The Greatest Torchwood Episode of All Time

'Adam' is the best one ever, remember?
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#DoctorWho #Torchwood #Review

[@HarboWholmes]

Donate to my Patreon for more classic Adam moments: www.patreon.com/harbowholmes

[@mattthesilent777RED]

Great story, I can agree on that

[@frazzlesreviews5379]

I can’t believe Torchwood actually revealed a main character and important part of the team was a parasite this entire time. Adam was there since episode one, having so many great moments and it was a stroke of genius to kill him off mid series keeping the secret really well to avoid spoilers.

[@NotAgnor]

Ngl that would be genius

[@VeracityLH]

I would so watch that.

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

Ah yes Adam, Torchwood's leader and best team member.

[@pastlife960]

The true hero.

[@hannahhannah7002]

"Ianto is the closest thing to HR representative" HR representative is also sleeping with the boss

[@redcoatchazzles3146]

I always assumed that the mystery box that "contained Jack's last happy memory" never changed state when Adam died. That it was always a box of sand, sand which came from the Boeshane Peninsula, from that beach where Jack, his brother and his dad played all day. The sand would have enacted a sense memory had it opened earlier for Jack to inspect. Sure, sand is sand, but this would have linked to that good memory. With the good memory gone and Adam dead, it comes down to either Jack wondering why he has a box of sand or Jack getting a sense memory of the Boeshane Peninsula but it only generating memories of the invasion and the day he lost his brother. Either way, the sand slipping through his fingers makes for a great visual metaphor.

[@georgelittle64]

thats a really interesting idea, shame it was simplified but I love your take

[@MrProbeNWatch]

That’s a really cool interpretation

[@alim.9801]

I don't like sand....

[@Elnont]

One of my favourite moments of this episode is where Owen talks about his relationship with his mum. It’s like a two sentence line but it just explains so much about Owen’s personality.

[@erinella]

My Dad attended a comic con where Gareth David Lloyd was a guest and all my Dad knew was that he was in Torchwood and part of an lgbt ship that I loved. So my Dad took a photo of him sitting alone at his table and sort of poked fun at me because he didn't go over and speak to him on my behalf. I was irritated when I was younger but not too angry but now that I'm older and have rewatched Torchwood often I'm raging. I find that Gareth David Lloyd is so underrated in Torchwood. His acting is stellar and he doesn't get the dos he deserves, so it's great seeing you give him props in your videos. I hope someday I will get the opportunity to meet him. Without my Dad getting in the road.

[@bloodyneptune]

I love Adam because even when hes being a 'villian', this is a creature that literally has do so what he did to survive. Its not like he's a dude that developed powers or was using some object. Its like us getting dropped on a planet where breathing oxygen has a negative effect on the beings that lived there. Are we going to just go 'oh sorry' and hold our breath till we die? We might even, after trying to survive there long enough, get creatively desperate to keep breathing. Especially if we don't understand what we think is minor concequences for them really isn't. Dispite what he did, he was doing what he literally was born to do, and wants to be not dead. And its gotta be kinda scary, we all want to be remembered after we die, and he literally can't have that.

[@Lucien0012]

I can totally understand this. You're making a valid point. At the end of the day, Adam is doing what is natural for him to survive. However, despite this, there's something Sarah Jane Smith once said. When Qetesh ("Ruby White") claimed she only did what she had to, to survive, Sarah Jane said "yes, but you don't have to enjoy it so much". So although Adam is doing what he needs to, he doesn't have to find enjoyment in it. He doesn't have to make it a devastating thing. He doesn't have to manipulate people's behaviours. He doesn't have to make Ianto believe he's a serial killer. He could have made Ianto forget about the diary. But he didn't. He didn't because Adam, despite doing what he needs to, to live, has still got villainous intentions. So there's only so much you can defend.

[@day0cartoon]

This is the only episode of Torchwood I ever saw. I assumed Adam was just a member of the team. Imagine my surprise...

[@hannahhannah7002]

Imagine if they just started this in the series and we just assumed he was a new character brought in when Jack went off and then the series goes on until its revealed

[@ArticTiger]

I like the part where they think Mr. Poopybutthole is also a fake memory and shoot him, but it turns out he was real this whole time.

