Promethia Does Torchwood Wrong: Miracle Day Edition

[promethia_tenk]

Feeling in the mood for a bit of recreational RTD hatred, I took the evening to watch what's been aired so far of Torchwood: Miracle Day. Given the generally dismal state of the reactions I've read, I figured I was all set for a satisfying run of fuming, eyerolling, and exaggerated gestures of disbelief and annoyance, relieved only by mad bouts of Gwen adoration. Well, surprise, surprise:

I think I kinda love it? I'm still working out exactly why, but it's a bit like this: When Kill Bill came out, critics described it as a baroque meditation on the aesthetics of violence. And, oh, I do love anything baroque. Miracle Day is something like a baroque meditation on the aesthetics of Russel Davies' misanthropy. It's every narrative tic and cliche and failing and sentiment of his that I've ever hated, pushed to the point of . . . art. It's a bit magnificently appalling.

I'm going to bed now. Let's see if I regret admitting this in the morning . . .

Comments

[elisi]

This amuses me a lot. :)

[promethia_tenk]

I'd be more huffy about you being right, but frankly, it amuses me too.

You know that crack-y TV trope of "how [character X] sees the world" where suddenly you cut to character X's p.o.v. and everything is all skewed and comically exaggerated in line with their perceptions? Well, I feel like I'm watching "how Promethia sees RTD" . . . and I more believe that that's intentional than not on the part of the production! Whereas usually watching Rusty I feel like he's well-nigh oblivious to his usual narrative trainwrecks. This feels, dare I say?, self-aware. Like he's taken ownership of the trainwreck and is now deliberately working it over and playing with the form.

And the result is not me loving to hate RTD, but something I actually . . . really . . . like. I think.