Torchwood: Children of Earth (Spoiler) Thread

[hopeless]

Thought this might be of use to discuss the new series separate from the other thread and openly marked as a spoiler so to avoid people learning of stuff they didn't want to know until seeing the series for themselves.

Spoiler#1:

Spoiler:

Remember this is the spoiler thread do NOT read any further if you'd rather see this series without spoiling any part of it by virtue of reading any messages on this thread

Spoiler#2:

Spoiler:

Please when posting replies and wanting to observe the above post your comments in spoilers please see at the bottom for details on how to do this when you're typing your reply

Spoiler#3:

Spoiler:

I guess I don't need to repeat myself that this is to discuss the new series and the ramifications or any other interesting bits you want to mention, talk about and discuss...

Spoiler#4:

Spoiler:

Okay here goes will leave this until tomorrow before posting those that have seen Monday's episode hope you enjoyed it!

Spoiler#5:

Spoiler:

Jack as you will have learned is a grandad, Yanto finds out having a car with a triple deadlock doesn't prevent it getting nicked and Gwen is expecting!

Spoiler#6:

Spoiler:

Pardon my language but the ending of episode 1 is a bit of a jaw dropper...

[Nevynxxx]

RE Spoiler5...It's "Ianto"

Damn cool episode. So very, very cool.

Is it me, or do UNIT get meaner in every episode they appear?

[hopeless]

Nevynxxx wrote:

RE Spoiler5...It's "Ianto"

Damn cool episode. So very, very cool.
Is it me, or do UNIT get meaner in every episode they appear?

Well thats one spelling mistake I've missed!

I think they're not UNIT but rather government operatives maybe something to do with MI6 or whatever they're called.

Curious:

Spoiler:

Still interesting they think the reason he can't die is connected to the Rift?

Idiotic:

Spoiler:

If you've got kids of your own and the prime minister officially orders you to not tell him about what is being planned it would have made more sense to allow Torchwood to get in touch and assist after all they're supposed to be defending the nation from extra-terrestrial threats not to be blown up because of something that happened in the sixties which even Captain Jack doesn't seem to have heard about...

Cool Plot Device:

Spoiler:

Interesting they planted a bomb inside Captain Jack, he doesn't feel a thing and its only after Gwen uses that scanner do they realise someone is going to blow up the hub! Liked they used the same device Harkness did at the start to implant the device have to say wasn't surprised they shot the good doctor even though him turning out to be a plant was a good twist!

[hopeless]

All I can say after watching episode 2 is OH MY GOD!!!!

First Spoiler:

Spoiler:

They blew up the hub and had snipers even fake paramedics and they could only shoot one of their own!
Ianto proves he can outrun a sniper in a mussed up suit!
Gwen even pregnant kicks ass!
And her being married to Rhyss was revealed as an advantage after they smuggled their way to London!

Second Spoiler:

Spoiler:

The only remains of Captain Jack was his head and a shoulder!
It took him some time to regrow the rest of his body and then a new skin during which he was very alive and screaming!
To keep him secure they filled his cell with cement!

Third Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Gwen and Rhyss snuck inside the govt compound as funeral personnel sent to pick up a certain deceased doctor from ep 1!
Once discovered they were pinned down with the only exit being a cement filled cell only for Ianto to pluck it clean out and run off with it!
He dropped it into a ruddy quarry to break it open!

All I can now say is how are they going to top this!!!!

[ericthecleric]

This mini-series rocks. Gwen's really started to grow on me.

BTW, did anyone notice the "What's occuring?" line in the first episode? I wonder if Eve Myles or Russell Davies is a friend of Ruth Jones, or merely a fan of Gavin & Stacey?

[hopeless]

Spoiler:

Ianto

NOOOO!

How are they going to beat this tomorrow?

[Uzzy]

Fantastic so far. I have no idea how they are getting out of this one..

Or, you know, if they get out of it.

[David Fryer]

Damn. I can't wait until they start running this on BBCA.

[Charles Evans 25]

Well they do kill at least one 'main' character (besides CJH) every series, so it was inevitable that someone's number was going to be up.

Sadly, I find it all rather farcical so far. Interesting drama, but storylines, characters, and motivations which make little sense to me thus far. Much of it seems to have been written for 'metaplot' reasons, with situations deliberately manufactured for thirty seconds of screen time for one idea.

And where is the recall device? I could have sworn UNIT was supposed to have some sort of button that they could push to get the Doctor's attention in a dire emergency, or did it get lost/destroyed years ago? There are other things, in the Torchwood canon, which it makes little sense to me have not featured as of yet. (The 'little girl' who read cards for CJH in season 2 in one episode would have been perfect to fit in here one way or another in my opinion.)

I am not a Torchwood fan however, though I will grant that this does seem to be the best of what they've done so far. Maybe Season 4 will be a further improvement.

