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Whew.
So. Was it good for you, too?
Of course, curse me for not being able to single out a reason why it struck such a chord with me beyond the most obvious distinction between this and the previous episodes — besides John Barrowman finally coming off the sidelines, that is.
(My son totally wanted me to make him into a Cyberman. Thanks, Luke!)
I so completely agree with you on this. By FAR my favorite episode of the season. But I can tell you exactly why I think so many people loved it, in my opinion.
Immortal Sins was a total throwback to classic Torchwood. It has all the elements we came to love about the first couple seasons of Torchwood, things that I think most people may not have realized they were missing. While Miracle Day and Children of Earth are these epic, sprawling, world-changing stories, this episode is in many ways small and self-contained. It's a personal story for Jack, the same way Captain Jack Harkness was, or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
It's Jack being Jack, facing the consequences of his love life, saving the world in secret, dealing with his immortality in an almost matter-of-fact way, and yes, acting Doctorish like he used to, with that sexy, confident, carefree charisma he lost after Torchwood fell. It's definitely understandable that his personality would change after losing his lover, his family, his home, and the career he's spent more than a century building, all in the span of a week. I won't fault the show for that. It's just that Immortal Sins feels so nostalgic, you can't help but crave the simple halcyon days of the eating pizza in the hub, the close friendships, Jack being happy and in love, and the feeling that no matter what the problem was, Torchwood would find a way to make it better, and even if they couldn't, they would help each other deal with the aftermath. I love Miracle Day, but part of me really wishes there were more episodes like this throughout the season.