[@s.31.l50]

Plot twist he is just a more evolved variant

[@leograham3071]

@@s.31.l50 oh you're one of those people

[@TJWehse]

After watching this episode of Torchwood I immediately went to rewatch that Rick and Morty episode but all it did was make me appreciate Torchwood season 2’s Adam all the more

[@ethansomething9365]

This episode got me so badly when I first watched it. Like you I was literally like what who is this? I tried asking my friends at the time and they played along with it, telling me he had been there since like the second episode, this was such a cool idea and it got me good!

[@carlthesanellama3633]

but i told you he was a villain. REMEMBER?

[@CineScarborough]

I really love this episode. It's so clever the way it takes the TV cliche of a new character suddenly appearing out of nowhere to maintain interest in the show, and flips it on its head, turning it into this really unique sci-fi premise.

[@sheepincherubsclothing]

i love Adam's character so, so much. i think he's so interesting. he was desperately trying to survive and he would do absolutely anything to do so. cunning, smart, so fascinating. and the episode is just so brilliant. truly one of my favourites. even with the Rhys plothole, a good explanation for that could be that Adam didn't touch Rhys or implant himself into Rhys' memories, therefore it wasn't the same. the sequence with Ianto is one of my favourites, as i love the way they slip in and out of the hub and from locations - disorientating but not badly confusing. and the lie detector scene gives me actual shivers. Owen and Tosh being swapped: it was so interesting to see this other sides to them and they were played really well. Owen being knocked down a few and Tosh getting the confidence she deserves. AND THE PARALLELS TO THE SANDWICHES. Gwen and Rhys' dynamic is so interesting in this as well. and i love the point that she falls in love with him all over again even after she's been introduced to torchwood. i think that really cements that she didn't settle for him and that they truly do love each other. and the dips into Jack's past were very interesting. sometimes, i forget how much this episode reveals. well, now i remember *bu dum tiss*. anyways i love this episode a lot and thank you for giving it an S teir.

[@stephaniemartin3403]

I'll admit I thought this was just an OK episode when I first watched it as a teenager, but now rewatching it as an adult with multiple older family members living with dementia (with all the changes in personality, forgetting loved ones, hallucinations and confabulations that entails) - it's absolutely terrifying.

[@ChampagneS4366]

I would argue Fragments is Torchwood's best episode for it's contribution to the lore.

[@Alia-bc3rc]

Ah yes, I love that one. The episode that tells heartfelt backstory of my favourite members and then cruelly murdered them in the very next episode.

[@nightowl8477]

1:07 this is like a unanimously loved episode. Admit it, you just said it for the cheap pun

[@johannvongenerico9487]

Honestly, I'm kind of a sucker for a good cheesy intro to a show, Sarah Jane Adventures from about the third season, plus Burn Notice and early Castle were kinda fun

[@HarboWholmes]

"13 bAnNeRmAn RoAd"

[@johannvongenerico9487]

@@HarboWholmes honestly half the reason I like it is probably some kind of televisual Stockholm syndrome. Like my brain knows it's cheesy nonsense but I can't help but smile 😂

[@sleepwalking3345]

@@HarboWholmes i can hear this comment and i don't like it :(

[@abigailguessis1218]

When I first saw this I honestly thought that they recast Owen

[@hermiona1147]

Lol

[@graaaaaaaaaaaaaaace]

Oh my god, I'm so glad I wasn't the only one 😭

[@Witzke231]

Jack really does know his team. He even shouts about their character flaws at the end of the season.

[@shokwavedodo1176]

Imo a day in death is the best episode by a landslide. With Children of Earth in a very close second. But Adam was still incredible.

