Torchwood 3: Children of Earth
I’ve watched Torchwood: Children of Earth lately and I liked it. I think this was the first time I really felt this was a show for grown ups. Till now it’s supposed adultness mostly consisted of nakedness and sex scenes and a little gore, or in other words something adolescents think is very grown up. This time it was more cruelty and though decisions. Gray situation and though moral choices. Bad people doing good things, good people doing bad things. Leaders being cowardly and common people being brave. It was still a bit oversimplified and some points were driven in by an anvil but it was some good entertainment.
What impressed me most was that they went all the way through with the children deaths. This I think the biggest TV taboo - no harm must come to the children. In situation like this when one needs to sacrifice one person to save many it almost always turns out they refuse and/or find a way around it. Even if the sacrifice comes through it’s usually the person who did it volunteered despite the main hero objections. When Jack participated in giving children to 456, when Frobisher killed his daughters, when Jack sacrificed his grandson - the victims had no choice. All these were the lesser evils, the way to avoid something much more horrible, but still children died, sometimes horribly. The no win scenario when winning means sacrificing too much but you still have to do it because otherwise costs will be too high.
I was shocked when not only Jack agreed to sacrifice his grandson but the kid actually died. In most cases, there’s always some last moment save or it turns out that they miscalculated and he’d live. No easy, heartwarming endings this time. We were shown before that Jack can make though choices, do things that are wrong for greater good but this real drove home the lengths he can go to. With the Doctor it’s only implied, here we got to see it happening. And leaves us with a question is Jack any better then John Frobisher?
On the other hand I think they went a bit over the top with first killing Jack’s lover and then his grandson. It’s partly because I always resented the fact that these kinds of sacrifices always must be personal for the hero. Because having to kill some random kid wouldn’t be bad enough. It’s also because I don’t like the artificially small word that has only ten people so you always run into someone you know.
There’s also the problem of characters that exist only to be killed of in the purpose of causing angst to the hero. Everyone seems to be all over Ianto’s death but I disliked Steven’s death much more then Ianto’s. Ianto was having dangerous job, people’s been trying to kill him for a while and he knew the chances were low. His two squad mates died saving the world not so long ago. But what’s more important he was a character we knew before, who had a place in the show before and besides being Jack’s lover (but the constant talk about coupledom - that was cliche - nothing spells death is near for a character more then that). Steven was only introduced by couple of lines to die and be the source of guilt. To be the final reason for Jack to disassociate with present Earth as there is no longer a personal connection (Well there is Gwen but she is neither lover nor family and has her own family so it’s ok.).
I loved Gwen in this. She was all her character was promised to be. With her ability to get to, to connect to people she was crucial to solving many of the obstacles. She and Reese are one of the most adorable couples ever and even though I have nothing against Gwen/Jack I don’t think even Jack can beat a guy who takes the girl’s bag so she can be free to shoot people. And Gwen was badass with guns.
I liked Ianto and his family. The whole interaction. The meanness and the love. Although both he and Jack were assholes about borrowing the kids for experiments. Too much alike.
I liked how they portrayed the agent who hunted them - Johnson. She was, from the very beginning, shown as ruthless, an adversary of our heroes, the one who tried to kill them, who tortured Jack to find a way to kill him. Still she was also the one who saved the day. She did all she did because she believed that the orders she gets are right and will save the country. And then she rebelled. Everyone has the point when the things become too wrong to bear. When goals no longer justify the means. She didn’t become good person but she crossed on the right side (well better then the other anyway). And she assembled the team and equipment that made it possible to save the children. And I simply love that kinds of characters and situations.
I also loved how women were the real heroes of the hour. From the action ones - like Gwen and Johnson to the secretaries Brigit Spears and Denise Riley who overtook the government. I loved Jack’s daughter - smart, persuasive and able to take down an armed soldier with a board. I loved Lois Habiba and Ianto’s sister Rhiannon because noone was paying attention to them and it was them who made saving the world possible, who risked their lives even though they didn’t have to or didn’t really believe they should be doing what they did. While generals and politicians played games at being useless and cowardly. Although I liked how Ianto’s brother in law used hooligans’ tactics against the government that turned against its people.
