Torchwood Season 3

Right now you can watch Torchwood Season 3 on — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for John Barrowman — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Torchwood Season 3 earns its spot. Torchwood Season 3 treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. In 1965 twelve children are gathered together on a deserted moor when they become surrounded by a harsh, bright light, and then suddenly they are gone. Back in the present day, all over planet Earth, children stop moving. Stop playing. John Barrowman and Eve Myles lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2009. The rules of Torchwood Season 3's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Torchwood Season 3 is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Watch for John Barrowman in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.