Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)

Children of Earth: Day Four
Main enemy:	The 456
Key crew
Writer:	Russell T Davies
Director:	Euros Lyn
Producer:	Peter Bennett
Release details
Release number:	30
Premiere broadcast:	9th July 2009

Synopsis

Torchwood finally learns of the events of 1965. Britain is in danger of becoming a rogue state, and everything now pivots around John Frobisher, as the ambassador of the 456 destroys its old allegiances.

Plot

The episode opens with Jacks recollections of the events of 1965. We find out that the aliens offered a cure for a deadly new flu strain that will soon arise, and in return wanted 12 children. Jacks partner (a woman) claims that the aliens said the children will live forever and he was requested as he cant die and doesn’t care.

We then see Clements attempted abduction, and that Jack was the one primarily responsible for handing the children over. It turns out that the reason Clement wasn’t taken was the 456 disappeared before they could take him, and Jack was unaware that Clement had escaped. The 456 did not seem to care as they handed over the cure data.

Back in the present Clement then steals Gwens gun and shoots Jack, after Gwen retrieves her gun from Clement, Jack wakes up and Clement runs off in a panic, but Gwen manages to calm him down. They later wonder why Clem wasn’t taken but speculate that perhaps he was on the verge of puberty and so not wanted by the 456.

At Johnsons facility, Alice and Steven are imprisoned, and Alice warns Johnson about angering Jack.

Back at the home office, Frobisher, asks what would happen to the children, and the “456” by responding that a “Remnant” is watching, and then says it is off the record. It then invites Frobisher in with a camera.

A cameraman enters, and we see a profile of the 456. Decker then says he is detecting 3 heartbeats and that there are 3 distinct types of life in there. We then see a child hooked up to something.

As the cameraman leaves, a recording of Frobishers voice saying it is off the record is played, the 456 then says they do not harm the children and they feel no pain. The 456 then say if humanity refuse to hand over the children they will wipe out their entire species.

The Americans then demand all the records of 1965 from the PM, and threaten him, with UN sanctions of some sort for withholding the information.

Back with Jack, he and Ianto argue, and Jack eventually leaves and says he will call Frobisher, and tells Ianto that Frobisher has his children. He calls Frobisher and makes it look like he has worked out what the 456 want, and threatens to go public.

There is then a Cobra meeting, which Lois attends. The PM then says they will try to haggle, but they cant take military action as there isn’t anything to target. The PM and Frobisher then talk about camouflagable targets but no more. At one point in the meeting Bridget looks at Lois with suspicion. The PM then tells Frobisher to offer 60 Units” and no more.

Back at the 456 “embassy” Frobisher offers the 456 1 child per million people on Earth, the 456 refuse and Frobisher then gives them time to consider say 325 000, which the children start chanting. Unlike the initial chanting children in each country are saying a different number, which is 10% of the total children in each country.

Back at Johnsons facility, it turns out that she is being kept in the dark and decides to go into London, but keeps her team on the lookout for Jack.

At the Cobra meeting, they discuss how to select the 10%. One of the cabinet members Denise, then proposes that they select on the basis of intellect and social status, using the school league tables. This proposal is accepted and given to Frobisher as his 10% to give to the 456.

The Torchwood team then realise that Lois footage will give the Torchwood team enough to blackmail all of the cabinet, and force there way into Thames house. Ianto then phones his sister to warn her even knowing that the line is tapped and also asks the people monitoring them to protect their children, they give his position to Johnson anyway.

A little later Johnson arrives, and they work out where the Team where hiding. In a Cobra meeting, Frobisher proposes a false vaccination that will “go wrong” allowing them to put the blame on the 456. Lois then speaks up and admits working for Torchwood, and recording the footage and blackmails them.

Johnson arrives a the Torchwood Hub, but Gwen was expecting them, and shows them what they were recording. Rhys has gone into hiding and is ready to send out the footage the second something goes wrong.

