Review by: Kevin Bachelder (Tuning In To SciFi TV)
***SPOILER WARNING***
This review contains spoiler information about the miniseries. Don’t continue reading if you don’t want to know what happens.
Since the Torchwood team’s plan failed so horribly at the end of day four we start out this episode by seeing the government types working out their plan to give the 456 all the children they requested. They’ve got a plan to pull children out of certain lower performing schools. The spin they are giving the public is that they are being taken for inoculations that will help prevent the ‘stopping’ and ‘chanting in unison’ problems. We also see politicians trying to protect their families as well as trying to find a way not to be blamed once the children disappear. A good part of this episode is spent watching this story line play out. While it’s a necessary part of the overall story it’s too bad that it had to take screen time away from the characters we’ve come to care more about.
A big reveal early on in the episode is when Colonel Oduya of UNIT goes to talk to the 456 and asks them why they want the children. The response is chilling. The 456 says it’s for ‘The hit…they create chemicals…the chemicals are good…we feel good’. You mean to tell me this has all been one big drug deal! After feeling a little numb from the loss of Ianto this information snapped my head back into things. Shortly after this we are treated to a very well done scene as we see Jack and Gwen meeting with Mr. Frobisher. Gwen still wants to keep pushing things by threatening to release the video recordings but Jack tells her “Phone Rhys…tell him we lost”. Gwen’s call to Rhys is really touching. He asks if he should release the recordings but she tells him “It’s too late sweetheart…they’ve killed him…not just Clem…they…they killed Ianto”. You can feel the real emotion in this scene. I enjoyed the way that Rhys has become a part of the team in this mini-series after being so much in the background in the past.
Read the entire review by Kevin Bachelder at TuningIntoScifiTV.com.
Catch more Torchwood discussions between Kevin, Brent and Wendy in their series of special podcasts being released each night during the Torchwood: Children of Earth airings on BBC America. While you’re visiting TuningIntoScifiTV.com you can also check out their weekly podcast discussing all your favorite Scifi and Genre TV shows.
rick astley says
These shouldn’t be called reviews, they should be called summaries.
Bill T. says
Summaries is not a good word for this drivel. This is a high school book report. Just once I would like to see an actual review written by someone who has a grasp of literary and film criticism. I’ve seen better work from my 11 year old nephew.
Gary The Great says
Holy Crap did I pick the right time to start watching British SciFi. That series was awesome. It made me mad, cringe, cry, want to fight, and somewhat happy at the end, although there is not much about the aftermath I could call happy.