The Morning After: Ten Percenters

Me, Mr. Shara Says, and my mom were all sitting with our jaws on the floor for a lot of the episode. It was pretty intense. What a heartbreaking position that all those people are being put in – and how horrifying were all those things they were talking about? But I can totally see that being a realistic direction for a bunch of politicians and spin doctors to go in that situation. What a well-done episode. Mr. Frobisher is, to me, the most interesting of all the folks on the political end – I continue to be seriously impressed by that actor in that role. I was not expecting Ianto to go – that was pretty awful. I cried and cried – and couldn’t believe I was so affected, having only first encountered this character a few days ago…
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Bottom line, the only acceptable option for me would be the Captain Jack option – of going to war whether we can win or not, because humanity would not deserve to survive if we went along with the mass-child-sacrifice. But I can see how a bunch of utilitarian spin-doctors would see it differently.

I had to pause the show as I was watching because I was so furious (I got really into it). The show went from an 8 to 11 with that episode. “Better to die humans than to live as monsters!” I yelled at the TV, not caring how corny I sounded (or that the TV can’t hear me). Amazing… This is something I never would have heard of, so thanks for the heads up.

I bawled my stupid head off, and I get a little teary just thinking about it. I was pretty sure that not everyone was going to make it out. The very first episode of the entire series makes it clear that Torchwood is murderous on its employees. It’s alluded to many times, but the deaths at the end of season 2 really brought it home. It was shocking and upsetting, but was it really that unexpected? They warned us all along. So, I figured there had to be at least one fatality in this season.
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One thing about Torchwood – the only person who has MCI is Jack. (And because you know he won’t ever be ‘gone’ they can do horrible things to him that keep getting more and more gruesome – RTD has issues.) The characters are in actual danger; RTD will kill them. Especially if things are going well for them in any way (RTD and Joss Whedon, separated at birth?). So, while I was shocked at the way it went down, and upset to see it happen, and sad to see him go – it fits the narrative and makes perfect sense.
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I’m super tense about the last piece tonight. This miniseries has been Torchwood at its finest. I hope it gains many fans from this.

45 INT. BZDESK’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT 45
As the final act of T:COE episode 5 plays out on Bzdesk’s telly, we hear a soft THUD as her jaw veritably hits the floor–again.

I just finished the mini-series, and . . . DAAAAAMN.

SPOILERS

I’m still conflicted regarding the end, and I’m impressed with the series’ grey handling of its themes.

When the aliens offered the 10% arrangement, I the viewer was horrified and vociferously yelled at the TV in support of the whole “harm done to one is harm done to all” philosophy.

Then, after all the heartbreaking scenes of children being torn from their schools, their parents, in the 11th hour our protagonist comes up with a solution — one requiring the sacrifice of only one child.

Suddenly, that’s our best, most humane option. It’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas writ large. Sacrifice one child to save all. And they DO. And we’re GLAD. But it’s, at its core, the SAME bargain we were so adamantly against just a few minutes earlier. Heady, heady stuff.

I’ve seem all of the episodes and I am blown away – I literally have no words…