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I’m sad to say that Brent Spiner has refuted the rumors that he’ll be appearing in upcoming episodes of Torchwood. Spiner made the following comment on his Twitter account (@BrentSpiner):

Now how about those Torchwood rumors, hmm?–I think I would’ve heard something about it. Haven’t.

Let’s hope that’s not a blanket denial — perhaps there’s still hope!

[Hat tip to io9.com]

According to the dubious Which Torchwood Character Are You? quiz at buddytv.com, I am “tough-Welsh-chick-with-a-heart-of-gold” Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles). Of course, it would have been nice to have been Captain Jack Harkness, but I’m not nearly that self-confident.

Here is the breakdown:

You may be extremely ambitious and feisty, but your compassion and ability to relate to people helps keep you grounded. However, your empathetic nature and your desire to believe in the goodness of others can sometimes hinder you when you’re put into dangerous situations. Romance isn’t hard for you to find, but your affairs don’t always end well.

This is as accurate as any horoscope, I suppose. At least I’m not Owen Harper…

Which one are you?

A forum poster at Outpost Skaro has written up some fascinating, unconfirmed news regarding the upcoming series of Torchwood.

The post writer — who warns to be taken “with a grain of salt” — is reporting speculation that some of the upcoming adventures may take place stateside. In a nod to the show’s U.S. fanbase, there are talks that the crew may venture to Los Angeles, and that American sci-fi superstars such as Brent Spiner and Nathan Fillion may star. The post also suggests that James Marsters will be returning as Captain John (which seems less newsworthy — they’d be foolish not to include Captain John in the next series).

Still no reports on who might round out the Torchwood team; my fantasy picks may yet come to pass!

Now that John Barrowman has confirmed that Torchwood will be returning for another run (see previous post), I thought I’d present my fantasy picks for a newly reassembled Torchwood team. Torchwood: Children of Earth [SPOILER ALERT] killed off Ianto Jones, leaving a skeleton crew of just Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper. Their former headquarters were blown up, and the encounter with the 456 left a bad taste in Captain Jack’s mouth, prompting him to go on an intergalatic walkabout.

I’ve got some ideas about which characters in the Whoniverse ought to be called up for duty in rebuilding Torchwood. In no particular order, here they are:

1. Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke). The last time we saw Mickey — the long-suffering, sometimes boyfriend of Rose Tyler — he was leaving the TARDIS, opting to return to his native universe after having spent time in the alternate one containing Rose and his grandma. His experiences have matured him from a goofy slacker to a sharp warrior. As he walks away, Captain Jack runs after him, saying he needs to talk. Perfect segueway to bringing Mickey on board.

The only hitch I can anticipate is that actor/director Noel Clarke is very busy with his own successful projects, including the upcoming 4.3.2.1.

2. Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). The Doctor’s former traveling companion was walking off with Mickey when Captain Jack ran after them. He wanted to talk to them both. This one seems an easy pick: Martha is already adored by Captain Jack, is a physician, has worked with Torchwood before, and has single-handedly saved the world. No-brainer.

3. Lois Habiba (Cush Jumbo) The sweet, conscientious and courageous junior assistant to the Eichmann-like bureaucrat John Frobisher is a stand-out fan favorite. Appearing in all five episodes of Torchwood: Children of Earth, she proved her mettle with her brave civil disobedience, helping to bring down the wicked 456 collaborators in the government.

4. PC Andy Davidson (Tom Price). PC Andy was Gwen Cooper’s partner back when she was a police officer, and he is always loyal to Gwen’s sense of justice — even when he is kept in the dark about Torchwood and its “spooky dos”. He traditionally appears as a bit of comic relief, but he is extraordinarily noble and tough when he needs to be.

5. Rhys Williams (Kai Owen). Gwen’s lovable husband is already a de facto member of the team, having helped them out of several scrapes. Perhaps Captain Jack should make it official and put him on the payroll.

6. Captain John Hart (James Marsters). My long-shot pick. Captain Jack’s former colleague at the Time Agency — and former boyfriend — is a bit of a crazy mercenary; it might not be wise to give him the keys to the store. He has certainly caused a lot of trouble, but he was hoodwinked into behaving badly the last time we saw him. He really does seem to love Captain Jack, though; maybe if he’s kept on a short leash? It would make for good TV, in any case.

What are your picks? Tell me in the comments.

Now that the End of Time, Part I episode of Doctor Who has aired on US television, I can give a more full-throated, spoiler-laden review with a clearer conscience.

The episode is the first of a two-part swan song for actor David Tennant and writer Russell T. Davies, who championed the classic show’s revival and provided its major stories. Like previous Davies-penned Christmas shows, this one was a big, pregnant piñata, stuffed with complex and long-simmering storylines. Beloved heroes and villains return, mixed with new and interesting ones. Many of my fellow Who fanboys harshly criticize Davies for this heavy, baroque brush; indeed, some of the reviews on io9 are downright brutal.

I am not one of these critics. I think that Russell T. Davies approached his tenure as head Who-scribe in the manner of a 19th-century novelist: his individual episodes are standalone adventures, but they also form part of a grander whole. The End of Time appears to be providing resolution to plot lines that began during the first series of the reboot.

The first and most epic of these meta-plots is the Time War, a historically-frozen holocaust that destroyed all of the Time Lords except for the Doctor and the Master. As a “time-locked” event, the Doctor is powerless to prevent it. In The End of Time, we see the doomed Time Lords scurrying to prevent the inevitable. But as we saw in The Waters of Mars, time has its own ideas — and it has no problem handing down a humbling smackdown, even to a mighty Time Lord. The End of Time asks: will the Time Lords be able to undo their extinction, or will their meddling bring “an end to time itself”, as prophesied by the Ood?

Which brings us to another meta-motif in the Davies episodes that is marching toward resolution in these final shows: the “sound of drums”. In series three, the Master is obsessed with a martial drumbeat that throbs in his head, and he uses it to enslave humanity. We assumed that this was just the Master’s psychotic time signature, the pulse of his madness. But the latest episode hints that it is much more than this — the Doctor can hear it, too. Clips from Part II reveal that the pounding is the beat of the Time Lord’s two hearts; a signal broadcast throughout history by the desperate and doomed Gallifreyans. It is also the “four knocks” that foretell the Doctor’s impending “death”… however that is going to play out.

Part I was also full of lighter confections — like the revelation that the Doctor dilly-dallied en route to the Planet of the Ood, marrying Queen Elizabeth I along the way. Apparently he robbed her of her prized “Virgin” epithet — this explains Liz’s rage upon seeing the Doctor in The Shakespeare Code.

Special props must be paid to director Euros Lyn. His direction is a perfect mixture of brisk action and moody foreboding (see Torchwood: Children of Earth for the best example).

I think the RTD haters should back off a bit — try to see this elaborate effort as a truly Grand Finale to a great run at the Who helm (and hey, at least he didn’t include the Daleks^* — yet).

^* Not that I would mind…:)

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