Torchwood: "Exit Wounds" (S2, E13)

"You have to understand.  I really do love you . . . because this . . . is gonna get nasty."

Exit Wounds

Season Two, Episode Thirteen ("Captain John returns to have his revenge on Torchwood.  But who is he really working for?  And how great a price must Torchwood pay to save the city?")

WHAT I LIKED

* Captain John.  Probably my favorite character in the show, cast included.  Admittedly, there may be some cross-over affection from Spike.

*  A great, end-of-season feel.  Appropriately epic (half the city gets blown up, along with the death of two major characters), but not to the point of semi-silliness like the last episode of the previous season (where a giant monster they didn't have the budget for is supposed to be trashing Cardiff).

* Gray stabbing Jack.  A twist you don't see coming, and it ramps up the danger even more.

*  The explanation for the apparent continuity error of Tosh appearing as a doctor in her first appearance in Doctor Who.

*  Tosh's death scene.  Amazing, emotional acting that pulls at the heartstrings.  The best single performance in the whole series, hands down.

*  Tosh's pre-planned good-bye video.  Tear-jerking.

WHAT I DIDN'T

* Gwen's dumb "inspirational" speech to Cardiff's police force, treated by everyone as if she is a master of oratory.  Basically, she told them to wander around and knock on people's doors.  Didn't they have more pressing business, and did they really need Gwen to rally them?

* Cariff's emergency response plan.  One lone technician willing to try to keep a nuclear power planet from melting down?  And why is Tosh suddenly the only capable expert on nuclear power stations?  Dramatic, but kinda goofy if you take a minute to think about it.

WHAT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT

* How Jack maintained his sanity, being buried alive, dying, resurrecting, and dying again in an unbroken chain for 1,800 years.  I know it helped him deal with his guilt, but . . . harsh!

* The actor portraying Gray.  Better than I remember from the first time I saw this episode, but I still think they could have cast better.

* (SPOILER)  So presumably Gray is now buried under the rubble from the explosion of the hub in Children of Earth?

DELETED SCENES

* None

TORCHWOOD CONFIDENTIAL

* Discussion of Captain John's characterization; filming the scene where Gray stabs Jack; filming the nuclear power station scenes and the difficulty deciding to kill off major characters; and filming Tosh's death scene.