TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

3.5: Children Of Eath - Day Five

So, this is it, the final day of the most epic proportion in Torchwood’s history. With the death of Ianto, the whole Torchwood team has been ripped apart.

We start the episode with Gwen talking to camera on a crude video camcorder, saying she finally understands why The Doctor avoids the Earth, and would turn away in shame if he knew about their own children being sacrificed in such cowardice to the 456. The Government spread a message saying the children needed to be vaccinated and sent back to school, however, the families were not so easily fooled when only a select few were called upon to have this “vaccination.” In present circumstances in writing this review, it does reflect somewhat real-life scenarios that make your hair stand up on end and that is why Russell T Davies is so brilliant at as a writer, by creating that sense of realism, even in the most Sci-Fi universe.

When you think things can’t go from bad to worse, they do. The Government go ahead with their plan of kidnapping school children who they see as being “underachievers” and they are scarified for the planet. It’s a choice that should never be made or validated as a course of action. UNIT being curious as to what the reasoning is behind the kidnapping of school children, makes your heart drop to your stomach. The children are not being used so that the 456 can survive, they’re being used as a kind of drug induced “hit” that makes them feel good. With that knowledge, you realise just how all this sacrifice isn’t to save two species, they’re doing a drugs trade with planet Earth and that makes you feel sick.

The families start getting suspicious as their kids are taken away in coach loads and in a state of panic, the Government forces Frobisher to film his kids being taken away. With the knowledge of what they do to them, the harrowing scene of Frobisher reaching for a gun and taking his family into the kids’ room, before closing the door and hearing 4 single shots fired, is a moment that is so heart wrenching. This man only wanted to do good under the most manipulative system and he has to pay the ultimate sacrifice for it. Peter Capaldi excels in this scene and it makes for incredibly upsetting and hard to watch viewing. What cements this scene so perfectly, is when Bridget Spears is talking to Lois Habiba about the life Frobisher led, his passion and ambitions and no matter what happens after that scene in his house, he will always be a “good man.”

Children of Earth never lets you down in pace and action. We quickly swing back round to fixing the equilibrium of this whole saga in Torchwood style. Captain Jack works out that the kids and the 456 all work on the same frequency (due to the fact the 456 killed Clem in the previous episode) and if he can get the right tone, it would essentially blow up the 456 and kill it for good. The only problem is one child needs to be used as a beacon for this signal and who should be the only child in the area, but his own grandson. Torchwood likes to make these epic grand statements of impossible choices, something that is very closely related to Doctor Who with the Fourth Doctor deciding if he has the right to kill the Daleks. It’s a moral conflict that Jack feels he needs to take upon himself, maybe because he believes he owes The Doctor some kind of debt for his immortal status? In the end, Jack makes that final choice and kills his grandson to save the world. This isn’t the big celebratory ending we’re so used to; it reflects the world in a true way showing that not every story has a happy ending.

Just to add more heartbreak, Alice Carter (Jack’s daughter), can’t even face Jack and turns away in anger, and shame as she sees Jack sat in the corridor. How would you ever get over the fact your own father killed your child, even for the sake of saving the world. In this moment, Jack realises he can no longer stay on earth and decides to hop on a spaceship flying past to get far away as possible. It’s a heart-breaking scene as you can see the scared and upset look on Gwen’s face as it appears she will be taking over the role of saving the earth on her own.

The whole saga of Children of Earth has been an epic ride from start to finish. It’s still for me the perfect example of what Torchwood is all about. 

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

3.4: Children Of Eath - Day Four

It was bound to happen in this review; we have now reached “that” episode in this series of Torchwood. Grab the tissues, this one is going to be incredibly emotional.

Things are not looking great as Captain Jack realises the implication of his actions by sending the kids to the aliens. Clement, in a frenzy of fury towards Jack, shoots him dead on the spot. Gwen really comes into her own here as Rhys says, “The man is dangerous,” but really, he is just terrified by the whole situation and Gwen can immediately see this. It’s a nice character development as even through all the sci-fi wonders in the show, she still has to rely upon her police instinct to sort situations and keep the peace. Jack reveals the reason why Clement was specifically chosen to be sent to the aliens, was due to the fact they wouldn’t be missed by anyone. It’s a real emotional twist revealing Jack’s reasoning and logic to fighting an unknown menace when The Doctor isn’t around - something Torchwood has become very adept at, explaining the consequences of actions in the Doctor Who universe. 

