Illustrated thoughts on "End of Days"

[kaliha]

It's nice to see Gwen and Rhys being a bit loved up again, especially after all the arguing of the last few weeks.

nekkid!Rhys!!

He's really not shy is he? Bless him. Although offering to make a cuppa in the nip is fraught is problems like scalding hot spillages and the like – he's a brave man.

When Aliens attack

Did anyone read the ticker running along the bottom? The Beatles were sighted on top of Abbey Road studios. Bet that was a bit of a shock for Paul and Ringo. Poor old Taj Mahal, it's the second time it's been attacked by aliens. I hope this lot are a bit more peaceful than the Cybermen were.

Playing the blame game

But at least everyone's right to blame Owen. It is all his fault. Ianto though, he keeping his cool and not dancing round him going "I told you so! I told you so!" which is very big of him.

Owen Harper: brings on the Apocalypse because he got dumped. Thank God he doesn't fall in love easily.

Cardiff really is the centre of the world

UNIT references ahoy! I wonder if the Brig's been pulled in to help out? Considering they're top sekkrit they've had a lot of enforcement agencies on the phone too them. It's when everything goes to shit like this that you realise that there's no one to help. There are literally six members of Torchwood left (Team Torchwood and the crazy guy in Torchwood two).

It could be a case for Mulder and Scully

Well, Jack is the believer and Gwen the sceptic. No sign of a 'I want to believe' poster anywhere in the hub though. Of course, for the rest of the episode I has bleeding catatonia stuck in my head. Pah.

It's PC Andy

It's nice to see Andy again. I think he's really sweet, along with his absolute inability to believe a word Jack and Gwen are saying when they go on about people falling through time.

I do hope that when aliens do make the grand gesture and say hello, we'll be a bit more believing and not put it down to a hoax – like every invasion or whatnot in the new!Whoniverse are being hand waved with.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town

Owen gets to see first hand what his meddling has caused with the first outbreak of the Black Death in Cardiff since the first time round. And Owen is quite rightly horrified.

I'm sure he won't try and open the Rift again now, will he?

Tosh is along for moral support and to try and break up any fights.

Obligatory isn't she pretty shot


Then her mum turns up

Please can someone correct me if I'm wrong, but her mum is still alive isn't she? The cut to her head is strange and unusual. There is definitely something amiss here.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Bloody Hell, even the ambiguous character of the week IN A DIFFERENT SHOW is at it now. Enough with sorry already.

His disappearing is intriguing and to begin with I thought it was just an hallucination of Gwen's. But now he's real.

It's Lisa

Now she's definitely speaking from beyond the grave. But why does she want the Rift to be opened? Surely that's the most stupid thing a person could do.

They missed a trick here

Ianto should have asked the Weevil if he/she saw Lisa too. The usually unflappable Ianto is flapped.

Jack and Owen have a bit fight

Sadly with no manly wrestling. The team is starting to fall apart and Jack's not doing anything to keep them together. Instead his anger is driving them further and further apart.

I think this illustrates my point in my last review post where I speculated that Jack hasn't really managed people before, and hasn't really been trained to manage or lead them.

How he treated Ianto after the Cyberwoman incident is a case in point. Just a nod from a window, that was it. It's as if he's ignoring the bad and only seeing the good and that's going to get him into trouble.

He's the one who follows orders (that much was perfectly clear in Doctor Who) it's only been the strength of his personality that have kept team Torchwood together this long.

Owen regrets it now, but it's too late

How long would Jack have left it before retconning Owen? A day? Two? Dragged it out until Owen started going mad from the tension?

Jack said way back at the start of the series that the retcon pills are made to his own special recipe (or words to that effect) Could he, then, have wiped his own memories because the information he knew was too dangerous if it feel into the wrong hands?

How awful for Jack if he finds his memories only to discover that it was him who took them away in the first place?

