How to Improve Torchwood

[Kostmayer]

I reckon that Ianato fellow should take over. Always liked him. Maybe its because he fulfils the same role I do at work (albeit not in a top secret Government organisation run by Captain Scarlett), maybe its cause he looks like a mate of mine. Maybe its the sideburns. In anycase, he's about the only one with a sane head on his shoulders.

Also, annoying and amoral as Gwen is, I still fancy the pants of her. Owen needs to die for getting it on with her.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Kostmayer

Maybe its because... he's about the only one with a sane head on his shoulders.

This is the same man who keeps a cyberwoman girlfriend locked in the cellar

[mistera]

Originally Posted by Coolhand

L: It’s black ops, Stupid!
Why putting the name of your secret organization on the side of your SUV is possibly detrimental to your low profile operation.

Thought of an addition to this one:

And why strolling into a crime scene (usually in slo-mo, coats billowing in the wind) and simply announcing to all and sundry "Torchwood, we'll take it from here" might not be the best way to keep one's existence hush-hush...
(Are there no journalists in Cardiff who are even slightly interested in gruesome murders by alien beings?)

[Interference]

Originally Posted by mistera

Are there no journalists in Cardiff who are even slightly interested in gruesome murders by alien beings?

As long as no sheep are hurt in the process, it's live and let Dai as far as Cardiff is concerned.

[Kostmayer]

Originally Posted by Dave

This is the same man who keeps a cyberwoman girlfriend locked in the cellar

Well we all have our hobbies :P

[StevenSavile]

Oh that is SO bad I almost want to nick it... live and let Dai... hah! brilliant.

[Threshold]

Originally Posted by Coolhand

L: It’s black ops, Stupid!
Why putting the name of your secret organization on the side of your SUV is possibly detrimental to your low profile operation.

I missed this perl, but I agree on all. The show has(had) a great potential in my eyes when I saw the links from the Doctor.
Too bad, actually not such a bad idea, but turned into a wannabe-horror-kiddie-ride...
And then I really don't get it why they cancel the really good stuff like SG-1...

[Mary Hoffman]

I know that everything said here is true but I can't help loving it.

And here's a thought - maybe realism like keeping a low profile isn't quite necessary in a show with this one's basic premise?

Mary

[Lenny]

Mary, welcome to the Dark Side. *evil grin*

We really need some evil grin emoticons. They'd really come in useful in a wide variety of situatuons.

A quick thought on keeping a low profile - does it matter? No, seriously... TW is a group of, well, alien-crime fighters. But only to those in the know. Otherwise they're just seen as a bunch of weirdos. In all honesty, they don't actually need to keep a low profile.

Also, going back to mistera's point about "keeping one's existence secret" - did TW1 in London not advertise themselves somewhat? Sure, they said nothing about the fact they dabbled in everything alien, but they didn't exactly stop the public from knowing who they were.

[Captain B]

The question is how to improve Trorchwood.

Demote Jack – he is better as that maverick (as said already)
Have a new Boss –Why not the retired Brigadier ? Promoted Captain Yates Or even Benson, These people can be in the office in charge, with Jack doing all the running & action, but have the friction/tension of that Maverick Jack

Why not have Martha replace (was it Owen?) As the medical person

[Interference]

And that, Mr Davis is how it's done.

I agree with practically everything you say, Captain B, and kick myself that I didn't think of Captain Yates or Sgt Benson myself. And if I'm kicking myself, I hope RTD is really giving himself a good doing over, as well he should.

[Captain B]

The problem is it’s not what us mere mortals think
It’s those people form the BBC
But I’m a bit worried that they are to have Catherine Tate as the new Doctors assistant, next we will have Bonny Langford turning up (Bless her cotton socks)

[Interference]

Sorry to come back to this after all this time, but I just realised the definitive answer:

Call it PRIMEVAL and let ITV do it.

[High Eight]

Originally Posted by areader

Well the series has just launched in Australia and I watched the first episode but have missed out on the last couple of weeks and I was wondering what others thought. I kind of hoped Harkness would grow depth as a character as the series went on.

He does (a little) in series two, but then John Barrowman is called upon to act. Oh dear. Oh dearie, dearie me. And lawks.

[Marauder77]

Sorry to resurrect an ancient thread, but there was to much to comment on.

It seems a lot of the criticism stems from Torchwood not acting like a proper, professional black-ops team.

Well, maybe because they are not...

The Torchwood we know of is sort of Jack Harkness personal little project. After the destruction of the other Torchwood-branches, and his old commanders murder spree / suicide on the night of the new millenium, Jack has been left to run the Cardiff branch more or less like he pleases. He recruited the team, and for all we know answers to no-one. He obviously didn't like the way the Torchwood he was recruited into back in the day worked, summary executing all aliens they captured. So he reshaped the outfit to his own pleasing.

Why keep it low key? Using the reputation of Torchwood as a "free-pass" against the local police and authorities solves a lot of problems. And these authorities just see them as some secret special task force with nearly unlimited access and unclear mandate. As mentioned in the Dr. Who episode "Boom-Town", the government in London could care less of the going on's in Wales. As long as Torchwood doesn't make a lot of "noise", they can continue to do what they like.

And if you see the Torchwood more like Harkness' personal tool to protect the earth against whatever comes through the rift, rather than part of the government proper, a lot of the plot-holes mentioned in this thread disappear.

He's like someone who inherited his grand-uncles business, and decided to keep the brandname, and what parts of the operation he liked, and reshape the rest after his own whim. Knowing he's immortal doesn't make training a successor a high priority; and having operatives he likes, and he feels can do the job, even if they don't act rationally or by the books, is paramount.

It's like accusing Doctor Who of picking "unprofessional" companions...