------SPOILERS------SPOILERS------------SPOILERS-----------
This review contains plot spoilers for this episode and somewhat the two previous episodes.

This episode was rather enjoyable, although seeing the two previous episodes help keep you up with what has been going on. I suppose this is why some fans are thinking Torchwood is turning into a soap opera. Anyway if you don't like spoilers, there is no avoiding some of them with this episode. If you haven't seen the two previous episodes, then you may want to skip this mini-review.

OK so to bring you up to speed, Owen was shot two episodes ago and died. He was brought back last episode by Jack using a second resurrection glove, similar to the one used in the pilot episode. As Ianto plainly said "They often come in pairs". I am not a big fan of the style of story telling in this episode, you come in with a character (Owen in this case) telling another character (a young lady who is about to jump off a rooftop for the aniversary of her husband's death, who died in a car accident on their wedding day) recent events that have led them to this particular moment in time. In small ways this episode was similar to the Bill Murray movie Ground Hog Day. Since Owen is dead, he can do somethings he normally wouldn't since the fear of death originally would keep him from doing them. The rest of the Torchwood team adjusts their roles slightly and since Martha Jones is around she takes his duties as the team's doctor/medical staff, at least until the end of this episode, when she goes back to U.N.I.T. In the long run I think the whole kill a main character, bring them back and keep them undead can get very tiring. They are kind of stuck now, unless they find a way to bring Owen back to life, for good, or kill him off for good. I don't think Burn Gorman (the actor who plays Owen Harper) would like the latter. So that will leave the series more or less with two characters that can't be killed, one (Jack) will just get resurrected, and the other (Owen) will just keep coming at you since he's already dead. I fear that after a while the producers and writers will conveniently forget about Owen being Undead, I hope I am wrong about that though.

Torchwood Episode 2.7 "Dead Man Walking"

Episode 2.7
"Dead Man Walking"

OK this latest episode of Torchwood was a slightly above middlin episode. It continues from where the last episode left off so you need to have seen that one, or at least the end of the last one to be a little up to speed as to the condition of one of the team members (Heck I don't want to give too many spoilers here) Overall I found it to be an exciting episode, but there was one bit near the end concerning Martha Jones that didn't explain itself well. All in all season two has been much improved over season one in my opinion. The characters are better developed, well D'uh that will happen given time, and a good cast with good writing. The stories are getting more interesting for the most part. I am glad that they are not overusing the weevils (the weird looking aliens that live underground and feed on human flesh.)

Oh and in this episode the team dealt with the manifestation of death, The Grim Reaper if you will, it was a CGI character but it was pretty cool looking. It was mostly a cloud of black smoke that walked around. The smoke (which was shaped sort of like the classical robes of the Grim Reaper) would swirl around a bit and in and underneath the swirling smoke was a skeletal figure. Pretty cool effects.

Torchwood Episode 2.6 "Reset"

TORCHWOOD
Episode 2.6
"RESET"

Cast of Torchwood Pictured:
Naoki Mori, Gareth David-Lloyd, John Barrowman, Freema Agyeman, Eve Myles, Burn Groman

Wow, what an episode. Doctor Who fans will love the appearance of Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) who appears in 3 episodes (this one plus the next two), and then makes a brief return appearance in Doctor Who season 4. Anywho, this episode had a little CSI flavor to it as in one scene, actually a montage type of scene, Martha helps Owen (Burn Groman) in the med-lab figure out what is behind some recent unexplained deaths. Of course an alien, or rather an alien species is involved, and a bio-medical hi-tech research company headed by a shady character with a low set of ethical morales. Last week's episode "Adam" was in my opinion a weak one interesting but weak, where this episode was extremely intense and exciting making it very strong. Maybe it's just my lusting for Freema and Eve Myles. Then again maybe the sophomore season of this series is getting in high-gear and kicking-arse! The teaser for the next episode looks good too, but then again the previews for the "Adam" Episode made that one look more exciting than it actually was, I will just have to wait until next week to see if episode 7 is as good as it's teaser looked.

Torchwood 2.1

I am psyched! Next week (Saturday 26 January 2008) Torchwood Season 2 begins on BBC-America cable channel. Also the DVD of season 1 gets released this coming Tuesday (22 January, 2008). I have to find a real good deal on the DVD I hate having to pay more than $50 on a single DVD title, even if it is an entire season of a television series. The MSRP for the Torchwood DVD is aprox. $80. Price is the main reason I haven't gotten Series 2 and Series 3 of Doctor Who yet.

Torchwood Entry 2.0

TORCHWOOD 2.0

It has been a while since I mentioned Torchwood the BBC series made by the producers of the New version of Doctor Who. Anyway the BBC America cable station has been showing it here in the States on Saturday Nights. I got hooked on it. They have taken a break from it since they went through Season 1, Season 2 starts in the UK in early January and about a week or two later on BBC America. Pretty Cool stuff. It is hard to describe the show to the uninitiated, without also mentioning that the leader of the team was introduced in season 1 of Doctor Who 2.0. The show is sort of an X-files type show but with the feel of a CSI/NCIS type show. I'm not too keen on some of the blatant homosexual tendancies of the lead character Capt. Jack Harkness, which are more obvious in this show than they ever were on Doctor Who. But what can you do?

The DVD of season 1 is supposed to come out in late January around the time BBC America Starts showing Season 2. That is about how they have been doing things lately here in the states with Doctor Who. The season gets shown on Sci-Fi Channel or BBC America and then almost as soon as they have finished showing it, or most of the time a month or two later, the DVD gets released of that season. The downside is the new DVDs cost between $70-$100 USD with Doctor Who being closer to the higher price until it's been out for a few months then some places drop the price down closer to the lower price. Needless to say right now I only have season one of Doctor Who on DVD, but I have seasons 2-3 recorded on VHS and Torchwood season 1 recorded on VHS both off air and with comercials blah.

Torchwood!

Hey guess what? I saw a teaser (Very teasing teaser, just the show title type teaser) for the Doctor Who Spin-off series Torchwood on the BBC America Cable station. the show is coming in September. D'oh! I don't remember the exact date it's supposed to start. Well I'm sure I'll see more promos for it and start to get sooooooooooooooo tired of the promos that the start date will be drilled into my head by the end of August.