Bilis, Bilis, Bilis

How do you do the things you do? Are you an alien or a specially talented human? How can you jump through time without the need for a time machine? And how can you see the possible future?

Are they all gifts from the higher power you serve? And will we see more of you in the future?

What if our present day is his past? It would make sense when he says that he can see the whole of history, Rhys' possible death could have been a past for him. Which he then changed by showing Gwen, but that's not going to stop him fulfilling his plans.

Happy families

Love is . . . tasering your boyfriend to keep him safe.

Lookit him, he's cleaning the oven without being asked or anything. I think I was nearly as relieved as Gwen to see him alive, as he is my favourite (after Jack, that is).

Owen sees the ghost of Christmas Past

Diane says that she's lost in the Rift. This could be true. Alternatively it could be a massive great big lie. But it's enough to turn Owen to the cause.

Rhys isn't impressed with the way Gwen shows her love

She needs to give him the tour. Not just the cells and maybe he'll be a bit happier. Surely he'd be safer away from the rampaging Weevils and pissed off ancient Romans. Why wasn't he allows to stay on the main floors?

Oh wait, that would be no good for the plot.

Jack Harkness has impeccable timing

Within three seconds of saying "Don't panic", the lights have gone out, the power's dropped and Gwen's running in panic.

How to spot a cultist: lesson one

They use wavy, ornamental daggers to stab people. This example looks like a miniature Soul Reaver.

So he can get into Torchwood HQ then. Does that mean he stole the missing part of the Rift Machine? It would tie up that plot hole from the previous week. I wonder what else he's helped himself to whilst he's been at it.

Gwen mourns

I do hope Kai was wearing some earplugs, that is an eardrum shattering scream right there. Blimey. Even Jack grieves as he fails to save another one.

Even I was all teary. Woe.

Poor Rhys

I'd said right from week one that he'd be a casualty. I didn't expect it to actually happen. Which is why I was so pleased by the ending. Hopefully now, Gwen will sit down and talk things through with Rhys instead of just ignoring him and brushing him off, because I think she's finally realised just how precious he is to her.

And Jack cleaning Rhys' blood off Gwen's hand . . . *sob*

Jack feels so powerless, everything is spiralling out of his control and he doesn't know what to do.

This is one dejected team

I think Gwen really would give all her life to Rhys to bring him back. If not for the repairing of the timelines I reckon she really would have started obsessing about the other 'Risen Mitten' (as Ianto calls the Resurrection Glove) and spent the rest of her life searching for it.

Jack gets punched to the ground by a girl!

She's got a mean right-hook our Gwen has. But it's only the opening act of the end of everything.

Owen gets severely pissed off that no one believes in him so he shoots Jack, with three killing shots. There was no "I'm only going to wing you" shots there, it was out and out murder. And that's a line Owen should never have crossed. Remember what I said about the Second-in-Command for Torchwood being a bit unstable?

He'll be fine in a minute

Even jack is mildly surprised that Owen had the balls to kill him.

This is probably a bad thing, no?

Their buildings and contents insurance will go through the roof!

Ooh shiny!

It even looks vaguely the same as when the TARDIS was channelling the Rift through it.

The team beat a tactical retreat

I told you Jack would be alright in a minute. I actually cheered when Rhys disappeared off his bed, because I knew he was going to be fine.

Please note Ianto's forethought in grabbing Jack's coat as the stagger past the coat stand. Worth his weight in coffee that one.

Jack and Ianto share a moment

Tosh doesn't notice as she's too busy trying to follow the plot. Jack and Ianto grab each other in a manly way not seen since the days of the Second Doctor and Jamie.

I call him Bob!

And here is the higher power that Bilis serves. Looks a lot like the monster from the Satan Pit. (Actually it is, well one of the other designs for it, but that's by-the-by). He's very tall isn't he?

Chained up under the Rift? Don't this lot ever check to see what is in their basements? Honestly. The amount of evil living right under their noses.