The 456 also clarifies the situation as to why it wants the children of Earth. In this very harrowing scene, it allows one person to enter the poisonous tank revealing a child hooked up in an entanglement of wires to the 456 itself; it’s a scene that could have been taken straight out of the movie “Alien.” It’s pure Torchwood sci-fi horror that makes your skin crawl and Peter Capaldi reacting to the news, really hits hard as you can see the pain, horror and anguish in his eyes. The final threat is made when the 456 says they have to hand over the children or the whole of the human race will be destroyed. It’s the impossible choice that has become the pinnacle theme of Torchwood through the series. 

There’s a touching scene between Ianto and Jack, as Ianto realises he doesn’t know the man he fell in love with and works with, at all. Ianto claims he’s only just scratched the surface of the truth behind his long life, to which Jack opens up, revealing he has a daughter and grandson who are captured at this moment. The scene really shows that Jack keeps a lot of secrets and acts as if the situation is under control  so as to not panic the people he loves, but it always comes at a cost later down the line. This is very heavy foreshadowing for future events that, when re-watching Torchwood, you realise how many clues are left for the audiences to pick up on and that’s down to some incredible writing by Russell T. Davies.

This is when everything starts to unravel with the world. The Government starts to seriously consider how many children per country as a “camouflageable donation,” otherwise known as people who they feel aren’t important, to give to the 456. Torchwood as a series, really reveals how through manipulation and exploitation, how the Government in their cowardice, try and resolve a situation. It always reminds me of the quote ‘The Doctor must look on this World in shame’ and in these situations you can see why. In a surprise role the wonderful Nicholas Briggs plays the not so wonderful character of Rick Yates. With some kind of reasoning, he convinces the Prime Minister that losing 10% of children per country would do the world good for its resources. Russell T. Davies always does a wonderful representation of realism in sci-fi when it appears any situation can be resolved by putting a monetary value on things. Lois Habiba, recording the whole conversation for Torchwood, makes them immediately aware of the situation and they know action needs to be taken without delay.

Now for Lois Habiba, the Torchwood agent that never was, this is her moment of heroism as she stands up in front of the whole board and announces with such confidence, Torchwood had been recording everything that had been said. It’s the pure, punch in the air moment, that really turns the tides of fate for a moment as they try and regain control of the situation. The music, the fast-paced editing, Jack sauntering into Thames House, we’ve gone straight back to the stylistic themes of Torchwood series 1 and 2 and it feels like home.

And here we are, we have reached the final chapter in Ianto’s adventures with Torchwood. Jack and Ianto enter the room where the 456 is currently being held. Jack appears to come to a revelation after their conversation in the warehouse that this time, the 456 will not be getting the demands it requires. There’s no holding back in the argument as Jack and Ianto take the final stance and ultimately again have to face the consequences of being a hero once more. The 456 not giving up so easily, release a virus into Thames House that will kill everything within it. 

Ianto’s death is one of the most shocking and brilliantly performed scenes in Torchwood. For Jack and for the fans of the show, Ianto was that anchor that kept everyone stable while the whole world seemed to change with every episode. Ianto was always the hidden hero in the background and in the toughest moments he always knew he would die for his service. It’s a brave choice to make to kill off such an iconic and long-standing character, however it shows that the world and Torchwood is an unpredictable place and no one is safe.

Tomorrow is the final day of the most heart breaking and intense week the Torchwood team has ever had to face. What will happen next? Well, we’ll soon find out.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]

TARDISMonkey's Torchwood Diary - watching Torchwood an episode a week from the start...

1.8: They Keep Killing Suzie

We kick-start this episode in true Torchwood style as they walk onto a crime scene already being investigated by the police. They’re met by Detective Swanson (Yasmin Bannerman), who her and her team think Torchwood’s approach to situations are a little unorthodox and quite rightly so. As the team enter an average looking suburban house, a horrendous murder has taken place with a slightly more unusual clue to the suspect. In huge blood soaked words on the wall, “TORCHWOOD” takes central place, which immediately alarms Captain Jack, with a true heroic ‘Doctor Who’ cliffhanger camera zoom to the face… Titles roll!

Tosh examines the DNA evidence left at the murder site which the analysis reveals that the murderer had an unknown compound, “B67.” Owen immediately identifies it as the RetCon drug, which was also the same drug Jack used on Gwen. Gwen in a state of panic becomes incredibly worried as to the implications and side effects of the drug, as the Torchwood team themselves realised they’ve screwed up massively. I mean an organisation who drugs not just one but 2008 people, is slightly problematic in itself… again. Not only that, but the team are now questioning if the drug can cause violent tendencies. Jack quickly jokes that Gwen shouldn’t go near sharp objects however, the joke doesn’t sit well with me.

