Torchwood: Children of Earth

[starrylizard]

O_O Wow, seriously wow!!


The snipers at the start of ep 2... they should be ashamed of themselves. How crap were they at their job. :P

How much did the child the 456 too in the 60's look like a big Tochlophane? Creepy!

Wow, that is some amazing writing there. It went from intense action with some humour to such...just nothing went right.

When Jack is standing with Ianto in front of the 456 and telling them "NO" all I could think was going through his head was Well, it always works for The Doctor, because seriously, this is what The Doctor would do, but it's not The Doctor and it doesn't work (as any normal person would expect when confronted by alien bullies) and just "ouch!"

And the ending. He doesn't have any choice, but to sacrifice his grandson. He's back to the same old choices he made in the 60's. One life for the good of the many. Not the philosophy he told the 456 humans should live by.

Am I right in assuming there's no more Torchwood after this? I mean Jack and Gwen could maybe guest star with Eleven, but really where is Torchwood gonna go now? They have two people on their team. Well three if you count the new chick. Maybe four if Reece gets away from his houseDaddy duties for a day. I can't see it happening though. It's weird, cos I wasn't a big fan at the start, but once they started crossing over with Doctor Who, bringing in Martha and such, the writing really stepped up and this five-parter - now that was thought-provoking. I've been contemplating what the heck else - what other choices- you could make if faced with such a situation. It's too awful to think about.

Anyway, just less than ordered rambles. Carry on.

Comments

[smuffster.livejournal.com]

The most amazing and depressing five hours of televsion I've ever seen. I'm just staggered by how brilliant that was. Blubbering like a big baby too :)

I'm going to assume, at this point, that maybe Jack is going to be somehow involved with upcoming DW eps perhaps. With the kind of ratings they got for this series we have to assume they're coming back. Let's assume that, okay *g*

God, I'm so depressed now :D

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

God yes! Depressing as hell, yet awesome at the same time and just wow! And Ianto's death hit me so hard. I was assuming no main character deaths, as you do, and waiting for Jack to breath life back into him as usual. Ouch!

I tell you Jack and the Doctor have way too much in common to ignore each other any longer. They will surely meet up. That'll probably make Jack the only character to have met Nine, Ten and Eleven. Awesome! :)

God that was good. I... was rather teary and I don't cry...especially not over Torchwood. *sniffle*

[billy-red-ocean.livejournal.com]

Tochlophane

I know that name but what is it?

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

The humans that The Master brought back from the future with him to destroy the universe. They were inside little floating ball things. But when you open them up, they looked like little versions of the kid in Children of Earth that was hooked up to the alien.

[billy-red-ocean.livejournal.com]

Oh right! Yeah, they did indeed.

[purple-cube.livejournal.com]

Finally, someone on my f-list who liked Torchwood! I *loved* it - depressing as hell, but so much better written and acted than ever before.

As for another series, there's been no confirmation either way. But apparently the viewing figures in the UK were really good, so I wouldn't be surprised if it does come back, in the same five-nights-a-week format. I imagine that Jack finds some sort of redemption while travelling the galaxy. I think I read somewhere that RTD would like to have Martha and Mickey return but that depends on the actors' availability - doesn't seem likely given that Freema is doing well on Law&Order UK and Noel (I think that's his name?) has been writing and directing his own films. Personally I'd love to see Lois as part of the team, though.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really enjoyed it... in a depressing kinda way. There are people out there pulling apart the plot holes, when all I can think is that it's Who-verse. The point isn't the perfect sense as to the how and why, but, in this case, the moralistic complexity of the situation.

And they've ended up forming so many parallels between the Doctor and Jack. People are saying they've turned Jack into a monster, but, the Doctor destroyed his entire race in order to take out the Dalek and end the war and people think of him as a tragic hero. Plus Jack always was morally ambiguous from day 1. It was the people around him that kept him grounded in normal human morality and after Ianto, Owen and Tosh... Well it made me all teary... and it was Torchwood, making me teary. Unheard of.

The more I think about it, the more brain-frying the plot was... I can't imagine how I'd react to any of it given a similar situation. It was amazing, seriously amazing and I'm blown away that Torchwood has gone from silly crack to Wow in three seasons. :)

It's nice that you liked Lois too. I've only read bad comments about her. :( The acting was top notch from everyone in my opinion. :)

[purple-cube.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure about Lois in Day One, but loved her in the rest of the episodes. She could have easily ignored Jack and Gwen and gone along with her department's orders, but she didn't - and she was smart enough to piece things together on her own when Jack was assassinated.

Jack always was morally ambiguous from day 1

Yes, everyone seems to be forgetting that. I don't think the Tenth Doctor would have done what he did in Day Five (or in 1965), but I certainly believe that Jack would.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Yes, everyone seems to be forgetting that. I don't think the Tenth Doctor would have done what he did in Day Five (or in 1965), but I certainly believe that Jack would.

The difference there is that Doctor Who is aimed at a family audience and though possibly faced with the same choice, the writers would have given him another way out. I can see the Doctor altering his body chemistry in order to take the boy's place or somehow using the sonic screwdriver to rig a different... well you get the point. :)

And then...morally ambiguous anyway.

Lois reminded me a fair bit of Martha, actually. :)

[charis-kalos.livejournal.com]

OMG! I can't say that enough, so I'm going to have to say it again: OH MY DEAR GOD!

I had to wait until I could access my mother's Foxtel, which meant waiting til I had time and she was far, far away, and I finally saw the last three hours last night. And it was such a sad ending. Mind-blowingly sad. I mean, Gwen's pregnancy appears to be going well and she and Rhys are obviously happy - but apart from that everything is dreadful.

Jack sacrificed his grandson, so I'm guessing his daughter will have rejected him forever; and, oh, yes, IANTO IS DEAD! After Susie and Owen and Tosh, now we've lost Ianto. That's it, Torchwood's over.

And I can't see Jack coming back to Earth anytime soon. But then, since he's an immortal time-traveller he could turn up tomorrow our time having spent millennium seeking redemption. And I think the post-Doctor, post-Ianto Jack will be seeking redemption. The Jack we first met would be okay with sacrificing the one for the many; this Jack was willing to do it but far from okay with it.

This is was so brilliant! So many brilliant bits. Like the League Tables! We should make sure they're never introduced into Australia because the government might use them to sacrifice 10% of the population to aliens! I knew it. And the poor Frobishers, with John killing his family to prevent them being taken by the 456. And the bit that had me punching the air was the 456 reminding the humans that one child dies every 3 seconds and that humanity has adapted to that. Good point, evil alien drug addicts.

So, I'm definitely going to buy the DVDs, but it won't be a happy rewatch.

But, Torchwood 4: Captain Jack several thousand years on; Gwen; Rhys; Mickey; Lois. Possible?

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

I saw an interview (pre-S3) where they were talking about a possible S4. I think there would be a lot of re-imagining to re-make the show...but if it meant turning it into a show of the caliber of that there 5-parter, I'd be watching. That was seriously amazing, heartbreaking, saddening, in some ways all too true...and just amazing writing/acting! I really do hope they make another 5 parter...or do another DW crossover with Eleven and Amy.

Also, did you see this article Devil in the detail The fear behind league tables (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/devil-in-the-detail-the-fear-behind-league-tables/2009/05/10/1241893847836.html) btw? It kinda made me freak out for a minute...having just watched Torchwood: CoE. O_o