Welcome to AfterElton.com!

Enter your AfterElton.com username.
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media
Home » “Torchwood” Episode 104 Recap: "Cyberwoman"

“Torchwood” Episode 104 Recap: "Cyberwoman"

by
bad machine
, Contributing Writer
September 30, 2007

Pizza girl: Ianto, it's me. It's Lisa. I'm human again… I took this body and transplanted the brain.
Ianto: You're not Lisa.
Pizza girl: You always said you didn't love me for what I looked like.

Oh please. It's easy to be a liar when one's pants are on fire. Hence, the saying.

Pizza Lisa reminds Ianto what a good relationship they had: being hung over, de-scaling her tea kettle, freezing together on a beach in Brittany, finding a dog pissing on their tent. Good times. Lisa's idea of romance is different from yours and mine.

Ianto sobs uncontrollably because he's pissed his girlfriend went from being a hot Amazonian supermodel to a plain-jane pizza delivery girl.

Lisa killed two innocent people, tried to upgrade Gwen and still, Ianto can't kill her. He turns away, his face twisted in agony. Again. Suddenly, shots ring out. Pizza Lisa is hit. And hit again. Ianto spins around to see Jack, Owen, Toshiko and Gwen taking a little target practice out on his girlfriend.

Lisa falls to the ground, finally, really dead this time. Ianto cries some more. Enough already with the tears. Honestly.

What does it take to get fired from this place? — Ianto walks into the office. It is impossible to get fired from Torchwood. He looks up at Jack, they nod to each other. Ianto goes right back to being the office lackey and starts cleaning up. Jack and Gwen watch Ianto fiddle with a garbage bag and reflect on the meaning of it all. Gwen asks if Jack has ever been in love. He doesn't answer her.

Gwen says she feared, just for a moment when Lisa was electrocuting Jack, that maybe he really could die. Jack admits he feared it, too. But in the moment, he also felt so alive. Sounds a little like auto-erotic asphyxiation. Or so I've heard.

Next week — Jack's life is complicated by a bunch of fairies. See? You're not the only one.

« first‹ previous123456789
Submitted by
Dennis Ayers
on Sun, 2007-09-30 22:30.
TAGS :: 
Mikey G.'s picture

Yay Torchwood!

Submitted by
Mikey G. (419 points) (79 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 02:21.

This was definitely my favorite episode so far. Ianto is my favorite character now - I am in love with him! Which is odd, because we've barely seen him at all up until now. I remember reading about him on wiki and being, like, "Ianto who?"

Very sad episode. :( And Ianto crying was...unh...*sob*

I've gotten my Grandmother addicted to this show. If only I could capture her reaction to Jack kissing Ianto in text....she was very caught off guard. "What's he doing? Giving him CPR? What the...he's KISSING him. Why? Okay..."

I love my Grandmother. And Torchwood. *luv*

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
afhickman's picture

Libertango in Space

Submitted by
afhickman (3720 points) (771 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 02:25.

afhickman

"It takes a village (to make Village People)"

This episode was groaningly bad, but it was almost worth it to be able to read "bad machine's" hilarious recap. Jack will be back on form next week, but, in the meantime, there was so much wrong with Cyberwoman, it's hard to know where to begin. The whole thing looked like a throwback to cheesy '80s scifi/fantasy flicks (Conan, anyone?), and I don't just mean the shoulder pads on Grace. Where's Arnold Schwarzenegger when you need him? Oh, yeah, right. This episode did little or nothing to advance the story arc; and wasn't it just a little too soon to have Ianto break out of his shell and go psycho on us? I half-expected Jack to give him the can at the end; no, I was hoping Jack would give him the can. He was nearly responsible for everyone's death! Next week, Ianto will be back pouring coffee, but at least he'll be doing so in a much more entertaining installment of the series. I DO believe in fairies!
no votes
see individual ratings
GayTVluver's picture

Least fav episode

Submitted by
GayTVluver (4431 points) (1016 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 07:07.
I downloaded Torchwood from bit-torrent when it was first airing over in the UK...I said it then and I'll say it now...this was my least fav episode. It was fun, it was campy if you wore your rose colored "What would have happened if Dr. Joseph Mengele had fallen in love with victims" glasses. Overall it was creepy. Plus...and they do this with all SciFi shows...how flawed is the security of Torchwood that this whole saving and rebuilding could be done within their very own walls? They don't do security sweeps of the places? They've got all sorts of crazy shit in that joint...shouldn't they have a better handle on the place?
no votes
see individual ratings
tm02's picture

I agree

Submitted by
tm02 (5 points) (1 post)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 08:25.