I am somewhat disappointed that the evil in the dark, is just a generic horned demon. Now if it was another incarnation of Jack – now that would have been ace, Evil doesn’t have to be 200ft high.

Mr Scary there is a lot like the First Evil from Buffy (which would make Bilis, Nathan Fillion, but with a cravat). Sends illusions/visions of loved ones, trying to trick its way into their hearts and use their love to control their actions. Thankfully, this time no one lost an eye.

What is the point of Bob though. The little plagues and Romans were much more effective than a Big Bad. It could have been worse, it could have been a bloody Dalek.

He did stomp on buildings like Godzilla though. That is a point in his favour. As was the fact his shadow killed (and the way everyone just slumped to the ground – eerie!)

Jack takes it on by himself

Not one of his best ideas, but he likes being the hero. Cue lots of writhing around.

You've got some life force on you

In a very Biblical pose Jack gives Bob more life that he can deal with and it kills him without Jack having to lay a finger on him. But it comes with a price. These things always do.

Gwen, meanwhile checks on Rhys

He's still alive. YAY! She doesn't taser him this time.

He's even pretty when he's dead

That's a talent this is.

Gwen keeps a vigil

In more Biblical leanings Gwen stays with Jack's body. Apparently for days. Poor Rhys, getting ignored again. Has Jack used up all his immortality? Did he only have a certain number of lives he could use?

Ianto has a Brokeback moment

Someone give the man a hug and a nice cup of tea. I was almost in tears with him.

Gwen gives Sleeping Beauty a kiss

Ah, fairytale role reversal. How I could write reams about you. I won't though.

Gwen if officially Torchwood's best kisser

Jack can only give someone an orgasm with his kiss. Gwen brings them back to life. No wonder she looks quite smug there.

He still looks like death warmed up

But no one's bothered.

Happy Reunions

Tosh really needs to wear more sensible footwear. I swear she nearly toppled into the stinky pool of water.


I loved the fact Ianto was really unsure and trying to maintain his 'proper' public image with a HANDSHAKE OF ALL THINGS. Thank God Jack isn't a hand shaking kind of a man.


DEFINITELY not a hand shaking kind of a man.


And then there was Owen. Jack's own personal Judas. Nearly half of Jack's staff have tried to murder him in the last thirteen weeks. That is not a good record.

But it's okay, because in a very messianic way Jack forgives him his sins. After all Jack did die for Owen's sins. (Is Chibnall usually this heavy handed with the old Biblical references?)
Now everything will go back to normal in the Hub. They'll fight their aliens, fight each other and kiss and make up.

Well…

But wait not everything is back to normal

What’s that?

Why it is a flashing hand. Flashing like huon energy does when a more huon energy is near. This could mean one of two things 1) Donna is popping in for a visit or 2) the right kind of flying Doctor is about to turn up.

The hand is like a TARDIS key. I wonder if Jack still has his TARDIS key? I bet he does.

Jack is very happy about this

"The first thing I'll do," thinks Jack, "is punch him square on the nose for abandoning him. Then I'll kiss the living daylights out of him. Then I'll punch him again for letting something happen to Rose."

And like Keyser Soze, he was gone

Gwen's quite quick off the mark here, thinking that someone's kidnapped Jack.

In Conclusion
Probably the best episode of the lot. (I know! It's really saying something.) I'm really sad that it took them 11 or 12 episodes to really hit their stride, I just hope that all the episodes next year are as strong as these last three have been.

Jack's joy when he heard that familiar Vworrp vworrp noise made me a bit teary. I am such a wuss.

Of course with Jack gone, it's Owen who is in charge. This worries me, greatly. Will Bilis be back? Of course he will.

See you next October.

8.5/10

Comments

[harmluvdrwho.livejournal.com]

i think owen is gonna take take the job seriously now squee i nearly had the whole house up by screaming

[venefican.livejournal.com]

I switched between Owen-love to Owen-hate several times over this episode (but the Rhys and Jack love stays!). Owen is charge of Torchwood is a worrying thought. He'll hiss at people like he did in 'Combat'...