[@lewiskazinsky7334]

I watched Children of Earth when I was 15 and most of it went over my head. Watched it last month and couldn’t get to the end. It’s so disturbing and upsetting that I had to put on some Doctor Who to wash the flavour out 😂

[@sleepwalking3345]

@@lewiskazinsky7334 i rewatched for the second time (17) and because im a politics student i finally understood att the parliamentary talks lmaoo 😭😭 i really enjoyed it tho i do love dark things lmak

[@lewiskazinsky7334]

@@sleepwalking3345 It’s so depressing how the cabinet immediately go to “Lmao kill the poor kids.” Throwing Frobisher’s family at the 456 was so accurate, too. “We sacrificed one of our own, that’s even, right?”

[@sleepwalking3345]

@@lewiskazinsky7334 yeah and then when he killed himself and his family when they would have been fine if they just waited? Feels bad man 😭

[@PlanetNateGaming]

Owen's whole character arc in series 2 is great, I'd go as far as to say he is the main character of series 2. Owen: my friends all think I'm fine, the truth is... I'm not

[@denial987]

I felt so sad for Tosh and Owen. They had so much time to become a romantic couple but they never capitalized on it and when they died, it was really tragic. :(

[@Old_Gil_Gunderson]

Ironically I actually completely forgot about this episode.

[@alim.9801]

OK JUST WANNA SAY FOR MY GIRL TOSH...OWEN WAS WAY NERDIER IN THIS EPISODE THAN TOSH EVER WAS IT WAS NOT AN EQUAL INVERSE OF THEIR NORMAL ROLES!!!

[@caitlinb35]

I don't think it was trying to be equally inverse, I think it was showing who they (specifically Owen) were without trauma. Could be wrong though!

[@alim.9801]

@@caitlinb35 oh that's a good interpretation I like it

[@jvblhc]

Years earlier, they did the same thing on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, including having a character in the opening credits who shouldn't be there. The big difference was the the character wasn't really a bad guy, just a loser who wanted to be cool. I might assume that Davies, who loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer, put that Buffy idea in his pocket for use much later.

[@laurenjcoates]

this is so funny - in between when this video got but up and now, I went and just re-watched buffy the vampire slayer 4x17 'superstar', where this nerdy character Jonathan creates an alternate reality where he's the vampire slaying hero. they do the opening title sequence/episode opener the exact same way - just editing Jonathan in like he's been there all along, and starting the episode out without acknowledging his sudden presence. between that and the abzorbaloff in 'love and monsters' being almost an exact copy of Balthazar from btvs "bad girls", it really makes me think the dw/torchwood writers were big buffy fans. I thought Torchwood was the first to do the edit-a-character-in-the-title-sequence gag, but I think it may have been buffy!

[@frde2190]

That was the only episode of Buffy that I enjoyed lmao

[@lucypreece7581]

I like this a lot. It is such an interesting concept and it is very uncomfortable and unnerving seeing the power Adam had and honestly when we see him alter Ianto's memories and you see Ianto curled up on the floor in the rain terrified I just wanted to give him a hug. In this whole episode I just wanted to give Ianto the biggest hug in the world. He needed it.

[@nancyhi8357]

Adam is the best member of the team

[@jamiemccreath3959]

I really wish Doctor Who itself did something this intriguing with a memory-rewriting villain. I guess you could count "The Lie of the Land", but that episode had a few issues and didn't really deliver in my opinion.

[@FahadAyaz]

In my headcanon it's a relative of the thing that caused the Dream Lord in Amy's Choice

[@Lia23235]

I've heard a theory that Adam is an eternal of some kind, as he originated from the void and relies on the minds of others to further his own means.

[@Gengu]

Harbo! I think Adam has gotten you!

[@sheepincherubsclothing]

haven't even watched the video yet and i already got my excitable flappy hands. dude, i love this episode and i'm so excited for your review. i gasped when i saw this had been uploaded.

[@imagine_333]

I agree Adam has always been a favourite....what he did to Ianto was horrible and Gareth portrayed it so well!

[@kanashimi4356]

More of a "Day in The Death" guy myself but respectable.

[@alim.9801]

OK YES BUT THAT EPISODE HURTS

[@jbcatz5]

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this episode, but it makes sense that if the memories aren’t reinforced then they’ll fade. Rhys has no reason to remember Adam, and if Gwen doesn’t bring him up there’s nothing to reinforce it. Rhys has his relationship with Gwen back, that’s got to be more important than some guy he only saw one time for half an hour at most (as he didn’t know the link between Adam and Gwen not knowing him).

