Torchwood: Children Of Earth Review
John Barrowman Returns in Sci-Fi Drama
Torchwood is a team of special agents who fight aliens, operating outside the British government. The series has lasted for three years and stars John Barrowman as the team’s immortal leader Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, and Gareth David Lloyd as Ianto Jones.
Torchwood Faces Threats To Themselves, and The World
Torchwood Children Of Earth begins with kids all over the world stopping what they’re doing and chanting “we are coming.” When they return to normal, they don’t remember what they’ve said. Torchwood’s agent Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) witnesses the first incident and the rest of the team begins investigating.
They aren’t the only ones investigating the incidents. The British government is investigating as well, and has found similarities between events happening now and in 1965. They believe Jack (Barrowman) and by extension the entire team have realized it too and begin hunting them down. The first episode ends with the team’s base being blown up with Jack inside. Ianto (Lloyd), and Gwen (Myles) both become fugitives. Gwen meets up with her husband Rhys (Kai Owen), and together they escape to London and begin piecing together the conspiracy. The group eventually reunite, and free Jack.
Meanwhile, the government begins communicating with the alien known as 456. The aliens demand the sacrifice of 10% of the world’s children; a message again transmitted by the kids. This storyline provides some of the more disturbing scenes as the government begins discussing which children should be given away and why.
In a stunning twist it’s revealed Jack was the one one who was chosen to give the children to the aliens, and that’s why the government wanted him dead. He sets out to stop the threat, and meets with the alien himself at Thames House.
The aliens decide to demonstrate their power and infect the entire building with a nerve gas and killing Ianto (Lloyd). Jack saves the day but has to sacrifice another life in the process. After losing everything, the season ends with a tearful good-bye between Jack and Gwen. Jack leaves for outer space and a semi cliffhanger: Will Jack return to earth?
Ethical Questions Raised, Family Connections Revealed
Torchwood is fearless in approaching ethical questions. This season is no exception approaching the whole issue of sacrificing the few for the good of the many. The scenes where the Prime Minister, and his inner circle discuss which children should be given away are eerily realistic. It’s the classic dilemma of whether or not the good of the few should come before the good of the many, but this time with the emotional twist of it being the children. Should a future generation be destroyed in order insure the survival of the current one?
Family ties play a strong role in this season too. It’s revealed Jack has a daughter Alice (Lucy Cohu), and a grandson Steven (Bear McCausland) who is among the children affected by the chanting. He stops at nothing to protect them, but in the end is forced to use Steven to stop the 456 by using him to transmit a frequency that stops the aliens, leaving him dead. We meet Ianto’s sister and find out more about his family. Gwen finds out she’s pregnant, and viewers are treated to heartwarming scenes between her and Rhys. Seeing the characters outside the Torchwood setting makes them more relatable and adds more layers to them.
The series’ fate won’t be known for certain until later this year. In the meantime, check out all three seasons on DVD at your local video store.
Ianto, and Gwen,
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