When all children on Earth stop and start chanting “We are coming”, the Torchwood team investigates. Could this be the start of a global crisis?
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And so it begins, the heartbreak…
I found this episode sets everything up well but the plot really becomes phenomenal once you’ve done all the introductions and primary exposition. I’m still giving this a 9/10 because it’s a bloody brilliant episode, even on the third rewatch I did recently, but in my eyes Day One only serves its purpose to set up the rest of the series
6 Likes
This is a really good start. The mystery is well established and the character work is brilliant. Even Ianto is kind of interesting in this. The government stuff adds an interesting layer to this.
6 Likes
It’s a very strong opener. Looking at the episode alone, it’s probably a solid 7/10 - strong, but nothing too spectacular yet. But if you consider it in terms of the season as a whole, it’s excellent: perfectly sets up the tone for the rest of CoE, and establishes the overall concept for the season very well.
5 Likes
Peak TV
4 Likes
9/10
Day One does a lot to highlight each of its main cast members with Children of Earth’s place on BBC One so they all get a good showing and it opens a lot of questions which hook the viewer. On rewatch, it still manages to delight and draw me in, some of RTD’s finest work.
4 Likes
This club is probably going to be a lot of the same generic “its great” review from me until the end. But yeah this is one hell of an opener. Children of Earth lives up to the hype. 5/5
4 Likes
It’s a bloody great setup. I especially love the culmination of the last five minutes.
2 Likes
I mean it’s just damn great, isn’t it. Frankly I might say exactly that for the next four parts, but it’s true
6 Likes
It’s a strong opener, setting up character threads and ending on a big bang (no, this is not double entendre, I know it’s a surprise for this show). Also on the inuendo front, “we are coming”. And what a line to end the episode on. “We are coming back.” Imagine watching as the episode first aired and getting that cliffhanger. It’s a terrifying concept that children are the heralds of something, frozen and speaking in unison all over the world. And the government is doing more to hinder than help defense of Earth (how much of the Hub technology could have helped, no wonder it was taken off the table).
The way Jack gets used as a trojan horse, by a planted recruitment of a new medical specialist, feels a lot more natural because it’s a gap in the team that does need filling (I promise you, this is entirely accidental). It’s a good scene too the way Jack realises because it’s part of Gwen’s story in realising she’s pregnant.
Using Lois as a government temp is a more organic way to introduce relevant exposition on Torchwood than if the exposition was done through Torchwood Three, which would fall into As You Know territory. This also kills two birds with one stone, informing any viewers unfamiliar with the show and filling her in (I know, phrasing) for her role later in the miniseries. Also, Bridget breaks the rule of not sharing your password.
6 Likes
I liked the set up in this one. There seems to be a short gap in time and people pretty much know about aliens now so Torchwood has kinda lost some of its mystery from before. The characters also seem a little more settled now.
I really liked the introduction to the new characters and the building threat to the children. It set up a very interesting premise that I am excited to see (I have very little knowledge of this season except stuff that happens in episode 4).
4 Likes
Well it’s no hot take to say that this season is exceptional television. The best televised story of the whole Whoniverse in my opinion (yes, even above beloved Turn Left), so I’m very excited to go into this for the third(?) time. While I know I love the whole thing, I have very little recollection of what happens on which day (other than THE THING of course), so it’ll be fun to do an episode a fortnight with the club, and intriguing to see how that affects a series that was made to be watched on consecutive nights.
- I love this cold open. It’s so mysterious and intriguing on a first watch and simply harrowing on a rewatch.
- Genius to introduce many of the supporting characters through the brief scenes with the kids in their lives.
- I always find it surreal seeing the Hub at this point, because the first two seasons (much as I love them) do just feel like a totally different show.
- If I was to pick one slightly weaker link in this series, it would be Lois. Nothing to do with the performance, but the heavy exposition and the contrivance of getting her involved, it just feels painfully obvious that she was drafted in in the place of Martha.
- In my brain, Ianto is shauny and shauny is Ianto.
- I’d forgotten all the Rupesh stuff, not sure where it’ll lead…
- This cast really is exceptional, across the board. Clem and Decker are particular unsung heroes.
- And Capaldi is already exceptional in this episode even before he’s had much meat to the role.
- I really like the addition of Jack’s daughter. A great concept and the scene between the two of them here is really lovely.
- I never understood the many references in this franchise to Jack being drop-dead gorgeous. As a straight man, maybe I’m clueless but, to me, Lloyd is far more attractive than Barrowman? Is Barrowman really generally seen as that stunning?
- The one child left behind last time is also a genius idea. This whole story is so well woven.
- I feel like ‘order to kill’ at the top of an unencrypted email slightly defeats the point of all the ‘blank page’ codes…
- Ohhhh, THAT’S where the Rupesh stuff was going. Forgot all about this strand of the plot (but did figure he probably wouldn’t make it past Day One).
- INSANELY good climax at the end. Man I just adore this show.
Verdict - Well it’s just obvious isn’t it. Unreal how good this is.
6 Likes
I rewatched this all recently, and will find it difficult to comment on most of the episodes as they kind of blend together (I will re-read the plot summary and pick something to comment on).
But as an opener, this is just perfect.
The mystery of the children freezing and then speaking in unison is chilling.
The twist of the potential new recruit actually being a plant is great, and I actually didn’t see it coming when I first saw this.
The reveal of Gwen being pregnant, and then immediately seeing the bomb, perfect.
Lois Habiba is iconic.
And Ianto 
I’ll probably say that each episode.
This really was one of the best series in all of the Whoniverse.
4 Likes