[Arakhor]

So, counting the miniseries as Series 3 (British Brevity in the extreme!), so far we've had:

Season One:

Susie (arguably)

Season Two:

Owen (presumably), Toshiko (definitely), Jack (1900 years' worth!)

Season Three:

Jack (full body regrowth needed), Ianto

Am I missing anyone?

[Nevynxxx]

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

And where is the recall device? I could have sworn UNIT was supposed to have some sort of button that they could push to get the Doctor's attention in a dire emergency, or did it get lost/destroyed years ago? There are other things, in the Torchwood canon, which it makes little sense to me have not featured as of yet. (The 'little girl' who read cards for CJH in season 2 in one episode would have been perfect to fit in here one way or another in my opinion.)

I wouldn't jump on the Deus Ex that is the doctor just yet, but maybe that will happen. UNIT certainly have no love of the doctor, and I would think that if they didn't use the button when the earth was pulled out of orbit, and surrounded by Daleks, they have some dire reason not to!

Wasn't the little girl when Jack first got his time jump wrong/first got into Torchwood? That would put her at 1890 ish, I doubt she's still alive....

[Matthew Morris]

Nevynxxx wrote:

Wasn't the little girl when Jack first got his time jump wrong/first got into Torchwood? That would put her at 1890 ish, I doubt she's still alive....

Spoiler:

The Little Girl also tells Jack about the second glove in the present. Maybe the alien had 3 hands? ;-)

[Nevynxxx]

Matthew Morris wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

I stand corrected. Her indoors is out at the ballet tonight, so this is where I sign out of this thread until Saturday night, when I can watch the last one :(

[Matthew Morris]

Spoiler:

so I guess there's no series 4?

[Arakhor]

That was my thought :( I didn't like that ending at all. Terribly nice and all, but I didn't like it all :(

[Nevynxxx]

Matthew Morris wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:

Well, there appears to be no more torchwood. That said, I think they just opened up the chance for Jack to spend more time with the Dr between series again. I can see Series 4 starting with Jack coming back, and finding Gwen in a boring police day job, hunting out the new girl, and forming a new torchwood with Andy...Of course, that assumes that Jack gets himself together with the Dr's help.

[hopeless]

Didn't care for the ending am wondering what others options they had before RTD decided on this.

Spoiler:

Actually I can see them setting up a new torchwood since I suspect UNIT & co either saw Captain Jack's attempt and discover he was responsible for stopping 456 possibly even impressed he sacrificed his own grandchild to do so

If I thought it was possible I'd like Jack to come back and find Gwen in charge of a new Torchwood with Lois as her PA with Andy serving as her laision to the local police whilst the govt spook from this mini series acting as her link to the govt with them serving a more direct means of combatting alien interference to avoid the problems posed by the 456 happening again.

Somehow however after watching that last episode is very unlikely since that would require Gwen to be actually that good in the first place something I would have only thought possible if she had a Ianto helping her but since he's dead Crossing fingers they pull a fast one here! its very unlikely but then I'd have said the same for that ending too...

[ericthecleric]

Just saw the last part... what a gloomy episode!

[Loztastic]

RTD has, apparently, written a seasion 4 of Torchwood, it's just waiting to be commissioned!

and, I need to say this on ANY Torchwood thread, anywhere in the world

MMMMMMMMMMMm

Rhys

[Watcher]

I just finished this on BBC America.

Whew. Hard stuff.

But probably one of the best science fiction I have ever seen in my almost 42 years. I mean that in terms of using the genre as a vehicle for social commentary.

But yeah, hard on the characters.

But my affection for them notwithstanding, this is the sort of stuff I'd show to young adults as a teacher. Because RTD shows you the collapse of society, so you can see, recognize it and understand it, and then the show ends and you're still safe.

And maybe you'd see it when it happens in real life.

Aw heck.. I'll use a tag.

Spoiler:

People are dragged out of their homes by a military force, every single day, somewhere in the world. And we watch the news without blinking an eye, because it doesn't happen in our part of the world.

I think it wa a pretty important piece of work.

[Jeremy Mcgillan]

Just finished it last night and all I can say is ouch, seriously ouch.

[Matthew Morris]

Two thoughts so far (not watched pt 5 yet, Roommate doesn't like Tochwood)

1)

Spoiler:

Was the cryrocrypt in the hub blown up? Just wondering since they only found Jack's body.

2)

Spoiler:

Would Chula nanogenes be able to bring Ianto back?

[Watcher]

Matthew Morris wrote:

Two thoughts so far (not watched pt 5 yet, Roommate doesn't like Tochwood)

1)
** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:

Having watched the whole series... All I can say is that they give you the definite impression that the whole Hub is gone. Nothing from the Hub enters the remainder of the story.

