Episode 7: Greeks Bearing Gifts

[Dirk Gently]

Well this was much better than last weeks. I can't be bothered to say much more than that just now but it seems that Torchwood is going to be around this level of horror & humour, sometimes better, sometimes worse.

[Wayne]

Watched it this morning.
Well, i thought that was a another great ep. It was quite a nice character based episode, & good to see Tosh getting used for a change. (I think some of the other characters are finally starting to make an impact on me after 6 weeks!) Daniella Denby-Ashe played a good part actually, but let's face it, she's so gorgeous it wouldnt've mattered if she was sht.
What's really impressed me about Torchwood so far, is that each successive episode has been quite different to each other, but each has been just as interesting in a different way. Especially the last 4 episodes. It makes the series difficult to rate, but so far i'm impressed with it's versatility.

[Dave Lewis]

I wrote one of my lengthy rambling reviews of Greeks Bearing Gifts, but the forum decided to log me out, and then when I logged back in again it decided that I hadn't actually written it at all.

So, instead of wasting my time writing it all out again, I'll suffice by saying that Greeks Bearing Gifts was very disjointed but I liked it - not a lot, but I liked it. It was the funniest episode yet, it had the sexiest guest star yet, and Jack was even more like the Doctor than ever. I'm p*ssed off my review got lost because it talked about question marks on shirt collars, referred to Gwen's running bra as the most powerful artefact in the universe, mentioned Andrew Hardie being the Prime Minister, and finally closed with the phrase...

"...the third best episode of the series so far. Torchwood's big problem is that it has the consistency of a sandcastle at high tide. If I was marking this story, I'd give it six and a half hands at the base of my spine out of ten."

[Larry]

Watched it this morning.
Well, i thought that was a another great ep. It was quite a nice character based episode, & good to see Tosh getting used for a change. (I think some of the other characters are finally starting to make an impact on me after 6 weeks!) Daniella Denby-Ashe played a good part actually, but let's face it, she's so gorgeous it wouldnt've mattered if she was sht.
What's really impressed me about Torchwood so far, is that each successive episode has been quite different to each other, but each has been just as interesting in a different way. Especially the last 4 episodes. It makes the series difficult to rate, but so far i'm impressed with it's versatility.

would be great if she could of been the new companion..

[Wayne]

would be great if she could of been the new companion..

Yeah, i'd even put up with Tennant for that!

[Alex]

Torchwood's really growing on me now, I think at the beginning it was just too Gwen-centric, but now the other characters are being fleshed out a little, it's certainly getting a lot better, in the first few episodes if someone died (as someone who's name I've already forgotten did in the first episode) I just didn't care, but I would now.

As mentioned, the whole Captain Jack character arc's intriguing, and the plots just don't seem to drag on and on like some of the early episodes did.

Infact after this weeks and last weeks episodes, I'm starting to actually look forward to Sundays and the new episode, and that hasn't happened, bar with Who, with a sci-fi / fantasy show since the end of Angel.

Oh yeah, and Danielle Denby-Ashe...Mmmmmm....!

[Dave Tudor]

I think that 'Greeks Bearing Gifts' was probably one of my favourite episodes yet. OK, I know you're thinking it was just because of the girl-on-girl action (although I admit I was rubbing my hands with glee when I saw the trailer last week!), but I truly thought it was a well-written (albeit not entirely original) script, with some very good acting: Daniela Denby-Ashe was great (and, by god, so sexy!), while Naoko Mori, who I must admit hasn't really impressed me as yet, was excellent.

What's really impressed me about Torchwood so far, is that each successive episode has been quite different to each other, but each has been just as interesting in a different way. Especially the last 4 episodes. It makes the series difficult to rate, but so far i'm impressed with it's versatility.

I'd have to agree, Wayne. My only problem is that none of the episodes have yet presented any startlingly original concepts. 'Greeks...', for instance, as has been mentioned, was bore more than a few similarities to the 'Buffy' episode 'Earshot'. There hasn't really been an episode yet that's made me sit up and think "Oh wow, I've never seen that before", whereas 'Doctor Who' always continues to surprise me.

Having said that, I am enjoying 'Torchwood' more and more. Definitely a slow burner.

