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Torchwood 3x01 "Children of Earth, "Day One" (spoilers ahoy)

#1



Rubicon

So episode 1 of the mini-Season 3 aired today/tonight. haven't had a chance to "see" it yet but definitely gonna check it out.

anyone catch it yet? eager to see how things are going for Capn Jack and gang now that they are down to a 3 person team.


#2



cvgurau

Haven't seen it, but I'm looking forward to it. Captain Jack's getting to suck face every 15 minutes aside, I really dig this show, and I can't wait to see where they take it, especially after their two-man loss last season. :bush:

Personally, I'm hoping James Marsters joins the cast on a more permanent basis, but it ain't likely.


Of course, there's no guarantee I'll see it any time soon. My "friend" :paranoid: who usually lets me "borrow" these shows has been... um... sick? And he hasn't been getting me shows like he used to. :angry:

I didn't get to see last night's True Blood, either. This displeases me. :angry:


#3



Rubicon

cvgurau said:
Of course, there's no guarantee I'll see it any time soon. My "friend" :paranoid: who usually lets me "borrow" these shows has been... um... sick? And he hasn't been getting me shows like he used to. :angry:

I didn't get to see last night's True Blood, either. This displeases me. :angry:
I could point you in the right direction if you wish.


#4



Greendog

I caught it by pure fluke. I'd not seen any adverts from the BBC but then again I don't watch them that much.

Anyways, don't want to reveal too much but can confirm that I thought it was awesome. Lotsa' twists and of course lots of Eve Myles :smug:

I did check and saw it'll be on BBC America on the 20th July, though obviously there are other means... :paranoid:


#5



cvgurau

Yeah, I don't know; I found TW easily enough (MN FTW) but no one seems to have yesterday's True Blood. :angry:

Tv.com says the episode aired, so I don't know what the problem is. :eek:rly:


#6



Rubicon

cvgurau said:
Yeah, I don't know; I found TW easily enough (MN FTW) but no one seems to have yesterday's True Blood. :angry:

Tv.com says the episode aired, so I don't know what the problem is. :eek:rly:
yesterdays true blood was a rerun (i watch it on hbo) due to the holiday


#7



cvgurau

Damn.

Fucking TV.com :eek:rly: :angry:


#8

klew

klew

Greendog said:
I did check and saw it'll be on BBC America on the 20th July
in HD if you're lucky


#9



cvgurau

I dug it.

Can't wait for tomorrow's. :bush:


#10



TwoBit

Torchwood's back? With its new tiny-ass season? Holy crap, I gotta see this.

*Goes to do something not related to torrents whatsoever.*


#11



Rubicon

TwoBit said:
Torchwood's back? With its new tiny-ass season? Holy crap, I gotta see this.

*Goes to do something not related to torrents whatsoever.*
Yea season 3 just started today, it's like half a season long but it airs back to back to back all week. the trailer looked good. heres hoping they bring back Marsters's character or bring in Martha or Mickey


#12



cvgurau

I'll agree about Marster's but Martha's overplayed, and the actor who does Mickey has flat out stated he's done with the Who-verse. No bad blood between them (as far as I know); he's just done.


#13



TwoBit

John Hart coming back would be good. Can't say I really need to see more of Martha or Micky.


#14

twitchmoss

twitchmoss

it was good. i really hope it keeps to this quality for the rest of the week, though given torchwoods tendency to... vary in quality from episode to episode, i have my doubts. it seemed much more like what i had expected torchwood to be in the *first* place, which was a more...'adult' spinoff of Doctor who. instead we got sex aliens, constant swearing and ripoffs of fight club, with the odd bit of maturity thrown in at random times.
creepy monotone children and corrupt civil servants is always a win though.
[spoiler:1r2r3aur]also, turns out deadlocking your car is proof against everything except leaving it on a council estate. :rofl:[/spoiler:1r2r3aur]
[spoiler:1r2r3aur]'oh don't worry, its triple deadlocked'
'VROOOOM'
'...thats my bloody car!'[/spoiler:1r2r3aur]


#15



Mr_Chaz

I'd never got around to watching Torchwood before, not that I didn't want to, there was just always something else to be doing. But the trailers for this got me psyched. I think it might actually be the best Russell T. Davies scripted Whoverse episode I've seen. Can't wait for the rest of the week now. It's a little strange trying to catch up not knowing the characters, background etc. [spoiler:29eqmhec]Jack has a grand child? Huh![/spoiler:29eqmhec] But that's not been too much of a challenge.


