children of earth: day two

[kaydeefalls]

WIN.

Not quite as awesome as Day One, but I probably only think that because the team was split up for the vast majority of this one, and I like my teams team-y. But WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING IT WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME.

Things that were awesome:

1. PC ANDY! Although I was yelling at him the whole time to STOP TRYING TO GET GWEN KILLED. Still. Blithely-unaware-as-always!Andy! His little FACE! OMFG. I love Andy so so so so much. More Andy please.

2. Could the Gwen/Rhys be more adorable? NO I REALLY DON'T THINK SO. The pregnancy reveal! Naming the kid Edward! Partners in crime! Domestic spats in the middle of running for their lives! They are more adorable than Jack/Ianto, seriously. (Jack/Ianto have most of the other superlative adjectives going for them, of course.)

3. Lois FTW. Rusty does love his SuperTemps, doesn't he? I AM NOT COMPLAINING.

4. Frobisher is so going to defect to Torchwood's side by the end of this. He's being painted way too sympathetically for anything else to happen. Of course, that means he'll probably die in the process, but it'll be a worthy sacrifice, especially given his massive betrayal. I love that he was Torchwood's government contact.

5. Jack's naked bum. What? It's a very nice arse.

6. Ianto. Driving. A. Forklift. There really are no words to describe the sheer amazingness of that moment. Really, that just encapsulates everything wonderful about Torchwood: utterly ridiculous, and yet strangely practical. Ianto Jones, you brilliant, brilliant man.

7. Ianto's family is AWESOME. I love his brother-in-law to a degree that is truly ludicrous right now.

8. AND we get some Ianto backstory, FINALLY. Jeez.

There was more than that, I'm sure, but, y'know, just AWESOME. Great pacing, good storytelling, and the miniseries so far feels very X-Files to me right now -- like, all the best episodes of X-Files. Crackling dramatic tension, fantastic characters, fascinating mystery, and we haven't seen a single alien yet. That is truly excellent build-up right there.

And now, one caveat:

This is not a spoiler, purely speculative. I have heard no spoilers, and I bloody well do NOT want to hear any spoilers. This is the first Torchwood I haven't been 100% spoiled for, and I'm enjoying it this way, thank you VERY much.

My theory: someone we love is going to die. This is RTD's way. There is way too much character happiness for everyone to live. This is the part where the other shoe drops, and I am dreading it like nobody's business.

As you're all probably aware by now, my primary concern is that it's going to be Ianto, which will break my soul. Adding to the mounting narrative foreshadowing evidence in support of this: Lois, unless she's another fake-out like Rupesh (and, really, twice in one series? I doubt it), is going to either be the newest recruit to Torchwood or will die horribly in the last episode. I'm leaning towards new recruit. And Lois's particular skill set? Virtually identical to Ianto's.

They don't need two PAs in Torchwood. They really, really don't.

Now, there are ways around this. One I dealt with in my BigBang -- it would be nice to have someone on the team who's primary function is as a field operative, and Ianto's been leaning more and more in that direction over the course of the show. Right now, everyone has their turn in the field, but ideally, there's your main go-to guy for that, and that could be Ianto. It shouldn't be Jack -- he's supposed to be their leader. Gwen, the ex-cop, is great with the investigative angle -- and, frankly, probably has more leadership potential than Jack, if he could ever be convinced to step down -- but in terms of the dirty day-to-day nitty-gritty of ops, that's not her particular bag. But Ianto would make a good head of operations. And he's well due a promotion from butler. So that's a possibility.

The other, more likely (in terms of the show's structure so far), is to place Ianto in Tosh's old role as techie. He does seem to have been her primary back-up before, and in the radio plays and first episode of CoE, it looks like he's taken over the tech angle. I don't know if it's really the best fit for him -- we haven't been shown any indications that he's particularly brilliant in that respect -- but it would still make some sense. I still think they need to bring Mickey in, but hey, I'm not a writer on the show, now am I?

But you DO see the issue here, right? Lois is GOING to replace Ianto, at least as per his original job description. They need to put him SOMEWHERE else. From where I'm sitting, there are three options, and ranking from LEAST to MOST likely: field operative, techie, or dead.

There is, in fact, a fourth option, but that's actually by far the most terrible to think about, and if they go there, I will HURT something. Not sure what it says about me that I'd consider it worse than death, but there you go. (Retconning him out of Torchwood. But narratively unlikely -- nothing particularly foreshadows it, and all it really has going for it is the fake-out factor. I'm not particularly worried about this one.)

ON THE OTHER HAND, this episode raised a possibility I hadn't even considered before: maybe Ianto isn't the one who dies in the last episode.

Maybe it'll be Rhys.

Because you know who hasn't had to sacrifice anyone for Torchwood yet? Gwen.

Ianto lost Lisa. Owen lost his fiancee. Tosh lost...well, basically everyone she ever had the slightest romantic inclination for EVER, not to mention her basic civil liberties. Jack loses everyone, sooner or later.

It's Gwen's turn.

And that is going to SUCK.

But not as much as Ianto would. Oh, god.

LA LA LA EVERYTHING WILL END HAPPILY AND NO ONE WILL DIE EXCEPT PEOPLE WHO REALLY REALLY DESERVED IT LA LA LA LA LA.

Anyway, that episode was pretty freaking awesome.

Comments

[leyenn.livejournal.com]

feels very X-Files to me right now

YES. This has not twigged for me, but would explain why I am rocking this TW hardcore.

I wanna see Mulder and Scully meet Torchwood. FOR REALS.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

It really is. From the very beginning of the first episode, which had such an X-Files alien abduction feel to it -- a generation in the past, children, the bright light, helLO Samantha Mulder -- to the government cover-ups. Actually, it feels rather like Fight the Future, specifically. I approve.

YOU SO KNOW THEY DID. Mulder totally ran across them while searching for his crop circles in England that one time.

OR. When Mulder was at Oxford in the 80s! And he stumbled across something! And then Jack had to retcon him. WHO IS WRITING THE FIC, GET ON THIS NOW.

[kalliopeia.livejournal.com]

You know I agree with you on the Rhys thing, as I rambled extensively about it earlier.

Assuming Ianto lives, I think he'll take on more of the techie role. Did you notice in the first episode when Jack comes in and takes off his coat and hands it to Ianto, the look Ianto has on his face? I think he clearly sees himself as beyond doing things like taking care of Jack's coat for him these days. I'm honestly starting to worry less about him dying...it just makes no sense at all to me for them to kill him. I'm getting more scared for Rhys, though.

I couldn't stand it waiting to find a download so I was reading episode reactions everywhere and got spoiled for almost the whole thing. And I STILL found it terrifying and disturbing.The arm! The arm sticking out of the rubble! Ianto hearing Jack's screams as they filled the cell with cement! I mean...holy crap.

Apparently the first night had really good ratings, so that is promising. And they went up as the show went on, which is even more promising.

[secondsilk.livejournal.com]

6. Ianto. Driving. A. Forklift. There really are no words to describe the sheer amazingness of that moment. Really, that just encapsulates everything wonderful about Torchwood: utterly ridiculous, and yet strangely practical. Ianto Jones, you brilliant, brilliant man.
In the proper safety clothes.
I assume he had to dress the part to not get taken out before he could do what he had to. But still. In proper hat and vest.

"Utter ridiculous, yet strangely practical" should be their motto.