How to Improve Torchwood

[StevenSavile]

Oh that is SO bad I almost want to nick it... live and let Dai... hah! brilliant.

 

[Threshold]

L: It’s black ops, Stupid!
Why putting the name of your secret organization on the side of your SUV is possibly detrimental to your low profile operation.

I missed this perl, but I agree on all. The show has(had) a great potential in my eyes when I saw the links from the Doctor.
Too bad, actually not such a bad idea, but turned into a wannabe-horror-kiddie-ride...
And then I really don't get it why they cancel the really good stuff like SG-1...

 

[Mary Hoffman]

I know that everything said here is true but I can't help loving it.

And here's a thought - maybe realism like keeping a low profile isn't quite necessary in a show with this one's basic premise?

Mary

 

[Lenny]

Mary, welcome to the Dark Side. *evil grin*

We really need some evil grin emoticons. They'd really come in useful in a wide variety of situatuons.

A quick thought on keeping a low profile - does it matter? No, seriously... TW is a group of, well, alien-crime fighters. But only to those in the know. Otherwise they're just seen as a bunch of weirdos. In all honesty, they don't actually need to keep a low profile.

Also, going back to mistera's point about "keeping one's existence secret" - did TW1 in London not advertise themselves somewhat? Sure, they said nothing about the fact they dabbled in everything alien, but they didn't exactly stop the public from knowing who they were.

 

[Captain B]

The question is how to improve Trorchwood.

Demote Jack – he is better as that maverick (as said already)
Have a new Boss –Why not the retired Brigadier ? Promoted Captain Yates Or even Benson, These people can be in the office in charge, with Jack doing all the running & action, but have the friction/tension of that Maverick Jack

Why not have Martha replace (was it Owen?) As the medical person

 

[Interference]

And that, Mr Davis is how it's done.

I agree with practically everything you say, Captain B, and kick myself that I didn't think of Captain Yates or Sgt Benson myself. And if I'm kicking myself, I hope RTD is really giving himself a good doing over, as well he should.

 

[Captain B]

The problem is it’s not what us mere mortals think
It’s those people form the BBC
But I’m a bit worried that they are to have Catherine Tate as the new Doctors assistant, next we will have Bonny Langford turning up (Bless her cotton socks)

 

[Interference]

Sorry to come back to this after all this time, but I just realised the definitive answer:

Call it PRIMEVAL and let ITV do it.

 

[High Eight]

Well the series has just launched in Australia and I watched the first episode but have missed out on the last couple of weeks and I was wondering what others thought. I kind of hoped Harkness would grow depth as a character as the series went on.

He does (a little) in series two, but then John Barrowman is called upon to act. Oh dear. Oh dearie, dearie me. And lawks.

 

[Marauder77]

Sorry to resurrect an ancient thread, but there was to much to comment on.

It seems a lot of the criticism stems from Torchwood not acting like a proper, professional black-ops team.

Well, maybe because they are not...

The Torchwood we know of is sort of Jack Harkness personal little project. After the destruction of the other Torchwood-branches, and his old commanders murder spree / suicide on the night of the new millenium, Jack has been left to run the Cardiff branch more or less like he pleases. He recruited the team, and for all we know answers to no-one. He obviously didn't like the way the Torchwood he was recruited into back in the day worked, summary executing all aliens they captured. So he reshaped the outfit to his own pleasing.

Why keep it low key? Using the reputation of Torchwood as a "free-pass" against the local police and authorities solves a lot of problems. And these authorities just see them as some secret special task force with nearly unlimited access and unclear mandate. As mentioned in the Dr. Who episode "Boom-Town", the government in London could care less of the going on's in Wales. As long as Torchwood doesn't make a lot of "noise", they can continue to do what they like.

And if you see the Torchwood more like Harkness' personal tool to protect the earth against whatever comes through the rift, rather than part of the government proper, a lot of the plot-holes mentioned in this thread disappear.

He's like someone who inherited his grand-uncles business, and decided to keep the brandname, and what parts of the operation he liked, and reshape the rest after his own whim. Knowing he's immortal doesn't make training a successor a high priority; and having operatives he likes, and he feels can do the job, even if they don't act rationally or by the books, is paramount.

It's like accusing Doctor Who of picking "unprofessional" companions...

 

[Pyan]

That's possibly the best rationale I've heard yet for the whole Torchwood Three set-up, Marauder - as you say, so much slots into place if it's right.

 

[Dave]

That's possibly the best rationale I've heard yet for the whole Torchwood Three set-up, Marauder - as you say, so much slots into place if it's right.

I would agree, the only question would be who pays for it all?