#16



Veteran

I thought the first episode was pretty good, except for the nod to Gavin & Stacy. We get it. You're in Wales. You don't see someone in a show set in the west country gloating about their new combine harvester!

The second episode though made it very obvious that this was originally a two-episode idea that's been shoehorned into a five-nighter.


#17



Mr_Chaz

Yeah today's was a lot less thrilling. Lots of pretty unnecessary stuff. I still love the idea, but the execution wasn't quite so hot. Still, plenty more time for awesome to come :)


#18

twitchmoss

twitchmoss

Veteran said:
You don't see someone in a show set in the west country gloating about their new combine harvester!
The Wurzels said:
ooooh...I've got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give you the key
Come on now, let's get together
In perfect harmony
I got 20 acres and you got 43
Now I've got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give you the key!


#19



cvgurau

The second episode was... well, it lagged a bit from the first, but understandably so. The frozen kid thing keeps happening, and it gets less creepy each time. But I was still intrigued. By the aliens. By why the government would turn against Torchwood. By the creepy old government guy, who I think is somehow an alien plant.

Jack's escape was a bit contrived, sure (what, not one of the facility's ten thousand cameras spotted a giant fucking bobcat wheeling onto the compound? :bush: ) and not a whole lot really happened, but beyond that, it was a pretty good ep.


#20



Mr_Chaz

twitchmoss said:
Veteran said:
You don't see someone in a show set in the west country gloating about their new combine harvester!
The Wurzels said:
ooooh...I've got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give you the key
Come on now, let's get together
In perfect harmony
I got 20 acres and you got 43
Now I've got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give you the key!


#21



cvgurau

The fuck??! :bush:

[spoiler:r4zhbj0x]They KILLED Ianto???? :eek: Tosh and Owen I can understand, but Ianto??? :bush:[/spoiler:r4zhbj0x]


#22





I gotta say, this whole mini-season has been quite good. When they're working on one, singular, self contained story like this, it feels more focused. I like the reoccurring theme of families and I'm curious to see how they're going to wrap it up.

I was surprised, too, by the death of Ianto (no inviso-text, there's spoilers in the thread title). At this point, I'm wondering who will be left to take over the reigns of the team/show. Whatshername will probably want to settle down with the baby, leaving just Jack again.

Although...I know they wanted to bring in Martha and Mickie for this mini-season but couldn't because of their schedules. Throw in Captain John and hey, there's a new, full team again. Martha the doctor, Mickie the tech person, John the...gay lover for Jack?


#23

twitchmoss

twitchmoss

thats what, an 80% mortality rate for the team since it started? the only people left are gwen and jack, who CAN'T ACTUALLY DIE. they're running out of people to kill off!

however, RTD is writing the episodes, and we still have one to go. so if he uses one collossal deus ex machina and brings ianto back from the dead i just want it on the record that I FUCKING CALLED IT.

good 'series' so far, must better than the show has previously done. though i can't get over the nagging fact that if its such a global emergency in the whoniverse, where the fuck is the doctor?


#24



cvgurau

twitchmoss said:
thats what, an 80% mortality rate for the team since it started? the only people left are gwen and jack, who CAN'T ACTUALLY DIE. they're running out of people to kill off!

however, RTD is writing the episodes, and we still have one to go. so if he uses one collossal deus ex machina and brings ianto back from the dead i just want it on the record that I FUCKING CALLED IT.
Hope so, but doubt it. Ianto was cold and blue when Gwen showed up. That's pretty fucking dead. :eek:rly:



good 'series' so far, must better than the show has previously done. though i can't get over the nagging fact that if its such a global emergency in the whoniverse, where the fuck is the doctor?

RTD said early on that although Torchwood was a Dr. Who spinoff, the good doctor would never swoop in to save the day, because hazardous, life-threatening situations seem less so when you have a walking, talking Deux Ex Machina to save you.


#25

Calleja

Calleja

FUCK!!

