Episode 10: Out of Time

[Anthony Williams]

Is it just me, or does this one look quite good (from the preview trailer)?

*fingers crossed*

Ant x

[Milky Tears]

It's meant to be a good episode... according to the early reviews/previews I've read.*

Episode 10: Out of Time by Cath Tregenna, directed by Alice Troughton. BBC Three Sunday December 17th at 10:00pm.

A small passenger plane from the 1950's flies through the rift and lands in Cardiff 2006. Torchwood is drawn into strong personal relationships as they help the three temporal immigrants adapt to contemporary life.

David Brunt thinks that Cath Tregenna is "the Best Welsh writer working in television today." But that's probably because he doesn't like smug gayers, or something.



* well, Brian J Robb thinks it's good and he's usually moaning.

Edited to add: Does Louise Delamare get her baps out again?

[Jonno]

He? I assumed Cath was a female, i.e. short for Catherine!

[Milky Tears]

He? I assumed Cath was a female, i.e. short for Catherine!

I think she wrote episode twelve as well. The Chinball Wizard is doing the finale, isn't he?

[Jonno]

Oh I see what you mean now - the "he" is referring back to David Brunt, not Cath!

Is this the first time in the Whoniverse that an episode has been written and directed by females?

[Andrew Curnow]

Jonno - what about "Enlightenment" and (if we ignore Pip 'n') "The Mark of the Rani"?

[Jonno]

Ah yes, I forgot about Enlightenment (Mark is stretching it a bit really)!

I'm not doing very well on this thread so far, am I?!

[Rob McCow]

I've been watching it out of the corner of my eye while sitting at the PC. I turn away for a moment and it turns into an advert for Asda.

"Torchwood, above the law, beyond the Government, every little helps."

Or should it be "That's Asda Price."?

Er... it looked quite good. No sex/blood/lesbian/psycho monsters this week so far.

[Trudi G]

I thought that one was really good - and quite a tear jerker as well. You get to see the softer side of Jack, which is nice too. Just glad i had the Kleenex to hand!

[Andrew Curnow]

John Barrowman was excellent. Other than that I'm not sure what I think - on the one hand, almost nothing really happened; on the other, it was an interesting way of shedding some new light on the regulars through the guest-cast. Plus Eve Myles got to do some comedy (very well, I might add) and there were some nice touches, such as the way that the person who seemed initially least likely to cope with the 21st century ended up being the one who apparently had adapted the best.

[Milky Tears]

Gwen's beret and Owen's "f*ck buddies"/c*m face have saved the series for me.

Naked Rhys was most awesome and cool SQUEEEEEEEEE!!



Edited to add: Olivia Hallinan was another highlight.

[Jonno]

I really enjoyed that - a lovely character piece and a nice change of pace and perhaps a calm before the storm? A bit like Boomtown and Fear Her in that respect? Poor old Tosh was virtually absent though - even Ianto got more screen time!

I really like the way the story explored the differences in lifestyle that half a century has brought - even the simple things we take for granted, like what a teabag is (when were they invented?) or an automatic door, never mind the social lifestyle differences commented on - from the consumer society we have become to the sexual stuff too.

I also liked the fact that the three couldn't just return at the end - the sort of thing that normally happens in these sci-fi scenarios, and seeing how the three of them coped (or not) with the 21st century. Andrew made a very good point about that above which I hadn't considered on viewing. The stuff with John and Alan was very moving and well played by both actors.

And Rhys returns after quite an absence - and by the looks of things, there could be some interesting developments on that front...

This would have suited being on next Sunday, with it clearly being set at Christmas time, and indeed would have been transmitted on Christmas Eve had we not started with that double bill a couple of months ago!

[Mark]

1904, according to this.

[Wayne]

Can't say i was mad about it, but it did have some very touching moments, particularly John seeing his senile son with dementia, & his 'assisted' suicide which were very poignant. Barroman in particular played some good stuff in this ep. But much of the other stuff, especially Owen & the pilot woman, i found rather dull.
Better than last week overall, but still not a patch on the previous 4 weeks, for me.

[Alex]

Ah, it just left me a bit cold this one. I don't know why, I just didn't get in to the characters, despite thinking they were really well played by the three guest stars.

I guess it's all about expectations, I thought Torchwood would be more about saving the world (or at least the city) each week, but mostly it seems to have been about personal intimate stories, and whilst I like that sort of thing sometimes, I find that I'm just not drawn in to the Torchwood world during these quieter episodes.

Still, not bad, just not my cup of tea particularly.

[Larry]

I actually enjoyed this weeks episode very much it was well written with some great moments of fun and in a way it was quite touching to see these 3 people so lost and aloan in a strange alien world.

