WARNING: There Be Spoilers Ahead!
And THAT is why Russell T Davies is the King Of The Whoniverse. Bookending Children of Earth, his two solo episodes, Day One and Day Five, are the finest two hours of Torchwood we have seen.
From the leftfield revelation of what the 456 actually wanted the children for to Jack's past involvement with the creatures karmically catching up with him when he - the man who can't die - had to pay the ultimate price to defeat them, this was some of RTD's strongest writing.
The defeat of the 456 took a quite clichéd gimmick (of turning an enemy's weapon back on them) and gave it a very dark, Torchwood spin.
If nothing else RTD demonstrated that you can have great dramatic moments without the necessity for long - albeit well-written - monologues. RTD is the master of "show, don't tell"; Rule Number One in the "scripwriter's handbook".
Day Five was full of strong, harrowing moments (possibly some of the most gut-wrenching of the week), but where the start of Children Of Earth focused more on Gwen, by the end of the week that focus had shifted firmly to Jack - with Gwen and Rhys being more concerned with the secondary story of protecting Ianto's family back in Wales.
Not enough credit is given to John Barrowman for his acting chops, but you couldn't help but feel for Captain Jack in this episode, whatever your reaction to his past "crimes".
Jack started off a broken and defeated man and as events unfolded, and he realised the sacrifice he would have to make to stop the 456, the audience could see Jack's heart being ripped out through his chest. An amazing synthesis of an actor and a writer who really knows his characters and what buttons to press.
There was so much to tie up in the Children Of Earth plot, after the four-day build-up, and only an hour to do it, but RTD succeeded in style.
Around the main action, the supporting characters had their moments to shine, like Frobisher's loyal secretary Bridget Spear (Susan Brown) finally, and cunningly, striking back at the Prime Minister and PC Andy (Tom Price) getting in on the fisticuffs when the army came for the children on the estate.
I'm also wondering if Johnson (Liz May Brice), the sultry black ops leader, might be being lined up as a future member of Torchwood (as well as Lois Habiba, who must be a shoo-in by now), after her change of heart when she discovered what the Government had been up to?
Where this leaves Torchwood for the future I can't say, but ratings wise (when unofficially it's been netting a quarter of the viewing population every evening) the BBC would be foolish not to recommission the series.
Storywise though, Team Torchwood is going to need to launch a recruitment drive!
Friday, 10 July 2009
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About Me
- The Acrobatic Flea
- I was a regular salaryman, earning a crust with my meager writing skills, until an aneurysm tore open my aorta unexpectedly in early 2005. I suffered a stroke during surgery and a collapsed lung afterwards. I have since realised that I now have a new chance at life, which (body willing) I shall indulge in with positiveness, happiness and the good companionship of my wonderful wife. The Acrobatic Flea handle comes from the name of my favourite - and most successful - Villains & Vigilantes RPG character in the '80s.
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14 persons have something to say about this!:
The whole 5 days have been absolutely bloody brilliant TV from start to finish, and deserves accolades and awards aplenty.
This has been 5 hours of awesome, unmissable telly. The format gave the story room to breathe, and it showed that even a simple storyline can have twists and emotions by the bucketload. This story could have been told in just 1 hour, and wouldn't have had 10% of the drama or impact.
I'm trying to ignore my inner cynic who knows from past experience that great TV tends to be marked for death at birth by the BBC.
More Torchwood? Oh gods in heaven yes please!
Depending on the Dr Who finale at Christmas (RTD again), Children of Earth is the strongest contender yet for "TV Show Of The Year" by a mile.
The general reception from around the Interweb has been enormously popular and the viewing figures have been incredible... so yes, going on past form, Torchwood is doomed ;-)
I assumed that the next series would follow captain Jack into space and leave cardiff/gwen/lois etc behind
rather than having a Torchwood series without Jack.
I have to say Mr Flea, a very well written piece...
I've certainly had various parts of my body and mind tugged and wrenched while watching this 'season' and they've all been for the better.
If there were a better word than incredible to describe this 'experience' then I've yet to think it up. TV Show of the Year is the least it deserves!
As mentioned by the eponymous anonymous (he does get around), I think RTD has sort of written himself into a corner here; of course with his writing, that certainly won't stop him!
On a final note, I'm still curious as to whom Bridgit Spear was actually transmitting to video feed to as everyone was pretty busy with their own devices...
Ianto dies because the battle plan is to "just say no", (which coming so soon after the deaths of Tosh and Owen just smacks of melodrama).
Jack kills a grandson we never really buy into - is she his daughter by blood, adoption? Did he raise her or just swing by every so often..It could have been any child and the impact would have been the same.
It is a repeat of an earlier plot - one child sacrificed to save the world, last time it was fairies, this time aliens..
There is some suggestion that the use of the words "Uncle Jack" should be chilling when it comes across as heavy handed by the writers.
Unsurprisingly Jack miraculously defeats the aliens at the last moment practically singlehandedly.
Gwen and co should all have been dead based on the orders that went through and were not countermanded -lethal force against people preventing the taking of the children..
