I’ll tell you right now, I just bought the first season of Torchwood from Walmart yesterday. I started the first episode around 6 pm and I can already tell you the reader,one thing. It’s campy to the extreme,bad sci-fi,effects and fairly melodramatic acting(I’m only about 20 minutes in so far). Why am I still watching? Why should you? Because it’s bloody brilliant tv and is still better then the reality shows and the Real wives of etc,etc….
Torchwood is a a British sci-fi show(man, i review a lot of British things). It is a spin-off of the show Doctor Who (which may possibly reviewed at a later date). Since it is a spin-off there is mention of Doctor Who but not enough to put anyone off that hasn’t seen the tv show before. Torchwood is for a bit of an older crowd anyway, Doctor Who is a family show overall where Torchwood is more for the 18-34 age range. The second episode is about an alien that lives off of orgasmic energy (it’s really not a kid show).
Torchwood is a secret organization that is outside of police and government jurisdiction. They hunt and capture alien creatures,while learning how to use alien tech to help protect the world. While intermixed with romance,family drama and purely silly moments (They have a pterodactyl in the base).
So I mentioned sex in the above paragraphs didn’t I? well since this article is usually about sexuality it would make sense. To talk about sexuality you have to talk about the character of Captain Jack Harkness. Jack is an omnisexual badass,who can’t die no matter how many times you kill him. Originally Jack was a character from Doctor Who but became so popular that he became the main character of a new series. Since the beginning of Torchwood Jack has reappeared on Doctor Who twice. Each time meeting a new character and simply greeting them with a sexy “Hello, I’m Jack Harkness.” After this he is quickly told to “Stop it” since saying hello is basically how he flirts. Other than being a complete badass Jack has become a figure head of a positive representation of a character that has a sexuality that is not heterosexual. He isn’t like most gay or bi characters who are only there featuring stories about sex. Jack grows as a character,emotionally and through his relationships. The entire show is about him living up to the ideals of what a hero is that he created based on the Doctor from Doctor Who.
The role of Jack is played by the fabulous actor John Barrowman, think of him as the British Neil Patrick Harris, I know that sounds like blasphemy,but Barrowman is bloody amazing. He sings, he dances,he’s an amazing actor,he has a new line of skin care products and he’s a novelist writing a Young Adults scifi/fantasy book and two autobiographies(he does a lot of stuff and I admit I’m an annoying fangirl for him). Barrowman is gay, if the Neil Patrick Harris comment gave it away. He is excited and humbled that Jack Harkness has become an extremely beloved character as a role model for many young people and a way to get rid of queer stereotypes.
Oh, also he’s done drag
Torchwood is now available on DVD and is shown on BBC America
