Torchwood: Children of Earth: Day Four
Jul. 10th, 2009 09:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakAdvice to anyone who like me prefers to remain unspoiled: avoid everyone's ljs until you've watched yourself, because discretion isn't the watchword this morning.
Okay, so to get that out of the way first: Ianto dying in ep 5 would have been, shall we say, not completely out of the blue, and then I'd be 100% certain it was finite, but the fact it was in ep 4 makes me only 94% sure, with the rest of me wondering whether it will be undone by some handwavy patented RTD style resurrection. He and the rest of the scribes are well aware of Ianto's designated fandom woobie status, so killing him is more likely to be the grand emotional climax than a prelude. Otoh, it might well be that Torchwood doesn't get another season, in which case Rusty could go for a B7 style ending, modified to make Jack the only survivor, or a variation where he walks away and Gwen returns to policing, with an option that maybe some day Torchwood will reconstitute with new players. Or it could be Torchwood reconstitutes at the end of CoE with Lois and Alice as new members. (Alice because events demonstrated the bad guys will be after her and Stephen whether she keeps her distance from dad or not, and it's probably better to have a headstart in knowing what's going on.) Honestly, I don't know.
For the further purposes of this review, I'll treat Ianto's death as the genuine article, in which case, sorry, no, I didn't cry. I mean, I finally got around to liking Ianto in s2 after finding him bland and forgettable in s1, but were it not for the Doylist implications (i.e. one part of the only permanent m/m couple around), I'd have voted for him to die over Owen and Tosh in a heartbeat. I didn't want him to die now, due to s2 and CoE gained vague fondness, but the fact he did again evoked less of a "omg poor Ianto!" then a rather selfish "damn, fandom will explode if this sticks, and there'll be nothing but Ianto mourning fics and AUs for years". I did feel sorry for the Ianto fans on my list, if that helps. As I know how it feels like to lose a favourite character.
Oh, and I feel immensely sorry for Ianto's family, whom oddly enough I loved from the get go, as opposed to himself. Poor Rhiannon. Honestly, the fact he told her he loved her makes me way happier than him telling Jack, because of their estranged relationship. I guess this means we won't see her and Johnny again once CoE is over, even if TW gets a season 4. Pity. Did I mention I do love Rhiannon?
Jack I don't feel that sorry for. Possibly because that early moment when Ianto was all "that must have been eating at you all those years" irritated me; I thought "can we be sorry for the kids before we're sorry for Jack and comfort him, please?" It reminded me again irresistably of fanfiction and its tendency to be way sorrier for the suffering antihero or redeemed villain than for the victims. Speaking of, Clem's death was also unexpected; I thought he'd be part of the solution in episode 5. Poor Clem. But at least he had Gwen directing her attention to him, not Jack.
Speculation: when they found out there were three heartbeats in that container, I went "hah, KdS was right!" I still think so. Our Heroes and everyone else automatically assume that the child from 40 years ago is there as some kind of hostage and the 456 they're speaking to is the Giger-style monster, but I maintain it's more likely that the monster is the decoy and the person they've been speaking to is the child. Who, along with the other children, got modified etc., and isn't too fond of the people which gave him/her away. As I said last time, my further guess is that species 456 can't procreate naturally; that's why they need children of other species.
The bio weapon as the original blackmail makes sense. Especially since in 1965, memories of the post WWI influenza would still have been within living memory for many. "So you need someone who won't die." "Actually, we need someone who doesn't care." BURN. Because it's half true. I mean, I fully believe Jack did and does care, but I also believe he put it out of his mind after it happened, together with a lot of other things he didn't want to think about, and no, it didn't eat at him until he got a reminder that the past is the present.
The COBRA meetings were absolutely chilling and all too likely. The way they argued themselves first into accepting a smaller number, then into accepting the full 10%, and picked future usefulness as the criteria scared me way more than 456 did. (Theory: the DW episode Midnight is the obvious precursor for this miniseries, in that there is an alien threat but the scariest thing of all are the humans.) Lois gathering the courage to deliver Torchwood's message was a great scene, and a beautiful smackdown for the PM. As was, of course, Gwen's greeting of Johnson. (Another "hah, I knew it!" moment because it was obvious to me they wouldn't have been stupid enough to be traced involuntarily.) Someone has been watching Serenity as I think Rhys will indeed broadcast those recordings. (Does that mean Johnson = Operative? I still think it more likely it'll be Frobisher.)
The Thames House lockdown was another deja vu Spooks moment (I remember that episode!). I must say Jack's plan, seemingly consisting of "I'll just give that alien a stern talking to", was less than bright from the get go. Ianto trying the "check the records" tactic the Doctor used with the Vashta Nerade did not have the same result, which rather confirms me in my suspicion the current 456 are the children of old, who'd more likely react with "Jack Harkness? That bastard? Let's kill him!" than with "not to be messed with". Which leaves the question of how the 456 will be defeated. (The politicians will be down and out after Rhys broadcasts those recordings.) Especially as there is no traceable space ship to shoot down. I thought Clem would come in handy with negotiating, but obviously not. Hm....
Okay, so to get that out of the way first: Ianto dying in ep 5 would have been, shall we say, not completely out of the blue, and then I'd be 100% certain it was finite, but the fact it was in ep 4 makes me only 94% sure, with the rest of me wondering whether it will be undone by some handwavy patented RTD style resurrection. He and the rest of the scribes are well aware of Ianto's designated fandom woobie status, so killing him is more likely to be the grand emotional climax than a prelude. Otoh, it might well be that Torchwood doesn't get another season, in which case Rusty could go for a B7 style ending, modified to make Jack the only survivor, or a variation where he walks away and Gwen returns to policing, with an option that maybe some day Torchwood will reconstitute with new players. Or it could be Torchwood reconstitutes at the end of CoE with Lois and Alice as new members. (Alice because events demonstrated the bad guys will be after her and Stephen whether she keeps her distance from dad or not, and it's probably better to have a headstart in knowing what's going on.) Honestly, I don't know.
