What has everyone been thinking of Miracle Day? I’ve been surprised to see how mixed the reaction is to much of the season. Some seem to love it, others, myself included unfortunately, have a lot of problems with it. Where do you guys fall down? I’ve been reviewing it for SoundonSight.org and this past week’s episode seems to be the one that has sparked the most debate. I didn’t like it, others consider it the best of the bunch. If you’re interested, check out my review and the comments. Mostly though, I’m hoping for replies here- what do you guys think?
It does give a feeling of “meh” unfortunately. I think one of th eissues was the CoE had set a bar so high that the dissapointment was more likely than not. Then again CoE was drak as frak - or as someone said onth ebaords “If CoE is the bar that sets the standard…I may never watch TV again” (I may be paraphrasing slightly)
I kind of feel like I did with the last season of Dexter. It wasn’t bad per se…but in comparison it could have been better.
I’ve been watching it and COE is great MD is different. First we have new players here. And their introduction was less then stelar. TBH they are growing on me. The CIA guy ticked me a bit but now it’s getting good with him. I do have a bad feeling about what happens to him in the end. I think we can agree the writing this season has been to put it kindly uneven at best. Jack is Jack, just he’s not JACK! That’s one of the problems. It seems with his mortality back he forgot how to be himself. That comes right back to what I said earlier. Now Gwen is another kettle of fish there. To say that she is being put in impossible circumstances is an understatement. I will give this a go. I do think we have more turns ahead though.
Overall, I simply get the sense the story–which is based on a great premise!–is being thinned out over more episodes and thus can not sustain the energy that has been the standard in previous Torchwood series. Episode 6, in particular, didn’t have the intensity I’d expected.
Gwen Cooper is my hero. She is the heart of the show, the strongest character, and shows the most true depth. A wife, a daughter, a mother and leather-clad motorcycle-straddlin’ action hero. Catherine Zeta-Jones meets Sarah Connor…
To my understanding Jack remains much of a blank slate, writing-wise, which allows Espenson’s team some room. I can allow that facing mortality for the first time (in a long time?) can muddle a man’s priorities a bit.
Agent Matheson is growing on me, as well. His ultimate demise will be heroic, but sad.
Esther has had some terrific moments (esp. in the drama with her sister), but at times through the narrative her presence felt like time-stretch.
Starz is working really hard to co-opt Torchwood (a “Starz originial series”), and I honestly hope it is perceived successful, for I’m loathe to imagine what happens to Torchwood should its American incarnation fail.
Thank you for that image. I’ll be in my Bunk:D
I totally agree. The viewership is WAAAY down, which does not bode well.
When I watched the first episode I was dumbfounded. It did NOT feel like the TW I loved. It felt fake, forced and waaay too “Americanized” “Ooh, look things blowing up and snarky American humor” I am American, btw! 
Part of what I LOVE about the original TW was the feel of it; which I admit had a lot to do with the fact that it was British and took place in GB. The humor was different and the writing FELT better to me. Also I was missing the old cast (Don’t get me started on Ianto I was in mourning for a week! 
) however, this is starting to grow on me. The story lines are compelling and I have to admit SPOILER ALERT I didn’t see Dr. Juarez’s demise coming. Obviously when I figured out what she had been put into it was obvious, but overall I didn’t think she would die so quickly-I liked her storyline.
Overall, I am enjoying it-but it’s just different
I’ll agree that this doesn’t “feel” like the Torchwood from S1/S2, but I don’t think that would have been appropriate, having changed most of the cast in the intervening time span. If it were simply the Hub in the USA, I think it would have felt like they were trying to recreate something that no longer exists, and its a bit disrespectful in-universe. I’ve been liking it thus far, though I suppose I’d have to concede that the storytelling is a bit slower than I’m used to. However, I think that if you are going to tell a story like Miracle Day, you need to spend a lot of time looking at the humanity of the crisis, and I think they’ve done a superb job at extrapolating what individuals as well as governments would do. Also, being in the Doctor Who universe, I think you need to take some time to show why this isn’t simply a problem the Doctor can roll in and solve in 45 minutes – humanity must step up and take responsibility for its own actions, regardless of the nature of the Miracle.
Gwen Cooper, “Children of Earth”: “Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame.”
Then again, maybe I’m way off. YMMV 
Here’s my review for episode 9. Spoiler alert- it ain’t pretty. I have a feeling I’ll be getting some hate comments from diehard TW fans. So much of the series just feels like such a waste of time! Plus don’t get me started on the absurdity of Oswald Danes 1. ever being in this story and 2. still being in this story. It’s ridiculous. It’s frustrating, because I want to love Torchwood, I really do! I just can’t, at least not Miracle Day.
Well said, Juan. I have to admit I’m feeling a bit “let down” by this storyline but your assessment of humanities role in all of this is spot-on. I shall post my opinion after I watch what we DVR’d last night
I don’t know if “waste of time” is completely sound, but “a far cry from the original spirit”. I completely agree with Juan about coming into this knowing it would be a different experience, not just a matter of flinging the Hub across the pond, but there seem to be little, if any, remnants of the original series to speak of – even the relationship/bond between Gwen and Jack is more wistful and melancholy than anything else. Shoot, the only thing that really stands true from the previous, and I’m amazed I’m saying this, it Rhys – he is the sad-sack constant that I don’t think has changed a bit since his first appearance, other than growing deeper in his commitment (read: blind loving faith) to Gwen.
