Written by Catherine Tregenna
Directed by Andy Goddard
“You always remember what you kill…don’t you, Jack!”
I don’t know how much more intensity and sadness I can take from Torchwood…but when emotional wallops come packaged as satisfying as Adam, then I’ll learn to live with it.
My friend Corey wasn’t too impressed with Adam…he didn’t seem to think that the set up was anything special, and that it’s only positive was the conclusion. To an extent, I can agree with him on an intellectual level. Adam’s mental re-write of Torchwood’s past isn’t anything new in telefantasy - it’s been done exceedingly well in other series, from Star Trek-The Next Generation to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But Adam dispenses with the mcguffin-as-mystery plot…and concentrates instead on the emotional turmoil of memory.
In short, this episode - full of confrontations, identity crises, and repression - is simply devastating!
From the opening moment, as we watch this stranger forcibly integrate himself into Torchwood, the viewer’s brain is screaming “this is wrong”. Toshiko a self-confident woman? Owen a shy, uncynical nerd? Gwen thinking Rhys is a stalker? Everything is thrown topsy-turvy…with a powerful full-frontal approach that doesn’t leave room for catching one’s breath.
What about Ianto, I hear you ask? Well, our resident diary keeper learns the truth…and is punished with a set of false memories that are beyond terrifying. Gareth David-Lloyd delivers his best performance yet, as he comes to believe he is a murdering monster…and it’s definitely not something to show to unaccompanied minors.
As for Jack…this is the biggest revelation of his past to date. It’s done in a hallucinatory style that could be best described as Lost-meets-Lawrence of Arabia. In some respects, it’s cliche…but it also provides a simple set up for a satisfying - and tragic - episode climax.
Ahh yes…the climax. From the moment Jack learns the truth, to the team’s assembly in the conference room, to Jack’s final, heart-aching realization of what Adam has stolen from him…good lord! Has any series ever been as magnificent as Torchwood is in the last 10 minutes of this episode? I highly doubt it. The emotion…the admissions…the confessions…the entire conclusion is absolutely searing!
Does it use its borrowed, high-concept idea as a crutch? Perhaps, in the initial stages…but by the end, Adam proves to be another powerful addition to an already astonishing season. But I do recommend doing something happy after watching this bulldozer of an episode.
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