Sci-fi meets Victoriana in the first episode of Joss Whedon’s new series.

Surely that’s Steam Punk’? I hear you cry. Well, yes and no. There’s a generous helping of old-fashioned cogs and gears all over the place to satisfy your steamy and punky needs, but there’s more to it than that, which I will elaborate on at a later date so as not to spoil you in the first paragraph of this review. I’m not that cruel.

It is quicky apparent that there is something special about the women of Nevers’ London, who are definitely more bad-ass than in your average Dickens classic. What (or who) gave them their powers  and why these women have the skills they wield is not yet fully revealed, but I get the sense that they are not always a good thing for the ‘Touched’ as they prefer to be called.

That leads me on to the power of words, ownership thereof, and how use of adjectives can bely the speaker’s intent and change the listener’s perception. My favourite scene of this episode isn’t one of the action-packed sequences, which are surprising and entertaining, but rather a scene in an opera-house where some of our key players meet for the first time. A battle of words and wit ensues and I know who my money’s on as their verbal swords clash. There’s more to our heroine’s adversary in this scene too, as we discover the context for his point of view before the end of the episode.

There is a resilient, capable, intelligent and fierce woman at the heart of this, which I took delight in, as I always do with any story which more accurately reflects the often underestimated strength of women. There is a lot of tearing-down of the patriarchy and smashing glass ceilings – in fact I can’t think of a single trick that was missed in terms of challenging prejudices. This is right up my street, but might be a bit much for some. Are we dealing with a portrayal of end-of-century Victorian life that wants to feel authentic, or have 21st century ideals just been picked up and dropped into a different era? I suspect the latter but I find I’m OK with it.

Other characters are interesting enough to make me want to tune in for episode 2. An obsequious, bisexual charmer with a penchant for silky loungewear who is clearly more dangerous than he appears (blimey, it went nearly half an hour before any unnecessary nudity – wow, I almost forgot this is HBO) and a deeply unhinged and completely scene-stealing woman who looks like our main antagonist at this point.

Verdict: Some big clues drop as to what’s behind the gifts of the ‘Touched’ in the final minutes and I’m invested enough to keep going. 7/10

Claire Smith