That last episode.


Shit.

The scene with Jack's daughter wailing over her child's body. It got to me.

Damn. What an awesome fucking mini-series.

I'll miss Torchwood now.


#26



cvgurau

What a stupid fucking way to end the show. Kill off everyone you like, then have the hero hightail it outta there like a pussy.

"Jack, you can't leave!"
"Fuck you, yes I can. Myeah!" :eek:rly:


#27

Calleja

Calleja

I thought it was a great ending, actually.

Jack has seen and done some terrible things, and we've seen him getting more and more tired of being immortal. Hell, even when all his Torchwood friends were alive he high-tailed it outta there the first chance he got when he heard the TARDIS.

If he can't die, at least he can go on living forever at some planet he hasn't traveled all over several times, everyone dying around him. Makes sense to me.


#28



cvgurau

No, I got it, I just didn't like it.

It was a shitty way to end the series (if it is ended. I haven't heard anything either way.)


Like Kara Thrace [spoiler:jlo6aa4t]being a ghost (or whatever) and 50,000 people simultaneously deciding to give up the comforts of technology for an existence so alien to them all half of them probably died the first time a native sneezed on them. And then Kara's hubby drove a fleet of space vehicles into the sun.[/spoiler:jlo6aa4t] :eek:rly:

I'm saying, it's an unworthy ending to the series that preceded it.


#29





I gotta say, I'm sad to see Torchwood end (for good?) but it was one hell of a send off. Now, Jack'll go off into the stars and start working on his reputation as the Face of Boe. :p


#30

Calleja

Calleja

cvgurau, thanks for spoiling BSG, by the way. I'm sure there was no other way to explain your subjective point of view than to bring up the ending of an entirely different series some people may still be saving up to buy in dvd. :angry:


#31



cvgurau

Oh, shit. Sorry dude. :bush:

BSG stuff's been spoiler'ed, but still. Sorry.


#32



Greendog

Christ, finally got round to watching the last two episodes...and I'm stunned.

I'll agree with cvgurau about Jacks final lines that he can run away, slightly diminish the heroic nature of him. I know he was originally set up as a coward who redeemed himself, but I thought the hero that had been established for so long would stay. I guess it is his nature, so really I guess I'm just disappointed in Jack more than anything.

There may apparently be a fourth series, but I can't see how they're going to pull it together with the remaining cast. Freema Agyeman may come back, though Noel Clarke has said he's done with all the Doctor Who stuff. You could maybe have Rhys in there somewhere, and as TNG said, maybe bring back Captain John.

Either way, no series has left me feeling like this for a long time. Well done to RTD for crafting such a compelling story.


#33

twitchmoss

twitchmoss

good ending. i'm glad they didnt cop out with a 'reverse time-o-matic!' plot device.

though i cant stop myself dubbing over [spoiler:36r6kjfd]jacks leaving scene in my head with poochies ending scene.
' i must go now, back to my home planet'

*beams up*

*unfortunately jack was killed before he arrived, never to be seen again*[/spoiler:36r6kjfd]

the scene with [spoiler:36r6kjfd]frobisher and his family[/spoiler:36r6kjfd]was pretty damn disturbing.

[spoiler:36r6kjfd]'he's a good man...' BANG. BANG. BANG.[/spoiler:36r6kjfd]


#34

Calleja

Calleja

Actually it was : BANG BANG BANG......... BANG!



disturbing stuff. Although I maintain the scene that got to me the most was Jack's daughter grieving over her son. Jack not being able to do anything but stare, tears in his eyes.

The man had to kill his own grandson, watch him die painfully, and then see his own daughter grieve and scorn him... and that was just the cherry on top of a similar life for HUNDREDS of years. I don't think he's a coward, the man is still a damned hero.. but everyone has a breaking point. It's not like he gave up on "the good fight", he just decided to do it elsewhere, where he could turn a corner and not be hit by ten thousand different painful memories.

I certainly hope it's not the last series, though.


#35



Mr_Chaz

The thing is, Jack is this whole redeemed coward character or whatever, but that's not the same as being a hero. He dies to save people because he can. So his running off doesn't seem to me to be a breaking of the character, more just him saying "I'm done with this. I've done my part, time for others to step up to the plate." Not heroic, not cowardly, just retirement of a sort.


