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20 days left and we're continuing on my countdown to Miracle Day, Torchwood re-watch! I'll be watching an episode a day and blogging bits and thoughts. With any luck this is gonna read like an episode guide and commentary. Let's dive right in!

Episode: End of Days (Series 1 Episode 13)

Written By: Chris Chibnall (Who I think I've decided is officially my favorite Torchwood writer. TW:MD obviously not included.)

Original Air Date: 1 January 2007

Sentence Sum Up: The Rift goes crazy because Owen opened it and the team is manipulated into making it worse by opening the Rift again.

Notable New Characters:

Abaddon (I don't think there is an actor that large, probably computer generated.): Demon that is released from his prison beneath the Rift. Anyone caught in his shadow dies immediately. For more on Abaddon read The Twilight Streets Torchwood novel by Gary Russell , great book.

Favorite Quote:

Ianto: (Reading from a book) "Abaddon, the great devourer, who will lead the world into shadow..."
Jack: "Yeah, thanks, Ianto. I can do without the superstition. You people love any story that denies the randomness of existence."
Ianto: "Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better."

Never Noticed:

There's a part where Jack is checking over a body. He scans the body with a long metal instrument with a green light at the tip. It looks and sounds a lot like a sonic screwdriver. I wonder what it actually it, I bet it's sonic...

WTF Moments:

These characters all seem to have odd mood swings. Granted we don't know the time-lapse between last episode and this one but I'm assuming it's not too long. The idea is this episode is the fall-out of decisions of the last so it should be pretty immediate really. Why is Gwen OK now? Last episode she was guilt ridden and devastated and drugging her boyfriend. Why does she seem perfectly normal now? Maybe I just need to be better and noticing when someone is putting on a brave face because I had this same problem with Owen last episode. Either way it was a bit weird. I know she went back to loopy-land soon enough but it was sort of jarring.

Do we ever understand why Billis can do what he can do? I feel like it was covered somewhere and I'm just not remembering. I know it's not relevant to the episode and I'm fine just accepting it but, anyone know?

I love Fragments I think it's a brilliant episode. If you haven't seen it yet look forward to it it's wonderful. The problem with Fragments is on re-watch it makes me see a lot of moments differently and it makes me question things. I think when the show started and as it progressed RTD had various levels of details in his mind for the back-stories of each character. By the time he got to Fragments he had it all sussed out but I think on more than one occasion we can see something that seemingly conflicts with those later decided origins.

Why I am bringing this up is because of the bits in this episode with everyone seeing who they loved, who could manipulate them into opening the Rift. While the argument could be made that Owen loved Diane (you know how on the fence I am there) he definitely loved Katie. Do you really think if everyone is seeing the one person to convince them to do the worst Owen would see Diane over Katie? I know the Diane thing was more fresh in this mind but the Katie thing is a huge part of what makes Owen Owen. It's what made him so bitter towards the world, it's what made him give up on love and it's a crucial part of his character. I am not blaming this issue of the episode writer because I think this is RTD's oversight. I think he didn't yet figure out why Owen was the way he was and so Diane was the go to person. It's not a big deal. I know. Understand that I love Torchwood almost all these episodes are none-stop genius, this section really is just to nitpick so we can think it all through.

Why did Gwen kissing Jack bring him back? Explain it to me. I am trying to figure it out and I don't know. This brings us back to Cyberwoman when Jack more or less kisses Ianto back to life. The popular theory there is that Jack transferred some of his life force via kiss. And I suppose it could be the same thing with Gwen and Jack but it's not like she has a particularly powerful life force is it? Watching it this time around I started to think of Doctor Who. Remember the episode where Rose brings the Dalek back by touching it? I mean I know they were touching him before, but it's a different kind of touch. Maybe it's like that? I really don't know, it's sort of a question mark. Does anyone have theories?

Small curiosity. Why did the team leave to go get coffee at the end? Was the coffee machine a victim of the end of the world shenanigans? Also, why did so many go? Hardly seems like a 3 person job and wouldn't they want to stay with Jack who was just more dead than they've ever seen him? Maybe they thought he needed time alone. I guess we'll go with that.

