Torchwood: Children of Earth | Day Five

[thescarletwoman]

This has been sitting on my desktop since about 10pm. It took me until 2am to get up the courage to watch it.


So, here it is. My last episode reaction. Yes, I know what happens. I obsessively refreshed the page at torch_wood and from what I read? I know it's not the torchwood I fell in love with. That torchwood was destroyed the moment the Hub exploded.

But still... I want to see this through to its conclusion.

And I have a question: someone posted somewhere that RTD said that if there's a S4, it will ignore the events of CoE. Has anyone else heard this? Or is it just wishful thinking on all our parts?



Here we go.

• Oh god. The preview just... HURT.
  
• And here's the Blair Witch video.
  
• Fuck off to take out GDL from the credits. Yet leave him in everywhere else to keep our hopes up. Fuck you.
  
• *glares at RTD*
  
• No talking about the Doctor that way, Gwen. Would have been nice, I'll admit, if the Doctor WOULD have shown up to fix everything.
  
• BS, PM. Total BS. Like we believe you. Hardly.
  
• I have to admit? I love everything with the government and how fucking creepy they are.
  
• Dekker you fucking COWARD.
  
• Who else thinks they should release another blast of virus and kill off some more people? *bitter*
  
• I've realised why this doesn't feel like Torchwood. Watching SO much of the government viewpoint made me realise it. This feels like Who. Which is why we still love it. But Torchwood was 80% from the team's view. Them questioning the aliens or what have you. This? This is omnipotent. Seeing more of the story from everyone else's side BUT torchwood. That's my issue.
  
• BWAH. Drugs. That... shouldn't strike me as funny.
  
• Oh god. The look on Jack's face in the corridor has broken me.
  
• "Phone Rhys. Tell him we've lost." This is Jack. This is how Jack deals.
  
• I wish Jack would have told Rhiannon. But I understand him letting Gwen do it. "I can't look at her anymore." No wonder. Too many memories.
  
• John. You can act with your eyes. And I love you for it.
  
• I don't know which is worse: heartbroken!jack or vengeful-god!Jack.
  
• I miss overhead shots of Cardiff.
  
• Oh fuuuuck you PM. Well, we knew Frobisher was going to be the cannon fodder. And what a cold-hearted bastard. Haven't we lost enough as it is?
  
• It was at this point in the reaction post that I felt my heart sink. Knowing this part of the spoiler was true meant that everything else was.
  
• *sniffle* back in Cardiff. And with Andy. *cuddles him*
  
• "Who's the father?" BWAH. At least Andy has our humour.
  
• "Torchwood ruins your life." *cuddles Ianto*
  
• ... Gwen and the discussion of the baby? Just... ugh.
  
• Okay, even NOT controlled... kiddies chanting is horrible and creepy.
  
• The backstory of Frobisher with the shots of family? Fuck. I'm sorry. But this is dark. Insanely well written, granted. But DARK. And Frobisher WAS a good man. Just... a man who got caught up in the wrong side.
  
• And that just made me ill to watch.
  
• WTF!? Why do we all have to suddenly focus on Ianto being gay? He wasn't. He was jacksexual. Or if you go by Twilight Streets bisexual.
  
• Do not want to watch this.
  
• Jack, you are always a good man. Always.
  
• And the taking of the children. Oh my god. Just... oh my god.
  
• Thank you for showing it after Gwen talks to Rhiannon. I didn't want to hear her actually say it.
  
• *headdesk* Comic relief in bad places. But at this point, I'm just numb. And I'm not having the right emotional responses.
  
• I will say? Ianto can't bitch at Jack for hiding things. Ianto hid plenty from Jack in return. But in my canon, Ianto's dad will always be a master tailor.
  
• Alice? You have been taught well by your dad.
  
• Breaking Jack out FTW.
  
• Well, they were right about one thing. We'd love seeing more of PC Andy. AND YAY ANDY! We'll make a TW operative out of you yet.
  
• *blink*
  
• D'aaaw. there's our Jack smile. *cuddles him*
  
• And here's our filming of the Blair Witch thingy.
  
• Oh rhys. Him crying has broken my heart. This is the first I've actually wanted to cry this episode.
  
• All of the designated. Damn, those aliens really must want one hell of a high.
  
• Asking how/why Clem died. This? This is why we need Jack. Because Jack figures things out. This is why this never felt like torchwood. Because you didn't have them working like this all along for a solution.
  
• awww. Alice is so proud of her dad. But not for much longer.
  
• ... And Jack knows what he must do in sacrificing his grandson. But this is what he had to do in Faries. One for the sake of all. And he could sacrifice his own family but not just randomly pick someone. Unpopular opinion? but I like this side of Jack. It's the reminder that, deep down, he's done horrible things. You know everything he's ever done has weighed on his conscious. But this is my Jack. This is the Jack I fell in love with. This is, deep down, the conman. When the Doctor loses Rose in 'Idiot Lantern' the wonderful line "and no power in this earth can stop me" is spoken. In essence, that is what we have here with jack losing Ianto. Jack lost the one man who could pull him back and knock sense into him. Was what Jack did right? Maybe, maybe not. But the soldier did what he thought he should do. Honestly at this point? What more does the man have to lose?
  
• Which, for the record? I'm still waiting to see what Gwen had to sacrifice this whole time. We were told everyone would sacrifice soemthing and Jack would have to make a choice no parent should have to make. Well, we got that with Steven. But sacrifices? Jack sacrifices his lover, Torchwood, his sanity, his humanity, his daughter... Ianto sacrifices his life... what about Gwen? Is her sacrifice no longer being able to choose between Jack and Rhys?
  
• Also...? Really don't call this Gwen Cooper standing alone. She's with the kids but Jack has the hard part with the 456.
  
