Torchwood: Children of Earth – Day Five

10 07 2009

SPOILERS AHEAD. CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON IPLAYER

Jack

What an emotional ending to what has been a rollercoaster of a week. All the way through I had no idea how it was going to end, part of me even thought that the 456 may win and get all the children they wanted. But they didn’t, in one brief moment the whole viewership of this programme realised that they didn’t know Captain Jack Harkness at all, I guarantee that not one audience member would have guessed he would sacrifice his only grandchild to save the human race. In the one scene it told us all that he’s a complex character whom we have only scratched the surface with, I think his immortality had something to do with his decision. From that moment on it didn’t matter whether the 456 survived or not, because we all cared about a character whom we only met on Monday.

I also loved the fact that we never got to truly see the 456, always hidden in the mist, away from the limelight. This episode wasn’t trying to defeat them, it was showing the corruption that the Government can have, subtly telling us all that we have no idea what’s going on. This was echoed when PC Andy stepped up to the mark and joined in fighting with the armies, his anger and the betrayal that he felt was clear.

The main question that most people have is whether there will be a fourth series. After the events of this week their are only two members left in the Torchwood team, Gwen and Jack. And with Gwen heavily pregnant and Jack running around the galaxy it seems highly unlikely. Part of me doesn’t want another series, go out on a high, keep the cult status of the show there by not producing any more. Another part of me begs for another series, but I have no idea how this would happen.

I’m still disappointed that we have heard nothing about the pterodactyl.

Links:
Watch Day Five on iPlayer
Daniel Martin review
Torchwood website
Day Five gallery



Torchwood: Children of Earth – Day Four

9 07 2009

SPOILERS AHEAD. CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON IPLAYER

Ianto and Jack

Wow, what an emotional penultimate episode. I couldn’t quite belive that Ianto died at the end. I’m now going to point out something pretty obvious, couldn’t he have worn the bio-hazard suit that would have been in the 456 room, from the guy going in with the camera previously. That was the first thought I had when the virus was leaked. I do think that Ianto will be brought back to life using some form of anti-virus somewhow, but I’m not too sure. I’d also like to air my dismay at the passing of Clem, he was such a complex character whom Paul Copely portrayed brilliantly, his death looked really really painful though, what with blood coming out the ears and everything!

Anyway, I loved the politics in this episode. I really hope that not all politicians are like the ones portrayed in tonight’s episode. I hope that our politicians would not be so rude and discriminatory towards lower classes of our social system, I hope that if this situation ever came about in real life then they would put their own children forward as it is only fair. And Frobisher’s face in this meeting showed his horror at what his peers were suggesting.

I think it got very tense very quickly in this one. I was surprised though that the cameraman who got sent into the gas tank with the 456 wasn’t killed. When I saw who they were sending in, I though he was just a minor character who would get killed immediately, I was astonished when he walked out alive.

I actually really really enjoyed this episode. I was literally on the edge of my seat. I have no idea how they are going to wrap it all up tomorrow, only time will tell. There are way too many questions to answer!

Below is the trailer for the final day, Day Five:

Links:
Watch Day Four on iPlayer
Daniel Martin review
Torchwood website
Day Four gallery



Torchwood: Children of Earth – Day Three

8 07 2009

SPOILERS AHEAD. CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON IPLAYER

Ianto, Gwen and Jack

So we’re now mid-way through this Torchwood epic. And it just keeps getting better. This episode kept the story plodding along at a reasonable pace, but when the 456 finally descended to Earth it suddenly kicked into action.

Tonight’s episode also saw the first specific mention of the Doctor in this series. Captain Jack made this reference when talking to Ianto about his immortality. We also got another fine moment from the one and only PC Andy, on the phone to Gwen he seems quite oblivious about why she was calling him. I hope he continues to be in this series, as his character is a great addition to the cast.

One of my absolute favourite moments of this episode was the Americans. Their anger at not being chosen to be guest host to the 456 was brilliant, it hit on something that I think is quite true about a lot of Americans; that they have to be centre of attention and if someone else is they’ll throw a tantrum. Brilliant, absolutely superb.

There was also quite a bit of blackmail in this one, between Captain Jack and Frobisher on the phone, both betting each other’s families on one another. And it was (to me) a bit obvious that Jack was involved in the 456 before, it makes sense as well to have him being involved, what with him being immortal and all that. Although what his exact motifs were in 1965 are still incredibly unclear. Clem looked terrified and extremely confused at Jack’s ability to not age. Another outstanding performance from Paul Copley who makes the fear of Clem entirely believable and real.

What I think this episode was for, was to be a turning point in the series. A number of previous questions are answered, whereas there are still a few that are unanswered. We now have the mysterious 456 on Earth, and their intentions have been revealed (10% of Earth’s children) and yet we still are none the wiser of why they need the children. We don’t know what happened to the 1965 children nor how they were used or needed. Frobisher is still a fishy character, he is either working with the 456 and know’s there full intentions, but he could just be a bumbling middle man who PM Brian Green quite rightly called “expendable”. We are still none the wiser on what exactly Jack was doing in 1965 nor do we know how or why Clem got away. Mr Dekker wasn’t in tonight’s episode much, but his weird behaviour towards the glass box at the end of Day Two suggest that he knows a lot more then he is letting on. He could be one of the children from 1965?

