Torchwood Children of Earth: Day Four...

[fajrdrako]

Okay, take a deep breath here. That was... intense.

Very intense. What this show does to our heads.

This is the most cynical story I have ever seen on television. I love it.

As the episode came to an end, I had three questions:

1. How will they save the Earth?
   
2. Will Ianto be revived in tomorrow's episode?
   
3. Do I want Ianto to be revived in tomorrow's episode?

Fully aware that the last question is probably unthinkable for a lot of fans. Add a fourth question: will I be lynched by my friends if I say what I think?

For what it's worth, here is how I answered these questions:

1. I have no idea! Aaargh!
   
   
2. I have no idea. Aargh!
   
   No, wait, I can do better than that. So: I think the odds are about 50/50 as to whether they are faking us out, making us believe Ianto is dead when he isn't, or really killing him off. Maybe I'll revise that: I think the odds are 51/49 in favour of Ianto's revival and return tomorrow.
   
   And dammit, I love it, totally love it, that I don't know. This series has been throwing surprise twist after surprise twist at me. I can't predict.
   
   Earlier today I was arguing that Ianto wouldn't die. Now I think he might be dead. I love that uncertainty - they convinced me of something I thought impossible.
   
   
3. If it were my choice to make, Ianto would live. But ... okay, call it 51/49 again. I loved the poignancy of Ianto's death scene. I loved the dialogue. I loved the way it resolves and ends Ianto's story. And...
   
   
4. This is my LJ, I have to be honest here... If Ianto is gone, it means I can stop trying so hard to love the Jack/Ianto relationship.

Moving right along here...

• I have never seen two sets of villains so terrifyingly evil. On the one hand, the politicians, sitting at a polished desk talking rationally about sacrificing millions of randomly chosen human childen (but not their own) in accordance with the alien's demands. On the other hand, the aliens, lying and manipulating and making demands and false promises, while mutilating children for purposes of heir own.
  
  
• But for all this, there's still a sense of romance to the themes. Lone heroes risking themselves to make things right. Against the armed might of the world and the aliens, Rhys sitting with his finger poised over a 'send' button, Gwen comforting the terrified Clem, Ianto taking any risk to prove himself worthy of Jack's love and trust.
  
  
• Lois came through. Loved it when she said she was a voter. Loved it when she delivered her speech. Wish she had more to do and say as herself, though. She's become... just a set of eyes.
  
  
• Remarkable acting, especially from Peter Capaldi and Eve Myles. I keep expecting something to change with Frobisher. That he'll stand up to the aliens or to Green, or take action because the aliens want his kids, or... something. Or will Dekker or Spears be the one to act?
  
  
• Loved the way Jack's guilt in 1965 was handled, and how his role was explained. The slippery slope: sacrifice twelve kids to save the world. And then... the look on Jack's face when he saw what happened to those children, his realization of just how inhuman the 456 are. His apology to Clem. His horror at what he had done.
  
  
• Nice scene between Agent Johnson and Alice Carter. I want to see more of Alice.
  
  
• Jack and Ianto should have made time for sex on Day Four.
  
  
• Clem. Clem died. Okay, I expected that - the one part of the plot that isn't a surprise. And the death of Ianto drove it right out of my head afterwards. But I liked Clem. I liked the way Gwen stayed with him and held him. I wonder why he still got the virus even though he wasn't in Thames House. What is the link? With examining that be the clue Jack needs to defeat the aliens?
  
  
• What Jack did, of course, was call the alien's bluff. They said, "We can destroy you." Jack said, essentially, "Prove it." So they did. But they must have a weakness.
  
  
• The death of Ianto was beautifully written and acted. Wrung my heart. I weep for Jack's sake.

Comments

[mad_jaks]

Oh I'm in Dreamwidth....

Pretty!

I won't lynch you - his death left me totally dry eyed and if he *is* magically alive by the end of tomorrow I will be flipping annoyed to be honest.

(And I'm someone who started out by shipping them. )

[fajrdrako]

his death left me totally dry eyed and if he *is* magically alive by the end of tomorrow I will be flipping annoyed to be honest.

Well, that didn't happen, and I'm glad of it.

Since I have never been a real Jack/Ianto shipper... That is, it's never been my relationship of choice in the show... I find myself hesitant to talk to much about Ianto's death with people who were heartfelt Jack/Ianto fans. It isn't that I didn't like the relationship, it's that I never felt I understood the relationship - and though I understood the it in many fics, it seldom reflected what I saw on screen. And every fan writer handled the relationship and the characterization differently.

And now I do feel I understand it, and that makes me happy. Satisfied in ways I wasn't before.

I find myself feeling a little guilty that I am enjoying this when so many fans are truly distressed.

[toraks]

I was starting to really enjoy Jack/Ianto! And then....

They are evil people. Who do this to us! Talk about intense!

& I even had company to watch last night, our guest unexpectedly said "what is it that you want to watch?" 'course she is a fellow science fiction/fantasy fan, which I knew, so thought she might be interested. But she's apparently been watching Torchwood all week & was assuming she'd have to do iPlayer. So she was thrilled to watch it with me, was nice.

Your description of the pols in here made me think of Aral's green silk rooms. Works quite well, I think.

Those aliens are purely evil. Very into the bio stuff, save the world with antivirals, kill people with antivirals. They know the humans well too.

Oh, funny thing -- when the camera guy was going in, friend asked" is that the camera man?" and I said yes, think so. She said, well, they asked for the camera, I guess. And I said, I think he's a red shirt -- actually, that'a red safety suit, isn't it?

But he didn't actually die in there, did he? oh well.

Ianto needs to stay dead, and I think he will. Unless they magically revive all the dead. I'm not sure I can see that. I'm starting to think this may be the last Torchwood series, ?