Written by J.C. Wilsher
Directed by Ashley Way
“I’d rely on her if the world was ending. In fact…I did.”
Reset is good, but it’s not great. It doesn’t even inspire me to write up a long, drawn-out review. Mind you, it’s not without its charms…
Is it because of the return of Doctor Who companion, Martha Jones? Not a bit, I’m glad to say. Freema Agyeman returns to the Doctor Who universe older, wiser, and possibly even sexier than ever. She’s now a fully qualified doctor, working for the Doctor’s old friends at UNIT…which is more than enough to get fanboy hearts fluttering. Her reunion with Jack has just the right amount of sentimentality, and just the right amount of continuity references, without drowning in old back story & fanwank.
Is it because of the Torchwood regulars being shoved aside in the wake of Martha’s arrival at the Hub? Not at all…in fact, everyone seems to be energized by Martha’s presence. Owen flirts really badly, Tosh is all shy & impressed, Gwen finds a new friend, and Ianto’s quips reach outrageous proportions (you’ll never look at UNIT red berets the same way…).
No…the main reason why Reset never rises above “good” is the plot. It’s functional, it’s well put together, Alan Dale makes a decent, hard-ass villain, and the effects work on the mayflies is first class. But the story is nothing more than run-of-the-mill fodder that wouldn’t be out of place in a stand-alone episode of The X Files…and Torchwood should never, EVER aspire to be anything but an X-Files clone, even on its worst day. It’s a functional delivery system for many great characters and set pieces, but has no ambition beyond this functionality. It’s always a crime when Torchwood doesn’t fulfill its own potential, especially after the fabulous season to date.
That said, it ends with a bang…literally and philosophically. With a shock…a great, big, unexpected, astonishing shock! Something so totally out of the blue, it will leave you screaming “WHAT?!?” at the television screen for many minutes after the episode finishes. It’s a great pity you have to work through so much uninspired storytelling to get to this point…
7
