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Episode Recap: "Small Worlds"
A very enjoyable episode indeed. It was interesting to see the gang battling a foe they really couldn't do anything to stop — and for that foe to be of this world, rather than alien or technological. It sort of reminded me of some of the better X-Files "creature" stories, though "Small Worlds" had the added element of filling in some of the Captain Jack backstory.
In an eerie take on a bird-watching expedition, Estelle, an elderly woman with a thing for fairies, catches a few on film in the woods. Jack (after an unsettled, shirtless night spent at HQ) drags Gwen to see Estelle present her images. It seems that the two old friends have an ongoing debate as to whether fairies are good or evil, Estelle preferring to believe that they are kind and harmless (boy was she proven wrong), Jack recognizing them for old, restless earth spirits. When Gwen sees a faded photo of what looks like Jack, he explains that it was actually his father, and that his father and Estelle were inseparable and in love before the war. Of course, we know that Jack is much older than he seems, and it turns out that he himself was in fact the man who once loved Estelle.
When Estelle later drowns, after the fairies turn on her and cause a freak rainstorm in her backyard, Jack is devastated. It was actually quite touching and provided welcome insight into the consequences of Jack's not being able to die. But perhaps my favorite scene of the episode was the sepia-toned flashback to 1908, Jack's military days: He and a group of soldiers under his command were traveling by train, playing cards, blowing a harmonica, generally laughing and enjoying themselves. Until the fairies struck — seems the men had accidentally run over a young girl a few nights before — and killed them all... all except Jack, that is. Definitely brought the dark side of immortality into focus.
The main story revolved around Jasmine, the fairies' "chosen one," a little girl with no friends and a mum with a jerk boyfriend, Roy. When a pedophile tries to abduct her, the fairies come to her rescue: First the man is made to spit out rose petals, à la Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick. He begs the police to lock him up for his own protection — but the fairies find him and suffocate him in his cell. Later, when cruel classmates push Jasmine down, the fairies nearly blow them off the playground in a sudden windstorm. The fairies also break into Gwen's apartment; they're going to continue causing havoc until they get their chosen one. Roy builds a fence to keep her from going into the woods to play with them, and then smacks her when she pitches a fit about it, basically sealing his own fate. They attack during the family's party, and Roy gets a fairy arm down his throat and a mouth full of rose petals.
Jasmine, meanwhile, has run off to be with her friends, who are beckoning her to join them. Jack and Gwen try to keep the girl from them, but they threaten to basically annihilate the world (they can control the weather, after all, and can appear wherever and whenever they like). And moreover Jasmine wants to join them; she will live forever with them, and she's not really tied to her mortal existence. Over Gwen's objections, Jack lets her go, and all, presumably, returns to normal. For now.
As for some of your comments regarding my reference to the origins of the cyberwoman in last week's episode: mea culpa. I have indeed watched some of the new Doctor Who (and a great deal of the old one, especially in the Tom Baker incarnation), but alas there are only so many series I can keep up with. I was hoping — and I think I was right — that Torchwood would be interesting and intelligible even without the benefit of having seen the background. In any event, feel free to add Doctor Who context when I've overlooked something — I think it greatly adds to the discussion!
For more on Torchwood, visit our Online Video Guide.
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Oct 6, 2007 11:12 PM
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I think my favorite part was when Gwen "rescued" Jack just to keep the secret of his immortality from the others.
A lot for ianto to "clean up" after this one.
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Oct 6, 2007 11:54 PM
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As silly as this may sound, I felt awful for Jasmine's mother, who saw her boyfriend die (yeah, I know he was a jerk, but HE didn't know) and then lost her daughter all in a ten minute span. Her cries of anguish really hit hard.
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Oct 7, 2007 9:13 AM
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For anyone that doesn't know, this episode is written by Sapphire & Steel writer & creator P.J. Hammond, which is funny because Hammond's show Sapphire & Steel was a rival show on another UK network ITV competing with the BBC's own classic Doctor Who series way back in the late 70's and early 80's. He's the only veteran classic UK TV sci-fi writer on Torchwood.
