torchwood children of earth day three

They're here.

Species 456 finally touched down on Earth to scare the crap out of civil servant John Frobisher -- and this reviewer -- in the third suspenseful hour of Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Day two was an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish, but day three (scripted by Russell T Davies and James Moran) was the most intense episode of the miniseries so far. For the second time this week,Torchwood had me on the edge of my seat with some truly chilling moments. But before the things got too creepy, there was some fun to be had with the team getting back together, finding a new Hub, and lifting a few credit cards and laptops from unsuspecting Londoners.

The humor was spot on in this ep. The silly but fun crime-spree montage had a lovely Doctor Who-like lightness to it, and the almost-love scene between Jack and Ianto ("bloody beans") made me laugh out loud. It was inspiring to watch the team shake off its wounds and build a new Torchwood Hub from the ground up. Even Jack's "I'm back" superhero moment felt earned, especially considering what he had to go through to get back.

But all that might go to hell with Jack's shocking admission that he fed 12 children to The 456 in 1964. I can't say I saw that one coming, but it makes sense. Jack hasn't always been the heroic nice guy we see leading the charge in Children of Earth. If I remember correctly, he was actually a bit of a villain when he first showed up on Doctor Who. I was ready to forgive Jack the moment after I found out what he did (what can I say, I kind of love the guy), but I don't think Gwen, Ianto or Rhys will be as forgiving once hour four starts rolling.

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