I do see what RTD after and it was extremely well executed. SF is an excellent genre to explore human condition. I was involved and thoroughly gripped from start to finish. I’ve seen fascinating conversations as a result of the series.
However, I found the finale (and the overall tone) unrelentingly dark and, I personally, don't need that in my entertainment.
The overt fascism -- seeing the government justify the selection of those ‘non-productive children’ from poor estates and crap schools was horrific. Not a single elected representative or governmental official protested, they rolled over and showed their bellies. The Milgrim-esque obeying of authority, could we not have seen one solider who was harvesting the school kids actually protesting?
Death -- The death of Ianto was punishment for being gung ho. Torchwood had no plan, did they think that the aliens were simply bluffing? Then again why didn’t the aliens simply beam up a bunch of kids playing outside at playtime (recess) at a few schools across the planet since 12 kids had satisfied them for 40 odd years (don’t get me started on the plot holes). The death of Ianto was purely to break Captain Jack. The SF -clichéd solution of reversing the beam, did not have to use Jack’s grandson as a focal point, that was again about being dark. Killing kids isn’t entertainment.
no subject
However, I found the finale (and the overall tone) unrelentingly dark and, I personally, don't need that in my entertainment.
The overt fascism -- seeing the government justify the selection of those ‘non-productive children’ from poor estates and crap schools was horrific. Not a single elected representative or governmental official protested, they rolled over and showed their bellies. The Milgrim-esque obeying of authority, could we not have seen one solider who was harvesting the school kids actually protesting?
Death -- The death of Ianto was punishment for being gung ho. Torchwood had no plan, did they think that the aliens were simply bluffing? Then again why didn’t the aliens simply beam up a bunch of kids playing outside at playtime (recess) at a few schools across the planet since 12 kids had satisfied them for 40 odd years (don’t get me started on the plot holes). The death of Ianto was purely to break Captain Jack. The SF -clichéd solution of reversing the beam, did not have to use Jack’s grandson as a focal point, that was again about being dark. Killing kids isn’t entertainment.