While Jack talks to the 456, they seem convinced he will yield again. Jack says he is making it a war, then the 456 says the fight begins. The 456 then say they have released a virus into the building that will kill everyone. Ianto and Jack shoot at the 456 chamber, but the bullets bounce off. Jack says he will get Ianto out, but he says its too late and collapses.

The 456 then start to shriek which causes Clement to scream in agony and start bleeding, the 456 then say the Remnant will be disconnected and Clement dies in Gwen’s arms

We then see everyone in Thames house collapsing and dying aside from Decker who gets into an environmental suit in time, we then see Ianto die in Jacks arms. The 456 then tell Jack that he will die and tomorrow the children will be delivered. Jack then succumbs to the virus himself.

Back at the cabinet, the Cabinet then wonder what to do next, and decide to go ahead with delivering the children. We then see Gwen and some army or special ops. men walk in. The men point out Jack and Ianto's bodies and she walks towards them, she pulls down Jacks sheet and then she pulls down Iantos sheet and starts to cry. Jack then wakes up and comforts a distraught Gwen who says there is nothing we can do

Cast

• Captain Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
• Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
• Ianto Jones - Gareth David-Lloyd
• Rhys Williams - Kai Owen
• Lois Habiba - Cush Jumbo
• Alice Carter - Lucy Cohu
• Steven Carter - Bear McCausland
• Bridget Spears - Susan Brown
• John Frobisher - Peter Capaldi
• Johnson - Liz May Brice
• Clem MacDonald - Paul Copley
• Brian Green PM - Nicholas Farrell
• Rick Yates - Nicholas Briggs
• Denise Riley - Deborah Findlay

Production crew

Written by - John Fay (not Russell T Davies)

References

to be added

Story notes

• With the exception of Gwen, all the Torchwood 3 team have died (although she did die in DW: Turn Left). Suzie died in Everything Changes and again in They Keep Killing Suzie, Owen died in Reset and again in Exit Wounds along with Toshiko, and Jack has died many times throughout the series. Ianto is killed in this episode.
• This is seemingly the final appearance of Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones.

Ratings

6.24m ( overnight )

Myths

• Many believed that when Jack kissed Ianto at the end of this episode it would be a "kiss of life" however it was not

Filming Locations

to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes and Errors

• It takes much longer for Jack to revive, he would normally revive after 5 or 10 minutes but after the 456 killed him there was enough time to move him and cover him up, which must have taken at least an hour with all of the other bodies. Jack's time to come back varies, usually with how long it takes him to die. For example at the end of series 1 he stood beneath Abaddon for a while before dying. In this instance he was breathing the virus-laden air for a protracted period and therefore it took him longer to come back. It is also possible that he could not revive until all or most of the virus in his system had been purged.
• Jack's death by airborne virus (and, in fact, his explosive end in Part One) raises questions about the nature of his immortality. Specifically, if his body can still come to harm, why didn't his body show any signs of dissolving while he was exposed to Stet Radiation in "Utopia"? Maybe because you die from radiation before you dissolve from it so Jack's body healed before it gets that far as apposed to being blown up were you die after or at the same time as the explosion.
• Where on earth could Martha Jones be on honeymoon that she did not notice all this and phone the Doctor? She may have believed that the Doctor was already present, or possibly have not taken her superphone with her. (It should be noted that Martha has only called the Doctor twice, despite other major public incidents like the moon heading for Earth - this is not a plot hole unique to Children of Earth.)
• 325,000 is way below 10% of the UK's children. The UK has around 10 million children aged under 15, so the figure should have been around 1 million Perhaps by children they mean people who have yet to go through puberty. Remember that it was speculated that Clem was not taken because he might have been on the cusp of puberty.
• The plans made in COBRA would require emergency powers, which would need the Queen's consent. She goes unmentioned in this episode, possibly for narrative convenience.
• Why didn't the 456 just direct the required number of children to their embarkation points?

DVD releases

• This Episode will be released on DVD along with the rest of Children of Earth on the 13th of July.

See also

to be added