My only minor gripe is that it was supposed to be Christmas yet the sun was shining and all the trees were in full bloom and looking very green..

[Lord President]

My only minor gripe is that it was supposed to be Christmas yet the sun was shining and all the trees were in full bloom and looking very green..

Perhaps that's what Christmas in Cardiff is like. I don't know because I've never been there at Christmas. It does seem to be pissing down for the rest of the year, so perhaps Christmas is South Wales' summer period!

I really loved this episode, Jack actually getting emotional about someone else's predicament, Gwen really having to confront her double life, and Owen getting his heart broken, and all played so beautifully!

Bravo RTD and the team, once again proving that Torchwood doesn't need to be about alien invasions, global threats and violence every week!!!!!!

[Paul Clement]

This was one of the strongest character led episodes of Torchwood, giving Owen, Gwen and Jack some solid characterisation. It was interesting to see the scenes with Jack in it, giving a glimpse into how he feels about being stuck in modern day Cardiff.

[Anthony Williams]

IMO, this was a beautiful episode. Fantastically directed, with some of the best writing and acting of the series so far.

It was a tear-jerker in places, with a couple of comic scenes (Rhys naked, anyone? ). It ticked all the right boxes, and was indeed the "calm before the storm" that Jonno described.

The most touching moments, IMO were Jack holding the bloke's hand as he committed suicide, and Owen's clear hurting at his lover flying off into the distance. Truely beautiful.

It was also nice to have a few more hints about Jack's past (falling through time etc.)

Ant x

[SiHart]

I agree with Ant. This was a beautiful and quiet episode, and was all the better for it. Sometimes it's nice to pause and do something different and I thought this worked really, realy well. Small scale it might have been, but that wasn't a bad thing. It was touching and poignant and I think the scenes where the gentleman (who's name I've forgotten I'm afraid... my head is all muzzy with cold at the moment) found his son in the old people's home was really moving.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

Hmmm, that was quite good, but ultimately a little bit pointless. Superb guest cast, but that's about it really. It was spoiled a little by the gratuitous sex stuff, I was half expecting Jack to start playing with the guy's **** after he commited suicide.

[Larry]

. It was spoiled a little by the gratuitous sex stuff, I

unfortunantly it's been like that in pretty much every episode so far..

[Dave Lewis]

I've finally found time to dig out the Torchwood tape, and pick up where I left off last year...

So, "Out Of Time"... I liked it a lot. Perhaps not quite as much as a couple of its predecessors, but it certainly had enough humour, and sadness, warmth, and tragedy to recharge my Torchwood batteries after a month of not watching the show.

There's not much else I can say, really. I wish I'd seen it at Christmas, just to get that festive feel to it - it's always a bit sad seeing Christmassy things when the festive season's over... "I'm talking about seizing the moment, when the moment has gone", pipes up Edwyn Collins in my ear. Although the Owen and Diane bit dominated the episode in terms of the emotion - and the dialogue between him Diane in bed, where he rambled on like a typical bloke, and she replied, "I love you too", was a stone cold Dave Lewis rip-off! I even said her inevitable before she did. How did they know? HOW DID THEY KNOW? - the highlight was the moment that I thought they wouldn't do... Jack not only allowing John to die, but to be there with him as he did so. It was wonderfully done, a definite highlight moment of the series so far.

As for the shagging, well... I've not had a problem with it in previous episodes, and in this one, I don't think it was gratuituous at all. Although it wasn't perhaps the most tastefully done - or well acted - it was meant to highlight the deep connection that Owen and Diane had, physically, and emotionally. It didn't bother me in the slightest.

Good, and I've enjoyed watching Torchwood again so much that I've already started watching Combat. I'm glad I have, because I don't have to ask all the questions about Owen and Gwen's relationship that I would have done, and ended up making a fool of m'self....

If I was marking this episode, I'd give it seven "f*ck-buddies" out of ten.

[Larry]

watched this for only the 2nd time yesterday and have to say it's by far my favourite the decision by John to commite suicide rather than face up to living in an alien world was a very moving moment.

[Jon Masters]

looks like Random Shoes was a temporary slippage - much to enjoy here from a fairly simple premise. Although the fates of the three people were fairly predictable, the way the story flowed around them was effortless. Even a for the chavettes in the hostel.
John Barrowman was the star this week - truly showing what it feels like to be a man who's been around for a long time and seen those he loves pass away (much more convincing than Small Worlds). Not sure why he didn't die from carbon monoxide poisoning though - surely his immortality would only have kicked in after someone had rescued him from the garage ?

And officially the scariest thing in Torchwood - Owen's 'Sex-Face'