Buy Torchwood: The Complete First Season on DVD

Torchwood: The Complete First Season

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Synopsis

Everyone who works for Torchwood is young, all are under 35. Some say that's because what they're doing is a new science, others say it's because they die young...but why? The team, led by the enigmatic, ever-watchful Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman, Doctor Who, De-Lovely), uses scavenged alien technology to solve present day crime - both alien and human. They’re separate from the government, working outside the police and beyond the United Nations. From an underground base built on a rift in time and space, Torchwood sets its own rules, delving into the unknown and fighting the impossible whether it is responding to an alien threat, sightings of extra-terrestrial technology, an unusual autopsy report, or the spread of a deadly alien virus. Part X-Files, part Angel, Torchwood is the team we’d all love to be part of, where excitement comes before morality and the rules are made as you go along.

Review

From the mind of creator Russell T. Davies ("Queer as Folk") comes this new "Dr. Who" spin-off where bisexual cops/scientists/superheroes save the world from aliens and use their technology. While the hype around this show focuses on the sexuality of the cast and characters, when you get down to it, "Torchwood" is just plain great television. Each episode stands on its own, you don't need to watch them all in order, and they all pack a punch. The basic storyline is that aliens are invading the earth and when they hit London, the "Torchwood" team rushes in to investigate, remove the threat and clean-up. They act swiftly and without emotion (theoretically).

The team is led by Capt. Jack Harkness (played by openly gay actor John Barrowman) who everyone presumes is gay, he's actually bisexual. He apparently has no private life and might be a WWII soldier who doesn't seem to age. He also has some superpowers, which are not remarked upon by the other "Torchwood" team members. Gwen (Eve Myles) came to "Torchwood" via the police. She's got investigative skills and a boyfriend who waits at home for his alien-fighting wife. Owen Harper (Burn Gorman) is the team's doctor. He's got a nasty edge and likes the boys and the girls equally. Toshiko Sato (Naoko Mori) is the team's tech wizard who likes to bring alien toys home to play with. And Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) has a deep secret, his girlfriend is a dangerous cyber-person named Lisa.

-- Scott Cranin