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Oct 7, 2007 12:00 PM
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My family loves this show! It is nice to have a show that we can all enjoy. I am particularly fond of fairies so I wasn't pleased to think of them as malevolent creatures. However, it was a really good episode. I really enjoy the glimpses into Jack's past. I look forward to learning more.
I also was very torn at Jack's decision to let them have Jasmine. Her Mother's cries were so moving.
I can't wait to see what is next!
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Oct 7, 2007 12:04 PM
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According to a reviewer who has viewed the whole season in the UK, the series begins to pick up steam after the first few episodes. I certainly hope so! So far, the infamous and powerful Torchwood of Dr. Who fame is just a bunch of bumbling amateurs who don't seem to have a clue. So far, these guys have just stumbled from one potential disaster to another, half of which they caused themselves.
I agree this episode was reminiscent of the off-the-track monster episodes of X-Files, but was not of the same quality. I found it to be both sad and a little bit mean-spirited at the same time. Granted we got a tiny bit of Jack's background but it was totally irrelevant, really. And why did the faeries trash Gwen's apartment - what did that have to do with anything?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the UK reviewer got it right and things will get better because if this group is supposed to save the world then God Save the Queen...
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Oct 7, 2007 1:20 PM
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I really enjoyed this episode. I think it is the best written one so far. It did remind me of the X-Files. Mulder and Scully always ran into things they could not control even though they threw their heart and soul into each investigation.
And on BTVS and Angel, they rarely went off guns blazing without doing as much research as possible. And they were burnt more than once - especially in the end with Cordelia and Fred.
There are things that we cannot control and we need to know when to back off and let go.
I don't agree with the reviewer who said this is a bumbling Torchwood team. I think they are over-confident and at times think they are above the law because they have free reign to do what needs to be done. Even Jack found out today he cannot control or fix everything - even with all he knows about the past, present and future. And I do not think the team knows truly what is at stake each time they go out on a mission. It is not just aliens and stopping world domination, but their hearts and souls, too.
This episode gave us a Jack back story, and I agree my favorite part was the sepia-tone flashback on the troop train. That was awesome!
But I did feel weepy at the end when Jasmine's mum lost both her boyfriend and her daughter. No one warned her - and she has to live with those two holes in her heart forever.
FYI - you can get Sapphire and Steele the Complete Series on DVD from Amazon.
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Oct 7, 2007 2:04 PM
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Nina,
First, let me say that I honestly did not mean to be unkind last week when I called into question your discussion of the Cyberwoman. I apologize wholeheartedly if my comment came across that way.
You are in the unenviable position of blogging a program that, while in many ways remaining independent of its predecessor, occasionally draws upon the mythology of the universe upon which it was built. It's compounded by the fact that many of us who are long-time fans of the show have lots of knowledge about said universe.
My comments last week were a direct result of that. First - the idea that the Cybermen imitated the Borg. In fact, it's likely that the Cybermen inspired the Borg, rather than the other way around. Second - the idea that the Cybermen were randomly injected into the Doctor Who/Torchwood universe for this one episode. As a long-time fan, it was obvious to me that this was not the case, and that, in fact, the independent nature of Torchwood was suspended, at least for this episode.
So, please accept my apologies. I started watching Doctor Who on PBS when I was 10, and watched it faithfully year after year - no reason to assume that you did the same.
As to the person who insulted me because I didn't add a "spoiler" tag to a discussion of a season that already aired - It isn't that adding "spoiler warning" is so difficult. Frankly, I'm the first to appreciate spoiler warnings. No - it's that you are watching the second-run of a program. It doesn't always automatically occur to one that you are watching for the first time a program that has already been aired in this country. Nor does it occur that you didn't have cable at the time said show was aired. By your logic, I should still add "spoiler warnings" to discussions of Buffy, simply because that show is currently airing in re-runs.
When you read a blog about a show, you should anticipate that already-revealed information about that show, or cousins of that show, might show up in the blog. You have only yourself to blame.
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Oct 7, 2007 10:32 PM
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Torchwood is more "adult" than Doctor Who, but there is a nice balance between the two. I've heard it took a few episodes to find its feet, but then Torchwood really took off. Glad to hear it got renewed! We are certainly enjoying it.
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Oct 10, 2007 9:26 AM
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