Doctor Who Club of Australia

dave

It's nice to see that they're playing around with the format they use every now and then, and, for me, this episode worked really well. I'm not sure whether that's because I like non-chronologically told stories, or because I identified with Eugene a great deal, and I usually dislike programs with overly saccharine morals to them...but I enjoyed this episode.

Eugene's "I'm in heaven" comment when he first finds himself in the Hub I thought was hilarious, considering his circumstances. I'm not sure if there's any reason within the story for him to come back to corporeal existence right at the end (was that something to do with the eye?), but I'm strongly tempted to watch it again and find out.

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 670 Location: Perth

Different from the other episodes so far but excellent none the less.

Tegan · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:46 pm Post subject:

I was afraid when it started that it was going to be Torchwood's "Love and Monsters", what with the third person to camera stuff from Eugene and an apparent absence of the Torchwood crew.

If it was such a show, it was the way L&M should have been done.... And the music was better.

Eugene was far more sympathetic than what's-his-name from L&M. Not nearly as much of a prat.

Like Dave, I can't think why they needed Eugene to become corporeal again at the end, unless it was to provide a happy ending, and, in the U.S. idiom "closure" (how I hate that term) for his family.

I think that, as Jack said the eye was supposed to give the recipient hindsight, that maybe Eugene becoming corporeal was something to do with that, but it did seem a bit "Hollywood".

A bit slow in parts, but it's good to get away from Jack and Gwen killing people all over the place. No world shattering crisis.

Overall I liked it. Eugene's reaction to the Torchwood HQ and everything in it, his infatuation with Gwen and his attitude to all the people he worked for were endearing. Even though he was dead, he didn't seem to be all that concerned about it.

Three out of five I think.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4463

As Tegan has mentioned this episode is like Love and Monsters only I like Random Shoes better.
This episode feels like an episode of Ghost Whisperer and a very good one at that.
The ending to this episode is beautiful.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4463

Having relegated Torchwood to Wednesday midnight, it seems that 10 felt the need to rub in this decision as they showed during an ad break, the upcoming new series Californication which is coming on Mondays 9:30pm (or about that time), Torchwood's former slot.
The DVD that Eugene borrowed and watched by Owen at Torchwood was A For Andromeda which recently became available at the ABC Shop as part of The Andromeda Anthology release.
http://www.drwhoaustralia.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=1649

For eagled eye viewers: Even though Eugene was a ghost at no time do we ever see ghost Eugene go through corporeal objects until he saved Gwen's life at the end. This fact was pointed out in the corresponding Torchwood Declassified episode.

montypython · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:19 pm Post subject:

10 seconds into this, I immediately thought "Love & Monsters". However, this had an interesting plot, a more likeable main character, and was just a whole lot better. Though I was disappointed about the lack of aliens, it was still good. It was interesting to see the relationship between Eugene and Gwen develop (that's another story that suggests Gwen has some sort of psychic ability, which suggests she's somehow related to Gwyneth). As he declared his love for her, I thought to myself "She's got 2 boyfriends already!".

The ending was weird. How did he become visible? And when he went into the light, I observed that that's exactly what Suzie said doesn't happen in They Keep Killing Suzie. My brother suggested that maybe it was different for her coz she killed people.

montypython · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

Why was the Torchwood team investigating Eugene's death in the first place? It had nothing to do with aliens whatsoever!

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4463

34 pounds was mentioned twice - that was the price Josh charged Gwen for the overdued DVDs and also the price that Gary and Josh was willing to pay Eugene for the eye.

Did not noticed it before until I heard the DVD commentary for the episode.

A possible explanation within the episode's storyline was that Josh was thinking about the last time he saw Eugene when Josh met Gwen and the 34 pounds may not have anything to do with how long Eugene had the DVDs.