So with all of these questions and crossing storylines in place, Day Four is set to be chilling, I doubt we will hear any chanting from children as this episode will be about the diplomatics involved. I also believe that we will see a lot more of Jack’s daughter, and Clem still isn’t giving us his full story…

Check out the trailer for Day Four below:

Links:
Watch Day Three on iPlayer
Daniel Martin review
Torchwood website
Day Three gallery



Torchwood: Children of Earth – Day Two

7 07 2009

SPOILERS AHEAD. CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON IPLAYER

Gwen, Ianto and Rhys

Wow. That’s all I can say. I’m quite speechless. After last night’s superb episode I didn’t think they could top it, but they did, and with excellent style and finesse.

So it started with everyone presumed dead. Of course Gwen survived, she’s the series protagonist, and she can be quite tough when it comes to it. And Ianto scrambled out of the wreckage, which was good, because I like him, he’s a good versatile actor who portrays his character very well. I would also like to take this opportunity to point out how rubbish the people trying to shoot them were. They had lasers on their guns and they still insisted on missing their targets.

I was also very glad to see PC Andy, a very good character who provides excellent comic relief for the series. His commentary in the car on the way to Gwen’s house was pure genius, it gave a bit of relax from the rest of the tension whirling around them. The other character whom I noticed provided excellent comic genius and timing was Gwen’s husband Rhys, some of his comments throughout this episode were superb. Other comedic moments came from Frobisher’s children asking for a pony, and Ianto’s brother-in-law naked in bed!

I loved Lois’s role in this episode, terrified of breaking the Secret Service’s Act she suddenly whips out there whole plan for them. A superb stroke of genius. I think this character has a lot more to show in the next three episodes. Her boss though, Peter Frobisher, is a very suspicious character, one that came a lot darker and slightly creepier in this second episode. He is definitely hiding something, and I don’t think that his other secretary, Bridget Spears, knows as much as she thinks she does nor as much as she would like to. And as for Mr Dekker, he’s a bit weird isn’t he! Part of me thinks/hopes he’s the human equivalent of the 456, and that he knows exactly what they are up to. But on the other hand he might just be a man getting too excited about his job!

I was also glad to see this episode as John Barrowman lite. Last night it seemed a little like the John Barrowman show, but tonight was a bit better with the absence of him. His ego boosting moment though came when he was lying in that room naked and the CCTV watching him. Although Ianto’s imaginative way of getting him out was very very good.

I loved the breakout scene. It was genius, and it was a true Torchwood moment, showing that it is much more then your typical sci-fi show. In a way it felt like a mini-episode in itself, as in the target for the end of the episode was to get the team back together and they succeeded.

On another note, I think we are to assume that Myfanwy, the pterodactyl, is dead. This is a sad moment as this character was a bit of bizarreness in the show that I think many fans liked. I also do not think that we are going to see a lot more of PC Andy, which is a shame as in a way I hoped he would join the Torchwood team as well as Rhys.

I’ve just had a thought, if they only had a few pieces of Jack’s body, and they pieced themselves to make a brand new Jack. Then surely when they find the other body pieces they’ll put them together too, as police do, and so surely they should piece together to make another Jack. Make sense? Hope so!

I cannot wait for Day Three, it’s going to be superb. I’m loving this series so much at the moment!

Below is the preview for Day Three:

Links:
Watch Day Two on iPlayer
Daniel Martin review
Torchwood website
Day Two gallery



Torchwood: Children of Earth – Day One

6 07 2009

SPOILERS AHEAD. CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON IPLAYER

Gwen and Clem

So the waiting is finally over Torchwood: Children of Earth finally hit our screens tonight, and what a fantastic opening episode it was too!

That was epic. I loved it. Every moment of it. Twists and turns around every single corner, I don’t think a bigger can of worms could have been opened. The opening scenes I found quite comical, seeing the children just standing there was eerie enough, but when they started jumping around and playing again it all seemed a bit too creepy. I liked the way it just jumped straight into the story, it didn’t try and cover some previous plot points at the beginning, they kind of just let it happen when it did, which I liked. I like the joking couple tension that Jack and Ianto had, it all cumulated in the kiss at the end of the episode.

I also like the fact that we are exploring Jack and Ianto’s families more. In the past it has only being Gwen’s personal life that has being crucial for storylines, but now that Jack and Ianto have family connections it makes their characters seem more real, something which is essential for the new BBC One audience. Jack being unable to die it makes some interesting plot points available, at first I thought it was his sister though! And Ianto’s sister is a world away from the life that he wishes to portray, her reaction to him being gay was quite comical, and I especially enjoyed it when Ianto’s brother-in-law came in throwing his weight around.

A more obvious storyline is Gwen’s pregnancy, her reaction to this was priceless. When Clem told her she was pregnant though I didn’t quite believe it, and I don’t think she did either, because he seems a bit of a looney. Excellant looney acting though, a superb performance from Paul Copley, I cannot wait to see how this character develops other this week.

Plenty of cliffhangers though, which are always exciting! Do Ianto and Jack survive? What happens to Gwen’s baby? Who’s Johnson (Liz May Brice’s character who shot Jack)? What’s happened to the Torchwood Hub? Where’s Myfanwy, the Torchwood pterodactyl!? Who are these other character’s on the Torchwood website? Where’s PC Andy!? Who are the 456? What does John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi) know? What does Mr Dekker know? I’m sure there are a lot more questions and I expect that they will all be answered in the next 5 days.

An excellant opening that has kept this series alive as it should be. I cannot wait for the next episodes, and I think it’s going to be a truly tremendous series. This episode hopefully gets a warm welcoming from the virgin BBC One audience, if it does we’ll all be in for a lot more Torchwood (touch wood) see what I did there?!

Below is the preview for Day Two:

Links:
Watch Day One on iPlayer
Daniel Martin review
Torchwood website
Day One gallery