eponymous_rose

I'm almost halfway through Assignment 2 of Sapphire and Steel already, which means I've watched about four hours of this show (who needs sleep?). Suffice it to say that I am madly in love - the first serial had me in full-on keyboard-mashing squee mode, and the second serial is just... just... I mean, man this is a smart show. Creepy as heck, too. (Everyone who told me not to watch it alone with the lights out? You should know better than to encourage me!)

Best descriptor I can come up with is a combo Doctor Who/Twin Peaks (in its creepier moments)/Avengers/something totally new and wonderful. Great, spooky music and clever, minimalistic special effects (I am now officially afraid of flashlights). And does it ever remind me of "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances"! Ooh, and morally ambiguous heroes - Steel is extremely ruthless/a total jerk, of course, but Sapphire definitely has her moments of... well, when you can see the precise moment where she switches on the charm and diplomacy and caring, there's something creepy there. They're both wonderfully alien.

TULLY: *has been wandering around an abandoned train station setting up various instruments to measure "psychical" activity and sees a mysterious figure* "I-I want to help you, whoever you are. I want to help you, so in the name of God... who are you?"
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE: *pause* "Who are you?"
TULLY: *confused* "Who?"
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE: "I am from the other side."
TULLY: *spooked* "What?"
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE/STEEL: *pause* "The down platform." *blows out Tully's candle*

I love the surreal situations in which the characters wind up. Sapphire solemnly chanting "Ring a ring of roses" backwards while Steel holds a teddy bear out defiantly. Steel marching around an abandoned train platform singing "Pack Up Your Troubles" while banging on a trash can with a stick. (And the fact that in the latter case, he's got pretty darn malicious intent.)

(I also quite like that Sapphire and Steel seem to have no concept of personal space. And the bit where he kissed her hand after she rescued him.)

TULLY: *is unconscious*
SAPPHIRE: "Let's get him off the platform, Steel."
STEEL: *distracted* "What?"
SAPPHIRE: "He needs air."
STEEL: "Fifty-seven point three, you said."
SAPPHIRE: *blinks*
STEEL: "His life expectancy."
SAPPHIRE: "That's right, yes."
STEEL: "How old is he now?"
SAPPHIRE: "Fifty-two point nine."
STEEL: *smiles* "Then he'll survive, won't he?"
SAPPHIRE: *pauses* "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
STEEL: "Yes."
SAPPHIRE: "Got more than you bargained for, though."
STEEL: "It worked, didn't it?"

And that about sums it up, doesn't it?

So... so yes. Now I know what everyone's on about, and why everyone seems to be crossing this show with Doctor Who in fanfiction. Am looking forward to writing fanfic once I finish the series (and the Big Finish audios!), which at this rate should be sometime this weekend.

Er. Yes. Back to your Torchwood squee, flist. (If you'd like to know what I'm on about, give it a shot.)

ETA: Er. Also reminds me of "The X-Files". That's the other one.