Torchwood: The BBC's Newest Sci-Fi Series

The newest of BBC's Supernatural Saturday series, Torchwood is a fun, witty, action-packed show that is sure to entertain. When I first saw it advertised on BBC America I was a little skeptical because I have seen some of BBC's other Sci-fi shows and was unimpressed. I decided to give Torchwood a try and I was not disappointed.

The show is about five people who comprise the group Torchwood. I would describe them as an extraterrestrial S.W.A.T team. Their goal is to stop aliens from causing havoc on earth while gathering the alien technology and trying to learn to use it for mankind's benefit. Working out of an underground base below the streets of London with pterodactyls flying in the rafters, the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness is the leader of this rag-tag group and his explanation for his passion for and the creation of Torchwood is that "Everything changes in the 21st century".

Character Profiles
Since I mentioned Captain Jack Harkness already I will start with him. Not much is known about the Captain other than he is American (the only one in the show), he cannot die (which we see in the first episode where he is shot in the head), and we never see him sleep at a home to speak of. He is dangerous for sure, his morals can be questioned on more than one occasion, and he is cloaked in mystery. We do get little tidbits however every episode it seems. Not much, but enough that it just keeps us coming back for more. I will be very interested to see what is revealed this season about Captain Jack Harkness. Is he from the future? The past? Only time will tell.

Next, we have Gwen Cooper. A former police woman who stumbled into Torchwood during a murder investigation. Passionate and almost soft-hearted she is the first and usually only person on the team to see the human side of the situation. This often puts her in dangerous situations where it seems that Captain Jack must come to her rescue. The two of them have an attraction that is evident but Jack seems almost scared to be close with people and she, well, has a boyfriend. Gwen still has a lot to learn when it comes to Torchwood but she brings a touch of humanity to a group that has become distant from the human race.

Suzie Costello was Torchwood's second-in-command and hardware specialist had only a brief existence on the first episode. She obsessed about learning how to use alien technology and actually committed murder just so she could test out a "resurrection hand" that brought back dead people for a few minutes. She tried to kill Gwen because Gwen recognized the murder weapon but ended up shooting herself when Captain Jack found out what she had done. Who knows, we may see her again with the kind of technology that pops up on this show.

Owen Harper is insolent and thoughtless, pretty much a spoiled brat. He is however, a genius and unfortunately knows it all to well. He believes that fact alone justifies any means that he uses. Gwen and him don't get along so well, to the point that Gwen actually chokes him up against a wall in one episode. He is ruthless at this point in the show but it looks like in the future we may find a softer side to him if only he can get past his own ego.

Next, we have Toshiko Sato, a caustic but brilliant computer expert. She loves her technology and is rarely parted with it. She is another character we don't know a whole lot about yet. Tosh is fiercely private about her life outside of Torchwood so we've yet to see much about her. Basically a brain, she doesn't get in on the action all that much but is more about surveillance and again, her technology. She's another that I'm sure we'll get and episode or two explaining her life a little more and be able to see what, exactly, makes the intelligent woman tick.

Finally, we have Ianto Jones. Thus far he seems to be Torchwood's gopher. He reminds me of the stereotypical butler; calm, efficient, nothing seems to phase him. In a recent episode we found that he has a darker more secretive side. I won't go into that as I wouldn't want to spoil it for everyone but let's just say there is a lot more to this man than just ordering the pizza, making coffee and locking up Torchwood headquarters at night.

So if you're in the mood for something different on Saturday nights, look no further than BBC's Torchwood. This action-packed, humorous show will keep you entertained and anticipating the next episode every time.