Rating: 
Well, we finally seem to get some forward momentum in this episode, but is it a case of too little, too late?
We pick up where we left off with last week’s episode, “Immortal Sins,” as Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen (Eve Myles), and company arrive at Angelo’s house. There his granddaughter (Nana Visitor, one of two Trek alumni in this episode), show them the old man himself, who, while not exactly alive and kicking, is at least alive. She then explains that Angelo went on to have a good life, including a wife and kids, but never lost the dream of meeting up with Jack again. So he put himself onto a special diet and did all sorts of things to live longer (which, bizarrely, his granddaughter says isn’t something you can make a profit off of, despite the fact that people regularly make a profit off pushing things like a calorie-restricted diet as part of living longer).
Eventually the CIA turns up, led by Friedkin (Wayne Knight). He corrals everyone and then takes Rex (Mekhi Phifer), into a private room, unaware that Rex has the magic contact lenses on. He spills the beans about his involvement in Miracle Day just in time for the arrival of his boss, Shapiro, played with manic glee by John de Lancie, who really breathes a breath of fresh air into a story that had grown somewhat stale.
Shapiro has Friedkin arrested and put into an SUV with another agent and the granddaughter. This is somewhat inconvenient for them as Friedkin sets off a bomb “killing” him and the other two. Whoops. I guess that’s why in the real world you search people before you lock them up and walk away. Shortly after this Angelo dies. Yes, he actually, for real, dies.
Esther (Alexis Havins), actually gets something useful to do this episode. First she ties up the little subplot with her sister (something that didn’t actually need to get tied up, really), and then forces Jack to come forth with information about Angelo’s death and a special device they find hidden under his bed; a device of alien origin. It’s nice to see a return of alien tech to the series.
Meantime, speaking of returns, Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman), and Jilly Kitzinger (Lauren Ambrose), are back after a two episode absence. Danes is continuing is odd climb as a media figure, and, drunk with his own importance, tells Kitzinger to get him a prostitute. A legal one, he specifies. After a bit of going “ew”, she does this, and his encounter with the prostitute does not go according to plan. In the end, he’s on the run and Kitzinger finds out she’s up for a promotion.
I was pleased that this episode seemed to be finally moving the plot forward again. We got a few more answers (Angelo didn’t cause Miracle Day, and apparently the Families did), but we still have plenty of questions left. That part is good. I also really enjoyed de Lancie’s performance. Watching him take charge of things and argue with, then eventually deport, Gwen was wonderful fun, though he brought more than a little bit of Q to his performance, which was distracting at first.
But it does seem like a bit too little, too late. I liked finding out the information, but it was mostly me running off a mental checklist. It was good, but I didn’t really care, if you know what I mean. The series took so long to get to this point that now, with only two episodes left, I’ve kind of lost interest in it. Don’t get me wrong. I certainly plan to watch the rest of the show and I’m curious to see where it goes, but not nearly as much as I was four or five weeks ago.
Also this episode and the previous one seem like they were good candidates to be edited into a 65 minute single episode, rather than two 50 minute episodes. There was a lot in both that could have been left on the cutting room floor. Once again, I’m convinced that this story might have worked out better as an 8 episode series rather than 10. Hopefully Starz will keep that in mind if they wind up doing another series, and I hope they do. This series, flawed though it has been, is at least better than the first two series of Torchwood, and that’s no bad thing.
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7 Comments
How is Miracle Day better than the first two series of Torchwood? It worked better when it was stand-alone stories due to not having to have filler episodes such as the “Middle Man” episode which tried to tie up the previous episode which was really good, but did it in a bit of a silly way. For me, the premise of Miracle Day is a brilliant idea, and the way it has panned out is good, but I think they should picked up the overall plot sooner, instead of developing it over 8 episodes. This is why, to me, the 3rd series of Torchwood, “Children of Earth”, worked better for me due to the fact that it was on over a week, so that the series wouldn’t really go “off”, or “stale”, as you put it.
It’s better by virtue of the fact that I’ve kept watching it. Series one and two both bored me silly and annoyed the heck out of me. Neither one of them seemed to live up to the potential the series had.
This series of Torchwood is rubbish – they have lost the plot! i love john barrowman but i am disappointed in his role. Children of the earth was amazing. bring the series back to the uk
This is spoiled by the Gay content ,no need for it at all,it is nearly Gay soft porn. What could have been great TV has been ruined by the makers wanting to shove Gay sex down our throats.
I thoroughly agree that this series should’ve been shortened. I’d venture it could’ve been cut in half for all the filler that it contains. I loved the Shapiro/Gwen scenes, but i’m bummed to see them deporting her. It seems every time Eve Myles returns to Wales, they have to come up with something for her to do, and being this close to the end, how much more filler do they intend to add? I do think this and the last episode is finally a step in the right direction in terms of storytelling.
http://igp-scifi.com/2011/08/torchwood-miracle-day-the-end-of-the-road/
Ive enjoyed every episode of torchwood
This episode (End of the Road) was pretty much the best episode of the entire series (Miracle Day) to date. And to some degree I thank Nana Visitor and definitely John De Lancie for that. Something about De Lancie just made me crack up and enjoy the ride for a moment.
Honestly, the gay angle was a bit heavy handed and overwhelming – I liked Jack better when he was “omnisexual” and would shag anything – it kept the character light and fun. I sort of want to blame the American influence for that.
I think its mad to say that this was better than the first two Torchwood series. I feel that the first two series, even at the most dramatic moments, would toss you a bit of humor that kept it from becoming too much. I’m sorry to say (as an American) but the American influence on this series has had more negative aspects than postitive ones. It takes itself too seriously.