#36

Bowielee

Bowielee

Quite frankly, if they had made Torchwood like this while it was actually a regular series, it would have gone into orbit, ratings wise.

The whole Children of Earth series was EPIC.

I liked Gwen's speech about the Doctor at on the video tape.

I don't think that Jack taking off was in any way a break from his character. Besides, if the Doctor can just up and dump off his companions to go traipsing around the stars, how does Jack doing the same thing make him less of a hero.

Of course, the doctor wouldn't have fried his own grandson, regardless of how many people it would save, but still.


#37

Calleja

Calleja

Well, who knows, lots of people die around The Doctor, too.


#38



cvgurau

Yeah, but he doesn't actively KILL any of them.


#39



Veteran

Jack was originally created as this happy-go-lucky, trigger happy, wham-bam-shag-your-mam adventurer, and we grew to love him. Torchwood was made on the back of the character's popularity. So to see him end up as this tragic figure is why I thought the ending was a little off. Great story, but a shame Jack became what he did.

John Barrowman is scheduled for the two-part Christmas special. I don't see how you can effectively bring Jack back as a (however brief) companion, unless it's as a *gasp* bad guy. Or an alcoholic.


#40

twitchmoss

twitchmoss

well, he sure doesn't have to worry about death by alcohol poisoning.


#41

klew

klew

Veteran said:
Jack was originally created as this happy-go-lucky, trigger happy, wham-bam-shag-your-mam adventurer, and we grew to love him.
In an episode written by Stephen Moffat. Coincidence?


#42





Yeah, but Jack is written a little differently (aka: more "kid friendly") when he appears in Doctor Who. He's a little more jokey, I think. Or maybe it's just me thinking that.


#43

Bowielee

Bowielee

ThatNickGuy said:
Yeah, but Jack is written a little differently (aka: more "kid friendly") when he appears in Doctor Who. He's a little more jokey, I think. Or maybe it's just me thinking that.
He was written that way in Dr Who, because Dr Who is a family show.


#44

Calleja

Calleja

No episode of torchwood has ever made me check around my dark room despite myself like "Blink" did, though.


#45





Bowielee said:
ThatNickGuy said:
Yeah, but Jack is written a little differently (aka: more "kid friendly") when he appears in Doctor Who. He's a little more jokey, I think. Or maybe it's just me thinking that.
He was written that way in Dr Who, because Dr Who is a family show.
Sorry, yeah, that was kind of the point I was trying to make.


#46

Calleja

Calleja

The Doctor is not a big fan of Jack post-Torchwood, though.


#47



Mr_Chaz

Veteran said:
Jack was originally created as this happy-go-lucky, trigger happy, wham-bam-shag-your-mam adventurer, and we grew to love him. Torchwood was made on the back of the character's popularity. So to see him end up as this tragic figure is why I thought the ending was a little off.
But after the things he'd had to do, could it be any other way?


#48

Bowielee

Bowielee

Mr_Chaz said:
Veteran said:
Jack was originally created as this happy-go-lucky, trigger happy, wham-bam-shag-your-mam adventurer, and we grew to love him. Torchwood was made on the back of the character's popularity. So to see him end up as this tragic figure is why I thought the ending was a little off.
But after the things he'd had to do, could it be any other way?
See, that's also one of the things we have to remember about the character. His last adventure with the Doctor (where he died and was brought back) happened Hundreds of years before his current run in Torchwood, and it's already been established that he spent a good deal of that time dealing with some pretty tough stuff, not the least of which was being abandoned by the Doctor.


#49

Calleja

Calleja

THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!

The man has lived hundreds of years, seeing everyone he loves eventually die, fighting constantly, failing to save people countless times.... having to kill his grandchild was just the cherry on top of a long, long, long, hard life.


#50



Veteran

Yeah, that's true. The passage of time is easy to forget I suppose. He was also buried alive under Cardiff for the best part of 2000 years wasn't he?


#51

figmentPez

figmentPez

Calleja said:
I certainly hope it's not the last series, though.
I can't seem to remember where I read it, I thought it was on IO9, but I heard there was another series ready to go if the ratings are/were good enough for "Children of Earth".


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