Torchwood: Children of Men
It's the best thing RTD has done since Queer As Folk, by a light year. Somewhat disjointed and distinctly spoilery thoughts behind the cut:
The whole thing was very, very Quatermass -- especially the 80s Quatermass, the semi-post-apocalyptic one where society is fucked. Bit like Children of the Stones, too. Basically, classic British SF -- but it was also reminiscent, in parts, of stuff like V for Vendetta or Spartan, with an insightful look at just how far politicians are prepared to go to hold on to power. There were even hints of Downfall -- Frobisher's murder-suicide of his family was the classic "father-provider who could no longer provide or father, whose cherished beliefs had been rocked to the core & who could only destroy all he had wrought", an archetype that comes up regrettably often in real life as well as in fiction, & was done so grimly by Mr & Mrs Goebbels both IRL and in film.
This was the main theme, really; what Egil called "Loss of Sons", and the associated sorrow, whether carried out as a supposed act of mercy as by Frobisher (supposed, because with such infanticides there is always more than a hint of Magda Goebbels' "Our glorious idea is ruined and with it everything beautiful and marvelous that I have known in my life"), as a typically human, typically inconsistent act by Jack Harkness (his earlier claim that "An injury to one is an injury to all" -- a Wobbly motto -- was utterly blown away by his willingness to kill his own grandson as a matter of expedience), or as the desperate attempt to avoid sheer chance taking away one's offspring (Egil, again); a fight against any odds to prevent the irreperable grief of the Loss of Sons/Daughters.
Liz May Brice evoked Emma Peel & Sarah Connor in her "Government Assassin Girl" black cordura chic. Warrior-women FTW.
I think Gwen will be back as new head of Torchwood in Season 4. It's a bit cliched, but it's a classic approach -- follow the lead character from "green new recruit" to "old hand", over 3 seasons, and then have the old guy leave everything to her. Rhys can hold the baby. Hopefully Agent Johnson will be Gwen's 2IC...
The whole thing was very, very Quatermass -- especially the 80s Quatermass, the semi-post-apocalyptic one where society is fucked. Bit like Children of the Stones, too. Basically, classic British SF -- but it was also reminiscent, in parts, of stuff like V for Vendetta or Spartan, with an insightful look at just how far politicians are prepared to go to hold on to power. There were even hints of Downfall -- Frobisher's murder-suicide of his family was the classic "father-provider who could no longer provide or father, whose cherished beliefs had been rocked to the core & who could only destroy all he had wrought", an archetype that comes up regrettably often in real life as well as in fiction, & was done so grimly by Mr & Mrs Goebbels both IRL and in film.
This was the main theme, really; what Egil called "Loss of Sons", and the associated sorrow, whether carried out as a supposed act of mercy as by Frobisher (supposed, because with such infanticides there is always more than a hint of Magda Goebbels' "Our glorious idea is ruined and with it everything beautiful and marvelous that I have known in my life"), as a typically human, typically inconsistent act by Jack Harkness (his earlier claim that "An injury to one is an injury to all" -- a Wobbly motto -- was utterly blown away by his willingness to kill his own grandson as a matter of expedience), or as the desperate attempt to avoid sheer chance taking away one's offspring (Egil, again); a fight against any odds to prevent the irreperable grief of the Loss of Sons/Daughters.
Liz May Brice evoked Emma Peel & Sarah Connor in her "Government Assassin Girl" black cordura chic. Warrior-women FTW.
I think Gwen will be back as new head of Torchwood in Season 4. It's a bit cliched, but it's a classic approach -- follow the lead character from "green new recruit" to "old hand", over 3 seasons, and then have the old guy leave everything to her. Rhys can hold the baby. Hopefully Agent Johnson will be Gwen's 2IC...