Torchwood 1x2 Reaction!! "Day One"

My first time watching Series 1 Episode 2 of Torchwood - Day One
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Hi, I'm Chris! Welcome to my channel. I react to movies & tv shows hoping to represent what it's really like to experience them for the first time. If you enjoy, you can support me by liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and letting me know your thoughts in the comments.
A lot to love as we follow Gwen on her catastrophic first day at Torchwood! This is a great example of a bad plotline done in an interesting way.
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Original Series: Torchwood (2006)

[@CasualNerdReactions]

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[@MRLUTHOOOR]

Christ I fucking love this show. Wish it continued

[@SNMG7664]

if you can make it through sex gas you will survive torchwood lol

[@paulpenna5615]

Fans typically make fun of this episode, for good reason. Torchwood - How can we show that we're more mature than Doctor Who? I know, SEX GAS! It's the most immature way of trying to be mature.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Immature way of being mature is such a great way to describe this 🤣👏

[@tenchraven]

That actually sums up Torchwood really well. It was trying to be edgier than the CW (the one in the States, not DW). It's still fun, but... Targetted a very different audience, one less interested in exploring morality and humanity and just wanted to be as fun and sexy as the censors would allow.

[@joeb918]

TW is like a teen in the sense it has an older brother (DW) that everybody and your mum loves, so it's first series is basically them trying their upmost to be their own thing. Where it can stand in its own and start adulting and be out from under its brothers shadow. It matures a bit in series 2 and relays less on trying to be adult and actually by being so... for the most part. It still heavily leans on its big brother when it needs to.

[@wobaguk]

Russell T Davies is a big Buffy fan to the extent that Rose was based on her. It seems to me that this show is VERY stylistically based on Angel, with Jack having this resurrected life and a tendency to stand around on rooftops looking heroic. It may or may not be a coincidence that the second episode of Angel was about a human possessing entity that bodyswapped through hookups to sustain itself

[@HuntingViolets]

Which was also an _X-Files_ episode -- one of the few I've seen.

[@phtevenj]

the HAND... 🤣... IYKYK 🥰

[@catherine140864]

For me it's mainly about the characters and how they interact with each other. They are such great actors - particularly Owen, Tosh and Gwen, but they all have their moments. And Captain Jack - well, I think a large portion of the UK was a little bit in love with him from Dr Who and he's charismatic and interesting in TW as well - we gradually learn more about him. Some of the special effects were awful, even back then, because their budget was really small (even smaller than DW and that didn't have the biggest budget in the world for what they were trying to do). But the plots of some of the episodes, even in series one, are amazing - emotional, shocking, enthralling, intriguing. The rest are still fine, just they did go a bit overboard with trying to be 'adult' and post-watershed, particularly in the first few episodes.

[@JArm1996]

One thing about TW Season 1, they really cover the whole 'not for kids' elements with stuff like this, on top of the bloody violence, swearing, sex scenes etc. it evens out on Season 2 thankfully.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

This is great news, thanks.

[@Spindler2007]

It's amazing that Burn Gorman (Owen Harper) has now appeared in many TV shows and movies since Torchwood. He's even appearing in the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel which will be good to see.

[@Vincornelis]

Ah season 1 Torchwood. A show trying to be adult but ends up being a teenage boys version of adult. All sex and violence. There are better episodes to come though.

[@CrankyGrandma]

That’s a good description of s1

[@FahadAyaz]

S1 does have some good episodes though (as well as the 👖 ones)

[@joeb918]

I think they were also broadly trying to separate themselves from Doctor Who. The show basically got labelled an adult version of Doctor Who, which is all well and good, Doctor Who itself has moments that transcends origins as basically young persons and family television and hits some really deeper more adult themes, but it still retains its soft silly edge and quickly 180s and goes back to being safe and family friendly. Torchwood wanted to quickly well, torch that softness of Doctor Who… and as you say, it aimed for adult themes, but did so in a rather teen version of adult and was actually less mature because of it ironically.

