Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Jack Harkness is missing. The rift under Cardiff is more unpredictable than ever. A blowfish with a fondness for fast cars and an unusual respect for the highway code is loose on the city's streets and only Torchwood Cardiff stand in his way. But why is he there? What does he want? Where's Jack? And who is the mysterious figure who steps through a Rift storm with a message for Jack? Torchwood is back. so fasten your seatbelts... Chris Chibnall, the head writer on the series, hands in his first of four scripts this season and it's not only his best work for the series to date, but arguably the best episode the series has produced to date. From the opening gag (And the blowfish is a magnificently incongruous and beautifully realised special effect) on, there's not a single line wasted, not a single pause for breath. Where last year the series defined itself against its stable mate by ramping up the violence, swearing and sex, this year it looks set to define itself as Doctor Who with the brakes off. The adult content is still there, make no mistake (The Blowfish, I'm spoiling very little revealing, suffers a distinctly violent fate) but it feels much more integrated, much more natural to the content of the show. The producers have talked on several occasions about the fact that the first series was produced under tremendous time pressure and the extra time, and new time slot, given to them for this series has obviously paid dividends. There's no massive reboot, no seismic change, the same elements are in place but they feel far more cohesive, far more unique. Chibnall even slips in several well placed, and very funny, acknowledgements of last year's problems including a great evolution of the 'Damn you Jack, you man of mystery!' style bickering and Ianto Jones' finest hour in which his stopwatch not only returns, but saves the day. Sort of. The cast likewise seem far more comfortable with their roles and there's a lovely, very underplayed, moment early on where Jack is watching his team work. Each one is far more confident, far more assured in their roles and each one has a natural authority that makes the fantastic elements of their job a lot more plausible. Eve Myles is particularly good in this episode, effortlessly taking on the role of team leader and remaining, if not one step ahead of Jack, then certainly on the same page with him throughout. Everyone else gets their moment in the sun too, with Burn Gorman's Owen getting an oddly endearing speech, Naoko Mori's Tosh proving instrumental to solving the central problem of the episode and Gareth David-Lloyd's wonderfully calm, understated Ianto Jones not only finding himself working in the field but excelling there. Each one is interesting, well-rounded and real and every cast member turns in some excellent work. If there is a major change in any of the characters, it's in Barrowman's Captain Jack. Chibnall's script neatly combines Jack's new found peace with himself (After all, he did find 'his Doctor') with a growing realisation that his past, and his future, are things he can't run from. There's a real sense of danger to Jack for the first time, a real sense that this is a man who has done far, far worse things than we've ever previously considered and that his conscious efforts to reign himself in, to be a better man, are part of an ongoing struggle he has yet to convincingly win. Balanced against this is the character's gentler side, and a wonderful scene between him and Ianto in an office not only makes their relationship overt but positions it front and centre as a core point of the series. Both actors play it honestly and with an unforced sweetness and this looks set to be one of the series' most interesting ongoing relationships. Finally, in James Marsters, the series has found a truly spectacular guest star. Swaggering out of the rift like an escapee from a glam-rock convention, his Captain John is Jack with no moral compunctions, an utterly charming, utterly ruthless sociopath who is more concerned with keeping himself amused than doing the right thing. He sparks off every team member fantastically well (The confrontation between him and Ianto is a particular standout) and his cocky, swaggering delivery really helps with the episode's breakneck pace. Chibnall has said that John is something of a statement of intent for the series and based on this appearance, that bodes very well for the future. Torchwood Series 2 launches on both sides of the Atlantic in the new year and, based on this episode, we're in for a hell of a ride. Frantically paced, very funny and crammed with some genuinely impressive character beats this is one of the strongest scripts the Who franchise has seen since its return.