But with no time to wait, as in true Torchwood style we’re off, as Gwen suggests using the Resurrection Gauntlet from ‘Everything Changes’ to question the murdered people to find out if they saw anything. Jack and Owen quickly disapprove of the idea, with their closed body expressions as they try to turn away from Gwen; the pain of Suzie’s death still haunts them, even now. Gwen being the determined police officer she is, suggests they have a duty of care following the murder victims death; they have responsibility for their actions in respect of drugging people, which is a very just cause in my opinion.

Captain Jack tries the glove on their first murder victim, however this instantly fails. Owen immediately passes up the opportunity to try the glove again, stating only Suzie was the one who managed to get the glove to work. Gwen being the badass she is, volunteers to wear the glove as a cautious glance is exchanged between Jack and Owen, stepping up to the role to try it on with immediate success. The first victim, Alex Arwen, screams out. Gwen trying to show some humanity as Jack shouts at him trying to get a clue, immediately dies again. The rage shows in Gwen’s face as she is determined to use the glove not to just use the murdered victims but to get justice for them. It’s a true showmanship to her police training and her character. The next victim Mark, gives an emotional performance which is beautifully accompanied by Murray Golds’ music, as he tries to help the team with clues as to who the killer could be but also just wanting to see his wife one last time. Mark reveals a couple of names Pilgrim, Max and in a shocking twist, Suzie. Coincidence? I think not!

The Torchwood team dig up some more evidence related to Suzie and Pilgrim, which turns out to be a a religious support group. Tosh and Owen are completely dismissive of the idea that Suzie would join a group like this, when Gwen questions how much do the team really know each other? It’s a true testament to their characters about how they all get so wrapped up in fighting aliens and the unknown, that they forget the fundamental point of sitting down and talking. Jack accepts the fact he messed up and makes the ultimate decision, they need to wake Suzie up.

The Torchwood crew gather around a frozen Suzie as they assess the situation as to what they’re about to do. Tosh who can’t bare to look her former colleague in the eye quickly departs the room. The others braving their fears of Suzie herself, gear themselves up ready to get their last clue and to leave Suzie to rest. This is what is amazing about Torchwood, alien monsters can be frightening, but a person who has been dead for 3 months can still send a shiver down your spine from their past actions and this is what makes for a great villain for a story. After a few false starts and a life knife through the heart in a completely brutal fashion, the camera circles around them all;, Suzie is back from the dead. It’s a brilliant scene that builds up the confusion and frustration of everyone in the room, as they desperately want to stop the killing and settle their difficulties once and for all. Gwen using the glove for too long is shot back across the room, as Jack very angrily shouts at her for getting hooked on the glove as well. Jack has a tendency of learning from his mistakes and almost plays a father figure to the team, however his younger team mates want to prove themselves and almost get killed in the process. We soon learn that there are consequences which become a reality for unfortunate Gwen. They think it’s all over until Ianto claims that Suzie’s heart is still beating.

The Torchwood fam (yes I’ve used it) wanting to give Suzie the benefit of the doubt about her past incriminating life, ask for her help to catch the killer who is after them. They go to a club where one of the members from Pilgrim works before she becomes the next victim. After a brief punch up and Gwen getting hit again, goodness me does Gwen take some punches, they catch the killer.

All of this seems simple and straight forward, a very typical Torchwood episode until Gwen is suckered in by Suzie’s guilty charm and her own revelations of the team not being sympathetic towards other members and decides to take Suzie to see her dying father. Now this is when the tangled web of evil and villainy comes into force. Owen to his horror, discovers why Suzie isn’t dead again. She’s draining the life force away from Gwen. This is where the differences lies between Gwen being a part of the team rather than Suzie; the team actually spring into action to help her. They've been fooled twice; shame on them.

I love Torchwood, it always seems to be the most bonkers plot to cram into a 50 minute story. So here’s a break down of Suzie’s plot, Shaun of the Dead style:

Gwen takes her car, drives over to Suzie’s dad, Suzie kills her dad. Gwen immediately starts getting a headache because the gun shot wound that killed Suzie is being exchanged and she gains her energy back. Suzie then drives to the docks to get rid of Gwen’s body. Torchwood calls on Detective Swanson who breaks them out using a secret code to counteract the other secret code announced by the original killer who Suzie drugged to help her get back from the dead. They get to the docks before Suzie gets away on a boat to live forever.

I tip my hat off to the writers, Paul Tomalin and Dan McCulloch for getting in so much plot without the story feeling too fast.

The final stand off between Jack and Suzie resulted in me making the most satisfying air punch I’ve ever done. The part where Jack finally takes Suzie down and Tosh takes the glove out with one final shot to break the tie between Suzie and Gwen, was just so perfect in tying up the elephant in the room of everyone feeling sorry that Suzie killed herself, when actually she was the real monster all this time.

Ellie (TARDISMonkey) 

 

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[Source: DWO]