Torchwood: Sexy, Dark and Dangerous.

Torchwood is a spin-off, and an anagram, of Doctor Who, the brilliant British SciFi series.

Torchwood is a secret organization that exists 'apart from the Government, outside the police, and beyond the United Nations.' Their job is to protect the world from things outside it.

Set in Cardiff, they sit on a rift in time and space that runs through the city. The jetsom and flotsum of the universe tends to wash through this rift, and Torchwood are the ones who deal with it.

Lead by the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) the team is composed of Dr. Owen Harper (Burn Gorman)the medical specialist, Toshiko Sato, (Naoko Mori) the computer genius, Police Officer Gwen Cooper, (Eve Myles) who brings police methodology, and the human touch to the group, and Ianto(Yan-too) Jones, (Gareth David-Lloyd) the caretaker.

The threats they face include Weevils, vaguely humanoid carnivores who slide through the rift and live in the sewers, a gaseous alien who possesses young girls, and lives off orgasmic energy, Cyber Women, Faeries, cannibals, time travelers, alien Fight Clubs, and the end of the world. Through 13 episodes, we get to know these five people, and see what makes them tick...well, except for Jack, of course.

One of my favorite scenes though was when Jack was trapped in 1941, meeting the man whose name he appropriated, knowing he is destined to die the next day, and falling in love with his own namesake.

Jack is immortal, bisexual (at least) and here to save us all as we enter the 21st century, when everything changes. He is going to see that we are ready.

SciFi fans probably recognise Jack from his appearances on Dr. Who. Torchwood evolved from that show, and its history helped shape it. The original Dr. Who was a low budget scifi show that owed much to the serials that played before the feature. They did not have a lot of options for special effects, so they used story and creativity to compensate. Now, in the remake, we have CGI and a big budget, but you still get that feeling of "check your disbelief at the door, mate, or it won't be no fun."

Torchwood moves a step beyond that. One thing that I find amazing is that no one in the making of disc once mentioned the term Film Noir. This IS Film Noir. Cynical, hardened, a bit amoral, fighting for survival in a world of moral ambiguity. I love Film Noir, and I love this dark, gritty feel. This is the real world folks, we just show you what is in the shadows.

SciFi Noir with a Bisexual Hero...I'm in love.

The writing is wicked good; it does tend to go a bit over the top, but that is the genre. The sets are great, using real life Cardiff, and mixing in this 19th century tube station headquarters. The acting is amazing. Once again, sometimes a bit over the top, but that IS the genre.

Another thing I love is these people are people; Gwen has a boyfriend. And she cheats on him. Everyone uses the alien tech for their own ends, even though they know they shouldn't. I mean really, if you got your hands on the aphrodisiac body spray like Owen did, don't tell me you wouldn't abuse it.

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Torchwood: Season One
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