Every now and then the good people at WordPress release an update for WordPress, the blogging software I use. In the latest update (3.2.1) they’ve made the admin functions respond faster which is always good. But they’ve also added this: (Click for full size.)
I’ve called it Just Write. Basically it creates a blank page with in your browser window for you to write your posts. Finally no distractions. Well done wordpress, love the feature and will be using it from now on.
Episode 2 starts with Captain Jack and Gwen being forced on a plane for extradition to America. Gwen is separated from Rhys and her baby, who are left in the UK. Another CIA agent Lyn joins Rex on the plane to supervise the prisoners. On the plane Jack talks about a theory of everyone being connected and Lyn overhears and sends an email to her boss who gives instructions for Lyn to kill Jack. Lyn fixes Jack a drink which is laced by poison. Obviously some in the CIA think he knows too much, but it’s not quite clear who these corrupt CIA people work for.
In America an openly admitted and found guilty paedophile and murder (Oswald), who in the first episode we saw be injected with lethal drugs as he was sentenced to death be released as technically his sentence was carried out. He goes on TV and makes a tearful remorsefully statement that seems to some genuine. Afterwards he’s getting in the lift and he’s greeted by a PR Agent, but declines her offer for help.
Meanwhile back on the plane the poison is kicking in and Jack is dying. It’s revealed that Lyn has poisoned her and Rex hand cuffs her to her seat. Rex rings a doctor that had treated him in the first episode and she manages with doctor friends discussing the Miracle Day problems to give Rex and Gwen the information to cure him. They eventually cure Jack and then arrive at America.
The doctor that helped Rex is approached by the PR Agent and gives a seemingly helpful suggestion about drug stockpiles. It get’s you thinking: Who is this PR Agent? What are her motives?
On arrival in America, Rex get’s a call of a colleague from the CIA who says they’re being set up. That someone has put $50,000 in her account and she’s being chased by the CIA. Rex realised he must do something and stops Captain Jack and Gwen and unhand cuffs them talking some rubbish about amendments before Jack, Gwen and Rex attack the agents in order to escape. They escape and that brings the episode to an end.
The action steps up in this episode which was good. But more impressive was that the mystery has stop being explained leading you to question and watch it unravel in front of your eyes. Well done to the makers of Torchwood for no longer having the characters explain what’s going on and allowing us to work it out for ourselves.
Recently I’ve been living to a new philosophy: find a moment of joy in each day. Whether it be something big or small, noticing those little moments of joy during the day has made a big difference to my happiness.
Here’s some of my recent moments of joy:
Coming in to see the cats bed tipped upside down with Dylan attacking it. Then seeing the bed move and realising Russell is under it.
Laughing with a work colleague until my stomach hurts, over something that’s seemingly not funny.
A few weeks ago I saw an trailer for Torchwood on the BBC and got all excited. Torchwood was coming back on the TV! I immediately series linked it. I was surprised as Torchwood: Children of Earth (available at Amazon and all good retailers) was suppose to be the last series and what a series it was. It had tention, drama, action, emotions and a lot of death. In deed many of the main characters were killed off as it was the last series. Apart from Captain Jack (played by John Barrowman) who is immortal and doesn’t age, and Gwen Cooper who if I remember correctly was just lucky.
So what did Torchwood: Miracle Day, Episode 1 have in store for us? The story starts in America with people who should be dead unable to die. For the first ten minutes we see CIA characters, none of which we know, and only get a glimpse of Gwen’s quite life in rural Wales. She’s now got a baby with Rhys (her long standing partner) and they live “off the radar”, well until Miracle Day happens – were people all over the world simply can’t die.
When Captain Jack finally appears he is looking good (Well the actor John Barrowman is, you can see my love for him by the post tag: John Barrowman). Captain Jack swings in to action as an email saying one word TORCHWOOD is sent out at the exact time Miracle Day starts. Captain Jack must protect Gwen at all costs as the CIA start to investigate Torchwood. What follows is a mix of action and drama, with a really good action scene involving Jack driving a 4×4 on a Wales beach being chased by a helicopter with men in black shooting at them. Gwen rocket launches the helicopter and it comes flying at them before crashing on the beach. At one point Captain Jack gets cut and he suddenly realises, he’s not immortal and indestructible any more. Usually he would have healed, but suddenly he realises it’s reversed. Jack is mortal whereas the rest of the world is immortal.
Episode 1 ends with Captain Jack, Gwen and her family being arrested and extradited to the US by a CIA agent. The format has some similarities and differences to the previous series of Torchwood. Similar is the way it starts off with something happening and a mystery to who’s behind it and why they’re doing it. However the differences were clearly noticeable. The first that the story seems to have been “dumbed down.” Jack makes a point of stating he can now be hurt, which really wasn’t required and obvious plot lines are discussed by characters as a method of explaining to the audience what’s going on. It’s very Americanised, with the story being focused on the CIA and what’s happening in America rather than the UK. This is clearly evident from the offset when American news readers are reporting what’s happening in the world. Being cynical this could be deliberate so that the BBC can show it and get good audience ratings on BBC America.
Antony Simpson is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.