[Simon R]

We enjoyed it. Tosh is probably my favourite character as she's a bit less smug and smarmy than the rest of them. Denby-Ashe was great and I too wished she was the new companion. She's done well for herself since her bad eyebrow days on Eastenders. I really think we could do without Ianto in the programme, another episode where he gets about two lines. It's like Season 19 of The Doctor Who Programme, one of the regulars is side-lined each week but it was good to let Naoko Mori hog the lime light for a change.

[Si Hunt]

It was good, and Denby-Ashe is 100% Icon. On the bad side, the CGI was a bit poor and a bit "here's where the money we saved last week went" and I groaned at the lesbian action. Why must we ALWAYS have some kind of sexual element that runs completely against the characters in the show? In "Cyberwoman" had Jack ever been attracted to Ianto? Has there really been any motivation for the Gwen/Owen affair? Here Tosh is even established to be straight with a crush on Owen and still inexplicably starts snogging a girl! I know sexuality isn't always black and white, but it just feels like they showhorn in a bit of snogging and sex for the sake of it every week.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

That episode was just ok I thought. I liked the flashback at the beginning (very Angel!) and the acting was quite good but the episode left me feeling a bit disappointed. Well not even disappointed but just nothing.
That can't be good. Next weeks one looks intriguing

[Rob McCow]

Uh-oh. We still haven't watched this episode. Will Torchwood become the Big Finish of new Doctor Who for us, with a backlog of stories stretching over months?

[Si Hunt]

We actually can't wait for them, surprisingly! The video threatened not to work on Wednesday (it turned out that it was just us being rubbish) and there was briefly major dismay at the prospect of having to miss it.

Si.

[Matthew T]

I still haven't watched any since the first two. I will get the cass-ettes though.

[Si Hunt]

This weeks title was a bit tenuous. Simon suggested the title was commisioned first and the script was written around it.

Si.

[Larry]

Uh-oh. We still haven't watched this episode. Will Torchwood become the Big Finish of new Doctor Who for us, with a backlog of stories stretching over months?

well it took me nearly a week to watch Countrycide, and that was only because I did not have any thing else to do and not because I wanted to watch it.

[Rob McCow]

Phew! Just in time, we watched this episode of Torchwood.

Would you want to read your colleauges minds? I certainly wouldn't if I worked with the Torchwood team! Although it wasn't an accurate representation of what people think. James Joyce and his wretchedly unreadable stream of conciousness writing gives a far better idea of people's brain farts, half-finished sentences, ideas and images that make up thoughts. It's a shame, because a program making itself out to be adult would be ideally placed to have a more interesting and realistic look inside the human mind. Stringing an interesting story out of it would have been harder but potentially more rewarding.

The characters continue to shine, but I'd like the series better if there was more Jack. He's taking a back seat in a lot of these stories, but he's by far the most interesting.

I've lost Gwen. I feel that I don't know her since she started be****bing Mr.Owen. She was the focus and the viewers' way into the show, but now she's just another one of the maladjusted Torchwood crew. So much for reminding them what it's like to be human. But there's still room for development!

It's not making me very excited, but it's still quite good. Is that enough?

[Mark]

I just read that post and I all can think is...







What the bloody hell is be****bing!

[Andrew Curnow]

Exactly what I thought!

[SiHart]

I live with him and I have no idea what he was on about there!

I do know that I found this episode fairly enjoyable. Tosh might just be the most likeable member of the team after all, and I'm pleased she had the chance to shine in this episode!

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

Ah, poor old Tosh!

The missing word is k-nob. Kind of like Beknighting, but a bit ruder.

[SiHart]

Oh my!

Si xx

[Simon R]

I agree, I've lost interest in Gwen since she started being porked by old rubber face.

[Dave Lewis]

Sounds like something that Phil Cool's wife would have brought up in a divorce court.

Gwen is still cool - I haven't seen this week's episode yet, but if she's still got her unique running style, then I won't be losing interest in her.

[Milky Tears]

The *****ing fanboys on other forums have moved on from "Gwen's gappy teeth", "Gwen's goldfish impression", "Gwen's unique running style" and "Gwen's a big lass" to "OMG!! Gwen's got a 'tache!!" now. We need to keep up, Dave.

[Dave Lewis]

Gwen's facial hair is beyond reproach.