Fish driving a car, Gwen’s line which is the hook.

“Bloody Torchwood!” That’s how secret they are! (Line that wasn’t in the trailer!)

Actually the fish is not a particularly good actor!

Jack’s back. And yes, we missed him.

Ianto very smouldering, and jealous of the Doctor!

And look who’s come out of the rift! It’s Spike! And he’s thirsty.

Just as Gwen started by looking at dead bodies from a multi-storey in the first 2006 ep, we have that again in this ep.

Spike as Princess Leia! And then explicitly references it!

The bar scene – kiss, kiss, bang, bang! As we have seen it on the trailer.

(And Marsters is a good bit shorter than Barrowman. One never thinks about that – of course we’re used to the Marsters/Gellar height difference which is the other way round.)

The Time Agency, as started in Talons of Weng-Chiang; all over now.

John Hart, making fun of Torchwood, excellent! Size of the wrist strap!

Radiation cluster bombs, this week’s McGuffin. Actually quite well set up.

And Hart’s reaction to the Hub is well done – he is in a sense the New Viewer.

Gwen asking Jack where he was – tricky, but JB pulls it off well. “Coming home to you.” But Gwen is engaged to Rhys. Jack being gutted. Nice.

Jack being ordered by Gwen. Nice. The three rules. Also nice. Though it feels a little too pacy.

And Rhys calls to say he got the job, and Gwen can’t be there – meanwhile Hart has disappeared – oh, there he is.

Oh, Gwen, you let him get behind you, and then you let him kiss you! What a bastard, paralysing her with a kiss – indeed, almost biblical.

The second canister – same story. Bang! Poor Owen!

Jack and Ianto. Dating! But not in the office!. “He’s a reminder of my past.” And here is John Hart to send Ianto to save the others, so he can have Jack to himself.

This is very biblical, John tempting Jack on the height…

And then pushes him over, but does he know Jack is immortal?

Here’s Ianto saving Tosh and Owen.

And now Gwen. Lucky that they have just the right stuff to save her.

So, was the fish in on it all the time?

And the dénouement, actually fairly predictable, but a fun ride.

Ianto still has a stopwatch!

Gives an excuse for more John/Gwen grappling…

Last-minute rescue! Rather glorious! (If a bit rushed.)

“I found Gray” – great closing line.

Look folks, I don’t care what you say, I enjoyed that; I thought Marsters was great at taking the Spike character into new territory, and though it was a bit rushed in places, that’s better than the dragging so characteristic of Old Who. And next week’s looks like a lot of fun too.