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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Friday, August 19, 2011

Production Code

107

Written by

Jane Espenson

Directed by

Gwyneth Horder-Payton

Runtime

55 minutes

Time Travel

Past, Present

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

LGBTQA+

Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!)

Miracle Day

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Los Angeles, New York, USA, Wales

UK Viewers

4.48 million

Synopsis

Gwen must fight to protect her family. She takes a terrifying journey covering miles and decades with Jack as the long history of the Miracle is partially revealed.

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Reviews

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3 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

This episode is a bit 'Torchwood does Arrow'. It has a heavy focus on flashbacks involving Jack and a love interest called Angelo Colasanto, although at times it feels as though it focuses a little too much on these sequences. I would have liked to have seen the pacing in the Present Day sequences with Gwen in the car quickened up a little, rather than playing second fiddle to the story in the 1920s.

 

It's really cool seeing a reference to the Trickster's brigade though, something which really helps to tie the show into the rest of the Whoniverse, given that we had another member of the Trickster's brigade in Doctor Who and the Trickster himself in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

 

I do also like how this episode shows the ingenuity of Rex and Ester. The way they discover what is happening with Gwen and come to the rescue is very clever, and shows how valuable they are to Torchwood. And Angelo is a good character too. He is exactly the kind of person you can imagine Jack falling for.


This review contains spoilers!

I think Immortal Sins stands out a little bit compared to the rest of Miracle Day. There's a lot of memorable moments to the story of Jack and Angelo. Not only is it that particularly Torchwood level of tragic, but that whole scene with the mob freaking out and repeatedly murdering Jack was really cool. While less about the Miracle Day story, it feels like the sort of interesting stuff that Jack's story should be chalk full of and I do appreciate Immortal Sins for that and what it does for Jack's character more than anything.


This review contains spoilers!

Overall a distinct and exciting episode, best since the series opener. Introducing the time jumps and a more concise contained plot makes the show sing better. 1920s Jack Harkness, an exploration of his immortality and the way he has been mistreated by people he has put trust in is a delicious thing to watch unfold. Seeing Gwen have to turn on Jack and getting some high quality time with characters I am actually invested in, in the modern day scenes, also gives some much needed dynamism to a series which has sorely lacked interest. The sexy dialogue though. Oh my dear GAWD please NO! One of the cringiest things to ever happen in Doctor Who.


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Statistics

AVG. Rating162 members
3.44 / 5

Trakt.tv

AVG. Rating275 votes
3.98 / 5

The Time Scales

AVG. Rating40 votes
3.70 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

520

Favourited

18

Reviewed

3

Saved

2

Skipped

0

Owned

5

Quotes

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GWEN: What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? Not just on Earth.

JACK: I'm not doing this. I'm not giving final speeches.

GWEN: Just tell me. Anywhere in the Universe.

JACK: …I saw a firebird once. A tiny little thing, even smaller than a hummingbird. Literally made of fire. It only lives for a minute. It blazes different colours and sings. It gets so bright you have to close your eyes. And when you open them, it's gone. But the image stays behind your eyelids for longer than it was alive.

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Transcript Needs checking

[Ellis Island, New York City, USA]

(The huddled masses are waiting to enter the promised land. A USIS Inspector calls out for the next lucky person.)

INSPECTOR: Harkness. Anyone? Jack Harkness. I'm looking for Jack Harkness.

(A black haired, brown eyed man with a moustache raises his arm.)

ANGELO: That's me.
INSPECTOR: Welcome to America, Mister Harkness. There's your visa all stamped.
ANGELO: Grazie. I mean, thank you very much, Inspector.
JACK: Hey, wait. Stop that man!


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