CoE: Day Three

[PokerKitten]

Ep 3 gallery at Digital Spy

[rainbow]

The Rhys/Ianto scene looks like a good one!

Very excited about tonights episode ;D

[PokerKitten]

The eyes of the world turn to Britain, as the 456 announce: "We are here," as the new Torchwood adventure continues. As a pillar of fire descends upon London, the members of Torchwood must battle to protect their own families as the fight gets personal. But will Clem's memories destroy everything?


Day Three trailer, plus the next time preview at Bad Wolf TV

[pluto7077]

It looks even more tense, exciting, scary and action packed. Hope I can cope

[rainbow]

OMG the plot thickens - bad Jack???

[pluto7077]

Oh god, oh god, I knew I was right to have a sick feeling of apprehension throughout. but there must have been a reason. Possibly along the lines of 'give us some children or we will destroy your planet'.

Chilling and tension mounting and I can't decide whether the 456 sound sexy or deeply menacing.

At least some light relief from Johnny '10 quid a kid', ;D

Lois is brilliant

I thought John looked good in tracky bottoms.

Ianto knowing shorthand, but of course. And Rhys making coffee for Jack, that's just not right.

Jack '20 minutes'.
Ianto '30'.

Poor Gwen, I hope the Captain can redeem himself

[rainbow]

Its all very worrying!

PC Andy redeemed himself - love the interaction between Gwen and Geoffrey

Love Rhys obsession with food in the face of everything

techno lens a fab idea!

[PokerKitten]

Oh my word; I think we could all kinda guess that Jack had been somehow involved back in '65. And then when Jack went all silent and disappeary after seeing the pics of those 3 guys I was very nervous. But when Clem started sniffing and talking about 'the man', I had that sinking feeling. And so by the end I was resigned to it. Oh hell!

"It was easier if you didn't know their names."
"1965, I gave them 12 children. As a gift."



Ianto's "OI!" was almost as much of a shock as finding out about Jack! "OI! It's not 1965 any more."

I found the whole ep a very tense affair. The arrival of the 456 was great, quite an entrance! I wanted to offer them/it a few tissues The 456 playing along with the cover-up. Waiting and waiting on Floor 13 for the 456 to communicate for the second time was agony! I was holding my breath for a lot of the last 20 minutes or so...

There were some lighter things to enjoy - the thieving routines; Ianto's shopping trip and the supply of the coat; Ianto propositioning Jack and Rhys getting in the way of shenanigans with his ruddy beans! Johnny and his "Ten quid kids". Team Torchwood all having used the lenses for fun ;D

Lois was stellar again. I'm very much warming to Bridget. I'm scared for Alice and Steven. Infact I'm scared for everyone...

techno lens a fab idea!

They used them in Reset last season.

[pluto7077]

I know what you mean about holding your breath, I was too.

Peter Capaldi gave another brilliant performance, and as for Nicholas Farrell, he has creepy superiority and general low life down to a fine art

[PokerKitten]

Possibly along the lines of 'give us some children or we will destroy your planet'.

Just seen a Day 4 trailer, and that's what they're threatening now; so it sounds quite likely. But is that a good enough reason? What made them think they could trust them back in '65? Coz if they did, they were very wrong to do so!

[pluto7077]

I just saw that too!

How can you trust something that's so strange, so alien and so beyond your understanding, and whose decision is it anyway. More tense times to come

[PokerKitten]

I know that Ianto's stance would generally be - sacrifice yourself by all means, not others. I can see how this may lead to 'trouble'.

Just realised why this was such a suspenseful ep, if not a bit scary - James Moran!

[PokerKitten]

TV Scoop

TV Review: Torchwood - Children of Earth Day III, BBC One, Wednesday 8 July, 9pm
On Day II, the focus switched from the 456 to the Torchwood gang themselves - running from the authorities, hiding amongst the spuds and getting captured in cement, Han Solo style. Tonight things stepped up a gear and we started to learn just a little more about those aliens with designs on Britain - and even Captain Jack's past.

The team are now holed up in a warehouse and have turned to criminality in order to get things done - like getting hold of a new coat for Captain Jack, which is of course hugely important. They also spring Clem out of jail, which actually is hugely important, as he is somehow linked to the first meeting between the British and the 456 - and has been traumatised by it ever since.

And then the children stop once again, this time pointing towards the skies, at a pillar of fire aimed right over London. But then we already knew that's where the 456 were headed, because that's where the 456-ready box is. Not that the rest of the world knew - and the American president is, to quote, 'furious'.

One of the best scenes of the series so far is that in which Frobisher talks with the 456 for the first time - the creature or creatures deeply shrouded in fog, spraying gooey spit all over the place and speaking in a menacing but somehow rather bored voice.

Peter Capaldi is, as always, brilliant; conveying fear, awe, delusions of grandeur and a crushing dullness in equal measure. Importantly, Frobisher wants the previous meeting between Britain and the 456 kept quiet - why? Because in 1965, he and Captain Jack gave them 12 children as "a gift." And now they're back for 10% of the world's population of youngsters.