A side note – I was puzzled at first by Pullman’s acting choices, and the character in general…then as the “evangelism” angle took off, I guess I accepted it a little more, but just as I did, WHANG-O – we’re back into whiskey-tango-foxtrot territory again. :::sigh:::
How much do you think Neil Gaiman/Steven Moffat would charge Starz for an emergency screenplay-ectomy to salvage the finale?
Here’s my finale review. It ain’t pretty. There were a few moments I liked, but overall, it was a hell of a letdown.
Just finished watching the series this morning.
I am of the belief that having Torchwood is better than not having Torchwood, but in no way did MD come close to the intensity and storytelling of Children of the Earth for me. I would have preferred the same viewing formula- five days in a row and only five episodes. I wish MD had the same sense of urgency that CoE did. I was stressed watching CoE and as difficult as that was, I loved every minute (well almost).
All that said, I am damn glad I got to see more Torchwood and I would welcome another series- even with Rex.
I’m with you 75%, Dawn – while I love to see the team (such as are left) on screen, it’s so disheartening to see a series that was given the opportunity to pen a PHENOMENAL short-series in CoE that gave, while bittersweet, a rational and acceptable end. I knew from the early discussions of the MD development that the creative core would have a LOT of explanation…and justification…for the revival. This just didn’t seem to do it. Add the blatant change of tone (yes, I know, we’re not in Wales any more, Toto), and some less-than-endearing supporting cast, and I’m just feeling like I was handed a copy of “Captain Underpants” after just finishing “To Kill a Mockingbird”.
And apologies to all you rabid “Captain Underpants” fanatics – please don’t hunt me down with your poo-fingers.
Odds are not looking good for another season, with ratings what they are/were, and a very small segment of the major publications critics’ community even discussing the show (and those that are, not always favorably), but my biggest disconnect from the series was their parting shot. Rex’s rendition of the “Captain Jack Gasp”. I have a HUGE problem with this, on levels that span three different series, but I’ll leave this reference to sum up my distain: There is only one Face of Boe.
I mainlined the first 8 episodes before watching 9 and 10 live, and I feel like I’ve lost 10 hours that I will never get back. Aside from maybe one or two episodes, I feel that CoE has been the only compelling storytelling that Torchwood has given us.
sigh
First things first i am a HUGE fan of Torchwood. I really loved the first two seasons and i think CoE is one of the finest things ever to be on TV. that being said I was massively disappointed with MD. I felt like it was a story that could have been told in at the most 5 episodes but really could have been a 2 parter. 90% of the cast and story lines were unnecessary. Hell even two of the main characters Jilly and Oswald literally served no purpose for the story. If they had been cut nothing from the overall arch would have changed. For that matter same goes for Phicorp. The level 1 camps could have been mentioned in passing or just been give one ep (or even a partial ep) to set yup Gwens dad being in the danger. The whole sister thing with Ester was completely unnecessary. AS i see it its only purpose was to set her up to be followed. Which leads me to another thing. none of the characters acted logically. One moment they were super spies, experts in covert ops. The next moment they were committing supreme acts of stupidity and getting caught in some trap.
I know some say bad Torchwood is better than no Torchwood but to me MD was not Torchwood. I have not had this bad of a reaction to something since seeing The Last Airbender. And its for pretty much the same reasons. It took a franchise that i love. Slapped the same name on it and dressed it up like the same show but it was not the same show. A picture is worth a 1000 words. This pic of cosplay is wht Torchwood: MD was to me
^^^ :eek:
What is this I don’t even…
I can’t stop looking at it.
I quite enjoyed MD but for a personal reason, I will watch bad sci fi over almost anything else on TV, to be honest I liked the two matrix follow up movies (notes to self as he dons asbestos underwear for inevitable replies).
As to torchwood I’m going to digress briefly, when I saw the first series I hated it, I felt it was juvinile and took the term “adult” to mean everyone boinking everyone else and a lot of pointless profanity (don’t get me wrong , I don’t object to swearing Par Se and I use it a lot myself but using it to make a show seem more adult is, once again, Juvinile).
At the minute me and pernnfan (aka @dragonessana) are watching this first series again and, both on rewatch and seeing it through her eyes, I am seeing positives I missed the first time, what I’m saying is, try not comparing MD to the previous torchwoods, I admit COE was pure brilliance, I’ve asked pernnfan to hold off on watching it until she is here in January and we can enjoy the Blu Ray (which looks stunning btw) together.
Yes some of the premise was silly and yes it lacked the emotional impact of COE but hell people this is cheesy sci fi, enjoy it for what it is, I had fun with it (but as ever, YMMV). I quite liked Jilly, but primarily becuase she bears quite a stunning resemblance to a girl in her mid twenties who works in our (two person) media Department and it was kinda freaky for me to see this girl (as I thought of her) onscreen.
Anyways those are my two cents on it (or, given the length of my post, maybe a nickel).
Phaze
on the “Is anyone else watching alphas, I am quite enjoying it so far, sort of heroes BSG stylee” ID
For what it’s worth, the BFF watch MD- her first exposure to TW and she loved it. That’s worth something to me.
I just finished MD. I watched it over 2 nights after only seeing the first episode when it originally aired (I didn’t have Starz back then).
I enjoyed it… And, I wouldn’t mind seeing more.
This was my first exposure to TW though, and I’ve never seen previous episodes with Jack and Gwen on DW. I’m going to be honest and say there were some situations that made me feel uncomfortable to watch. But, I was mostly ok with the scenes between Jack and Angelo.
I was a little confused at the end until the reveal. (:
I just searched and Comcast does offer CoE, so I’m gonna start that now.
Call me when you’re done. We’ll watch saccharine-sweet cartoons and cry on each other’s shoulders. Like, for serious.