Torchwood: Children of Earth (spoiler rant)

[LeftinOH]

OK: Kill off most of the main characters, mix in some infanticide; add some no-turning-back plot elements (destruction of the Hub) -and you've killed the franchise. At least they have for me. Damn, that was horrible.

[Love Bug]

1. Oh God, don't get me started...

I know Capt. Jack has a checkered past but I don't believe for one moment he would have EVER willingly handed over children to aliens just to "save" others. No fucking way. And -- as a grandparent I would have used that device myself rather than sacrifice my grandson. Hell, no. This was obviously written by people who either don't have kids or hate them.

I love Torchwood but this series of eps was just too OOC for me.

[OwnedByFerrets]

2. I don't want to, but I must disagree with you.

The awful message of "sacrificing a few to save the planet" isn't popular, but who among us could do differently?

[Love Bug]

3. Oh, I have no doubt that there can always be found those who

would willingly sacrifice children with a kind of "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" justification. I just don't see that as being in character for Jack Harkness. And to sacrifice his own grandson in some kind of twisted atonement for his original "sin"? What right did he have to do that? What right does anyone have to sacrifice another person without their consent, even children? The government forked over orphans because they knew there was no one to care or fight for them. How noble of them.

Yes, I know it's only a tv show but it really pissed me off.

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. So, just for the sake of discussion....in this exact scenerio

you would have allowed all those others to die? Wouldn't the grandchild have died ANYWAY?

In a different direction, The Doctor would have found another way. He always does. But then, Harkness isnt as old or as wise as The Doctor.

[Love Bug]

6. Sometimes you have to take a stand even if the consequences are fatal

I'd rather my grandson die knowing his Nana tried to protect him than die knowing I sacrified him because his life was expendible. As for everyone else? I think there are some things worse than death. The government gave in to those aliens once and they came back. Where would it end? How many more "expendable" people do you give up and who decides who the expendable ones are?

Yes, The Doctor would have found another way because he always does. I know Torchwood is darker, but damn. Where will the series go from here?

[OwnedByFerrets]

7. You know, for all the complaining we have done....me included....

this is what was so GREAT about this mini-series. For those intelligent enough to do so (and of course, I include YOU in this assessment) it made us THINK. What more can you ask of a science fiction tv show? :toast:

[Love Bug]

8. That's true -- it did make us think

[OwnedByFerrets]

5. And yes, I dont see how the franchise ISNT dead.

[Mojambo]

9. I loved it. It was the best Torchwood has ever been

It was a rather shit show, with a few highs up til this series.

I'm glad to see a series make huge changes like this. Too many of these shows cling to the status quo and it becomes stale and boring.

My only beef if that Ianto died rather than Gwen. I can't fucking STAND Gwen.

(on edit)

And I think they had to inject this darkness into the character of Jack Harkness (brutal unintentional rhyming there...)

A guy who's going to live forever needs regrets. The character needs something to torture himself with, something to atone for. It's what will keep this character interesting in the eternity that he has left to live, IMO.

A happy go lucky Jack Harkness living forever just isn't a very good character, IMHO.

[slay]

12. Oh I soooo agree - best season of Torchwood by far

Being a fan of Doctor Who since the Jon Pertwee days, I was stoked to hear of the Torchwood spinoff with Captain Jack. The only thing was - well - it sucked. The writing was - not good - and that's being kind. Russell T. Davies farmed out all the episodes in the barely watchable seasons 1 and 2 to staff writers only returning to write 3 of the 5 eps from this season's Children of Earth - and what a difference it made!. I think Davies is much more suited to writing good, dark Torchwood rather than light fluffy Doctor Who eps many of which were less than stellar. But YES I loved this season of Torchwood and would love to see it come back for a season 4 which I'm fairly sure it will since Children of Earth did so well (I can totally see Rambo girl who put Jack in cement and Lois Habib come back as regular team members.) Since Davies is done with Doctor Who now I hope he takes back Torchwood and continues in the writing style that made Children of Earth so excellent. Oh and er - sorry the OP didn't like it - I guess. :P

Also - Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who. The next ep of Doctor Who is The Waters of Mars. Anagram it for what it's really leading into. ;) Just like on the original classic BBC series in the 4th Doc ep Keeper of Traken - there was a character Tremas which anagramed into - and literally became The Master. Hrmmm...

[OwnedByFerrets]

14. I must be less critical than you. I enjoyed almost every

episode very much. I truly hope it comes back.

[hedgehog]

10. There must be something in the British psyche about kids

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Damned_%281963_film%29

[darkstar3]

11. Davies wants out.

That's the answer to the question (:wtf:) that every Torchwood lover asked when they watched this. Davies wants out, and if he has to damn near kill the franchise, he'll do it.

I don't think we're done yet, though. Gwen won't let it go, and as soon as she gets in REALLY deep trouble, Captain Jack and his penchant for entrances will swoop in with a Deus Ex UFO.

[texanwitch]

13. The scene where the little kid is shown behind the glass with the alien was disturbing to me.

The kid was crying.