Torchwood 2x10: Out of the Rain

[jadesfire]

I need to start this by saying that I am a HUGE fan of PJ Hammond. Sapphire and Steel is a work of genius. An insane genius, but still. Genius. I really enjoyed Small Worlds last series, and was thrilled to bits at the trailer. For the first half an hour or so, I was captivated. Then...something happened, and the sparkle disappeared. I wish it hadn't because up to then, I'd been glued to my screen and jumping out of my skin. But around the 2/3 mark, it just seemed to lose something.

I think they started to explain things.

For me, there was just too much to fit into the episode. The pacing went from slow, steady and creepy, to frantic and rushed. I was really loving the slow build, but the pay off didn't work. That's it? That's all that happens? Jack films them and they evaporate? Actually, that wasn't my problem. As explanations went it was silly, but against people walking out of film, a pterodactyl, secret underground base, real 'fairies' and a box that's bigger on the inside than the outside? Not so silly. My problem was the way it was done. There was no dramatic build up to it, no pay off for the understanding that we've been building of the baddies. No emotion clincher. It lacked punch.

I couldn't tell whether the problem was in the writing or the directing, but I'm suspecting the former. It felt like he'd spent so long building the characters - the bit that I lovedlovedloved - that he'd forgotten he had to do something with them. There were flashes of really, really good stuff here. The whole scene with Christine and Jack was lovely. Jack telling Ianto about the Night Travellers. Jonathan's frantic panic for his parents. The fact that all those people died (what? If they never kill anyone, the tension ceases to feel real.)

The production was lovely, the actors playing the Ghost Maker and Pearl did a good job of difficult parts. The Electro was fantastic (Cardiff folks - where IS that? Z, can we go see it?). It was a really good idea. Owen and Gwen gave sterling support, Tosh was woefully underused as per usual, but I've resigned myself to that now. But I keep wanting to say 'but', all the way through this. And that's a terrible shame.

Also, for pretty much the first time ever, I have the urge to write an episode fix. To give it exactly the same ending, but drive the emotion home a bit harder. Because while everyone was very pretty, it ended up feeling as thin as one of those pieces of film.