Torchwood: Escape To L.A. Review (4.5/5)

With last week's episode setting the series firmly on track, Torchwood: Miracle Day seems to be on quite a roll now as it begins to get its priorities straight and actually show us some of the premonitions and ramifications of the main Miracle plot arc. We see some of said consequences through the eyes of Dr Vera Juarez, and while I can't confess her character to be the most memorable in the history of the programme, the scenes where she learns what will happen to the terminally ill actually well reflect similar events in the past played out by the likes of the Nazis. As with Children of Earth, it seems we're going to see the darker side of humanity slowly but surely play its hand when the population begins to seriously overflow, deeply suggested by the 'overflow camps' reveal that made for a much stronger cliffhanger than any of its predecessors. Bill Pullman is increasingly managing to steal every scene he's in, such an intriguing and convincing antagonist that you can completely empathise with the situation that has brought his followers to him, and subsequently all the more worried as to what Oswald Danes and PhiCorp's true motives are for turning the citizens of the world against their leaders. Unsurprisingly, though, John Barrowman and Eve Myles remain hot on Pullman's heels for the prize of best actors this week, especially with the excellently-directed scene where the pair pretend to be an American couple (if there's one thing that makes this episode essential viewing, it's Myles' disastrous attempt at a US accent!). What did come as more of a surprise was that Mykheal Phifer was much more likeable as Rex, still an irksome idiot at times but for the most part an interesting character to see develop, and Alexa Havins did a fine job at bringing some family emotions into the show, even if she got a little more teary in the final scenes than is realistic. Escape to LA still isn't perfect- despite the various intriguing teases we get to 'the Families', and Jack's possible involvement with the Miracle's inception, there was still quite a few slow scenes that really detracted from the idea that, well, we're still meant to be watching Torchwood rather than a crime drama!- but it's a worthy successor to the action-packed Dead of Night, that really sets a precedent for all that's to come.