Captain Jack, last of Torchwood © BBC
And so we come to the end of the 5-day saga, as the last remnants of Torchwood fade away, like the fond memories of Episode One...
So it all turned out to be a re-working of the Quatermass Conclusion, a story in which unseen aliens extracted an essence out of the Human race. In that story the aliens were far away and didn't know what they were doing, and the problem was solved by Quatermass's noble sacrifice, but here it's all our fault.
I really am stunned just what a downer writer Russel T Davies has on Humanity. He could have written a story on the nobility of Man, how we perservere through adversity, but no, he chose to highlight the worst of us, and end up with a 'hero' who runs away. Obviously Davies doesn't believe in role models.
Quick before they catch us © BBC
If this had been one of many other series (including the original Doctor Who), we would have had a number of scenarios. In one, Mankind would have refused to submit to the 456 and in a broadcast to the world we would have heard how it was better to fight and lose.
In another, Jack's grandson would have heard that a child was needed to save the world and he would have stepped forward to make the ultimate sacrifice. And John Frobisher would not have murdered his family, but rather stand up to his 'superior'.
Instead, at almost every chance he could take, from the misleading opening video entry by Gwen, Davies took the opportunity to see the worst in nearly everyone - apart from some far too late tears. I wonder what has given him such a sad view of the world?
Screaming at the aliens, or the plot? © BBC
The story itself was OK, but again too many silly things happened, such as in the collection of the children for the 'innoculations'. If you were trying not to panic the public why would you send in troops from the start?
And the Prime Minister let the American take over without any resistance. Why? And why did the Prime Minister pick on faceless civil servant John Frobisher to make a public show of his children going to be innoculated? It made no sense. And why did the woman at the end decide she was going to take over from the Prime Minister, she was much keener to hand over the children in the previous episode.
Why, why, why, why....?
So as I feared at the beginning, a great start that loses all potency and ends up a sad depressing mess.
Rating: 
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