Things have been unravelling at a rather sedate pace up until now, but now that we know what happened forty years ago, and why the 456 have returned (though I suspect we still don't have the full story), it seems that this series is poised to step up several gears.

[PokerKitten]

Digital Spy

"We are coming". Yawn. "We are coming". Zzzzzz. "We are here". Woohoo! The 456 certainly took their time, didn't they? Those repetitive crowd scenes of possessed children were losing their initial shock value.

Nonetheless, the presence of an alien visitor lurking in the murky gas chamber is expertly handled by director Euros Lyn. It's a lesson in establishing and sustaining suspense, as we are given quick flashes of what the creature might look like accompanied by some horrific sound effects. The power of imagination takes a horrifying grip while we wait for the grand reveal... which hopefully won't be too stretched out this time.

Elsewhere, it's fun to watch the Torchwood trio reunited and adopting the roles of criminals to achieve their aims. In particular, the surveillance contact lenses worn by Lois Habiba add a funky Mission: Impossible-style gloss to proceedings.

The episode ends on a tantalising bombshell relating to Captain Jack's involvement in the original 1965 delivery of children to the 456. Such revelations ensure that Day Four cannot come soon enough, although there is a lingering feeling that Torchwood needs to ramp up the excitement to the levels reached by the climax of 'Day One' - and fast.

[JanetTheWeevil aka Ditto]

I think they're gonna eat them like them horrid aliens in the Simpsons.

[PokerKitten]

Review at Den of Geek

I think they're gonna eat them like them horrid aliens in the Simpsons.

Heh, those aliens gloop too ;D

[teebee]

Oh naughty Jack, thought he might know more than he was letting on

I'm loving every nail biting minute, and Lois is really coming through Although I do want to smash in that horrid woman who keeps arresting/taking everyone.

I wanted to offer them/it a few tissues

Yeah, I kinda felt that way myself

[PokerKitten]

AirlockAlpha

'Torchwood: Children Of Earth' – Day Three
A cautionary tale featuring the dark themes of the genre

By ALAN STANLEY BLAIR
Jul-8-2009

This review contains spoilers.

We are … here.

Having "Torchwood" retooled as a miniseries gives the show the extra reach that a full season does not – a five-part series is the perfect medium to crank up the tension and tell a carefully crafted story to clearly define "Torchwood" as a series in its own right and step out of "Doctor Who's" shadow on the BBC's primary channel.

"Day Three" is the first part of the "Children Of Earth" saga that exceeds the steep expectations set by the BBC, effortlessly gliding from family-themed laughs, the crime wave of the century and butt-clenching levels of intensity.

The objective is clear. Establish the helplessness of Team Torchwood. Rebuild the unit. Have some laughs. Continue to build tension. Gasp. Reveal the 456. Gasp. Show no signs of releasing the tension or slowing down in anyway. It is a formula not to be trifled with as the lighthearted overtones given to the rebuilding of Torchwood easily create a false sense of security that makes the final ten minutes so gripping.

Beyond the reformation of Torchwood inside an abandoned warehouse there are no messages (hidden or otherwise) of hope, optimism or unquenchable inspiration (the very antithesis of all things "Doctor Who"), the episode can be seen as a cautionary tale that toys with the darker themes of the genre … specifically, the dangers of ambition and cold calculation.

Not only does John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi) find himself on the front line to an alien incursion but Capt. Jack (John Barrowman) sets his sights on the Civil Servant for his part in the 1964, incidentally forcing the good Captain to look at himself in the same light. The casual nature of the Prime Minister's stating that Frobisher is expendable also generates a small degree of sympathy for the man whose family life has made him so accessible, and whose patriotic ambitions have painted him as such a target.

In much the same way, Clement (Paul Copley) also evokes a great deal of sympathy designed to transform Jack into the villain of the story … and by his own admission, he is the villain.

What Worked

The crime wave montage was brilliantly constructed, packed with a lot of humor at watching our heroes descend to the ranks of petty street criminals in order to save the day. Gwen (Eve Myles) becomes a modern day Fagan in the battle to rebuild the secret institute, offering tips on pick pocketing, silver collared crimes, fraud, and car Jacking (excuse the pun). Meanwhile, Rhys leads up the marketing department by branding their new secret headquarters as "Hub 2." But it all goes towards a good cause - what is Jack without his army coat anyway?

And it is also clear that Jack's daughter (Lucy Cohu) and grandson will have a much larger role to play in the final two days of this crisis (fending off the SWAT team by means of a clothesline was classic), as will Lois (Cush Jumbo) who is now serving as the eyes and ears of Torchwood. Both characters are now clearly established as integral parts of the extended team and their lives will directly impact the outcome of the 456 plan, not to mention the future of the series.

What Didn't Work

It may be the most intense part of this miniseries but they are here and we still don't know what happened in 1964, why it occurred or what the 456 even look like (the rare glimpses given are reminiscent of something from the Jim Henson creature shop). Keeping the secret this long may keep the suspense flowing, but also raises the bar for the final two installments.

[PokerKitten]

Hiya teebs. I didn't realise it was gonna be quite this tense. I'm dreading Day Four....

[rainbow]

its gonna be full of anguish....