This season had a lot to live up to in comparison with 2009’s acclaimed Torchwood: Children of Earth. And whether it’s because of its extended ten episode season, bringing it to the U.S., or just its complex premise, Torchwood: Miracle Day hasn’t yet lived up to its full potential.

The first five episodes through “The Categories of Life,” have been good, but I’m still waiting for this season to ramp up into high gear.

In the first episode, “The New World,” we struggled through a lot of exposition as viewers were introduced to Torchwood, Oswald Danes, and Rex. Meanwhile, Jack and Gwen were reunited thanks to a new mystery where for over 24 hours no one has been able to die. There was lots of action and the premiere’s actually a pretty fun ride.

Which is why the second episode, “Rendition,” was such a letdown as we were treated to a newly mortal Jack being poisoned while on a plane ride. Did we really need an entire filler episode set on a plane so soon? Really?

Thankfully, Jane Espenson’s third episode, “Dead of Night,” stepped it up as the team finally began investigating the miracle and rapist, murderer Oswald Danes came to the forefront. It was interesting to see some people hating Oswald while others treated him as a messiah figure for being the first reported person to cheat death. There was also the big reveal: drug company Phicorp has been stocking up on painkillers and seemed to be “ready for the miracle.”

So episode four, “Escape to L.A.,” was my new favorite because it took the original premise in a couple different directions. First, there was the ‘Dead is Dead’ motto used to instigate an isolation of anyone sick or injured into ‘overflow camps’. Then, the suggestion that those fatally injured are simply waiting for death in a way even greater than the rest of us in our normal lives. And lastly, the most creepy, the realization that you can sadistically ‘kill’ someone and they won’t die. (That lady crushed at the junkyard and trapped while her one eye shows was so creepy.) I’m thinking maybe there are worse things than dying…

Torchwood (s04e05): The Categories of Life

Jane Espenson was right, we did get ‘dark chocolate’ this week during her episode. The governments of the world are now rounding up the sick or dying into categories: Normal, Sick (Category 2), or Should Be Dead (Category 1). But as always, things aren’t nearly that clean as there’s all kinds of mix-ups and some disturbing secrets.

In the final scenes we learn those in Category 1, or the Should Be Deads, are being burned ‘alive’ in incinerators to supposedly free up resources for everyone else. It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that these people are technically still alive. And at the same time Oswald Danes likens achieving immortality to everyone becoming angels, poor Dr. Vera Juarez, who spent this whole season fighting for health rights, personally experiences this new fate that awaits humanity. It’s all horribly ironic.

Notes:

Captain Jack: “What if we detached the head? I mean, would he… stay alive without his head?”

The special effects of Lyn with her head turned backwards weren’t quite up to par, but I did love seeing Dichen Lachman back on tv!

“This is what murder looks like now.” “We’re not even allowed to say attempted murder because murder is impossible.” That is sick.

“Genetic mistakes are suddenly viable.” So scary.

I really didn’t like Vera sleeping with Rex. Her scenes are the most interesting, his scenes are the most annoying, and them hooking up didn’t make any sense.

“Cause we are everywhere. We are always, we are no one. And soon the families will rise.”