[@Naumaxia]

This is definitely my favourite stand alone episode of Torchwood! its just so interesting to watch. (that said Gwen's 'not like I love you,' line does still irritate me a tad)

[@VeracityLH]

Excellent analysis. I have wondered whether or not Owen was really revealing his deep feelings for Tosh or whether Adam implanted that too. Which came first? When Adam changed Owen's personality did he insert the crush on Tosh? It seems obvious that Adam did not create the his own relationship with Tosh until after the beginning of the episode. So when Adam and Tosh suddenly became a thing, did that bring out the real feelings Owen has for Tosh or did it bring out the crush that Adam had implanted? Either thought is scary. Though Gwen did remark that Owen had had a crush on Tosh for years, which implies that Adam inserted the memory. It would also have been nice if some of that had carried on after Adam's deletion, like a hangover. But since they never delved into that aspect in the episode we had to wait for Reset to see the Tosh/Owen feelings begin to emerge.

[@TheKnowitalls1]

Honestly dude I love these videos and i always love seeing them pop up in my notifications. Keep up the good work dude :)

[@matttweedie2562]

bruh rick and Morty got some explaining to do

[@alim.9801]

Omg Adam!!! We've been best friends since I don't even know when!!!

[@Rose-np8qv]

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss

[@Pineaaronapple]

Am I the only one who felt far worse for Rhys than Gwen, you know, cause she's been such an ass over the last season.

[@alim.9801]

Nope Im with you, I'm glad their relationship finally got better halfway through season 2 bc they had me stressingggg

[@Leviathis_Krade]

there was the bank heist under capaldi that uses a similar plot mechanic with memories, but a very different usage and order with the memories being lost first and understood last.

[@MrFancyDragon]

11:39 When you use photoshop for the first time and use it to photoshop yourself into your favorite team.

[@joshbarkley4403]

Love this episode, the Rick and Morty one with the memory parasites really reminded me of this, such a great concept.

[@louisewestie989]

I wonder if they EVER got those memories of Adam being at Torchwood back as the amnesia can trip the specific image if your clever.

[@fullfiledprophecies]

You’re getting so close to the season finale and I AM NOT PREPARED... Been loving these Harbo!

[@iusedtowrite6667]

Ngl, Your videos are really making me want to watch Torchwood. I never watched the show as I just wasn't interested. But your videos make a compelling case for them.

[@lindaphillips598]

Do so, they are good, I have both seasons on DVD and love them.

[@sleepwalking3345]

If ur in the UK all 4 seiries are free on bbc iplayer. S4 is shit tho lmaoo s3 is my fave

[@Tyranniod]

It's a great show. You definitely need to give it a try.

[@NameWasntTaken]

@@Tyranniod I’ve never watched it either but I’m not one for gore so are there any episodes where peoples throats aren’t being torn out (yes I saw that scene when I was 9 and was scarred)

[@Alia-bc3rc]

It's one of the best acted episode, and Adam is probably one of the best villain in DWU, but I personally wouldn't really call it the greatest episode per se (imo, I would still give that title to Adrift). There's a couple of unnecessary/not properly explained stuffs like the Tosh & Owen's character switcheroo.

[@SixNineFourTwenty]

adrift was HAUNTING

[@Yvonne_2473]

Definitely one of the best episodes. It's amazing they found the time to give everyone such great scenes. Including Ianto, most of the time it feels the writer's don't know what to do with him. Grr. Those scenes in the back ally are beautifully filmed. And I love Jack's backstory. I don't think John dropped the ball in those scenes, I always felt it was pretty well done. Not as good as Coe but I really felt the emotions. Anyway cool to see you gave the episode such a high rating!

[@cillianennis9921]

No one is born with an individual personality you gain it from how your taught treated and live

[@cillianennis9921]

In a sense gods don't create you your friends, family, enimies and teacher make you you

[@fogharty]

So glad you addressed the Rhys paradox!

