Torchwood Children of Earth Perspective (Spoilers)

I have now seen all of Torchwood Children of Earth and I have written synopses of each episode. Because I was reading spoilers before I watched each episode I put my self though much more angst that was necessary. Not that Children of Earth was not wrenching. The first three episodes of this series are among my favorites of all seasons. Four and Five are among the best written episodes since JMS finished season 4 of Bablyon-5. But Day Four and Day Five are almost very difficult to watch.

I have watched the growth of the Captain Jack Harkness character since he appeared in the first season of the new Doctor Who. And the character of Jack has matured more than most tv characters, possibly because he has lived many more lives than most. In the last two episodes of this mini-series Jack loses his world, but if I can be forgiven the religious overtones, he gains his soul. I realize that at the end of Day Five he does not see it that way but I do. I did not immediately upon watching realize this. This came to be later. Jack had much in his life to regret and much to atone for but his sacrifices in this season, and to a certain extend in the last, have gone far to evening the scales. Since Jack can't die he ends up suffering through everyone else's deaths. He has watched men and women he loved die. He has probably watched his children die. In this series he watches a grandson die. Jack will continue to suffer for these deaths and all the ones who have come before and all the ones who will come after for a very long time.

Russell T. Davies has been castigated on websites, in blogs and in online chat groups for this season of Torchwood. It would seem that even though we have been told repeatedly that Torchwood is dangerous and very few Torchwood workers ever grow old we still have a hard time understanding that characters on Torchwood that we like are going to die. Ianto's death was a shock to me. I admit that I should have seen it coming. There were pointers. In the third radio play The Dead Line Ianto talks to a comatose Jack about the fact that he, Ianto, will die and Jack will go on without him. There were many signs but I like almost all the fandom did not see or maybe did not wish to see what was coming.

Ianto Jones was a great character and Garth David-Lloyd did a great job portraying him. The character had known heartbreak. He had a rough childhood. But he refused to quite. He did not give up on love even after what happened to Lisa. He forgave Jack for his involvement in Lisa's death. And what had began as a flirtation had become a love affair for them both. Ianto Jones you will be missed.