[@noneya3635]

Exactly, men of the things I hated about Enterprise early episodes. Juvenile cursing boob and sex jokes / events that sad men in the studios thought was what made fans happy. Eventually they stopped trying to be edgy and went back to telling stories about science and the human condition and stoped dressing T’pol in the cat suit. One of these days the studios will get it through their heads from the jump that T & A isn’t the focus of sci fi fandoms.

[@ghostsurfer23]

Back in the day it was really amusing hearing about people's first experiences both with the show but this episode specifically. Because episode 1 is a little dark, but still not super farm removed from Doctor Who conceptually. Then BAM, episode 2, sex cloud. It was especially funny hearing about people who watched Doctor Who with their parents and then when straight to this with no context.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I just love the idea of watching this with your family and not knowing.

[@SeanS102]

to my memory they aired the first two episodes back to back and I insisted watching them both, and not long into my parents being in the room for episode 2 did I regret this

[@fleason771]

Owen will grow on you... Definitely room for improvement at this early stage

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I will say for me after episodes 7 and 8 (which I just watched) this show has really clicked for me. I even enjoyed Owen in episode 8.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Excited to see how!

[@Lord_Williams]

I used to love watching Torchwood back in the day. All takes place in Wales. My actual next door neighbour is in an episode as a character. Love the channel and much respect.

[@mortimerbrewster3671]

There were a lot of hit and miss episodes but I still loved the show for the first two seasons. I hated the way seasons 2 and 3 ended. Didn't care when the show was canceled after those endings.

[@MLRTCL]

I saw the face/your reaction on the thumbnail and thought, yeah thats about right

[@JAYWALKER1000]

They made the second episode quite memorable. I love seeing people react to it.

[@thequietguy1648]

@0:00 :D :D :D Haven't even watched this reaction yet, but your expression in the thumbnail speaks volumes! :D Yeah: this isn't "Doctor Who" for sure, but the show's definitely more of a grower! ;) :p

[@yehudisfriedman8459]

😂😂not the somebody save me 😂😂

[@Samsonfs]

You should check out primeval, British show with a similar premise but with time travel elements from a similar era of television here.

[@gordonw.8831]

Controversial opinion - Owen is my favourite charachter in Torchwood, but only after Series 2, when he gets an amazing story arc. When starting as a douchebag, he has the most space to grow.

[@Iratevillian]

I love small worlds in this season. Such a good episode

[@christhornycroft3686]

What I like about this show is that nobody's perfect. You still root for everyone on the team, but not everyone's likeable all the time. They're flawed. Without spoiling it for you, they make mistakes and bad ethical decisions, some of them to almost irredeemable levels, but they pull back just enough so that you still want them to succeed. My sister had a huge crush on Owen, despite his flaws. I always thought Eve Myles (Gwen) was beautiful. I really like Rhys, Gwen's boyfriend. He's a really good guy and shows that Gwen deep down isn't always looking for the male model, which she absolutely could. I'm not going to say that the science fiction is trivial, but in a way, as the series goes along, it's to some extent an excuse to develop more about the human characters. If you watched Doctor Who, Captain Jack Harkness isn't exactly the greatest guy, at least in the beginning. I didn't see all the episodes of that show, but he seemed to be kind of a con man trying to go straight. Well...LOL. Maybe straight is a bad choice of words. He's omnisexual. Again, eat your heart out, James Bond. I suppose this episode could be accused of being a bit too much about shock value, but there's still enough here that made me want to see the next episode, and I was glad I did. I actually like that the effects are a bit like a Tim Burton movie. Sometimes they're amazing, and other times they look laughably bad, even for their time. But the characters sell it enough I think that you just go with it. When it's cheesy, it's likeable and you're left with a silly grin on your face and when it's good, it's great. I hadn't seen Eve Myles in anything before this, but she's gorgeous and a terrific actress and I'm surprised she didn't go direct to Hollywood immediately after this.

