"There's one thing I always wanted to ask Jack. Back in the old days. I wanted to know about that Doctor of his. The man who appears out of nowhere and saves the world; except sometimes he doesn't. All those times in history where there was no sign of him … I wanted to know why not. But I don't need to ask anymore. I know the answer now: Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame. I'm recording this in case anyone ever finds it, so you can see. You can see how the world ended."
Episode 26 : Children of Earth.
Companions: Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, and Ianto Jones.
Air Date: 6th July to 10th July 2009.
When all children on Earth stop and start chanting "We Are Coming", the Torchwood team investigates. Could this be the start of a global crisis?
Children of Earth was a five part series which took on a much darker tone than any previous Torchwood story had done. Specifically it dealt with an alien visitation who wanted to take 10% of the world's children to be used as an addictive narcotic. The story deals with how people handle this and the potential loss of their children. In that regard elements of the story are rather disturbing.
There is a lot to this story. The alien 456, the British government being corrupt in the light of these events - willing to do anything and screw over anyone who may get in the way, the destruction of Torchwood, Jack having a daughter and grandson, and the death of another main character, Ianto. In some instances it has too much going on but the story is compelling enough to keep you watching.
One thing I like a lot about Children of Earth is that it is the first Torchwood story to truely embrace that fact that it is set in the same universe as Doctor Who. The above quote from Gwen in the final part is especially true in my mind as I often wonder why when Torchwood deals with some pretty major events that the Doctor doesn't appear.
One character, Rupesh, states that due to recent events (not specifically referenced but likely to include things like the Webstar attack and the relocation of Earth, half the world now knows of or believes in the existence of alien life, while the other half is in denial. Suicide rates have risen, which Rupesh ascribes to crises of faith. This may also be reflected by the insanity and suicide of Alex Hopkins, who learnt about upcoming events in 1999.
The aliens known as 456 are suitably alien, as you can see from the photo above. At last we get an alien species which isn't a man in a suit. These are not the typical Whoniverse alien whose motives are simply evil. These creatures want to use human children as drugs. I don't think there is anything quite so evil previously in the Whoniverse. As such I love that they brought us such a species even just once.
One element that isn't covered is with the destruction of the Torchwood facility what becomes of everything that was in there? Weevils, the pet pterodactyl, and even Jack's brother are all unaccounted for.
Children of Earth features Peter Capaldi (the future 12th Doctor) in the role of a rather screwed over civil servant. This is the second appearance for Capaldi in the Whoniverse as he also appeared in Fires of Pompeii with David Tennant
I enjoy dark stories in TV and literature. I find them the most intriguing and fascinating stories in fiction. As such, I should have a good rating for this story. However it is one episode too long for me in being a single continuous story. It is four hours stretched out into five and it feels like it. But it is still entertaining to watch.
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