• Oh GOD. The look on jack's face. I thought I didn't have any tears left.
  
• creepy as fuck children screaming.
  
• Oh Steven. Oh... oh Steven. And to show this. And God the look on Jack's face through this.
  
• Goodbye 456. Good fucking riddance.
  
• Just... oh god. I think this just broke my Jack!muse.
  
• OH FUCK YOU PM! GO TO FUCKING HELL.
  
• ... So the contacts? Makes Ianto's death what?
  
• Jack in the corridor. With Alice. Never before has Jack looked so small.
  
• And the 6 months later... just... fuck.
  
• When Jack walks out, I'd like to know just how many deaths he subjected himself to.
  
• *shivers* Jack with his coat done up. And the look on his face. *sobbing*
  
• "You okay?" "Yeah." Liar.
  
• *sobbing*
  
• I hate to say, I'm glad to see it.
  
• "are you coming back? "what for?" "Me." And the list of everyone. Jack you tried to be the hero. And you are the hero.
  
• "Just watch me."
  
  And now, officially, enter Lia's canon.
  
  
  
  As an objective viewer? I can say this was amazingly written. The acting was amazing. the storyline. Just... everything. Was outstanding.
  
  As a fan of the show? I'm hurt beyond words. I realise I got into it late, my first episode was running on BBCA when they first ran either Sleeper or To the Last Man. I can't remember which anymore. But I was, in essence, with it through all of S2. Went back and purchased S1 to watch. I waited with everyone else the long and agonizing 14 months to get a new season.
  
  I squeed with all of the things we saw in the promo shots. Started buying the magazines just so I could have that hit of Torchwood while I was waiting. I loved the Janto promo shots, the new shots of John. Yes, I watch this show because of John Barrowman. I love GDL and have grown to appreciate his acting as the series goes on. I loved watching the Janto relationship develop as, while not my major draw, it was what I enjoyed watching as well. Nice little bonus.
  
  But as we moved from day 3 into day 4 I began to see this wasn't Torchwood as we were used to it. It began to feel like Doctor Who with the darkness of Torchwood. Watching TtLM today I realised we had so much of the story from the views of our team fumbling their way through and trying to set things right. It's only when Jack steps up and is forced to do the unspeakable that it returned to the Torchwood feel. "We fucked up, but let's now set it right". The unpopular opinion time? As much as I cried through this -- it was Jack. 100% Jack. This is the con-man we met in "the Empty Child". When pushed to his limits, we see what he will do.
  
  Well, all I have to say is that his teleporting away frees Jack up to run with the Doctor. He has no ties left to Cardiff, not really. He's lost his daughter, his grandson, his lover and his humanity all in one day. Give the man some time to mourn as he should. I would like to know how many deaths he subjected himself to in those six months he travelled.
  
  
  Excuse me. I'm off to watch 'To the Last Man' again and go back to working on my fanfic. It'll be long. It'll be angsty. But it's going to fix CoE.
  
  Fucking way to start my birthday. Damn you Auntie Beeb.

Comments

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

You're right! Dammit, why didn't I think of that? :) It's the omniscient POV that made this feel so different from the other seasons. That's what gave it the "cinematic" feel.

I wanted Jack to talk to Rhiannon too. Maybe someone can write that fic. :)

[thescarletwoman.livejournal.com]

It is! It came to me today when I wanted to watch the good episodes and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The cinematic feel was great and was a fantastic way to hook a new audience. But it didn't do justice to those of us who were the fans. And who buy the audio books, novels, magazines, toys, go to cons... etc.

*g* I have so much fic to write right now? ;^)

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this was clearly not aimed at the fans. In fact, it was aimed at everybody who up until now did not like Torchwood, so it's no wonder the fans were a little bewildered.

[dark-branwen.livejournal.com]

As an objective viewer? I can say this was amazingly written. The acting was amazing. the storyline. Just... everything. Was outstanding.

As a fan of the show? I'm hurt beyond words.

I think this describes perfectly how I'm feeling, at least about Day Five. Even as an objective viewer, killing Ianto was pointless and stupid. Everything with Jack was pitch-perfect and deliciously dark, which normally I love. I think I'm too invested to really appreciate how perfect Jack's character arc is.

I think Gwen had to sacrifice her love for what she did. Remember at the beginning, she's describing her job to Rupesh, and she's just glowing talking about it. She absolutely loved working at Torchwood, and that's even after losing Tosh and Owen. But after losing Ianto and seeing how horrible the world was? Suddenly, Torchwood ruins her life. I think it seems small in comparison to what Ianto and Jack lost (actually, it really is small), but for Gwen, it's huge. She had a purpose. She felt like her place in the world was big, that what she did was big. Now it's all soured for her, and she's saddled with survivor's guilt and a baby and a husband, who while FABULOUS, cannot understand everything she went through because he's just not Torchwood. So in a way, I think sticking with Jack and her job throughout CoE, she's had to sacrifice her happiness. I hope she'll get it back with time and Rhys and a child, but I can't help but think that Post-Partum Depression is not going to help her disposition.

Hopefully that makes sense. ^^; I'm sure someone else could articulate that better, but that's my take. I haven't always liked Gwen in the past (I take HUGE issue with how she treats Rhys in earlier series), but I adored her in this series (mostly because of how awesome she and Rhys were xD). I do think she sacrificed something; just not in the same way as Jack and Ianto.

[titti]

Happy Birthday.

[neshel.livejournal.com]

As an objective viewer? I can say this was amazingly written. The acting was amazing. the storyline. Just... everything. Was outstanding.

As a fan of the show? I'm hurt beyond words.

That pretty much expresses exactly how I feel.

[a-falling-sky.livejournal.com]

:O Just watched, HOLY CRAP!

WHY AREN'T I STUDYING INSTEAD?

/back to studying