[@TheWebcrafter]

15:47 - "ANOTHER ONE TURNS TO DUST"

[@Yvonne_2473]

I like the episode, great team moments very early in the season! I am so glad you liked it at least a bit I really love your reactions, such fun!

[@loraleitourtillottwiehr2473]

Regarding Owen; I think the intention was to give him room for growth as a character by having him start out as a bit of a shit. I certainly found him offputting. I don't know for sure about his character arc though as I haven't seen all of Torchwood yet. Also I think the characters in general are meant to be flawed/morally gray on this show, to go with the more adult themes.

[@mortimerbrewster3671]

I ended up really liking Owen but they were giving him way too much room to grow in the beginning. He was truly awful.

[@Luzarioth]

Against their Wishes is difficult in that context... as, they wished to :) That would boil down to a discussion about free will ^^*

[@tenchraven]

Incomplete disclosure, so the consent was not fully informed and was in fact coerced.

[@Luzarioth]

@@tenchraven When do you decide to be sexually attracted to someone ? You don't. You have no control over it. So where is the difference between "I did not choose to be naturally attracted to this person" and "I did not choose to be 'technologically' attracted to this person" ? Either way, your Free will didn't had anything to do with it.

[@medafan53]

I think season 1 of Torchwood sort of exemplafies the crew getting used to having a higher age rating, and pushing the boundries of what they can do with it, and pushing it a bit too far, they do get better at using the higher rating properly. As for Owen... yeah at the start of the show he's practically the token Evil Teamate, but I think he does get a bit better later. Also, the Hand... it's more important than you might think.

[@Cinnamon_Shaey]

Owen as he is in Torchwood yea is a bit meh but i cant help but like his actor cause of his role in pacific rim i have watched the first season of torchwood before, but its been YEARS so i dont remember nuch, exited to relive it tho

[@johnmonk66]

You have a lot of content for someone with only 22k subscribers, but keep it up, you are a good reactor. Might I suggest shows people don't know about? Like Silo and Constellation on Apple? Two brilliant new shows you, and your viewers, will LOVE.

[@menolikey_]

Glad you're watching this series now that you're wrapping up BSG. Can't wait for thing I can't mention.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I also can’t wait for whatever thing you can’t mention.

[@menolikey_]

@CasualNerdReactions bro. You're not ready for any of them and I want to see you react to all of it. I'm pretty sure I told you to buckle up a while ago.

[@Venemofthe888]

Ive just subbed and been watching all your doctor who videos and you have such a fun energy

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Glad to have you here!

[@gregweatherup9596]

Season 1 they are trying to find their place within the post-watershed “adult” oriented role.

[@HuntingViolets]

Can you imagine this alien on _Doctor Who._

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

Alien sex vampires havr been a scifi standard for decades. Is this episode a bit silly? Sure. People think these early episodes were often a miscalibration, but I dont think that's what it was. It's more that they're approaching some of the 'adult' scifi tropes that normally don't fit in the Doctor Who wheelhouse. Awkward fit sometimes. But it pays off.

[@CookieFoxx]

Torchwood is certainly different from Doctor Who c.c

[@joshuathompson2404]

I'm so tempted to tell you to "stick with it" and "it gets better," then I remember you're at least 5 eps ahead of me :) Hope you agree!

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I agree! I've enjoyed a lot of the first half of the season, but it's rounding episodes 7 & 8 that really pulled me into the show!

[@paulhammond6978]

@@CasualNerdReactions Yeah, I think that sounds about right. I have just watched "Countrycide" and I think that was a good episode of "torchwood does gory horror" that I actually thought was pretty good.

[@docksider]

Believe me the stories get better - stick with it

[@TheMarcHicks]

All I will say is that Owen grew on me.