Look at the facts - well paid employees who can afford modern flats in the centre of Cardiff, heating and lighting for a vast complex under Cardiff Bay, with state of the art medical, scientific and electronics equipment, and taps into every other known networks, the food and upkeep of vast numbers of caged Weevils, and the island hospice for human victims of Rift activity. None of that would come cheap. Not to mention the Pterodactyl food bill.

One could more easily understand Government funding, but your scenario of 'Jack's Pet Project' would mean it would need to rely on Jack's personal fortune, or else on some other mysterious benefactor or organisation for funds.

That is entirely possible - Jack must have been able to invest in the stock market or property, and bet on sporting events, with the full knowledge of the future - they could de-construct and re-engineer alien technology, or alien science and medicine, and sell it to Earth companies - they could harness power from the rift and supply it to the national electricity grid.

So, I think it is possible for them to be self-funded. I would just like to know who ultimately pulls the strings.

 

[Marauder77]

For all we know, Queen Victoria established some form of trust, where the revenue would go to founding the institute through secret accounts beyond normal government channels. If Torchwood-3 now is the only remaining branch, they would get all the proceeds for themselves. Or they are funded through the normal national budget, for instance as part of the defense budget, by old habit more or less, over some budget post with a cryptic name no one checks where really is going. (I'd say the basic operating cost would probably be less than a platoon of soldiers or two, hardly a very large sum. Even with the island facility, the whole operation would cost less than running a normal military base.)

And the notion that Jack would use his knowledge of future events to "scam" the stock marked or national lottery for funds is not that far fetched, he is a con man after all...

All in all, I don't really see funding as being hard to explain.

 

[sdoidge]

two words..."Dalek holocaust"

 

[Marlon]

Well, I like Jack when he interacts with the Doctor. He seems to be seeking the Doctor's attention, and is an active player in the universal affairs of the Doctor and ably so. Jack with the Doctor poses a bit of a puzzle. In TW what is his playing field? Detective work with a bunch of 20-something friends. I'm not really certain how you fix that. But I think if they could get back that puzzle, it might increase my appreciation of the series. He just seems shallow and self centered without it.

I am a season behind on both series so maybe I'm a little behind in any attempt to analyze too.

 

[Momoka]

I think a very obvious and overlooked way to improve Torchwood would be change the writers.

I nominate Peter J. Hammond - did anyone else think the season 1 ep "Small Worlds" and last season's "From Out of the Rain" were a cut above the rest of the usual writing? I could spot which he had written a mile off, they left me with chills rather than derision.

It was also interesting that these episodes each gave us a glimpse into Jack's past; his days in the army when he encountered the fairies first, and his soujourn into circus performance. Yes, not much of an insight into the man, but still nice that they fleshed out some of his history, all the same.

Plus, it is possible to write 'gay' references into an episode without being too overt or childish.

It was like watching new episodes of 'Sapphire and Steel' with people and creatures in situations 'out of their own time'. That's not to say it didn't have it flaws or was original - in "Small Worlds" in the closing scene when Jack looked at the original fairy photo roand saw the little girl in it as one of the fey folk I had to roll my eyes - but they stand out as a better calibre of plot overall.

Now if he could just team up with Steven Moffat...

Or. failing this, replace the cast with people who can act... They're half way there, with this season's ending... *crosses fingers*

 

[Ehkzu]

Agree with a lot of what Momoka said. I'm fine with Cap'n Jack being homosexual but I don't want to watch any more guy on guy tongue wrestling.

But yes they need to do what Buffy did: make Jack's team into real Scoobies. So far they lack unit cohesion, if I might lapse into milspeak for a moment. I want to care about them more than I do.

Joss Whedon discovered people were less interested in the monster du jour than in the ongoing ensemble and their interactions/evolution.

And it needs to develop some good plot arcs, be less episodic. This is a constant argument among TV people, but you can and should provide both.

Can't tell how good the actors are until they're given more interesting words to say.

More humor. I don't mean comedy, but again as from Buffy, even the most serious episodes had a little leavening. Even Hamlet has the gravedigger scene.

 

[Nyomimi]

i've not seen it, but i have seen the captin jack character in doc who and for me it's the character that's the problem. he's a good looking guy (yum) but he's such an ass! i couldn't stand to watch a series about someone so fuill of themselves, chatting everuone up, showing off, just being so conceited and assish!

But the whole premise of Cpt. Jack is that he is full of himself. LOL Take that away and he's just not the Captain -- though, admittedly he's not the "captain" anyway -- but in TW you do get to see his softer side.

 

[Who?]

Less of men kissing men, more scantily clad women.

I'll get my coat.