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It’s an interesting time to be a Torchwood fan. First of all, you have to be able to watch the show past that Cyberwoman episode. Which means you have to spend some time defending the show from the people who couldn’t watch past that episode. You also have to find some way to talk about how you’re glad that the show found a way to put a gay relationship in the foreground of a sci-fi action drama without sounding like an obsessive shipper who only watches the show as fodder for slash-fic stories.

Which all made the meltdown over the third series, broadcast over five nights as a mini-series, so interesting. Given it’s biggest audience and biggest venue yet, the show performed very well and attracted critical acclaim.
And fans raged.

As for the praise, it was well deserved. “Children of Earth” was a fantastically plotted, amazingly acted television event. A frequent point of criticism for the series is that, while it aspires to mature story-telling and was presented as a more “adult” take on Doctor Who, producers and writers seemed to think that all you needed to make a sci-fi series mature was add in lots of swearing, violence and sex. It’s a partly valid complaint, and the unevenness of the first season is testament to that. But by the second series most of the tonal problems had worked themselves out and the show was able to balance a sophistication in story and character with a self-deprecating sense of humor. That frequently focused on sex. This third series continued that evolution even more, and it’s probably telling that shortening the series to one story told over multiple episodes allowed for a more carefully crafted and thoughtful approach to the series than the need to get out thirteen weeks worth of episodes out the door.

The regular cast do a remarkable job, with Gareth David-Lloyd in particular turning in a excellent performance, and Eve Myles stepping up and showing us a Gwen that wasn’t quite always there in previous seasons but comes to the fore remarkably as well. The supporting cast, particularly Peter Capaldi as ill-fated civil servant John Frobisher, do excellent jobs as well. It’s a terribly well-acted show, and writers Russell T. Davies, James Moran and John Fay should be congratulated for giving such meaty roles for strong actors. If there is a fault to be found with the show, it’s in the rather laggy pacing, particularly in “Day Five”, which frequently felt like a thirty-minute story padded out to sixty.

There are some nice nods to the wider universe the show appears in as well, with Gwen making a fairly convincing case as to why, in certain times of deep crisis, the Doctor doesn’t appear on Earth. It’s a telling indictment, since for those who have been watching the new series of Doctor Who, a significant part of the problem faced here can be traced back to the Doctor upsetting history by removing Harriet Jones from power. And, of course, even if it is slightly selfish praise, it is nice to see a big, mainstream, action sci-fi show headlined by an openly gay man that places one of its heroic leads in a same-sex relationship.

And now, for those of you wishing to avoid spoilers, don’t read past the uncomfortable looking gentleman…

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No Future, 1994, Paul Cornell
And the “Alternate Universe Cycle” comes to a conclusion in the way that we all really suspected it would: in a massive continuity pile-up of epic proportions. Benny joins a punk-band in the 70s, giving U.N.I.T. dating arguments a whole new twist, the Vardans (the only race in the universe who got outwitted by the Sontarans) invade Earth, Chronovores and Eternals litter the landscape and the person meddling with time to give the Doctor a head-ache turns out to be…the Meddling Monk, now named Mortimus, because calling someone “The Meddling Monk” is so much more silly than calling someone “The Doctor” or “The Master.”
It’s a fun-enough book, but man, talk about “Who Nerds Only” material…

Context

So, by now most people have heard that an actor was finally cast to play Hal Jordan in a Green Lantern movie. Apart from a few Deadpool fans weeping over how they’ve been betrayed, most people even seem pleased with the choice of Ryan Reynolds. Only for now, of course. This is a comic book movie, and this pleasent feeling of good will is only the prelude to the tidal wave of fan entitlement and nerd rage we have to look forward to. Reynolds is a smart choice, as well. He’s done action roles before, and generated a phenomenal amount of goodwill for his role in Wolverine, plus the success of The Proposal indicates that he can carry a film and appeals to women. The only thing that I find slightly puzzling was the weird release of two other actor’s names as contenders for the role. Bradley Cooper would have been just fine. He’s a good, under-rated actor, but The Hangover means he’s probably going to be offered a lot of “dude” comedies for a little while. Which is a shame, as he does drama very well. If for no other reason, you should see <cite>My Little Eye</cite> for his delivery of one incredibly unsettling line. I can only conclude that the notion of Justin Timberlake was an elaborate practical joke that no one got.

But Reynolds…yeah, Reynolds will work. People don’t often see Hal as a guy capable of getting a joke, but forget that he’s an egotist and smarmy as hell. Reynolds can do that beautifully, and has in most of his comedic roles. Hell, it’s practically type-casting. Plus, given that Reynolds has a not inconsiderable gay following, and that all films about pilots eventually feature blatant homoerotic antics (though why this is so is a mystery for the ages), if there are any concerns about Reynolds in the role, there’s a simple and obvious solution: pander like mad.

• Include at least one scene of Hal and the other pilots taking long, soapy communal showers. In slow motion.
• Coast City is either next to San Diego, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. Of those three, San Diego makes the most logistical sense. It’s also pretty damn gay, with a thriving porn scene. Two and two, guys…
• Emphasize over and over again how there’s nothing remotely symbolic about a bunch of different ring-wearing paramilitary organizations organized along the lines of the colors of a rainbow at all.
• Mogo? Obviously a drag queen.
• Since the creators of the comic book can’t seem to conceive of a way to draw that ridiculous Star Sapphire costume on a male character–despite the fact that outfits for men that look just like it actually exist–go ahead and throw a male Star Sapphire into the film. The way the tail wags the dog with super-hero movies and comic books, we’ll either get a guy into the Lavender Corps or Star Sapphire into a decent costume.

Sergeant Benton
Granted, Captain Yates might have been an easier pull, but Benton’s only significant relationship with a woman was taking his little sister out dancing. Plus, it’s hard to go wrong with a man in uniform.

Harry Sullivan
Yes, he’s That Guy. His attitude towards woman hovers right on that line between condescension and chauvinism. Which all just suggests a bit of over-compensation for something, doesn’t it?

Ian Chesterton
I hate the word “adorkable”, but Ian was geek-chic hotness before the 10th Doctor was a gleam in Rassilon’s eye. Plus, you know Barbara would never put out, so there’s a lot of pent up frustration bundled into those suits.

Captain Jack Harkness
Yeah, you’d probably need a full-body condom, given that he’s slept with half-the galaxy, but come on…who wouldn’t?

Steven Taylor
The best thing about trying to get Steven’s clothes off? You don’t have to look at that damn shirt.

Companions and Allies is one of the better Doctor Who guide-books I’ve come across. Even if Steve Tribe thinks Jackson Lake deserves as many pages of discussion as Jaime or the Brigadier.