This show is: Not Rated
Ok, since this is about season two I can’t promise that there won’t be spoilers for season one within this blog (just want to give fair warning). Also, it’s probably worth while to read my season one blog first since I’m going to focus on just season two without going into the shows background info again.
I must admit that my love for Ianto Jones (Gareth David Lloyd) has gotten even stronger with this season. It’s like they finally decided where to go with his character. He is better integrated into the team this time around, including being out in the field more. Also, we get to enjoy a lot more of his sense of humor. Gareth has such wonderful comic timing and really excels at Ianto’s dry/witty comments. So even though there still isn’t enough Ianto for my tastes, they are starting to make better use of the character.
It was a lot of fun to see James Marsters as a guest star in three of the episodes. He plays Captain John Hart, a rather “Spike” like character (without the being a vampire part) including having a British accent. Of course you can expect him to cause trouble and rile the Torchwood team up a bit. James did a great job with the role.
It’s hard to pick favorite episodes this season, so instead I will go with favorite scenes (without being too spoilery):
From “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”
The Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Captain John Hart meet up in the bar scene is just wonderful. They play off each other so well. There is great banter, some hot kissing and some great fighting. Bonus points for using Blur’s “Song 2″ during the fight sequence, they couldn’t have picked a better song.
I love Jack and Ianto in the office scene. This is the first time they have been alone together since Jack’s return. He is trying to figure out whether Ianto has forgiven him for leaving and is also attempting to ask him out on a date. It is a lovely scene with an uncharacteristically nervous Jack and a very uncomfortable Ianto. Gareth and John are absolutely wonderful.
From “To the Last Man”
The Ianto and Jack kissing scene is totally squee worthy. Very romantic and very hot.
From “Meat”
I liked seeing Ianto and Owen teamed up together out in the field. It’s nice to have them less antagonistic towards each other. They actually worked well together.
This is the first episode where we really see what a great field agent Ianto can be. I have to agree with Jack’s statement on the Captain’s Blog (on the BBC site) “Ianto turned into a fighting, kicking, stun-gun machine, it was very exciting. I must get put in danger more often.” Yes, it was very exciting and I can only say … more “Action Ianto” please!
So this isn’t a favorite, it’s more of a rant. Sometimes I just want to smack Gwen upside the head. I hate it when she thinks the stuff in her life is more important than anything or anybody else. Especially when she endangers others on the team because of it.
Oh, there is a funny deleted scene for this episode. It involves Ianto pretending to be “Dirty Harry” and being caught by Jack. Then it becomes even more interesting.
From “From Out of the Rain”
Ianto was so cute when he was all excited about visiting “The Electro” theater, that his dad used to take him to when he was little. Of course, this being Torchwood, things don’t go exactly as planned. He and Jack made a great investigative team in this episode.
From “Adrift”
It goes without saying that my favorite scene in this one involves the greenhouse. Gwen walking in on Ianto and Jack in a very intimate moment and let’s just say that they are lacking some clothing.
From “Fragments”
It was great to learn how all the team members ended up at Torchwood Three (excluding Gwen, since we already knew that). Ianto’s story was terrific. Basically, it involved a bit of stalking, a weevil, some coffee, tenacity, a pterodactyl, and ended with him lying on top of Jack. After seeing this episode, you can’t tell me that the two of them weren’t shagging from day one. Chris Chibnall, the writer of this episode, said he wanted to write a romantic comedy between Jack and Ianto. I think he succeeded.
Some of my favorite quotes:
Gwen – “Excuse me. Have you seen a blowfish driving a sports car?”
Ianto – “Are you going back to him?”
Jack – “I came back for you.”
Ianto – “Oh, right. Their heads must explode all the time.”
Ianto – “They know more about this place than I do. Nobody knows more than I do!”
Ianto – “Mobiles, landlines, tin cans with bits of string. Everything. Absolutely everything. No phones. Phones all broken. Hello? Anyone there? No, because the phones aren’t working.”
Owen – “Let’s all have sex.”
Ianto – “And I thought the end of the world couldn’t get any worse.”
Rhys – “You lot can hide in the back of the van.”
Gwen – “What is this Scooby Doo?”
Tosh – “Clever, huh?”
Ianto – “Oh, you are warped on the inside. How do you think of these things?”
Ianto – “I was brought up never to speak ill of the dead. Even if they still do most of the talking for themselves.”
Jack – “Yeah, and the Lone Ranger didn’t have a thing for Tonto.”
Ianto – “That’s what I love about Torchwood. By day, you’re chasing the scum of the universe. Come midnight, you’re the wedding fairy.”
Jack – “Ianto with me. I need your local knowledge.”
Gwen – “Oh, is that what you’re calling it these days?”
Jack – “We could have used you an hour ago for naked hide-and-seek.”
Ianto – “He cheats. He always cheats.”
Ianto – “So you’re not going to help me catch this pterodactyl then?”
Ianto – “Put Jack on right now!”
John – “Eye-candy! That was so masterful, so bossy, so basically powerless.”
Overall, I though this was a great season. I can’t wait for season three. BBC America has announced it will air in July. It’s going to be shorter than the previous seasons with only five episodes. However, they are all supposed to be shown over the course of one week and it will be one big story arc. I’m trying to remain as unspoiled as possible, but from what I have heard it sounds like it will be very action packed and exciting.
Side note: Both John and Gareth made “The 2009 AfterElton Hot 100″ list on AfterElton.com. John was #2 and Gareth #14. Yeah for the guys!
Jan
Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.
I have to say that while I agree that Rhys shouldn’t be retconned, I hate that Gwen got her way by throwing a tantrum. She can be so annoying.
When Owen was shot and killed I was so stunned. It’s interesting to note that Ianto was the one originally slated to die but Russell T. Davies thought that was the wrong way to go. He felt it made more sense story wise to kill off Owen instead. The fact that he saved Ianto made me love Russell even more.
Absolutely shocking to have two main characters die in the season finale. Owen’s death was a little easier to deal with since he was already undead. I didn’t see how they could carry on with him like that for too much longer. On the other hand Tosh’s was so traumatic. It was such a brutal ending with her struggling to hang on as long as possible while trying to save Owen. All the while not wanting him to know that she was dying. Her message that popped up at the end when Ianto was logging her out of the system was just heartbreaking.
