Torchwood: Miracle Day – Episode 8 – Dork Review

What I like about Torchwood: Miracle Day is that every episode seems to have its own locale that they cannot escape? Remember “The One Where They Sat On A Plane”? How about “The One Where They Were In Those Camps”? And who among us wasn’t touched by “The One Where They Had Flashbacks In A Car”?

Well, in the bold tradition of the above, it’s time for “The One In A Big House”. Can it possibly live up to its predecessors?

Makings Of A Miracle

After last week’s diversion into old-school sex, violence and Harkness flashbacks, we’re back into modern Miracle Day territory here, which means obscure hinting, back-and-forths and tangental scenes featuring Oswald Danes.

I was a little disappointed by this episode, mostly because it didn’t live up to my expectations. I was hoping we’d get a clear explanation of the “miracle” here, leaving a full speed dash for the finish line in the last couple of episodes. But I suppose the episodes are sufficiently long that we don’t need a two-week action sequence.

But it does mean what we get here, after the straight reveals last week, is more mumbling. It seems inevitable that they’ve somehow used Captain Jack’s blood to cause the Miracle and (through some made-up science of inversion) this has caused him to go from immortal to mortal and everyone else to go the other way. I hope there’s a little more to it, but suspect not.

Saved By The Bill

To be fair to them, there are good moments here, especially Jack’s scene with Angelo and Gwen’s meeting with the CIA, plus the gibberish science with the “null” field. I wasn’t bored, just thought we’d be powering forward more vigorously this week, rather than still sitting and mulling until the final five minutes.

But if I wanted drama, I can always rely on Oswald Danes, paedophile messiah. His story is more fitting to episode eight out of ten, and I did feel bad for him during the scene with the prostitute. As ever, Bill Pullman is nailing this, and Lauren Ambrose isn’t half bad as the PR girl either, this week getting a few more meaningful scenes as well as comedy.

In short, yes, another slow episode, but one of the better executed ones; I didn’t find myself getting too frustrated. That being said, next week is the penultimate episode. Either something big has to happen, or they are literally saving every meaningful moment for the final week…

More Torchwood on Dork Adore | Torchwood: Miracle Day – Episode 6 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan

Nick learned to read and write at an early age. This has developed into an unhealthy need to either write stories or consume them for later dissection. He reviews film and TV on Dork Adore and The Digital Fix, lives in London and enjoys a nice white beer.

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