Miracles really do come true as Torchwood finally returns with the brand new series of Torchwood: Miracle Day now on Blu-Ray and DVD. This newest incarnation of the Torchwood series is brought to us thanks to a new partnership between BBC and Starz, which has allowed the series to expand in both scope and budget.
Torchwood as a show has strugged to find an identity of its own during its entire run. Originally conceived as a spinoff of Doctor Who, the show focused on how Earth was now aware of all the extraterrestrial threats that exist out there, and how it managed to finally fight back. It also tried to be a more “adult” version of the normally family friendly identity that Doctor Who established for itself, but most times it managed to treat these adult themes in very juvenile ways. As the show progressed, it managed to learn a better way on how to present these situations and going into Season Three, Torchwood managed to finally achieve its goal of being a dark earth based sci-fi series with adult themes. With Torchwood: Miracle Day, the series returns for a Fourth Season, continuing with the same serialized story that made the previous installment so compelling… but manages to take a few steps backwards as well.
Several years have passed since the ending of Children of Earth. Torchwood has been completely disbanded with Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Rhys living happily away from all the hussle and bussle of city life long with their new child when it seems that they are finally out of the madness and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman once again stepping back into his iconic role that has earned him legions of fans) hasn’t been seen on Earth since the “456” incident. Nothing is ever quiet for too long with this show as things start off with a bang. Enter: Oswald Danes, a convicted child rapist and killer who is being sent to the chair for his crimes against humanity as the season opens. Instead of going to his death, Oswald (played by the amazing Bill Pullman, known for many roles including that of the President in Independence Day) lives starting the phenomena known as the “Miracle Day”. No one on the planet is suddenly able to die no matter how bad their injuries are. They still feel pain of course, but they continue on living. Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) is an FBI agent who is quickly put on the case and with the help of fellow agent Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins) are able to uncover a single word: “TORCHWOOD”. Their search leads them into uncovering both Gwen and Jack, who both are forced to come out of hiding when they hear about the transpiring events to get to the bottom of it all. Over the course of the 10 episode series, Oswald Danes quickly becomes a celebrity and gets embroiled in a conspiracy that spans decades which the newly reformed Torchwood team now might fight against and find how Jack plays into it all.
In a huge change for the series, most of the season takes place in the US due to now being co-funded by both Starz and BBC. This has allowed the season to not only expand to a worldwide level, but also brings the action and effects to a level not normally seen in TV shows bringing a movie feel to the small screen. Sadly it seems that in upping its budget and episode count, the show has lost some of its focus on its stories. More than a few episodes feel like they are just there to kill time till the next big thing happens. The show also goes back and forth from trying to be completely separate from its original parent show Doctor Who in one episode, and completely name dropping a ton of events from it in the next. The lack of focus also extends over to all its characters as well. As much as Rex and Esther are given screentime, they never feel like actual members of the team. The only new character we are introduced to over the course of the entire series that is given any depth whatsoever is Oswald Danes which is in no small thanks to the commanding presence that vetran actor Bill Pullman brings to the role. The main focus of the series still stays squarely on Jack and Gwen for better or worse.
Episode Highlights:
“The New World”: Taking place after the incredible Children of Earth story, Torchwood’s existence has been wiped away without a trace. Gwen Cooper and her family have gone into hiding with the hopes of living a normal life. Captain Jack Harkness was last seen leaving the planet and heading out into space looking for a new direction and purpose after the incident with the 456. While these two remaining members of Torchwood are intent on staying off the radar, it seems that fate has other plans for our heroes. When every computer at the C.I.A. shows the name “Torchwood”, Agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) becomes interested in the now defunct British Agency. While investigating the past, Rex becomes injured and impaled in a devastating car accident. While this type of incident would normally kill a person, Rex is still alive and recovering. This revelation leads to the discovery that hospitals are reporting that no one has died in over 24 hours. Is there a connection to Torchwood and Miracle Day? Now that the laws of nature have changed, how will the world react?
“The Categories of Life”: PhiCorp, the company that has connections to the Miracle Day event manage to convince the governments of the world into adopting a plan for how to deal with those who are suppose to be dead but are still alive and kicking. People are now being labeled Category 1, 2 or 3 with Category 1 meaning you should be brain dead, 2 meaning you just are injured but not fatally and 3 meaning good health. PhiCorp has the world set up Overflow camps for those in the first two categories to be taken to that are structured much like concentration camps. Rex and Vera go to investigate and find out they are cremating those who are classified as Category 1. Vera being a doctor tries to take a stand against this ends up getting herself into a situation and Rex is forced to save her… but will he make it in time?
“Immortal Sins”: In this episode we find out how Jack is connected to the whole Miracle Day event as we are treated to a flashback of Jack’s life back in 1927 when he meets Angelo Colasanto, an illegal Italian immigrant who finds out about Jack’s curse of not being able to die. Angelo turns on Jack and sells him out as a freakshow. In the present, Gwen kidnaps Jack after having her entire family held hostage and brings him to a mansion where a lady who apparently knows all about Jack and his problem awaits to greet them…. what connection does she have to the events almost a century ago?
Blu-Ray Extras:
– Audio Commentaries
– Character Profiles
– Special Effects Feature
– Behind the Scenes Special
– Deleted Scenes
– iTunes Intros
– “Web of Lies” Motion Comic
The special features on this set compared to most of the other Doctor Who and Torchwood sets are lacking in comparison. The Special Effects feature could have been so much more in depth and much like everything else in this season set, feels like another missed opportunity. The Web of Lies motion comic that acts as a prequel to the main story in the show feels cheap, and was obviously thrown together storywise as its connections to the plot of Miracle Day are highly convoluted and absurd. Its a letdown knowing the BBC are normally much better when it comes to making high quality DVD and Blu-Ray sets.
Overall:
Torchwood: Miracle Day presents itself with a lot of great opportunities and a high profile cast, yet manages to squander it all with lackluster ideas and cookie cutter concepts that never end up going anywhere after being introduced. Russel T. Davies clearly wanted this to be an intellectual sci-fi series but didn’t seem to have the writing staff or know how to pull it off properly. The production quality on the season is excellent thanks to the increased budget coming in from two different places and the music is top notch as always (Murray Gold can do no wrong when it comes to composing a perfect score to accompany the onscreen action.). Its such a shame how the series doesn’t really end… it kinda patters off with no real resolution or answers. Just vague suggestions to what could be coming up in later seasons (although it seems that Torchwood is done for good as neither Starz nor BBC have plans to pick the series back up for a fifth season… but maybe that’s a good thing in this case). Unrealized potential is the name of the game for much of Miracle Day’s 10 episode run, thankfully the cast (especially Barrowman and Myles) manage to make it at the very least enjoyable. It’s not the best Torchwood has ever done, but then again its not a alien that makes you have an orgasm which makes you explode after sleeping with her (Here’s looking at you Torchwood Season 1!). If you can get over the lapses in logic and don’t mind watching Captain Jack Harkness being awesome for a bit, then you will get some enjoyment out of this set!
ComicsOnline.com gives Torchwood: Miracle Day Blu-Ray 3 “She should have run faster”s out of 5.
Want to win a copy of Torchwood: Miracle Day on Blu-ray? Email “TORCHWOOD” to [email protected] to qualify. Participants must live in the US. Contest ends May 5th, 2012.
Special thanks to our friends at BBC America for supplying the contest giveaways!
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