Torchwood: Children of Earth
2009 is a tough year for Whoinverse fans. Not only this is the last year for the beloved Tenth Doctor David Tennant, but also because of his commitment with the theater, instead of a regular 13 episodes season, there are only 4 specials leaving fans wanting more. Then Doctor Who’s spin-off Torchwood for some reason also don’t have a regular season, instead it become a one week miniseries of 5 episodes. Of course I was questioning that decision very much, unlike Doctor Who, none of the Torchwood actors were committing themselves with time demanding projects that are in conflict with the filming schedule! so why? is it because it has to somehow match its parent show? or is it because the show runner Russell Davis aside from stepping down from his duties for Doctor Who, he’s also quitting Torchwood, therefore no time for a full season? Or because of the cast was in transition, since two members of the team was dead in Season 2 and the prefer new members (Martha and Mickey, inherited from Doctor Who S4 finale) were having scheduling conflict, so this season is merely a time-holder until they come on board? We can’t find out the true reason for this decision but after viewing the miniseries, I don’t think it matters because this is the best “season” for the show so far!
** spoiler ahead ** (also the longest post you will ever see and the hottest promo pictures from the show!)
Last we’ve seen the diminished gang of Torchwood, Owen and Tosh were dead, Captain Jack, along with Gwen and Ianto and their Torchwood hub all took parts in the battle at the Doctor Who Season 4 finale. Job offers were also hinted at the Doctor Who finale to former Doctor Who companion Martha and Mickey. But when the miniseries opens, there’s still only Captain Jack, Gwen and Ianto, no signs of Martha and Mickey. Although later on we find out that Martha was on her honeymoon therefore they can’t contact her via UNIT, which indicated that she’s still haven’t left UNIT for Torchwood yet.
It was with this setup that we know Torchwood is looking for recruitment, which let to the trap that causes the destruction of Torchwood HQ, while all children on Earth stopped twice, then in the same voice saying “we are coming!” It wasn’t the alien threat that makes this “season” great, it was the compelling tale of how human – politicians, government agents, civil servants, soldiers, the public, how they deals with the alien threat. The ugly side of humanity that if not for Torchwood, it would be the end of civilization as we now it.
The use of children in sci-fi and horror always has a unique chilling effect, but this time around it is the children of the entire world! they way that they all stopped frozen in time for a few minutes and then go on as if nothing happen, then again, and then chanting in the same voice all over the world. That is scary! And then there is the alien 456, Russell Davis is ridiculously clever by not only concealed the body of the alien in the smoke, where we never saw the entirety of the body, he didn’t even give a name to these alien, nor their backstory or even spaceship. Everything is hidden in mystery which makes the horror factor even more so. The revelation that it demands 10% of children to be use as recreational drugs, makes the whole thing even more horrifying!
But all that can’t be compared to the people in charge – the PM, the civil servant, the politicians, the cabinets, their discussion about how many children should be sacrificed, the logical questions, the solutions, coming up with the front to lie to the public. That was scariest thing of all – human. Davis addressed the ugly side of humanity before in the Doctor Who episode of “Midnight”, but this is to a whole new level! How the people in charge grant exceptions, how they choose the children of the poor, the bottom of society to be sacrificed. The best quote in the show was when Gwen talked to the camcorder as the last word in case they won’t make it:
” There’s one thing I always meant to ask Jack. Back in the old days, I wanted to know about that Doctor of his, the man who appears out of nowhere and saved the world except sometimes he doesn’t, all those times in history, when there’s no signs of him. I wanted to know why not? But I don’t need to ask anymore, I know the answer now. Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame.”
That was such a powerful statement!! And it was actually something I was asking myself the whole time watching this. Where is the Doctor? This isn’t some local events that Torchwood was used to dealing with, this was happening to the whole world!! I guess there’s the problem with inter-connected series and their spin-offs, when the scale become global, when it hits the domain of the other shows, what are the characters of the other connected shows doing? or the past allies or recurring characters? So maybe the Doctor was in another planet dealing with who knows what, but what about Martha, I know she’s at her honeymoon, but unless she’s at her honeymoon in another planet, she would have react to the strange event of the children, let alone the news of the destruction of Torchwood! So is Mickey, or Sarah Jane! (who probably would be affected the most, since her gangs are all children, including her adopted son Luke!)
The series also offer us character development that was great but at the same time painful to watch because of the ending. Gwen was pregnant, while Ianto come out to his sister and at the same time admit that Jack is his only man. We all know that Ianto loves Jack very much and yet he realize one day Jack will watch him die of old age. We also found out that Jack actually has a estranged daughter and a grandson! and that Jack really can’t die, no matter how you slice it! even if you blown him up into pieces he would still grow back! (it was also chilling to know that he feel every minutes of the pain of it)
Russell Davis once expressed how much he loved Buffy/Angel, I guess he loves Joss Whedon’s work so much that he even adopted his principle philosophy – no happy ending for great love! We’ve seen it before, Tosh and Owen never get to go on their first date before their death, and even at the last moment they can’t even see it each other, they can only hear each other on the phone. Captain Jack left the real Captain Jack in 1941 with a goodbye kiss, knowing that he will die in battle the next day. The Doctor, watches Rose with his clone happily together in the parallel universe, knowing what he can never have is love. Now comes the heartbreaking moment of this “season” – Ianto dying in Jack’s arm asking Jack not to forget him in thousands of years of time!
You would think one heartbreaking moment is enough! but no, there’s more! It’s like Davis not only want you to cry, he wants you to be utterly devastated! Seeing Jack made the painful choice of sacrificing the life of his own grandson to save all the children in the world is brutal! It’s not just some quick death, but a child shaking to death with blood bleeding out of his face!! Jack would have have to carry the guilt for literally the rest of eternal since he can’t die, not to mention the hatred from his own daughter! Indeed he carries all the guilts of every death he causes. Every member of Torchwood except Gwen is now dead. His brother is presumed dead withe the destruction of the hub, his grandson dead, his daughter hates him, it’s enough to break the strongest hero. He now chooses a similar path to the Doctor – he can’t take the emotional burden anymore, and escape earth by traveling to the stars!
I honestly don’t know how they can have another season after this beautiful and yet tragic ending for Jack’s character and for the show. Even though I always want to see more of my favorite characters, but with such a fitting finale, i dunno anymore~
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