S02E12: 'Fragments'

This exercise in character and team building showed us how it all began for the 'Woodies - and in great style. Even the pet pterodactyl's origins were uncovered!

The narrative was structured perfectly to bring out the individual back stories, as the crew contemplated their lives while lying strewn in the wreckage of a bombed building. Owen's vignette was the most heartbreaking and a fitting explanation for his abject cynicism. Who wouldn't be slightly at odds with the world after witnessing an alien nestling in the brain of their dying fiancée? Tosh's journey to the Hub also pushed similar emotional buttons, albeit to a lesser extent, due to her desperation to save her mother.

The humour involved in Jack and Ianto's individual tales provided much needed light to counterbalance the encroaching darkness. Nonetheless, an opportunity was missed as Ianto's smuggling of his Cyberwoman girlfriend Lisa into the Hub wasn't touched upon at all. That's a minor complaint though, as there was plenty of information already packed into the episode. Of more concern was the lack of damage inflicted on those caught up in the blast. It's fine to stage a massive explosion for dramatic effect and make the audience fear for the characters' wellbeing, but while it's pleasing to see everyone alive, they all emerge rather unscathed from the experience.

Overall, 'Fragments' displayed what a wonderful and powerful cast Torchwood has. As Captain John's now back in town, courtesy of a gripping twist ending, how many will survive the finale?


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