With the airing of Torchwood Episode 6 (Reset) last week, we are almost half way through Season 2 as it is airing on BBC America.  Though many stateside may have seen later episodes via “alternate means,” I didn’t want to spoil anything for anyone so I won’t discuss any episodes later than what has aired in the US.

Torchwood is a show that I really want to love.  Captain Jack stole my heart on Doctor Who, and I was pleased as punch when John Barrowman got his own show.  Season 1 was uneven at best, with some shining moments, well-intentioned failures, utter misery, and fantastic action.  I think many would agree that the main weakness of Season 1 was the lack of consistency of character and consequences between episodes.  Often the stories had plot holes you could see a mile away.  Nonetheless, I was a bit forgiving, enjoyed the series overall and figured it would get better as the production team found their footing.  This is the base I went into when Season 2 started.

I am pleased to report that overall, Season 2 is a vast improvement over the first.  It’s still not quite together yet, but much, much better. The main cast seems to have settled into their roles, and the writers are a bit more consistent with the characters.  Gwen doesn’t annoy me nearly as much as before, Owen is much more of a whole person than the flat caricature he had been, Tosh has a bit more confidence (despite still pining over Owen), and Ianto is sharper than ever.  Jack has a bit more of his Who spark back, rather than being the dark, emo-Jack of last year.  That being said, I still wish John Barrowman could learn to rein in his theatre style acting a bit.  Sometimes his over the top performance just rips me right out of a scene.

The first three episodes were all pretty strong, with great guest starring performances from James Marsters (Captain John), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Beth) and Anthony Lewis (Tommy).   Sure there were some plot foibles and scifi clichés, but these episodes were certainly engaging and interesting stories to tell.   “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” especially stood out with hilarious one-liners, fun action and a nice introduction to the season arc where we learn a bit more of Jack’s past.  

The next three episodes, though not quite as well done as the first set, offered some excellent developments.  I like that Rhys is now in on the Torchwood game, and can be more supportive to Gwen.  His scenes with Jack were priceless.  I really like Action Ianto, despite it not really making sense for him to be so adept in the field.  Naoko Mori did a great job with Tosh’s role reversal in “Adam” and Burn Gorman is starting to prove why he is truly the best actor on the show.  When he is given the right material, like in “Reset,” he really can deliver.   Finally, I was so happy to see Martha back on the telly.  This Martha is stronger, more sure of herself and over the Doctor (mostly, but thank heaven!).  She fit in nicely with the rest of the team.

Now, for the not so good.  They should have learned their lesson from the awful devil monster from last year that they need to stop using CGI when they can’t afford to do it properly.  That alien in “Meat” was dreadful.  And Jack’s home time period should have looked like something other than Tatooine.  At some point, the writers need to acknowledge the Gwen/Owen affair from last year.  It’s infuriating when key plot points from the past are completely ignored.  Also, the Jack/Ianto relationship is still a bit confusing and inconsistently painted to me.  I am not a shipper of any kind, but I wish it was more clear if they were actually dating or just having a fling.  Lastly, the big twist of killing Owen at the end of “Reset” needed to be much less predictable.  He agrees to a date with Tosh, saves Martha and clearly seems to be on the road to redemption.  In the simple school of writing, that just screams out “kill me now.”   

My hope for the rest of the season is a steady build up to a thrilling season finale with just enough left open to continue on to a third season.  We’ll see if Chris Chibnall and his crew can pull it off.  I want Torchwood to be one of those shows I love every week, not just sometimes.