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Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day Four)

Ianto: “Don't forget me.”
Jack: “I never could.”

Did they seriously kill Ianto? Is that what just happened? I kept on thinking... don't panic, he'll wake up any minute... they must surely have taken precautions against the virus (somehow)... a pill, maybe... they're just pretending. But Jack's face told a different story. He was absolutely devastated. So that's Suzie, Owen, Tosh and now, Ianto... all dead. At this rate there won't be enough people left for a fourth season. Now there's an unnerving thought.

Jack's past well and truly caught up with him tonight. I assumed there'd be more to his story -- some kind of mitigating circumstances which would better explain his actions. But the truth of the matter is, back in '65, Jack was a lost soul. He sneered at the thought of there being a paradise for the children. And he lied to them. He told them they'd be safe. They weren't. Far from it, in fact. So tonight was all about atonement. Ianto knew that his Jack, the new Jack, would have taken the fight to the 456. He would never have compromised. And presumably, that's exactly what Jack now intends to do. For Ianto. And for the children.

Lois was superb again tonight. I gave an internal “hurrah” as she raised a nervous hand and started to speak. Lois, despite being unsure whether she should even be helping, is one of those characters you can always rely on to do the right thing. Despite being in a room full of international dignitaries she spoke clearly, authoritatively and concisely. It's just a shame Torchwood failed so badly. Ianto's bullets refused to penetrate the glass walls of the tank. And Jack and Ianto both ended up dead, side by side... Ianto in Jack's arms.

We learned a little more, too, about the 456. The deal back in '65 was to exchange the children for an antidote to the Indonesian flu. Why they want the children, however, is still a mystery. The 456 seem to have an almost symbiotic relationship with them. They claim the process is painless, and that it ensures longevity -- but what's in it for the 456? Why do they need the children?

Rick's suggestion that a cull of the nation's children would help with overpopulation was simply monstrous. Yet, picking candidates from the world's poorest schools... the socially worthless... those destined to be a drain on society, was equally as barbaric. Yet somehow there was a twisted kind of logic to it. Cleanse the populace... blame the aliens. Convenient, if a tad expedient. But what a terrible moral dilemma to be in. What are you supposed to do, when you can do nothing?

I really can't see how this is going to pan out. Torchwood have no discernible plan... their numbers are dwindling... and they're running out of options. I suppose it's too much to ask that the Doctor come to their rescue (I'm joking of course). I'm really quite baffled. And more than a little upset. I've really warmed to Ianto this season. Is it too much to hope that he's still alive?

Probably. But I think I will anyway.

Bits and pieces:

-- How did Frobisher manage to land himself such a hot wife?

-- Is it just me, or is the music a little overpowering at times? I don't like to criticise (oh wait, yes I do), but I seem to be noticing it a lot this season. And not in a good way.

-- Was that Ellen Hunt, Andrew Staines and Michael Sanders in the '65 flashbacks? I suppose it must have been.

-- The viewing figures for tonight's episode were higher than any of the previous nights' figures (6.24).

-- Nick Briggs (the voice of the Daleks) had a brief cameo in tonight's episode. He was briefly on screen during the cabinet meeting.

Quotes:

Jack: “You need someone who can't die?
Unknown: “Actually, we need someone who doesn't care.”

Clem: “The man who sent me and my friends to die, can't die himself?”

Alice: “A man who can't die has nothing to fear.”

The 456: “You yielded in the past. You will do so again.”
---
Four moor peaces eye rote, sea hear.

1 comment:

  1. Children Of Earth: Day Four

    Thank you. An episode where the ante got upped a bit more.

    I'm not sure how I feel about Ianto's death. Maybe he's not dead (wishful thinking I know)

    His scenes with Jack were interesting, trying to figure out how much he means to him, etc.

    Poor Gwen and poor Rhiannon. She just discovered that aliens wanted to take children. I can only imagine how she'll feel when she learns about Ianto's death.

    Picking out the kind of kids that no-one will miss for the 456. That was distressing.

    Lois got to be kick butt for a few minutes before Jack lost the upperhand with the 456.

    Very little Alice in this episode and Steven was showing suspicions about Uncle Jack.

    Johnson seemed more sympathetic in this episode, though I'm not sure why.

    Wish this episode had finally revealed what the 456 had looked like. This is being dragged out too long.

    Flashbacks to 1965 were interesting. Clem's death felt a little telegraphed though.

    Everything looks just positively gloomy for the last episode, 9/10.

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