Torchwood: The case of immortality

I've been holding back on commenting on the new Torchwood series for two reasons. One, I'd never watched Torchwood before and needed to get my bearings. And two, because I wanted to see a few episodes together to understand where they were going with the story. So far, so good.

The concept is superb. Set in the present, mankind faces a radical worldwide change - no one dies, ever. At first glance, this seems like a miracle.

The first instance of this 'miracle' is the attempted execution of child killer Oswald Danes (played by Bill Pullman). The death penalty becomes pointless and question arise as to what a life sentence really means and how prisons will function.

"Oswald Danes - Child Killer" Bill Pullman

A nod to the sentationalist, power hungry and inflammatory media is given with the casting of fiery Lauren Ambrose as Jilly Kitzinger, PR manipulator extraordinaire. Amid the turmoil, she sees the potential for personal gain and exploits everything and everyone around her to her own advantage. The character could be one-dimensional, but the writers have been coy enough to write her with intelligence and nuance.

"Jilly Kitzinger - PR Mastermind" Lauren Ambrose

Jilly works for Phicorp, a pharmaceutical giant which seems at the heart of the dramatic global events. Faceless, nameless and controlling, this company appears to have all the answers for the new world needs - a miracle painkiller drug to match the demand from the sick and injured.

Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) nabbing some of Phicorp's dodgy stock

Regardless of the injury, explosion, lack of cohesion between body parts, the mind and body are still alive. The immortality is just that - an immortal existence, but with all the pains and ills of the world still in existence. Disease and age still take effect. Indeed, without the deaths of those carrying disease, viruses and bacteria fester, spread and evolve at alarming, uncontrollable rates. Hospitals fill up to full capacity almost immediately. All the while, desperate families drop off sick children and elderly relatives who they cannot or will not care for.

What appears at first to be a blessing, is actually a curse. Given the religious terminology used (miracle, blessing, etc), it is no surprise that issues of faith and religion are explored. While not the main focus of the plot, the lack of explanation of the miracle from State and Church results in new waves of leaders and movements. Most surprising is the rise of child killer Oswald Danes as an outspoken supporter of the 'dead' who still live. Another movement 'Dead is Dead' demands that all those who should have died should be segregated and kept in separate holding facilities, away from the 'normal' population.

Rather than stilted single episode story lines, the writers have chosen the larger sweeping narrative arc for the whole series - this is always something that appeals to me. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next!

In some sense the story reminds me a the (very different) Zardoz, starring Séan Connery in a red leather negligée, long plaited hair and thigh-high boots.... That madness aside, the advanced Immortals inhabit a seemingly utopian valley - when they get old, they are reborn anew, and have the potential to be perpetually young. Yet, this immortality has robbed them of any semblance of life and they are bored and petty. Those who transgress in the society are doomed to live in artificially-induced old age and senility, segregated away from everyone else. At the end of the movie, we learn that Séan Connery's wild man character was introduced to the Immortal realm by one of their own who wanted to break the cycle of eternal life and just die.

Things are always better seen in triplicate...