I agree with afhickman - This episode was groaningly bad, but it was almost worth it to be able to read "bad machine's" hilarious recap

The only good thing about this episode was the recap. Hysterical!

no votes
see individual ratings
Illya's picture

Ianto

Submitted by
Illya (20 points) (5 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 08:40.
Ianto doesn't land face down in the water, bad machine. He only lands in it up to his waist. No risk of drowning, therefore, and *definitely* not CPR. :D
no votes
see individual ratings
windyloo's picture

Feeling

Submitted by
windyloo (15 points) (4 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 09:20.
I really liked this episode. It was the first time I really felt something for one of the characters. Poor Ianto. While I understand some might have found it problematic, I was really moved by his grief. And I was really affected when Jack was trying to force Ianto to kill what was left of Lisa. Ianto being so human accentuated how different Jack really is on some level.
Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
Mikey G.'s picture

I'm not alone!

Submitted by
Mikey G. (419 points) (79 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 11:05.
For a minute I was feeling I was the only person who liked this episode. :<
Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
Illya's picture

You're far from alone

Submitted by
Illya (20 points) (5 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 14:02.
It's a very popular episode. Does seem to inspire strong opinions in the viewers, and there's a big love/hate divide, but "Cyberwoman" has a lot of fans. I'm certainly one of them. :)
no votes
see individual ratings
Crabby Lioness's picture

You are not alone.

Submitted by
Crabby Lioness (963 points) (195 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 11:56.
Unfortunately I've actually been in a similar position to Ianto in this episode, as caregiver to a terribly injured loved one whom everyone else wanted to pull the plug on. I found the episode absolutely compelling and emotionally honest. It sealed my position as a Torchwood fan. I guess if you've never stood in a similar place it might not make as much sense. But for me it hit home like nothing I've ever seen or expected to see on television.
no votes
see individual ratings
RFC's picture

Ianto episode

Submitted by
RFC (410 points) (83 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 12:42.
I really liked it too - I was almost crying, but that may be because Ianto is soooo cute. Yes, it was silly if you analyse - but such fun. And I think it advanced Ianto's character. It's a blast!!!
no votes
see individual ratings
Brenda647's picture

Once Again, Bad, ...

Submitted by
Brenda647 (533 points) (104 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 15:54.

I have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. Thanks again for such a funny recap.

Jack is giving Ianto CPR beause he's just been thrown against a wall and has had all the air knocked out of him. At least, it starts out that way, but towards the end going from Jack's reaction, it's a little more.

I think the reason Ianto wasn't fired was because working for Torchwood is like working for the government. Once you get past probation, you're there for life...unless you do something like embezzle money and even that sometimes doesn't work.

Enjoy your day!!

no votes
see individual ratings
loneranger's picture

OK episode

Submitted by
loneranger (470 points) (95 posts)
on Mon, 2007-10-01 19:07.
I liked this episode if only because we got to learn some of Ianto's backstory. I loved the Grace Jones reference, I said the exact same thing when she came on screen. "Look Grace Jones is in this episode".
no votes
see individual ratings
Dwiz's picture

cyborg fahion vs the flying dinosaur

Submitted by
Dwiz (1099 points) (213 posts)
on Tue, 2007-10-02 13:02.
Am I the only one who rejoices that the Thierry Mugler cyborg look has finally come back?! Remember the "Too Funky" video, anyone?? Anyways, if it wasn't for poor, incredibly cute Ianto's heart-felt sobs, I would have thought this episode was beyond silly. And seriously, I don't see how Ianto can stick around and keep his job. He's at least need a leave of absence for a week or something! I do say "HURRAY!" for my favorite pterodactyl! I really get a kick out of that thing, and how it is seemingly like the Torchwood mascot/ guard dog. It's one of my favorite things about the show. :)
no votes
see individual ratings
Dr. Who?'s picture

The Best Thing

Submitted by
Dr. Who? (50 points) (8 posts)
on Tue, 2007-10-02 14:48.
About this episode is Bad's Recap! Just as I was beginning to get the feel of it all, they throw in this episode. Now I don't know what to think.
no votes
see individual ratings

Home » “Torchwood” Episode 104 Recap: "Cyberwoman"