Picture the brilliant sci-fi storylines of the popular BBC series Doctor Who. Throw in a mix of characters ranging from the unkillable to the undead. Add a dash of sexuality-maybe a bit more than a dash-and a healthy amount of morbid humor and a serving of action, and you'll have Torchwood.Torchwood, a spin-off of Doctor Who, first aired in 2006 in both the United Kingdom and the United States While the presence of a well-loved Doctor Who character, the brash, attractive Captain Jack Harkness (played by Scottish-American actor John Barrowman) initially attracted a niche audience of loyal Doctor Who fans, the show quickly picked up speed, gathering an audience beyond the Whoniverse. Since its first airing in 2006, Torchwood has run a total of 31 episodes: two 13-episode seasons and one five-night miniseries that aired this July.

How did such a small show gain such a devoted fan base so quickly? And more importantly, why does it matter to Brandeis students?

Set in modern-day Cardiff, Wales, Torchwood revolves around the titular small, secret organization that is dedicated to the investigation, cover-up and collection of alien life on Earth. "Outside the government, beyond the police, beyond the United Nations," the show's voice-over introduction informs its audience at the beginning of every episode. Cast aside any mental images of a white-washed, secret government base, though-while the Torchwood headquarters is secret and hidden, it's hardly the Batcave. The impressive technology and alien artifacts tend to be overshadowed by the well-used coffeemaker and ratty couches, and did I mention the pet pterodactyl?

There is a constant theme of the necessity of-get ready for the buzzword, Brandeis kids-truth. More than either of its previous seasons, the third season deals with the absolute vitality of truthfulness and honesty-and the difference between the two. Torchwood's third season takes place over a five-day span during which the Torchwood team attempts to fight off an incoming alien invasion. The action turns explosive and the intrigue darkens in the first episode, but the pace of the season stays constant, with emotional blows coming at the audience from all angles. Without giving away too much of the plot, it's fair to say that issues of truth and social justice-look, Brandeis, another buzzword!-run rampant.

While the sci-fi plotlines are impressive, if occasionally cheesy, it's the characters that make the show so hard to quit. Fans of Doctor Who know that the show's central characters are well rounded and impossible not to love, and that development carries over to Torchwood. The show has a constant GLBT presence as well-Torchwood is the only show on television with a bisexual main character played by a homosexual actor, and a good portion of the characters identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

The interpersonal relationships-friendships, romances, families-are painted realistically and poignantly, and if the sexual undercurrent of the show seems occasionally overt, it manages to stay tasteful. To say nothing of the fact that the show itself is brilliant (not that this particular journalist is in any way biased), Torchwood takes the underlying values of Doctor Who-the broad base of knowledge, the respect of foreign cultures, friendship and love-and sweeps them into a mix of subplots for a more mature audience.

Between personal relationships and government conspiracies, the importance of truth and the harmfulness of secrets, Torchwood is a great summer watch for anyone with a flair for the strange-or just an interest in what can happen when society stops caring.