End of Days

"People didn't believe us. Now they should. Judgement Day is finally here. This is the End of Days."

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 1st January 2007
Series: Torchwood 1.13

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

The Rift is open and beings from all the periods of time are seeping through. What exactly does Bilis Manger know and what lurks in the Rift? Can Jack save the world?

Verdict

End of Days is a sensational season finale for Torchwood's debut season! Following on directly from Captain Jack Harkness and with the effects of Owen's opening of the Rift coming into fruition, the possibilities were endless. Anything could seep through into present day Cardiff - and it did! We had Romans and even sufferers of the Plague! The dangers were endless and possible clashes could have been disastrous. But somehow, the team managed to get things to normal which was tremendous and the proper battle would soon commence. Bilis was again the villain and his calm eeriness is chilling. A tremendous villainous character, who isn't quite done with Torchwood I feel after the climax of the episode. After a few recent hints in the latter episodes of the season, we knew something was coming from the darkness - but the question was what. But before all that was revealed, many events occurred! Rhys was tragically and callously murdered by Bilis with a dagger. The devastation this caused Gwen was heartfelt and hard to watch, some outstanding acting by Eve Myles. She couldn't take it in. And this affected the other team members as well. But with Rhys's corpse in the hub Gwen again just couldn't handle it. She wanted to fix things - she had a firm belief that this wouldn't be the last time she would see her boyfriend. The fact that the entire team were pushed by Bilis, using projections of loved ones or lost ones, to go against Jack's wishes and open the Rift. Jack's mocking of Gwen's love for Rhys, by questioning why she hooked up with Owen, and this tipped her over the edge. And then Owen shot Jack. They opened the Rift and let through the son of the Beast. Abaddon. He was freed from imprisonment in the Rift and wreaked havoc over Earth. His shadow caused death everywhere it went, so Jack would question its ability to kill him. The man who cannot die. And Jack won. It took everything out of him and he was dead. And this time, it didn't seem like he was waking up. Gwen was sure he would do, Rhys was now back as time was fixed, and she didn't give up on him. So she wasn't going to give up on Jack. And she was correct. Eventually, Jack woke up. All was well and he forgave his teammates. Torchwood had succeeded and Abaddon was defeated. But then the TARDIS was heard, and Jack was gone...
A magnificent season finale that tied up a wonderful debut season! And it led into Utopia and the Doctor Who Series Three finale brilliantly. How will the team deal without Jack?

Rating: 10/10