[@tenchraven]

Less kid friendly, but the "maturity" of Torchwood is not intellectual but based on "look at us, we're naughty!" attempt at being edgy. In many ways it's less mature than Doctor Who, but in the manner of 12 year old with a marker writing naughty words on the privy wall, rather than the manner of the Doctor. 20 years ago, I enjoyed it, but this rewatch with our host... I fear this one might not have age as well. And it's so hard not to tell him about the hand!

[@AnnekeOosterink]

Yeah, the first season is... rough. They got much better in season 2 and season 3 is most people's favourite for a reason. Owen is low on my list of favourites, but after the entire story I don't hate him as much as I did in the first season. They wrote him as a mean bully, but I'm fairly sure they didn't mean to write him as a predator who grapes people in the first episode, so for the character's sake I can ignore that aspect. Though I have some issues with the writers for that one. Drugging someone into sleeping with you is a crime, and not a "haha isn't Owen weird" bit.

[@Shoomer1988]

Well, that never happens on The Sarah Jane Adventures.

[@DaxRaider]

even as a straight male i find it rly hard looking at john barrowman and not feel anything xD damn that bloke is gorgeous

[@Adam-je2cp]

Then you are not as straight as you think

[@woodhouse122]

Surprised you haven't worked out whose hand it was ! 😀

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I definitely know, but I’m not sure if I would have given it much thought or not if I hadn’t accidentally spoiled that.

[@JAYWALKER1000]

Like a lot of first seasons this one is a little rough.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Some of my favorite shows have hit or miss first seasons.

[@mpg272727]

Season 2 of Torchwood is fantastic. Season one is.. Rather hit and miss

[@derrisreaditbefore]

LOL... this was an... unusual episode... While the show never quite decides on what tone it wants to be, this is a weaker than most episode. Thanks as always Chris.

[@TheOnlyGazzLam]

3rd time's the charm... nope! Axe is called Lynx in the U.K. because of..........reasons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@dwilborn1257]

Owen is my least favorite character. There are upcoming episodes where I start to think he's okay or even feel empathy... but then he says something and Im back at square one.

[@adaddinsane]

I didn't hate TW, it was watchable, but the Sarah Jane Adventures were much better.

[@noneya3635]

This episode is a straight up rip off of the 1990’s Outer Limits reboot. Specifically the episode with Alisa Milano showing her rack to kill the Who’s the Boss image. Literally beat for beat the story line and the solution are the same.

[@kathleenobrien3473]

Owen has a really heartbreaking back story

[@pvksl]

Delete this

[@obiwankenobi687]

It’s strange how Gwen Cooper is one of my favorite characters in the whoniverse but it’s only off the back of two seasons of torchwood, series 3 and 4. It’s where the Doctor who writer takes over and turns it into a serious show. Series 1 and 2 for me though are just so amateur, I’ve never rewatched them I just find them mostly really poor.

[@carolineskipper6976]

Yeah...this episode is trying overly hard to set out the show's stall as an 'adult' show....it gets better... Your comment about Rhys (Gwen's bf) being too nice and will either get dumped or be killed off shows you are not yet expert in Russel T Davies' style. He always grounds his central characters in an ordinary family, as a counter balance to the weird alien shit they are dealing with. As Jack says, they need her to continue to live her ordinary everyday life. Owen gets better......eventually.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Can't wait to hear your opinions once I get there!

[@TamB89]

Owen is the worst

[@kathleenobrien3473]

The hand belongs to the Doctor! He had his hand cut off in The Christmas Invasion and Jack retrieved it

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Do stop posting g spoilers! Although, in this instance I was pre spoiled. I don’t know how or where, but I read it somewhere.

[@kathleenobrien3473]

@CasualNerdReactions my bad, I didn't realize that it's a spoiler. Like you, I watched Christmas Invation and saw the scene where the Doctor had his hand cut off then I watched Torchwood and noticed the hand and just made the connection.