My main dislike was the solution but then it was in a typical Doctor who vain - too fast and pulled out of a hat in a last moment. I hate those on principle but take it as a part of the convention and of the show’s heritage.
I liked Children of Earth more then I expected to. It was compelling and entertaining. And I had fun.
What impressed me most was that they went all the way through with the children deaths. This I think the biggest TV taboo - no harm must come to the children. In situation like this when one needs to sacrifice one person to save many it almost always turns out they refuse and/or find a way around it. Even if the sacrifice comes through it’s usually the person who did it volunteered despite the main hero objections. When Jack participated in giving children to 456, when Frobisher killed his daughters, when Jack sacrificed his grandson - the victims had no choice. All these were the lesser evils, the way to avoid something much more horrible, but still children died, sometimes horribly. The no win scenario when winning means sacrificing too much but you still have to do it because otherwise costs will be too high.
I was shocked when not only Jack agreed to sacrifice his grandson but the kid actually died. In most cases, there’s always some last moment save or it turns out that they miscalculated and he’d live. No easy, heartwarming endings this time. We were shown before that Jack can make though choices, do things that are wrong for greater good but this real drove home the lengths he can go to. With the Doctor it’s only implied, here we got to see it happening. And leaves us with a question is Jack any better then John Frobisher?
On the other hand I think they went a bit over the top with first killing Jack’s lover and then his grandson. It’s partly because I always resented the fact that these kinds of sacrifices always must be personal for the hero. Because having to kill some random kid wouldn’t be bad enough. It’s also because I don’t like the artificially small word that has only ten people so you always run into someone you know.
There’s also the problem of characters that exist only to be killed of in the purpose of causing angst to the hero. Everyone seems to be all over Ianto’s death but I disliked Steven’s death much more then Ianto’s. Ianto was having dangerous job, people’s been trying to kill him for a while and he knew the chances were low. His two squad mates died saving the world not so long ago. But what’s more important he was a character we knew before, who had a place in the show before and besides being Jack’s lover (but the constant talk about coupledom - that was cliche - nothing spells death is near for a character more then that). Steven was only introduced by couple of lines to die and be the source of guilt. To be the final reason for Jack to disassociate with present Earth as there is no longer a personal connection (Well there is Gwen but she is neither lover nor family and has her own family so it’s ok.).
I loved Gwen in this. She was all her character was promised to be. With her ability to get to, to connect to people she was crucial to solving many of the obstacles. She and Reese are one of the most adorable couples ever and even though I have nothing against Gwen/Jack I don’t think even Jack can beat a guy who takes the girl’s bag so she can be free to shoot people. And Gwen was badass with guns.
I liked Ianto and his family. The whole interaction. The meanness and the love. Although both he and Jack were assholes about borrowing the kids for experiments. Too much alike.
I liked how they portrayed the agent who hunted them - Johnson. She was, from the very beginning, shown as ruthless, an adversary of our heroes, the one who tried to kill them, who tortured Jack to find a way to kill him. Still she was also the one who saved the day. She did all she did because she believed that the orders she gets are right and will save the country. And then she rebelled. Everyone has the point when the things become too wrong to bear. When goals no longer justify the means. She didn’t become good person but she crossed on the right side (well better then the other anyway). And she assembled the team and equipment that made it possible to save the children. And I simply love that kinds of characters and situations.
I also loved how women were the real heroes of the hour. From the action ones - like Gwen and Johnson to the secretaries Brigit Spears and Denise Riley who overtook the government. I loved Jack’s daughter - smart, persuasive and able to take down an armed soldier with a board. I loved Lois Habiba and Ianto’s sister Rhiannon because noone was paying attention to them and it was them who made saving the world possible, who risked their lives even though they didn’t have to or didn’t really believe they should be doing what they did. While generals and politicians played games at being useless and cowardly. Although I liked how Ianto’s brother in law used hooligans’ tactics against the government that turned against its people.
My main dislike was the solution but then it was in a typical Doctor who vain - too fast and pulled out of a hat in a last moment. I hate those on principle but take it as a part of the convention and of the show’s heritage.
I liked Children of Earth more then I expected to. It was compelling and entertaining. And I had fun.