[@PlanetNateGaming]

This is one of the best episodes but the one thing that bothers me is we never get an answer to what Adam really is...it's one of the things about one of my favourite shows that keeps me awake at night trying to figure it out.

[@ThirteensHologram]

This is definitely my favourite episode of Torchwood and potentially one of my favourite pieces of Doctor Who universe content in general. The concept of Adam is disturbing to me, the idea of something altering your memories and personality so drastically while you are none the wiser. The scene of Ianto's fake memories was one of the few that managed to stick from my first watch of Torchwood as a 12 year old who wasn't interested in a show that was too adult for me and was one of the things that encouraged me to revisit it at an older age.

[@selmahansen9189]

Adam is my favourite episode too

[@lucyk2371]

Oh i liked the part where Jack tells them all what they mean to him. Its great for a leader to actually express such a range of emotion in a scifi series.

[@mathieuleader8601]

Could you imagine if the parasite returned in Doctor Who being revealed as what the War Doctor actually is

[@amber-1481]

Why would Adam be the war doctor

[@mathieuleader8601]

@@amber-1481 he would actually be the doctor but use his powers to pretend to be the doctor

[@futureravenable]

Obviously a lot of differences, but it did remind me of the Star Trek TNG episode "Conundrum" where a n evil alien wipes the crew's memories and places himself in there, not as in depth but there were themes of identity in there. Though that alien did have the sense to create physical records of himself too.

[@ae121584]

Ive been waiting for this. This was the very first episode of anything doctor who related i ever saw

[@nathanmelo7805]

funny thing that I completetly forgotten about this episode

[@LlamaFluff]

Same

[@alias374]

Ah good ol mister poopy butt... I mean Adam

[@theentity5201]

where did torchwood get the dalek tommy guns from?

[@Benjamin-id9dn]

the explanation in torchwood magazine is that they were salvaged from New York after the events of Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the daleks.

[@thesecretguy2197]

No love for Out of Time? Definitely my favourite episode of the show.

[@bombsite1847]

If you like this, you'll like the novel Border Princes, which has a different twist on the concept and is generally a bit bonkers

[@alim.9801]

Ooo I've been looking for something new to read 👀

[@jbcatz5]

There are some great novels in the Torchwood range, and they bring back Kathy Swanson from series 1. There’s also a great thing about the physical books, in that each set of three form a whole image if you line up the spines.

[@louisewestie989]

This is the episode that shows that for the first time the audience knows what is happening before Torchwood does.

[@rosellastar468]

This episode has always stuck in my mind from how great I thought it was I was so awaiting this review

[@adamryan2215]

As an Adam, this episode personally attacked me.... or maybe my name is just an implanted memory 🤔

[@dylanringproductions160]

Maybe it's just me but I actually love the Torchwood intros lol

[@ohgoditshimrun1346]

In fairness, the concept of Adam's infiltration of the team was not quite as original as you claim here, having been done previously in the Star Trek: TNG episode "Conundrum'. But it was executed much better here, without a doubt.

[@frde2190]

It was also in an episode of Buffy the vampire slayer I think

[@ohgoditshimrun1346]

@@frde2190 BtVS: "Superstar" had the human Jonathan Levinson rewriting everyone's memories to make himself the Mary Sue of his universe, with a personalized monster being created as the counterbalance. While STTNG: "Conundrum" had an alien using the name Kieran MacDuff use memory tampering to insert himself into the crew as its second in command, to use their resources for his own benefit. That said, both "Adam" and "Superstar: did involve reediting the opening credits sequence to spotlight the new guy. So I can see that being a direct inspiration.

[@rusthog]

I'm pretty sure that Madam I'm is a prequel because the description says that it's set in 1950's Torchwood soho.

[@EpicGamer-dk1tp]

M’adam

[@rusthog]

@@EpicGamer-dk1tp Thanks for that richard

[@rusthog]

@@EpicGamer-dk1tp also big finish spells it madam

[@bmvthemoviefanatic7282]

This episode is so good, Rick and Morty used the exact same idea XD

[@-haclong2366]

Ah yeah, the human-shaped memberberry.

