"Tooth & Claw," again by Russell T. Davies, is "The Secret Origin of Torchwood," a thrilling Victorian romp with Queen Victoria and a (magnificent CGI) werewolf.

Torchwood--here, a Scottish House charged by the Queen with protecting the Empire from supernatural-y &/or science fiction-y threats--becomes the the common thread that binds the season together, much the way "Bad Wolf" did last year: not quite an arc (which is disappointing), but more than just a theme.

I would love to see them do a stronger premise in that regard, something just a bit more serialized. How about a single villain hovering over an entire season? Say... The Master? The old show was too serialized, no doubt about it. But the new show is too episodic. There has to be a happy medium.