Torchwood: Children of Earth was an incredible five night roller coaster ride of emotion, high octane thrills and some shocks to the system. Torchwood was never neat, never easy, but were we ready to make SO many sacrifices?

Disc One

Day One begins with a mystery but otherwise an apparently ordinary day for Torchwood. People going missing, children standing still. But this day is when it all changes for the team. Jack goes to see his estranged daughter and grandson. Ianto chats with his sister. Gwen is pregnant. One government conspiracy later and Jack has a bomb in his stomach and seconds to get his friends to safety.

Day Two sees Jack literally in pieces in a body bag while his friends go on the run. Ianto has to put his trust in his sister and her husband and the people of the council estate. Gwen puts her trust in Rhys, who comes up with the best solution for them all. Lois Habibba has to choose whose side she is on. Meanwhile, Jack comes back to life slowly and Ianto busts him out of a concrete block.

Day Three sees the Torchwood team regrouped in a warehouse in London while the sinister 456 make their demands to the government and Gwen finally tracks down Clem. Jack’s family are held hostage. Clem tells the team what happened to him in 1965, and reveals that Captain Jack Harkness is the man who gave twelve children to the aliens.


Disc Two

Day Four and the chips are down. The government get ready to sacrifice ten per cent of the children. Meanwhile Torchwood go on the offensive. But the worst happens. The 456 infects Thames House with deadly plague. Among the victims is Ianto Jones. Jack’s heart is broken as he says goodbye to his lover.

Day Five and it’s the end of the world for Gwen as she goes on the run with the children of Cromwell Estate. Jack is a prisoner. The government are overruled by the military who put the plan to take the least able children to the 456. The world needs Captain Jack and Agent Johnson delivers him. But Jack has to make a terrible choice. The only way to defeat the 456 is a sound wave that would kill the child in the centre of it. his own grandson is the only child available. Afterwards, with planet Earth safe but his personal world destroyed, Jack walks away. We last see him leaving for the stars and a new life, a new name. Captain Jack is dead.

10/10

Extras

The only extra feature is an extended ‘de-classified’ making of documentary about the series, its issues and controversies. It was clearly made before the series aired and does not begin to approach the furore over Ianto’s death that ensued. It is interesting in parts. But when you’ve seen one green screen effect, you’ve seen them all.

8/10

This Torchwood box set came out the day the last episode aired, which looked like a rush job. But the series was made nearly 11 months before. There was plenty of time to do commentaries or other extras. They could have made an effort. Even so, for the price -
I paid a little under £15 at Amazon – it is five full episodes of brilliant TV.

9 out of 10