Something is salvaged from the HUB and comes out in the last 120 seconds, but it changes nothing about the overall story.

2)
** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:

They're really showing the grittiness and darkness of the Torchwood Universe in this series. Could they save Ianto..? Who knows. Will they save Ianto? Sorry.. no. RTD is making a point with Ianto's death, and there is no easy way out, nor does he cheapen it with a last minute rescue.

[JoelF847]

Wow, this was such a good series. My big question is where's Mickey? I thought that at the end of Dr Who series 4 he was walking of with Capt Jack and I expected to see him in Torchwood. Based on the ending of T:COE, that would have to have been before this series started. Oh well, he can always show up in the next series if they want.

I also liked how episode 1 mentioned Martha Jones and why she wasn't there. Little things like that add a lot to the overall continuity.

[Set]

I was drawn in by the commercials, unaware that this was a pre-existing series. Yikes. Certainly harder than typical US fare, what with the finality of certain events.

The pyrrhic nature of the 'victory' at the end didn't really work for me. I think I could have handed how grim it got there, and the nature of the choice made, if the 'win' didn't seem so inexplicable. Too much happened (or was assumed) off-screen, and so the stakes felt ephemeral, as did the resolution.

Since I watch too much US TV, with chiseled actors and size zero actresses, everyone on Torchwood looked overly thick to me. It was distracting and yes, I am that shallow.

[Matthew Morris]

Heh, I like 'thick' thank you :-)

Ok, just finished. Wow, just wow. Yes, more torchwood please.

[Dragnmoon]

This is what I thought of the ending.

Spoiler:

to quick of a resolution that seemed forced. I was not a fan of the Ending. I find it hard to believe the UK Government would be such pushovers to a 3 star US General.

[Matthew Morris]

Dragnmoon wrote:

This is what I thought of the ending.

** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:

I think they were a 'push over' because they knew he'd make the same choices and could 'blame America'.

I think Alice was wrong though. A man who cannot die does have something to fear, and it beat him.

[Loztastic]

Micky and Martha were both supposed to be in it, replacing Tosh and Owen as tech/medic respectivley

Both actors were unavailable - Freema is in an ongoing drama / soap over on another channel now (wanted to do non-scifi) and Noel Clarke has his writing/directing career kicking off (currently making his third film)

[flash_cxxi]

I finally got around to watching the last two episodes last night.
I spent almost all of the last episode with my hand over my mouth in shock. That was some very hardcore material, especially to anyone who has children.
Bloody Brilliant and I can't wait for more, but damn...

[Snorter]

hopeless wrote:

Liked they used the same device Harkness did at the start to implant the device...

I really, really, really do not want to know what method Captain Jack uses to 'implant' a device.

[Nevynxxx]

Snorter wrote:

hopeless wrote:

Liked they used the same device Harkness did at the start to implant the device...

I really, really, really do not want to know what method Captain Jack uses to 'implant' a device.

Don't worry snorter, he's the implantee not the implanter, so to speak.

If that makes it any better!

[Bill Dunn]

flash_cxxi wrote:

I spent almost all of the last episode with my hand over my mouth in shock. That was some very hardcore material, especially to anyone who has children.

The Frobisher bit, particularly so. Brutal.

[flash_cxxi]

Bill Dunn wrote:

flash_cxxi wrote:

I spent almost all of the last episode with my hand over my mouth in shock. That was some very hardcore material, especially to anyone who has children.

The Frobisher bit, particularly so. Brutal.

Exactly. That part was especially bad. I sat there shaking my head when I he put in the requisition and I realized what he was going to do.

[Matthew Morris]

flash_cxxi wrote:

Bill Dunn wrote:

flash_cxxi wrote:

I spent almost all of the last episode with my hand over my mouth in shock. That was some very hardcore material, especially to anyone who has children.

The Frobisher bit, particularly so. Brutal.

Exactly. That part was especially bad. I sat there shaking my head when I he put in the requisition and I realized what he was going to do.

What got Donna (my roommate) was when they started referring to the children as 'units'.

I found andy stripping off the vest and uniform before brawling interesting. It seemed to say 'I'm no longer a cop, I'm a man, doing what's right.'

[Nevynxxx]

Matthew Morris wrote:

What got Donna (my roommate) was when they started referring to the children as 'units'.

Me too.

Matthew Morris wrote:

I found andy stripping off the vest and uniform before brawling interesting. It seemed to say 'I'm no longer a cop, I'm a man, doing what's right.'

I hope that was the intention. Truly fantastic writers.

[SmiloDan]

I kept wondering what Bren Cameron (the human ambassador/diplomat from CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series) would do in Frobisher's place.

They have the same job; politicking with aliens, working out alien psychologies and ecologies and motivations.