Torchwood: Miracle Day has received a bit of criticism in online circles this summer. There are some that are balking at the Americanization of the cast (and the setting). Many fans still haven’t been able to accept that Ianto is actually dead, and not coming back. The last category, which I fit into, claims that Miracle Day will never live up to the promise that Torchwood displayed in the brilliance that was Children of Earth.
This being the ninth episode, the story should be coming to a close. And while we did get some “answers,” I still don’t have a feel for what this particular story is about, and where it is going. I didn’t see “The Blessing” being a big hole in the world with some yet undetermined mystical powers. Considering the amount of the new crew that worked on Angel (Jane Espenson, Kelly Manners, Skip Schoolnik), I couldn’t help but say to myself, “There’s a hole in the world. Feels like we ought to have known.” I’m now dreading the idea that the Blessing will just turn out to be a MacGuffin that answers the “how” of the Miracle but has no connection to the “who” or “why.”
For some reason, I’ve also just about completely lost interest in one Jilly Kitzinger. As her involvement with the Families deepens, it has a by-product of lessening the impact of everything she has done up to this point. Early on, I’d always hoped that she was tapped in to the Big Bad the whole time, and didn’t really recognize the repercussions when the Blue Eyed Man showed up for the first time.
I didn’t know what to think of the time jump first off, but now that I’ve taken the time to think about it, it certainly allowed for the situation to evolve. If we hadn’t experienced the jump, we wouldn’t have seen the hazardous monotony that had developed for Gwen’s family, and the bureaucrat so wrapped in red tape. Life on this planet has changed irrevocably, for everyone.
One of my favorite parts of the backend of the season has been the addition of John de Lancie as Allen Shapiro. I immediately wanted to lump him into the whole “bad guy” category … just because he’s … well, he’s Q for Pete’s sake. But instead, we got a blonde Nina Meyers clone in the CIA to take care of the whole mole storyline. De Lancie actually has the opportunity to be a lot more fun wearing the white hat for a change. And, if he can get in a“Torchwood Clowns” reference, isn’t the world a better place?
One really good thing to come out of Miracle Day is the addition of Alexa Havins as Esther Drummond. Her relationship with Jack, though only a secondary plot line, has been one of the best parts of the season. Plus, she was absolutely charming when I spoke with her at Comic-Con. I really hope, when Torchwood get’s another season on Starz, that she’s a big part of it.
Does anyone know anything about this whole “Harry Bosco” thing? Was it a real piece of history, or something invented for the show? I did a little searching, and couldn’t find anything.
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Sep 05, 2011 @ 23:51 EST5EDT
The only thing I could find about a “Harry Bosco” was here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TranslationWithAnAgenda
With this series of “Torchwood” I really don’t think the problem is having to live up to COE as much as it’s just taking too damned long to get to the meat of the matter. Honestly, these first 9 episodes could’ve been two or three because so much *didn’t* happen and it doesn’t feel like “Torchwood” very often. I seriously can’t believe that 90% of the mystery, and assumedly a resolution, is all going to be shoved into the very last episode.
The pacing has been off, there have been too many sidetracks and too much time spent on things that could’ve been covered in short order, and just not enough “alien” and weirdness that has defined “Torchwood” over the previous series. I don’t think I’m expressing myself very clearly, but it just seems like a conspiracy miniseries that happens to have a couple of characters from “Torchwood” in it and *very little* sci-fi.
I love the show and would never give up on it, but it almost feels like the show has given up on the fans a little bit. The focus has been on figuring out the mystery with not nearly enough clues, whereas in past series the crew would be knee-deep in alien crap by the second episode. I miss that and apparently RTD missed that when he conceived of this most recent outing.
I fear we won’t be seeing any more “Torchwood” after this, and if we do that’ll be the true miracle.
With a wonderful scenario for an alien invasion this series could have been very good; however it’s rubbish, being obsessed with racial profiling, homosexual sex and neurotic women.
I think the story idea is good, but it’s not Torchwood. I agree that there should be some kind of alien invasion, isn’t that sort of what Torchwood is about? Not a hole in a ground. It’s probably caused by aliens or something and I want to know what Jack’s role in all of this is, but I miss old Torchwood. (Plus it’s way to Americanized)