Got teary when Jack went off in the TARDIS and did a little dance of joy. But with Rose one my OT3 love is gone *woe*.

[cryptile.livejournal.com]

Biblical references were pretty heavy, weren't they? I think they should have cut some gratuitious corpse-attending in favor of trying to explain away Abaddon, myself . . .

Didn't catch how the Rift light looked just like the it did in Boom Town, though. Good eye!

[leoniedelt.livejournal.com]

"Jack said way back at the start of the series that the retcon pills are made to his own special recipe (or words to that effect) Could he, then, have wiped his own memories because the information he knew was too dangerous if it feel into the wrong hands?"

Wow. Shred thinking there. Yikes. I bet you're right.

YES. John Barrowman is pretty even when he's dead.

I sobbed at many many places in this episode, yes.

[leoniedelt.livejournal.com]

ShreWd having a W in it...

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

Please can someone correct me if I'm wrong, but her mum is still alive isn't she?

Yep, in Greeks Bearing Gifts she talks about whether it's worse shagging a woman or an alien and "I know which my mum would say" - which is possible, but odd phrasing if her mum's dead.

[word-waterfall.livejournal.com]

Since Dr Who will finish before Torchwood powers up, Here's to hoping that Jack goes back and fixes the emotional mess that will be left of the torchwood team under Owen's leadership. (Mind you, Ianto can be quite forceful (He shot Owen! Hooray! SUPER IANTO) Maybe he will suprise us all and become more than the refreshment serving trolly lady :P (Shame Jack took his coat with him, I imagine that Ianto could have kicked anyones ass if he was wearing that)

This episode did show, once Jack had died, the deep down love and respect the team have for him. They realised too late, but they got a second chance.

[aryas_zehral]

Yes Jack did seem to become Jesus there didn't he. I agree about the show finally hitting it's mark there. I really, really liked the two episodes last night and I'd so far been utterly underwhelmed on the whole by the series. I'm glad you liked it. *smile*

Happy New Year.
S.

[alysscarlet.livejournal.com]

Love your post and agree with it all!

I was so pleased Rhys survived. Gwen's desolation when she found him dead was absolutely chilling. Wish she hadn't tasered him.

And well spotted that Ianto grabbed Jack's coat on the way out, lol!

The biblical stuff was very heavy-handed, but Jack's smile when he heard the TARDIS was magical. :-)

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

"Jack can only give someone an orgasm with his kiss. Gwen brings them back to life. No wonder she looks quite smug there."

My take on this is that Jack kissed her and gave her a Life Force transfusion. Gwen kissing Jack back to life was merely the Life Force (blood) Bank paying back, with interest.

[jerel.livejournal.com]

I love your illustrated summaries. I started smiling and laughing all over again. Jack is in the TARDIS!! Poor Ianto will be lonely, but Jack + Doctor! Made of win!

These last 3 or 4 episodes have really been awesome.

[mneiai.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think DW does show that Jack has some command training--remember in Boomtown how he gives all those orders and the Doctor is like "Right, what he said" ?

And, yeah, the biblical references got sort of thick, there ^.^

[iquestion.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping i get an add to your friends list as i love your icons,seen some of your work in the torch_wood group and i love it!
PLEASE!!!!!

[marcella-riddle.livejournal.com]

How awful for Jack if he finds his memories only to discover that it was him who took them away in the first place?

That's a lot like Cypher, this film I watched the other night. Fantastic sci-fi movie, you should see it.

Linkage

Whilst I'm reccomending films, I may as well mention American History X, a drama about Neo-Nazism in Middle America.

Linkage

[fallenangeldead.livejournal.com]

the episode was going so well till they brought up the crappy cgi monster...from then on i had my head in my hands sighing until i had the TARDIS noise...then i cheered
*le sigh* so many plot holes and character inconsistences