For the further purposes of this review, I'll treat Ianto's death as the genuine article, in which case, sorry, no, I didn't cry. I mean, I finally got around to liking Ianto in s2 after finding him bland and forgettable in s1, but were it not for the Doylist implications (i.e. one part of the only permanent m/m couple around), I'd have voted for him to die over Owen and Tosh in a heartbeat. I didn't want him to die now, due to s2 and CoE gained vague fondness, but the fact he did again evoked less of a "omg poor Ianto!" then a rather selfish "damn, fandom will explode if this sticks, and there'll be nothing but Ianto mourning fics and AUs for years". I did feel sorry for the Ianto fans on my list, if that helps. As I know how it feels like to lose a favourite character.
Oh, and I feel immensely sorry for Ianto's family, whom oddly enough I loved from the get go, as opposed to himself. Poor Rhiannon. Honestly, the fact he told her he loved her makes me way happier than him telling Jack, because of their estranged relationship. I guess this means we won't see her and Johnny again once CoE is over, even if TW gets a season 4. Pity. Did I mention I do love Rhiannon?
Jack I don't feel that sorry for. Possibly because that early moment when Ianto was all "that must have been eating at you all those years" irritated me; I thought "can we be sorry for the kids before we're sorry for Jack and comfort him, please?" It reminded me again irresistably of fanfiction and its tendency to be way sorrier for the suffering antihero or redeemed villain than for the victims. Speaking of, Clem's death was also unexpected; I thought he'd be part of the solution in episode 5. Poor Clem. But at least he had Gwen directing her attention to him, not Jack.
Speculation: when they found out there were three heartbeats in that container, I went "hah, KdS was right!" I still think so. Our Heroes and everyone else automatically assume that the child from 40 years ago is there as some kind of hostage and the 456 they're speaking to is the Giger-style monster, but I maintain it's more likely that the monster is the decoy and the person they've been speaking to is the child. Who, along with the other children, got modified etc., and isn't too fond of the people which gave him/her away. As I said last time, my further guess is that species 456 can't procreate naturally; that's why they need children of other species.
The bio weapon as the original blackmail makes sense. Especially since in 1965, memories of the post WWI influenza would still have been within living memory for many. "So you need someone who won't die." "Actually, we need someone who doesn't care." BURN. Because it's half true. I mean, I fully believe Jack did and does care, but I also believe he put it out of his mind after it happened, together with a lot of other things he didn't want to think about, and no, it didn't eat at him until he got a reminder that the past is the present.
The COBRA meetings were absolutely chilling and all too likely. The way they argued themselves first into accepting a smaller number, then into accepting the full 10%, and picked future usefulness as the criteria scared me way more than 456 did. (Theory: the DW episode Midnight is the obvious precursor for this miniseries, in that there is an alien threat but the scariest thing of all are the humans.) Lois gathering the courage to deliver Torchwood's message was a great scene, and a beautiful smackdown for the PM. As was, of course, Gwen's greeting of Johnson. (Another "hah, I knew it!" moment because it was obvious to me they wouldn't have been stupid enough to be traced involuntarily.) Someone has been watching Serenity as I think Rhys will indeed broadcast those recordings. (Does that mean Johnson = Operative? I still think it more likely it'll be Frobisher.)
The Thames House lockdown was another deja vu Spooks moment (I remember that episode!). I must say Jack's plan, seemingly consisting of "I'll just give that alien a stern talking to", was less than bright from the get go. Ianto trying the "check the records" tactic the Doctor used with the Vashta Nerade did not have the same result, which rather confirms me in my suspicion the current 456 are the children of old, who'd more likely react with "Jack Harkness? That bastard? Let's kill him!" than with "not to be messed with". Which leaves the question of how the 456 will be defeated. (The politicians will be down and out after Rhys broadcasts those recordings.) Especially as there is no traceable space ship to shoot down. I thought Clem would come in handy with negotiating, but obviously not. Hm....
no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 07:53 am (UTC)I think that was very in-character for Ianto, who is completely devoted to Jack, not just as a lover but as a loyal follower. I don't think the audience was supposed to think Jack's emotional well-being was more important than what happened to the kids; there was plenty of emphasis on Clem's terror and disgust towards Jack, for example. And we were certainly meant to be appalled at the plan to do it again (only worse because on a vastly larger scale).
Which leaves the question of how the 456 will be defeated.
I'm starting to think that they won't be and that the story is going to end in horrific tragedy. At this point, I think that would be a more honest ending than some kind of last-minute against-all-odds victory, and it would certainly be gutsy storytelling. Of course, this assumes that there are no plans for a further season of Torchwood. And that RTD and company were willing to write something so downbeat, and the BBC was willing to air it. So maybe not.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 04:41 pm (UTC)I just finished rewatching the episode, and you're right, both that it is ic for Ianto (actually, I think it ties well into Ianto's "he's Jack Harkness, check whom you're up against" speech to the 456 later) and that the show itself doesn't want the audience to privilege Jack's emotional state over the fate of the kids.
Downbeat ending: well, there are precedents (for the BBC airing it, I mean), but as you say, it really depends on whether or not there are any further plans for Torchwood. Also Stephen Moffat might object to getting the universe handed over with decimation of the Earth's population intact, but then again, he might plan on letting s 5 take place mostly on other planets, which wouldn't make it a continuity problem.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 06:01 pm (UTC)Ah, you're right. I was forgetting for a minute that Torchwood is in continuity with Doctor Who.