Like Jack himself, Miracle Day is a tale of immortality that has no idea when to end
I've never been much of a fan of Torchwood, ever since the slick, technological powerhouse from Doctor Who was relegated to a grot-infested sewer in Cardiff for its first series incarnation. That dark and dingy downgrade exemplified the core problem I had with the spin-off; it wanted to riff off of the no-holds-barred sci-fi nonsense of Who, but was too enamoured with its own ideal of being gritty and adult to ever let itself do anything entertaining with the concept. Where Doctor Who could let its childish wackiness set the pace and tone, Torchwood was in desperate need of its own pace-setter.
Children of Earth proved to be an excellent turnaround for the series in that regard, more than halving the series run of thirteen standalone episodes to just five instalments with one continuous storyline. It was leaner, punchier and, most importantly of all, didn't flop about from point to point like a cat trying to mindlessly pounce on a laser pen dot. And if that seems like a strange analogy, I'm afraid it pretty much sums up where Miracle Day goes wrong.
Children of Earth proved to be an excellent turnaround for the series in that regard, more than halving the series run of thirteen standalone episodes to just five instalments with one continuous storyline. It was leaner, punchier and, most importantly of all, didn't flop about from point to point like a cat trying to mindlessly pounce on a laser pen dot. And if that seems like a strange analogy, I'm afraid it pretty much sums up where Miracle Day goes wrong.