One more giant WTF. And this one is fully directed towards RTD. He was at this time running both Doctor Who and Torchwood he had ultimate control so it irks me when things do not line up. Continuity should be easy as pie and even little slips ups should be avoided. THIS IS NOT A LITTLE SLIP UP! I have heard explanations as to why this isn't a mess up but I don't buy it. At the end of End of Days the TARDIS appears in the Hub. We don't see it but we hear it and we see papers flying around. Then at the beginning of Utopia (in Doctor Who) we see the same event but the TARDIS appears on the Plass above the Hub. It's inconsistent. It just is. Watch for yourself.

Random Rants:

As an obsessive Janto fan I love this episode. I love the way in every episode he writes Chris Chibnall pays special attention to them and gives them great moments even if they're not always big moments. Let's go over just a couple moments.  When the team turns against Jack. Owen goes off and Jack turns to Ianto. Jack: "Make sure you stop him" Ianto: "No." That moment had my jaw on the floor. Holy crap. And the look on Jack's face he never expected Ianto would side against him. He knows Ianto would challenge him but never turn against him. It was an emotional slap in the face. When Jack goes off on the team and is calling them all out  he condemns Ianto for the events of Cyberwoman but then he tries to tell him that he shouldn't trust the others. He's actually still looking out for him even though he's so angry. Then when Owen shoots Jack, Ianto falls to the floor beside him horrified. He pushes those feelings aside trying to remain on task but the look had me gutted. Later the team is in the streets and Abaddon descends. In that moment Jack grabs onto Ianto. He sure does. When Jack dies again and the team is in the morgue Ianto is silent and crushed, the look is absolute agony. Not to mention that lovely moment with him cuddling Jack's coat when he thinks he's gone for good. There are so many little moments, silent moments that are really telling of how much they mean to each other. Lastly, who could forget the magic moment when Jack comes back and they have the adorable kiss of adorableness. Lets all pretend we've forgotten, so I have an excuse to post the video, deal?
MVC (Most Valuable Character):

You know I don't actually have one. I think this episode was very equal. All the characters had great moments and I really wouldn't know how to choose a standout. This is going to be like the award for best ensemble, but with characters. Go with it.

MVA (Most Valuable Actor):

This one I can choose. Eve Myles for sure. She had a lot of really tough scenes. She had breakdowns and moments of rage and she even successfully pretended to hate Jack! She was outstanding, in every moment. Of course Gwen I have less that positive feelings for but Eve nailed it. The way she clinged to Rhys, all those moments she really made me believe that Gwen loves him. Even if she's a skanky cheater. Gwen, not Eve. She had more than one great scene with John as well, great pair work. Eve is insanely talented. Fact.

Episode Grade:

A
I'm giving it an A and not an A+ even though it's an incredible episode. The fact of the matter is this episode is amazing but it is just a little less amazing that my favorites. It's not the episode I watch over and over again. It's just missing that intangible something that would've awarded it the +. But it's a hell of a season closer. So much happening, so intense and what a depressing ending! I can't imagine what it was like watching live, seeing Jack take off and not knowing what's going to happen to Torchwood the whole time between series. I would have gone mad. Great cliffhanger.

Tomorrow's Episode: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (Series 2, Episode 1). Remember I'll be live tweeting my re-watch on the @BarrowmanDay twitter at 12:00am PST (US - West coast) and 8:00am GMT (UK). Hope you all can watch with me and chat.

That's it for today! Hope you enjoyed my run down. What did you all think of this episode? Did you notice anything new? What grade would you give it? xx

<3Dana

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TorchwoodPride
6/18/2011 04:51:02 pm

Hi Dana. I noticed that 'sonic' thingy too and wondered if anyone has seen the Sarah Jane Adventures? Because she seems to have had a sonic lipstick to do things with. - Just a wonder.

On the continuity problem between TW and DW - it's even worse than you make out. It's well established in DW that the Tardis can be heard from quite a bit away. When the team comes back and are asked if they saw Jack - they've clearly come down by the elevator from the 'Information Office' and haven't seen him. - Now the paper strewn around should indicate that Jack uses the invisible lift to go up on to the square - but when we see him in DW he is running from the water up the full length of the Millenium Square to the Fountain, where the Tardis is parked! Get it? He could not have come up on the lift, because something had parked on top of it - or very nearly so. Therefore, he can only have left the Hub by running heroically up the stairs, out the Information Office at the top - while the rest of the team took the lift down...
Anyone got an explanation I can understand?

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