Torchwood: Children of Earth
Jul. 24th, 2009 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annundriel"Day Five"
Mom said, near the end, "And it turns out it's all a dream. Jack wakes up and Ianto's asleep beside him."
If only.
There were several moments during "Day Five" where you just had to sit and wonder if there was any way for them to actually pull themselves up out of this hole they'd dug. "Is Jack going to end up being all deus ex machina here?" Mom asked. And he kind of was. Because all I could think as he's implementing their horrific plan was, "You guys couldn't come up with something like this before?" Sure, they didn't get the right sound until day four, but it was such a simple solution in the end. I guess that's how things go, though.
Speaking of that sound...I still have questions about Clem and am minorly put-out that he died in "Day Four" and then nothing else was really addressed. But I suppose the things I want to know about him are pretty minor. And probably don't have anything to do with anything.
As for things that do have to do with something...
Mom commented that Jack's daughter isn't going to be wanting to see him for a very long time, if ever again. To which I replied that I think Jack is going to want to go dig himself a hole and not come out for a very long time. He may have gone on the road, and he may be shooting off into the night sky, but that's essentially what he's doing. The man must loath himself. Since he can't get away from himself, he'll get away from those things that remind him of the people he's lost and the actions he's taken.
I was going to say that my ending question was, "If Jack hadn't been alone without his team, would he have made that sacrifice?" But then I realized it's not really a question at all, and maybe it was the word "sacrifice" that clued me in. What else would they have done? They had no other choice. Torchwood makes sacrifices - we saw that last year with Owen and Tosh - and they keep fighting. That's what they do. It's just not limited to the characters themselves.
What just makes it more sad is that Jack's daughter believed in him so much, was so sure that he could save the world, could save them all. What she didn't understand was what that faith could cost her.
And isn't that sort of what it's all about in a way? We have our authority figures that ask for our trust, our faith, and we give it to them in times of trouble because we believe, yes, finally, here is someone who can make it better, only they're just as human and flawed as we are and just because they can make it better doesn't mean we'll like the solution.
In other words, Jack and the government play the same role, on different levels. His relationship with his daughter and grandson becomes the same as the government and the people and their children.
So do I blame Jack for running away and leaving Gwen behind? No, I don't. I can't say I'd stick around with that kind of guilt on my shoulders either. Not when, as he told Frobisher and Spears, he can't look at Gwen anymore. Because she's his team and she's Torchwood as much as he is and she's all that's left.
For me, the reason the whole thing is as painful as it is, is because it is an excellent miniseries. It wouldn't hurt this much or this badly if it was poorly written or executed or acted. But I really thought everything was fantastically stepped up this time out. The pacing was insane, the filming was lovely, the soundtrack really worked. Everything hit the right pitch for me. Even, as much as I hate it, the loss of Ianto. I mean, I really would prefer it not to be there. But if it has to be, than I felt like it was done right. Those two were never going to have a happy ending. I just wish what they had could have lasted longer.
Other things, since I never can seem to figure out how to nicely connect everything I want to talk about:
- Seriously, the acting in this one really impressed me. Especially Barrowman's. It was really solid and he didn't do that crazy over-emoting thing he sometimes does. Sometimes he is really good and sometimes he is really campy. Here I thought he was just really good.
I was also really impressed with Peter Capaldi who plays Frobisher. I felt sympathy for the man the entire mini and different acting choices could have made him really unlikeable during the first couple of episode.
- Speaking of Frobisher, I sobbed through the scene that had Spears and Lois intercut with Frobisher at home with his wife and daughters. Break my heart some more why don't you? Geez. And all I could think as he closed that door behind him was, how do you even choose who to shoot first?
- Yea for Spears stepping up. Lois really just got kind of shunted aside.
And thank God for the prime minister being put in his place. What a complete bastard and waste of space.
- I wanted Jack to be the one delivering the news of Ianto's death to his family, but it makes sense that he didn't. Because, well, he couldn't for one. And there was still massive doom looming on the horizon. I did like Gwen, though. As soon as she started trying to prove that she and Ianto were close, though, I had a feeling they'd be in trouble. Because Ianto clearly changed a few things about his personal past. In the end he's not that different from Jack.
Though Ianto did say he told Jack everything. I wonder if Jack knew about his father? Or if they talked about his sister and niece and nephew? If Jack ever found Ianto agonizing over whether or not to try to get them something for their birthday or just stick some money in a card and send it through the post?
- Every cup of coffee Jack has from now on will be compared to Ianto's.
- I can see Jack avoiding Ianto's family, too, and needing Gwen to give them the bad news. Because again, they're too much of a reminder. Though I wonder if, in those six months, he was ever curious.
- The 456 don't even use the children for something constructive. They're drug addicts, looking for their next fix. And, in retrospect, they totally sounded like it, too, with the whole, "But you gave them to us before." That's the kind of thing you say to your drug dealer (not that I would know, but I watch a lot of crime drama). "But you sold to me before? What happened? C'mon, just this one time and I'll leave you alone. I swear."
- There were several sequences that killed me. Frobisher's family. The final run from the military. Not a sequence, but Jack's face when Gwen gets on the phone with Rhys at the beginning. Gwen's recording. Rhys and Gwen after the recording. Running away with the children the first time and seeing the children be taken away. There were a lot of images in this finale that were seriously upsetting.
- Seriously, I love Ianto's family.
That's what I've got for now. I'm sure there will be more at some point.
If Torchwood continues, I will probably watch it. Because I am curious like that. And, somehow, Gwen grew on me. Plus, I do love Rhys. But it won't be the same. Which we always seem to say whenever a companion is lost on Doctor Who and somehow we end up loving the new companion. (Donna!) And that's okay, because loving someone new isn't replacing the ones you've lost. It's just loving someone new.
