Torchwood: Children of Earth DAY FIVE FINALE grading thread

[Bob The Skutter]

OMG Just asked my mum what she thought of torchwood and her words where...i thought the ending was a bit NAF.
Is 26 too late to divorce your parents

Ah, just disown them...

Might be a bit hard i am still at home looking for a job.
God that sentence made me sound like a sad treker its a good job we don't have a basement.

Do the classic "Your side, my side, your side, my side." That'll sort it out.

 

[Captain Shaw]

Ah, just disown them...

Might be a bit hard i am still at home looking for a job.
God that sentence made me sound like a sad treker its a good job we don't have a basement.

Do the classic "Your side, my side, your side, my side." That'll sort it out.

I will just live in my bed room and glare at them when i leave the house
And if they ever have to go in a home i will remember this day

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Might be a bit hard i am still at home looking for a job.
God that sentence made me sound like a sad treker its a good job we don't have a basement.

Do the classic "Your side, my side, your side, my side." That'll sort it out.

I will just live in my bed room and glare at them when i leave the house

That might just work...

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

okies. 10 percent of the children living in Vatican City? Okay I assume that there are a number of people living there who are not completely partof the priesthood who CAN have children publically, like the plumbers and the people who work in McDonalds... ? Is there a McDonalds in Vatican City? But anyway, so yes, other than the children locked in sex dungeons under the pope palace there might be actual children with parents But: the population of children would be so tiny that it would be a "miracle" if it could be hidden

Um? International waters?

Kids in transit between countries?

"Okay, wait, what if one of them eats something at eleven o'clock, but he gets something stuck in his teeth, whatever, right, and then after twelve o'clock, it comes out. Now, he didn't eat that after midnight! Or what about if he's eating in an airplane, and they cross the time zone?"

 

[Servo]

^

 

[Psion]

I was impressed by the level of suspicion with which "Children of Earth" regarded government. From misuse of ubiquitous surveillance against the heroes to the use of military might to forcibly drag children from parents, the whole series played out like a warning against trusting government too much. While the threat was pure fantasy, the abuse of power shown felt all-too realistic; once government decides you are a threat, it uses any power you've granted it against you.

Davies accomplished a lot with CoE, and it serves as a fine coda on the work he's done expanding the Doctor Who mythos. He has turned light, children's fare into serious science fiction addressing real world issues in brutal honesty. One look at PC Andy's face pressed against the pavement after trying to distract the troops from the escaping children shows how tightly science fiction can be coupled to reality.

 

[wamdue]

just a note on PC Andy, I know he had resign from the police force, when he joined the fight, but did he really have to take off the stab vest?

 

[Captain Shaw]

just a note on PC Andy, I know he had resign from the police force, when he joined the fight, but did he really have to take off the stab vest?

I commented to my brother that she should have kept the vest and stick and the spry and what ever else they have in that belt.

 

[Da'an]

Even if they'd got 10% of Britain's children, what about all the other countries around the rest of the world?

What would Australia & New Zealand's reaction be to having their kids taken in the middle of the night?

China? America?

For a worldwide disaster, RTD did seem to forget that it was supposed to BE a worldwide situation and not just Britain.

Not realy, it was clearly stated that every other country was doing what the UK was doing (although God knows what places like N Korea or Somalia were doing, or if they'd even listen) It's a British show and they showed us the situation from a British perspective. If you wanted them to waste time showing Chinese soldiers grabbing up kids, then American soldiers, then French, then south African....get's a bit repetetive doesn't it.

Was it supposed to be at noon British time worldwide? How will they explain taking 10% of the children for "vaccinations" in the middle of the night?

Noon in each country's timezone? As soon as Britain's "vaccinated" children disappear, don't you think every other country in the world might bet a tiiiny bit suspicious.

It just doesn't add up and yet again RTD demonstrates his inability to actually think his stories through.

 

[Uncle Tobias]

just a note on PC Andy, I know he had resign from the police force, when he joined the fight, but did he really have to take off the stab vest?

I thought that bit was rather silly too.

 

[WillsBabe]

I liked the way he took everything off. It was like he was taking off the uniform, shedding what it represents, the instrument of a corrupt government and all that malarkey. I thought it was great symbolism.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Even if they'd got 10% of Britain's children, what about all the other countries around the rest of the world?

What would Australia & New Zealand's reaction be to having their kids taken in the middle of the night?

China? America?

For a worldwide disaster, RTD did seem to forget that it was supposed to BE a worldwide situation and not just Britain.

Not realy, it was clearly stated that every other country was doing what the UK was doing (although God knows what places like N Korea or Somalia were doing, or if they'd even listen) It's a British show and they showed us the situation from a British perspective. If you wanted them to waste time showing Chinese soldiers grabbing up kids, then American soldiers, then French, then south African....get's a bit repetetive doesn't it.

Was it supposed to be at noon British time worldwide? How will they explain taking 10% of the children for "vaccinations" in the middle of the night?

