Everything Changes

"You catch aliens for a living?"

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 22 October 2006

Series: Torchwood 1.01

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When Torchwood arrives on the scene of a brutal murder, WPC Gwen Cooper's curiosity is piqued. Torchwood's attitude, approach and technology is at odds with everything she believes in. Investigating the investigators leads her into a dark, paranoid world she never imagined existed.

Verdict

Everything Changes was a terrific episode to kick off a much overdue rewatch of Torchwood! As Gemma and I embark on the modern era of Doctor Who together for the first time, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity between Series 2 and 3 to introduce her to the brilliant spinoff series that is Torchwood. She has never seen it which I found astonishing so I was hugely excited to watch this with her as I just know she is going to enjoy it. Personally, it's been at least eight years since I watched the first couple of series so I was also really happy to be watching this episode again and embark on the journey of Torchwood. This is a fine episode to start the series and it was really intriguing to see the similarities with Rose as an introduction to Doctor Who. It was a similar approach here with Gwen and seeing Torchwood through her eyes and being introduced to the team and everything that entails through her. She's such a lovely character and I like how she is interested in the special ops immediately and doesn't take away her interest. Jack knowing that she was there looking on was fantastic and the way he almost initiates Gwen into Torchwood throughout the episode is wonderful. I thought the Weevil was a fun first alien for the series and it being used to explain the Rift and the importance of Cardiff to alien life and Torchwood Three was really good. I thought the perception filter at the Hub was so much fun and somehow I never clocked on that it was explained as a result of the TARDIS landing there in Boom Town. I thought that was really clever and I thoroughly enjoyed the continuity to wider Doctor Who in the episode with the references to The Christmas Invasion and Doomsday. Gwen explaining how Rhys had told her that it was some sort of mass hallucinogenic was great and Jack's reaction was delightful. I thought the introduction for the rest of the team was decent if not quick, with Owen, Tosh and Susie all getting on with their jobs. I like the fact that they all took a bit of alien tech home with them for very different purposes and that told us a little about each of them which was important as we await further character development. Ianto playing along as Gwen arrived with the pizza was great stuff too. I thought the use of the resurrection glove was brilliant and Gwen's reaction when seeing life brought back from the dead was superb. I like how the plot device at the heart of the episode is rather simple in the end with the glove being revealed as the latest murder motive and Gwen seeing the mocked up image at the police station to spark her memory of Torchwood after Jack heartbreakingly retconned her. I think that's a little surprising given how he was teaching her and showing her around Torchwood, but thankfully everything works out in the end and it's a clever way to show that Suzie was the murderer all along. The perception filter not working for Suzie and her sudden shooting of Jack through the head was an incredible moment that also really shocked Gemma which was good! Gwen's reaction when she thought that she had no hope of surviving was incredible and the image of Jack rising from behind Suzie before she killed herself was quite something! Susie doing the murdering for use of the glove to try and learn it and harness its power was interesting for sure and seemed really logical. I like the idea of the culprit being a member of what we thought was an established Torchwood team. Jack offering Gwen the vacancy was great and I love that she now has the job she thought was mad. Overall, a brilliant episode to start the series!

Rating: 9/10