'Torchwood:' What's the Opposite of a Miracle?

Having loved "Torchwood: Children of Earth" and mostly given the benefit of the doubt to the initial episodes of "Torchwood: Miracle Day," I feel compelled to issue a mea culpa.

The latest installment of the series, produced for Starz as well as the BBC, turned out to be a muddled mess.

I won't spoil the finish for those who haven't seen it, but frankly, I'm not sure I could even if I wanted to. "Torchwood" has always showcased cheeky humor and wacky sci-fi concepts, but while "Miracle Day" kicked off with an extremely provocative premise -- namely, what happens when people suddenly stop dying, triggering a global crisis -- the ensuing episodes felt padded to reach its 10-episode length (twice as long, notably, as the tight miniseries "Children of Earth"), and the payoff wasn't worthy of the build-up.

Starz and the BBC have pacted to collaborate on future series, but let's hope this isn't a preview of what's to come.

A handful of people wrote me after my original review, saying they were disappointed with the latest "Torchwood," and by extension, me for not being harder on it. Although I was reluctant to agree after only a few episodes based on my fondness for the series and the promise I saw in the plot, now that I've viewed the whole thing, sit down, because this won't happen very often.

I've changed my mind. With the benefit of hindsight, you were right, and I was wrong.