Torchwood: Children of
Earth (2009/BBC
Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture: B/B-
Sound: B/B- Extras: B+ Episodes: A
This
third season of the Doctor Who
spinoff show Torchwood is really a
five episode event created to be aired in five consecutive days, as it was done
on BBC in the UK and in the United States on BBC America. Torchwood
comprises a group of unique individuals who work outside any government auspice
to use alien technology to defend the Earth from extra-terrestrial threats. First created by Queen Victoria in Doctor Who as a shadowy agency of the
Crown designed to combat supernatural threats both real and imagined, Torchwood
was destroyed and then reborn for its own series.
Still
recovering from the deaths of two of their comrades from the end of season two,
Torchwood team members Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles),
and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) must now confront a new and sinister alien
menace that works its powers and influence through Earth’s children. But that isn’t the only obstacle they must
overcome. Betrayal, dark revelations,
and further terrible losses push the team to its utmost limits.
When
watching Children of Earth the
viewer feels like he or she is caught up in an event. The plot and characters move
at a frenetic pace as events unfold and the shocks never stop until the very
end. It remains unclear just what the
future holds for the Torchwood franchise, but the solid ratings of this
mini-series on BBC 1 and BBC America could ensure it continues. If and when the show resumes mega-talented
creator and producer Russell T. Davies will have to again re-invent the team as
they rise from the ashes of an almost pyrrhic victory at the end of Children of Earth. With shades of the original Village Of The Damned, this delivers
nicely.
The 1080p
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is as rich and impressive (especially
for a TV production) as was the case with the first two seasons on Blu-ray,
while the anamorphically enhanced DVDs are just fine for the format. The DTS-MA High Resolution 5.1 mix is not a
Master Audio lossless track, but is still very impressive and rich, while the
Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD version has good surrounds, but is no match for
the Blu-ray’s DTS fidelity.
The
plentiful extras on this two-disc set speak to this, as Davies, crew, and cast
discuss the making of Children of Earth
and the future of the show in a series of wonderful Torchwood Declassified features. If there is any serious criticism to make of
this production it can be found in its conclusion, which presents somewhat of
deus ex machine. Still the manner in
which the heroes overcome the threat is not entirely implausible, but perhaps a
bit rushed and not adequately explained. Laying that aside, the wrap-up at the
end is nearly as moving as the close of Season
Two. If Torchwood is to live again it will be in the capable hands of Mr.
Davies and company, and it will be a very fine thing to see indeed.
- Scott Pyle & Nicholas Sheffo