And the human bad guys get to be heroes or walk away free? (the MP who suggests how to choose the children is the one who gets on her moral high horse with the PM?)
Torchwood as an organisation is incompetent all the way through except for a few moments. Lois's faith in them is completely misplaced, in fact everyones faith in Jack is proven to be completely misplaced. This show took characters we had come to like or love, a concept we had taken to and systematically shredded them all.
I will neither be buying the DVD nor watching any further Torchwood shows.
I enjoyed the third Torchwood series and though it is only science fiction I have to wonder... Would such a government facing an armed population be so brave...? "This We'll Defend"!! This is the motto of the United States Army, an army made up of citizens with certain rights set forth in the Bill of Rights as amended to the United States Constitution in 1791. Ask yourselves, were this to happen in the real world, would you fight for your children, for your country and if so, what with-strong language? Ask yourselves why the U.K. government and those other governments around the world fear armed populations so? When a government fears the people, the people are in control. But, when the people fear the government, the people are no longer respected or in control of their own lives... I have enjoyed watching the BBC over the years, but I have to wonder what would happen in those counties where the populations have been disarmed, were something akin to this (aliens-no, not that) but a unilateral decision made by a government forced upon its people at the barrel of a gun... What would the people do...? I know, you would fight back, you would fight for your children to your last drop of blood... But, what with, strong language?!?! Governments need not fear an armed population so long as the government is fair and just in its dealings. When all is said and done it is just a teleplay, no government would ever do such a thing... Would it? Has it? www.jpfo.org
I fully expected RTD to cock it up at the end.
He didn't.
As for Torchwood, I would like to see a series or two without Harkness. Let Gwen, Habibi, Johnson, and Andy show what humanity can do for itself. They would struggle without the immortal Jack, but struggle is what makes good drama.
Thank you all for your comments.
While, of course, I disagree with Antiqueight (Alice was Jack's daughter by blood and we had a whole series to buy into his relationship with his grandson - five hours of television is longer than most movies where we meet, fall in love and mourn characters in three acts in just two hours), I have to say that Archimago, quite, succinctly summed up my secret fears... and I was very impressed (and pleased) that we were both wrong ;-)
As to the future of Torchwood, I doubt it will continue "in space", as that would be too similar to Doctor Who and while we may all want that, I can't see the BBC, or even RTD, going for it.
However, I do believe Captain Jack will be appearing in the two-part Christmas Special of Doctor Who this year and, if he does, maybe he will find redemption and then return to Earth in time for Season Four of Torchwood.
My goodness, that was so gut-wrenchingly bleak.
Sure, the good guys won in the end (by a flimsy method - though that wasn't the important thing here) but at what cost? Generally, the population now no longer trusts the government, people's rights have been abused, etc. And individually, Jack sacrificed his own grandson, his relationship with his daughter, and more. Ianto, Frobisher, Clem and more died. And Torchwood is no more!
I was expecting a happy, fully resolved ending. We didn't get that. We got something more... realistic (well, sort of given the nature of the show) and depressing. In a way, it was much, much better than I was expecting but it was hardly a pleasant experience.
It was brave of RTD et al to end it this way - but I wonder how many "normal" viewers it alienated?
Still doesn't quite beat my favourite show this year - Being Human.
Went into this knowing nothing about the world of Torchwood or the characters and I was absolutely entralled the whole week. This show was more brave than anything we would ever see on North American television. The aliens and their motivations were truly frightening and even though the human race 'won' the war we certainly did not leave the battle unscathed. The music was so powerful in setting the mood and the urgency of the situation. I am downloading the first two season to see what else I may have missed. Its the best television I have seen in a long time - humanist science fiction. I hope this is not the last we see of their characters.
Absolutley grim, depressing and bloody fantastic. The good news is I know of people who watched this (cause it was bumped to BBC1 in a prime slot) and loved it, becoming Torchwood fans (they may be dissapointed withe first 2 series though).
I had heard that John Barrowman wanted a break, and has work commitments, so a fourth series might well be Jack light, but I'm sure he'll be back.
Harrowing stuff, but not sure if they could ever top this series.
Pleased to hear you enjoyed it, Nicholas.
I, too, had read about John Barrowman's work commitments - and I believe Eve Myles is also soon to star in another series as well.
I suspect, the more likely scenario (rather than a Jack light season) is a long break before Season Four - once everyone's diaries are lined up.
I have never, ever been a fan of Torchwood. I have always watched DR Who, and when I saw the episode were Dr Who, MArtha Jones, and Capt Jack meet up, I became curious. I had seen the shows in the past but it didnt catch my attention. I have to say though, Children of the Earth has me glued to the TV. I'm in America so they just ran Day Two, and I cant wait for Day Three. If the rest of the Torchwoods end up like this, then I will officially find it better then Dr. Who.
Pleased to hear you're a convert, Omyda, but I think it's difficult to compare Torchwood with Doctor Who, even though they share the same setting and characters, because they are written for different markets - even though there is a large overlap - with Torchwood being aimed at a more mature audience, while Dr Who is a family show.
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