[@monstroazul3989]

love ur videos

[@henryg4377]

Just rewatched this ep the other day, and I completely agree that it is the best one!

[@SadKris]

Do you know where I can watch the show? I've been trying to find a good source to watch it from, but I can't

[@hclfgaming3743]

Always loved this episode

[@RyansGuitars]

Where is it on the tierlist?

[@user-jn1wm3tb8v]

Best Torchwood episode is either Small Worlds, Cyberwoman or Day One so far. I wish I didn't have such weird opinions but oh well.

[@foxydev4056]

Don't worry, if you like them then it's your opinion. Wait I remember you.

[@Yvonne_2473]

Day One was my first Torchwood episode and I still like it a lot. Hard to find someone who agrees with me. :D

[@foxydev4056]

We all have our own opinions.

[@pheonix8167]

Look thing is l hate how left him cliffhanger saying he abandoned it :C where was doctor in All ep torchwood

[@francisbartoszewski2284]

Not even close

[@lindaphillips598]

Kai Owen, lovely guy, once shared a cigar dipped in port with him at s Doctor Who con 😁

[@Bryan-on3uj]

Personally, I wouldn't say that it deserves an S rank. Yes, the concept and its exploration (especially with Ianto) are sublime, but I feel like I can't care that much for Jack's backstory because it comes so out of the blue. Ik it's supposed to be that way and that Jack was designed to remain a mystery up to this point, but I just couldn't find myself getting attached to the story of his past because it was so sudden and short. Moreover, in my opinion, the whole Tosh and Owen dilemma feels a bit over the top, but maybe that's just me.

[@aunazzo6850]

My favourite episode yes!!

[@cillianennis9921]

This episode of torch wood episode made me really think and fear adam

[@seanfowler1374]

I’d love an episode of doctor who with this kind of story but Tbf it probably wouldn’t work as well

[@sheepincherubsclothing]

YEEEESSSSSSSSSS ADAM SUPREMACY

[@davechris5467]

I swear the writers of Rick and morty must have copied this concept completely... especially the inclusion of the character in the intro sequence.

[@nevem5010]

💖

[@docskywalker51riftstudios58]

I feel like the woodeness is cause he is been given no memories, and the child version of jack, is somewhat off putting.

[@jayfredrickson8632]

I agree. Barrowman wasn't acting adult Jack badly, he was acting Jack falling apart and his child self coming out.

[@screamsintothevoid9968]

This isn't the best episode of Torchwood! Where's the hour long analysis of Cyberwoman? smh 🙄😤

[@Josh-ze6xo]

is the title mean to say a lot?

[@White.Rabbit.Productions]

I don't think Harbo is that experienced with Sci-Fi. This kind of story has been done several times before and after it's release. It's executed very well and remains a strong episode, but not the best. "A" rank certainly, but not Torchwood's greatest.

[@omegaweaponredux]

This is also my favorite episode of Rick and Morty.

[@TheWolfXCIX]

Can't watch the video tonight, but this was one of my least favourite episodes. Will be interesting to see your take and arguments!

[@PokemonkaDub]

Rick and Morty copied a hell out of this episode...

[@isabellaearnhardt6380]

💙

[@astra3310]

Ok but her reaction to Owen was actually over the top. If someone finds the courage to confess their feelings for you, you let them down GENTLY bc feelings are rough and not something we can always control. Instead she brutally attacked him over it. Yes the confession was a bit more forward than it could have been but it’s not like he tried to kiss her. He only confessed his bottled up feelings after a year (so far as he knew) of watching the one he pines for be with another. It was a bit inappropriate but her reaction is just beyond necessary.

[@codyxvasco592]

That opening line hit awkward.

[@PunkNStein]

Hey is this Torchwood or Rick and Morty, I can't remember what's real

[@baconwithmoreeggs7938]

Anyone else think this is very similar to a certain Rick and morty episode

[@merlin8046]

When I saw the title I was like WHAT? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS LIKE... NAAH? Jack's back story was amazing, but I hated Adam