Noon in each country's timezone? As soon as Britain's "vaccinated" children disappear, don't you think every other country in the world might bet a tiiiny bit suspicious.

It just doesn't add up and yet again RTD demonstrates his inability to actually think his stories through.

The 456 don't care how they do it, they just want the kids. They're being public about their announcements why would they care if the governments were public about kidnapping kids?

 

[auntiehill]

I liked the way he took everything off. It was like he was taking off the uniform, shedding what it represents, the instrument of a corrupt government and all that malarkey. I thought it was great symbolism.

That's how I saw it, too. It was his way of symbolically "joining" the civilians.

I really liked this miniseries. For me, it was far better than any else that Torchwood has come up with. The shots of the kids being dragged off was very disturbing; the images take you right back to Nazi Germany. The way the government officials coolly and calmly decided who would be taken, not to mention what happened to Frobisher, were pretty startling.


Sooooo....does the ending mean that Jack will go off with The Doctor, or perhaps run into him and return to Torchwood (assuming there will be more Torchwood) via the Tardis?

 

[wamdue]

I liked the way he took everything off. It was like he was taking off the uniform, shedding what it represents, the instrument of a corrupt government and all that malarkey. I thought it was great symbolism.

was hard not to question the symbolism of the moment, but what about symbolism is using the tools of the corrupt governmentfor good.

 

[Starkers]

It's a shame he didn't keep the uniform on as a symbol of the police being there to protect the public rather than as a symbol of authority...but I guess chances are if he waded in dressed as a copper Ianto's brother in law and co would have likely assumed he was with the army!

It's a shame all politicians were shown as self serving, lets face it they aren't all like that--RTD should have had a Robin Cook round the table same with the army, surely some of them wouldn't be up for what they were ordered to do? I recognise the point about their families but what about the ones with no families?

Mayhaps I am naive

 

[Count Zero]

No, you're not, Starkers, but you have to boil down the story for dramatic purposes. You can't show everything, so some symbolic characters had to suffice, like Andy.
As for the politicians, yes, they aren't all morally bankrupt, but in the situation they found themselves in and with the enormous pressure when you sit at the Cabinet table I'm not so sure anyone would really speak up. The Home Secretary sort of did but as nobody followed suit she settled for saving her own kids and eventually spiralled down into suggesting to take the underachievers. This all seemed very realistic to me as one possible scenario. It doesn't mean it's the only possible outcome. But that was what the story was about.

It would be interesting to see the fall-out of this and how this played out in other countries since I assume that some wouldn't go along with this or couldn't due to the lack of infrastructure (e.g. China and India).

 

[Winterwind]

Finally finished watching this last night.

Overall I'd say all five parts were above average but my gf, flatmate and I all had the same initial response: "Hmm... deals with aliens, children, where have we seen this before... oh, wait, the X-Files..."

Still, it did have more high points than low points and for me, not being a fan of RTD, that says a lot.

 

[Starkers]

Finally finished watching this last night.

Overall I'd say all five parts were above average but my gf, flatmate and I all had the same initial response: "Hmm... deals with aliens, children, where have we seen this before... oh, wait, the X-Files..."

Still, it did have more high points than low points and for me, not being a fan of RTD, that says a lot.

That's a bit like watching the X-Files and thinking, ooh unconventional investigator looks into monsters everyweek, where have we seen this before, oh Kolshak!

 

[Starkers]

No, you're not, Starkers, but you have to boil down the story for dramatic purposes. You can't show everything, so some symbolic characters had to suffice, like Andy.
As for the politicians, yes, they aren't all morally bankrupt, but in the situation they found themselves in and with the enormous pressure when you sit at the Cabinet table I'm not so sure anyone would really speak up. The Home Secretary sort of did but as nobody followed suit she settled for saving her own kids and eventually spiralled down into suggesting to take the underachievers. This all seemed very realistic to me as one possible scenario. It doesn't mean it's the only possible outcome. But that was what the story was about.

It would be interesting to see the fall-out of this and how this played out in other countries since I assume that some wouldn't go along with this or couldn't due to the lack of infrastructure (e.g. China and India).

Yeah I know, and it didn't ruin it for me...now if they'd had PC Andy helping the army

 

[Winterwind]

Finally finished watching this last night.

Overall I'd say all five parts were above average but my gf, flatmate and I all had the same initial response: "Hmm... deals with aliens, children, where have we seen this before... oh, wait, the X-Files..."

Still, it did have more high points than low points and for me, not being a fan of RTD, that says a lot.

That's a bit like watching the X-Files and thinking, ooh unconventional investigator looks into monsters everyweek, where have we seen this before, oh Kolshak!

Never heard of "Kolshak" but if you mean "Kolchak", yeah, true enough. But then there's nothing new under the sun as the saying goes.

And I didn't say it detracted from the story, just that that was our initial reaction.