WRITER: Chris Chibnall DIRECTOR: Brian Kelly
CAST: John Barrowman (Capt Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Burn Gorman (Owen Harper), Naoka Mori (Toshiko Sato), Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones), Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Sara Lloyd Gregory (Carys), Ceri Mears (Banksy), Adrian Christopher (Prvt Moriarty), Justin McDonald (Matt), Tom Price (PC Andy), Brendan Charleson (Ivan Fletcher), Rob Storr (Gavin), Alex Parry (Eddie Gwynne), Felicity Rhys (Bethan), Naomi Martell (Receptionist) & Donald Longden (Mr Weston)
Torchwood investigate a crashed meteorite, and Gwen accidentally releases a strange alien lifeform...Now that the exposition has been dealt with, Torchwood gets down to business with its first "proper" episode. Things start promising enough with a brilliant flaming meteorite sequence and energetic rush to the crash-site, although once the alien's modus operandi is revealed it all becomes a bit tacky...
The problem is that Day One utilizes one of the worst sci-fi cliches: the alien that requires sex to survive. This idea is a staple of low-budget smutty sci-fi where the only asset is its leading actresses, er, assets. Only the film Species dared bring this low-rent idea to the masses courtesy of Natasha Henstridge's ample bosom.
Anyway, a teenaged clubber called Carys (Sara Lloyd Gregory, much better than the material) is soon possessed by the gaseous alien and spends the next day having sex with men and turning them into piles of dust at the moment of orgasm.
It's hard to decide whether Day One will be indicative of the show's quality, or whether it represents growing pains, but I'll give Torchwood the benefit of the doubt, for now. It's almost as if writer Chris Chibnall was briefed about the show's "adult themes" and immediately latched onto sex as the natural idea for his episode. Instead, it smacks of desperation and unoriginality.
Sci-fi shows that resort to nymphomania as a plot device are usually reaching a nadir, and to suggest scenes of people having sex immediately makes Torchwood "sexy and edgy" is just ridiculous. Still, it means we get another same-sex kiss (the second in as many episodes, this time between Gwen and Carys), which proves to be totally unnecessary (the alien needs MEN), but I'm sure it ticked a "slick/sexy/edgy" box for the producers.
Elsewhere, Cardiff is filmed as if it's a cosmopolitan metropolis, the homely Welsh accents continue to undermine the show's edginess, we revisit Torchwood's Hannibal Lecter-esque prison cells (there's even a Lecter-Starling moment between Gwen and the "Resident Weevil" -- heheh), a security guard has a wank, the overblown music becomes intrusive too often, and a gadget appears that you just know will come in handy later -- James Bond style...
Beyond the randy alien, there are attempts made to convince us that Gwen is an asset to Torchwood because of her humanist approach to crime-solving. It's a nice idea, but I can't quite understand why the rest of the team aren't on her wavelength, as there's nothing in their characters to suggest they're particularly disinterested in their fellow man. Still, Gwen's humanist approach only extends to pinning up photos of Carys and suggesting they call her dad!
Overall, Day One is very disappointing given the possibilities of the show, but somehow brainlessly watchable. It has the odd titillation and entertaining scene to make it just about worthwhile, but it's crippled by its old-hat smutty premise and some illogical moments (hey, let's put a girl possessed by alien gas in a cell with air holes!)
To fulfill its adult sci-fi remit, Torchwood is going to have to try much harder than simply shoehorning sex, moderate swearing, and gay kissing into every single plot. A faintly embarassing episode and a worrying low-point for a new series so early in its life.