But, God, I will miss Ianto.
Mom said, near the end, "And it turns out it's all a dream. Jack wakes up and Ianto's asleep beside him."
If only.
There were several moments during "Day Five" where you just had to sit and wonder if there was any way for them to actually pull themselves up out of this hole they'd dug. "Is Jack going to end up being all deus ex machina here?" Mom asked. And he kind of was. Because all I could think as he's implementing their horrific plan was, "You guys couldn't come up with something like this before?" Sure, they didn't get the right sound until day four, but it was such a simple solution in the end. I guess that's how things go, though.
Speaking of that sound...I still have questions about Clem and am minorly put-out that he died in "Day Four" and then nothing else was really addressed. But I suppose the things I want to know about him are pretty minor. And probably don't have anything to do with anything.
As for things that do have to do with something...
Mom commented that Jack's daughter isn't going to be wanting to see him for a very long time, if ever again. To which I replied that I think Jack is going to want to go dig himself a hole and not come out for a very long time. He may have gone on the road, and he may be shooting off into the night sky, but that's essentially what he's doing. The man must loath himself. Since he can't get away from himself, he'll get away from those things that remind him of the people he's lost and the actions he's taken.
I was going to say that my ending question was, "If Jack hadn't been alone without his team, would he have made that sacrifice?" But then I realized it's not really a question at all, and maybe it was the word "sacrifice" that clued me in. What else would they have done? They had no other choice. Torchwood makes sacrifices - we saw that last year with Owen and Tosh - and they keep fighting. That's what they do. It's just not limited to the characters themselves.
What just makes it more sad is that Jack's daughter believed in him so much, was so sure that he could save the world, could save them all. What she didn't understand was what that faith could cost her.
And isn't that sort of what it's all about in a way? We have our authority figures that ask for our trust, our faith, and we give it to them in times of trouble because we believe, yes, finally, here is someone who can make it better, only they're just as human and flawed as we are and just because they can make it better doesn't mean we'll like the solution.
In other words, Jack and the government play the same role, on different levels. His relationship with his daughter and grandson becomes the same as the government and the people and their children.
So do I blame Jack for running away and leaving Gwen behind? No, I don't. I can't say I'd stick around with that kind of guilt on my shoulders either. Not when, as he told Frobisher and Spears, he can't look at Gwen anymore. Because she's his team and she's Torchwood as much as he is and she's all that's left.
For me, the reason the whole thing is as painful as it is, is because it is an excellent miniseries. It wouldn't hurt this much or this badly if it was poorly written or executed or acted. But I really thought everything was fantastically stepped up this time out. The pacing was insane, the filming was lovely, the soundtrack really worked. Everything hit the right pitch for me. Even, as much as I hate it, the loss of Ianto. I mean, I really would prefer it not to be there. But if it has to be, than I felt like it was done right. Those two were never going to have a happy ending. I just wish what they had could have lasted longer.
Other things, since I never can seem to figure out how to nicely connect everything I want to talk about:
- Seriously, the acting in this one really impressed me. Especially Barrowman's. It was really solid and he didn't do that crazy over-emoting thing he sometimes does. Sometimes he is really good and sometimes he is really campy. Here I thought he was just really good.
I was also really impressed with Peter Capaldi who plays Frobisher. I felt sympathy for the man the entire mini and different acting choices could have made him really unlikeable during the first couple of episode.
- Speaking of Frobisher, I sobbed through the scene that had Spears and Lois intercut with Frobisher at home with his wife and daughters. Break my heart some more why don't you? Geez. And all I could think as he closed that door behind him was, how do you even choose who to shoot first?
- Yea for Spears stepping up. Lois really just got kind of shunted aside.
And thank God for the prime minister being put in his place. What a complete bastard and waste of space.
- I wanted Jack to be the one delivering the news of Ianto's death to his family, but it makes sense that he didn't. Because, well, he couldn't for one. And there was still massive doom looming on the horizon. I did like Gwen, though. As soon as she started trying to prove that she and Ianto were close, though, I had a feeling they'd be in trouble. Because Ianto clearly changed a few things about his personal past. In the end he's not that different from Jack.
Though Ianto did say he told Jack everything. I wonder if Jack knew about his father? Or if they talked about his sister and niece and nephew? If Jack ever found Ianto agonizing over whether or not to try to get them something for their birthday or just stick some money in a card and send it through the post?
- Every cup of coffee Jack has from now on will be compared to Ianto's.
- I can see Jack avoiding Ianto's family, too, and needing Gwen to give them the bad news. Because again, they're too much of a reminder. Though I wonder if, in those six months, he was ever curious.
- The 456 don't even use the children for something constructive. They're drug addicts, looking for their next fix. And, in retrospect, they totally sounded like it, too, with the whole, "But you gave them to us before." That's the kind of thing you say to your drug dealer (not that I would know, but I watch a lot of crime drama). "But you sold to me before? What happened? C'mon, just this one time and I'll leave you alone. I swear."
- There were several sequences that killed me. Frobisher's family. The final run from the military. Not a sequence, but Jack's face when Gwen gets on the phone with Rhys at the beginning. Gwen's recording. Rhys and Gwen after the recording. Running away with the children the first time and seeing the children be taken away. There were a lot of images in this finale that were seriously upsetting.
- Seriously, I love Ianto's family.
That's what I've got for now. I'm sure there will be more at some point.
If Torchwood continues, I will probably watch it. Because I am curious like that. And, somehow, Gwen grew on me. Plus, I do love Rhys. But it won't be the same. Which we always seem to say whenever a companion is lost on Doctor Who and somehow we end up loving the new companion. (Donna!) And that's okay, because loving someone new isn't replacing the ones you've lost. It's just loving someone new.
But, God, I will miss Ianto.
