"Torchwood: Children of Earth: Day Three" minicap

Last night I commented on how Day Two of Children of Earth was lacking a bit of pizzazz, and apparently viewers agreed with the audience share for the program dropping by 300,000 viewers.

But if Day Three is anything to go by, audience members will be back and eagerly anticipating the final two episodes in the miniseries.

Warning - Spoilers ahead!

So some of you may already know the end of Day Two saw Ianto rescue Jack from the government (who had held him captive), and the aliens (or the 456 as they are better known) declared that they "would be coming" tomorrow. Now that today is tomorrow, both the government and Torchwood eagerly await their arrival as they prepare their plan of attack.

The Torchwood gang gather underground, but without their flashy attire or their gizmos at hand, they decide to act like "criminals" to get by. This leads to a rather exciting scene, which sees the rugged Jack dashing across a street and hijacking a sports car.

Oh, and Jack’s pulsating bum muscles, which are bolstered by his tight fitting sweatpants, also help add a bit of zing to this thrilling moment.

Back to the plot now, if that’s what you really want!

Rhys goes in a fit of frenzy when he finds out that he was the last to hear about Gwen being pregnant (he is the father after all), Jack gets his uniform back, thanks to the lovely Ianto, and Lois Habiba is recruited by Gwen to help her infiltrate the government, with none other than a pair of super-slick contact lenses (don’t ask!)

Personal tensions rise when Jack’s daughter is captured by Johnson, and is subsequently used as bait by the government to get Jack to cooperate. There are also a few intimate moments between Ianto and Jack, which are dotted subtly across the episode. Basically, when push comes to shove, the couple sit down and discuss their future together.

Gradually, it is revealed that Ianto is conflicted with the realization that he will eventually die and since Jaci is immortal, he will be there to watch him go through it, and then carry on living.

But besides this instance, the couple rarely ever express any form of affection towards one another. I was left wondering whether this was a genuine romance at all, or just another intricacy to the crafty plotline. Surely if the audience is to believe that Ianto and Jack’s relationship is genuine, they need to see some PDA’s (even if they are only manifested in macho/brethren like man-hugs).

Then there are the aliens that you have all been waiting for. Well the answer is that nothing really happens here. It’s more of an exercise in suspense. There is no big reveal, just a voice that speaks behind a glass shell in Mr. Frobisher’s offices, and occasionally spews goo at him.

Eventually Frobisher and the alien leader try to flesh out a deal … but when the 456 request a special gift (i.e. 10% of the world’s children), Frobisher and his officials are left in a state of utter shock.

Besides all of this dramatic tension, there is that crazy old man who hears alien voices (you know the one who we thought meant nothing to the plot, and I, as of yet, have never mentioned him?). Well, his name is Clement McDonald, and in a shocking twist of events, it turns out that he was in fact sacrificed to the aliens as a child back in 1965 (re: the opening scene of Day One).

And who do we think sacrificed him to the aliens? The government? Some weedy 456 allies? Wrong! It was none other than ...

Believe it or not ...

Our very own super stud hero Jack Harkness! What is Jack hiding, and why did he do it?

All will be revealed tomorrow in Day Four of the series!