Children of Earth: Day Five

"Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 10th July 2009

Series: Torchwood 3.05

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rhys

Synopsis 

Torchwood is defenceless and Gwen Cooper stands alone. As anarchy prevails, an ordinary council estate becomes a battleground for the future of the human race. Meanwhile, Jack is faced with an impossible sacrifice. 

Verdict 

Children of Earth: Day Five was an incredible episode to finish off this quite astounding third series of Torchwood! It really was a wonderful finish to what was a week long series, a very successful broadcasting format I would say. Showing the story across five days, both broadcast and in the series itself, was a very clever idea and to now see everything tied up was brilliant. In the aftermath of Ianto's death, what was left of Torchwood still had to fight on against the 456 and somehow stop the 35 million children being sent away. It's pretty unbelievable that the government forces of the world united in just handing over children to aliens. Surely any cover up wouldn't suffice, they just wouldn't be able to get away with it. This episode was incredibly horrific with some uncomfortable scenes that really showed just how terrible and terrifying the events that were happening were. Once midday came and the government set the operation into drive all hell was going to break loose. The scenes where the armed forces stormed the schools and literally shipped children onto buses to be taken away were horrifying. How any parent could cope with seeing that is beyond me, not that any of them were coping! Scenes were abominable. The story of John Frobisher in this episode was quite a sad one as he and his family died, at the hands of John himself. It just showed how disgraceful and selfish politicians can be. They were willing to sign away 35 million children as long as they were sure their own kids would be exempt. The inoculation project needed a social stigmas, and the cold hearted UK Prime Minister was going to use Frobisher and his children to get it. He'd pretend to inoculate his children - but then they'd be taken to a rendezvous point and be given away to the 456. That was when everything hit hard for John. He went along with millions of people losing their kids but once his own were threatened, he soon turned sour. He threatened to tell the truth on camera but he just couldn't take it. The idea of his children being subjugated to the 456, and of course if he allowed them to go he wouldn't be able to look his wife in the eye or live with himself. So he carried out something I would just find impossible. A murder-suicide. He shot dead his two daughters and his wife before blowing a hole in his own gasket. The story of John Frobisher came to an emotional end. Bridget visiting Lois in her cell was nice and I loved how her story of Frobisher being a good man overlapped with his horrendous act of murder-suicide. But of course a wonderful revelation regarding the Torchwood contact lenses would come centrefold near the episode's finish. Once all was said and done and the 456 were no more, the Prime Minister was only thinking of himself and shifting the blame onto the USA. How heartless and callous can you be. You were about to send 35 million children to goodness knows where and all he could think about was himself. A disgrace. I like how despicable the 456 became in the last two episodes of the series. They murdered Ianto and then they revealed their use of the children. They were basically drugs. Shocking and horrific is an understatement! They'd had a taste of 11 children in 1965 and now they wanted 10% of the child population and absolutely no less. Now that's what you call a monster. Gwen and Rhys's struggle with Rhiannon after breaking the news that Ianto had died was really heartfelt. Johnny's 'ten quid a kid' slogan really was a shining comedic continuation in an episode full of despair. The forces came to get those kids who stayed at home so Gwen and co went into hiding, in determination. Her comment about the Doctor was absolutely incredible. I loved her determined look when she continued to run. She's going to make an amazing mother! Speaking of mothers, the resolution of defeating the 456 might just be the most uncomfortable 'victory' ever in the Whoniverse. Jack was brought in by Johnson to work with Dekker to find a way of defeating the 456. And after Clement's death wave signal was kept on recording, they had it. Like the 456 had done over the span of the series, now Jack would reverse it and omit the deadly wavelength back to the 456. It would kill them but they needed a child host to start the signal. Steven would have to be sacrificed. One child dies to save 35 million. Did Jack really have an option? I can't sympathise with him enough when he gave the nod to use Steven. He couldn't look at his own daughter in the eye anymore, I think he knew that relationship was long gone. I was surprised Jack didn't respond to his grandson's questions right before he was hooked to the signal. Dekker's actions and comments didn't help. Then it started and it was incredibly uncomfortable watching Steven die whilst saving the world. The head shaking was horrifying. As was Alice's reactions to her dead son. Emotionally draining, that's what this series has been! And it's been absolutely phenomenal. I like how RTD gave us an end moment with Jack and Gwen saying goodbye because he wasn't sure whether there'd be a fourth series. Thankfully there was but if it ended after Children of Earth then it would have been done incredibly well. Jack departed after saying goodbye to Gwen. In some ways he was becoming like the Doctor, only thinking of those who died in helping him. But just think of all those saved! He did depart though, tying in nicely with The End of Time. But overall, this episode and the series itself has been nothing short of remarkable. 

Rating: 10/10