(Spoiler Alert) The Death of Ianto Jones and How it Saved Earth

It’s Day 5, we’re at the 11th hour, there is no hope in sight, no way out. What can possibly be done? Perhaps you, the leader of the now defunct Torchwood, can’t save the world this time. Perhaps this is the end, perhaps you have finally failed. You are partly responsible for the situation and you so desperately long to right it. But wait; there is a way to stop this, to save the children of Earth young and old, all but one. Now you face an impossible question, an impossible decision that must be made. What is the price of one child? What is the price of one child who happens to be your own grandchild? Sacrifice 10 percent of the world’s children for him? Or Sacrifice him for 10 percent of the world’s children? Oh, by the way, you only have about two minutes.

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Welcome to Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Although the third “series” of Torchwood was a bit shorter than the typical series of 12 episodes, the miniseries nevertheless stunned audiences and critics alike not only with the amazing writing but also with the massive response to the 5-night event. John Barrowman told fans that “the response in the UK has been overwhelming.” However, not all of the response in the US was positive. The miniseries may have singlehandedly lead to BBC’s renewal for a fourth season after such mystery surrounded the awaited announcement, but some fans were not too pleased with executive producer Russell T Davis authoritative decision regarding the fate of a certain character.

Throughout San Diego Comic Con International, I overheard fans’ reactions to the death of Ianto Jones, assistant extraordinaire, coffee aficionado, and love of Captain Jack Harkness. During Russell T Davies signing at BBC America’s booth on Saturday, a group of fans schemed to have the one of them who actually managed to nab one of the extremely limited 100 autograph tickets instruct the head writer on the error of his ways. When it came to the perfect moment, did she have the guts to tell the man himself how she felt? Not a chance. But their conversation both before and after coupled with their persistence that wrongdoing had occurred was remarkable enough. During the Sunday Torchwood panel, fans voiced their opposition. “We want, we want Ianto”.

Julia Gardner explained the reasoning for the decision from her perspective: “For me, I’m afraid it was a no brainer that Ianto died at the end of episode four. And it’s sad and I felt sad watching those scenes but it’s the right thing for the story because Captain Jack has to suffer. He’s about to do something absolutely dark and difficult and heartbreaking and the end of episode four and to take him to that place he has to have suffered personally. And I think it’s part of that journey, the man that he loves, the man who he’s in a relationship with, it’s the cost of making Captain Jack a hero.” But when a fan yelled “We blame Russell!” Mr. Davies finally spoke up: “If you want to blame me, I will take the blame. I said let’s kill Ianto. I made it happen. No one could change my mind. No one can bring him back. Some blame me all you want. It’s my show.”

Mr. Davies stands behind his decision to kill Ianto Jones and, even if he doesn’t feel the need to explain himself, it is fairly easy to see why. The unfolding of this constantly twisting plot that always keeps you wondering what could possibly happen next and never could we have guessed how it would end. Never. The entire plot hinges on one decision, one desperate decision that Jack must make. But how can he? The simple fact is this: Ianto’s death was a sad but necessary evil.

Each day of the miniseries seems worse than the day before, bringing the world, and Jack, closer and closer to the brink. Having already lost Owen and Toshiko at the close of Series 2 as well as his brother, Jack is no stranger to loss. With everything Jack has seen and experienced, the death of a friend, colleague, brother, seems like tripping over a rock while walking down the long road of an immortal life. He may stumble, he may curse, but he always picks himself back up and continues on. However, as it turns out, there is one event that could send him over the edge, that edge between reason and chaos. One event that could cause Jack to revert to the man he used to be, before he met the Doctor. The careful balance between the Jack that was and who Jack is now begins to teeter. It’s not a question of which side will win but rather which side will save the day? (Or week in this case).

How can Torchwood save the day this time around? A previously unknown moment from Jack’s past comes to light, causing Ianto and Gwen to take a step back from their leader. This is the side of Jack he hid from them, the part he kept concealed in order to protect them.  Jack’s previous dealing with these beings known as the 456 (the frequency on which they communicate), as unknown to him as it may have been at the time, casts a shadow of doubt over Jack’s character. As it turns out, he holds a great deal of the responsibility, taking part in the delivery of 12 kids to these aliens 44 years ago, something he did without question. What could bring Jack to do such a thing? The 456 promised a cure that would annihilate a flu virus that threatened to kill 25 million people. And why did the 456s need these children? In 1965 no one asked any questions. What are 12 children compared to 25 million people? But in 2009, with the entire population of Earth in danger, the question must be answered. And the answer? The 456s use human children for the chemical that they produce, a chemical that acts as a recreation drug on the 456s. Now addicted, they want more. 10% of the world’s children’s for the 456s or everyone dies.

Faced with Gwen and Ianto’s disgust of his darker side, Jack must repent for his mistake, only he doesn’t know how quite yet and perhaps he felt like he already had. The Jack that we see at the opening of “Children of Earth” is a very different person from when we first met him in the 2005 series of Doctor Who. He has grown, now a changed man, and perhaps Jack sees this chance to right his wrong as his road to penitence. But it could very well be his road to perdition. The only way to undo the mistake, his mistake, is to give up a part of himself, literally.

By Day 4, Jack walks a very thin line between “what is right” and “what must be done.” By using a single child as the focal point, they can focus a frequency through the children of Earth which would cause enough feedback to hurt the 456s. Of course any child would do but how many children happen to be hanging around in the abandoned warehouse they currently inhabit? Just one. Jack’s grandson. Now realizing what it will take to end this siege, Jack now must make the ultimate sacrifice: giving up his own and only grandson to save the children he endangered with his past actions.

So how does Ianto save the Earth? Simple, he died. His death acts as a catalyst, the final straw that broke the camel’s back, and now Jack realizes he must do whatever he has to in order to undo what has transpired. Jack’s mental state after the death of his lover is a force to be reckoned with and, surely, the alien had no idea what was coming. Would Jack been able to make that decision if Ianto was still alive? Doubtful. Much of Jack’s morality spawns from his relationship with Ianto, the tenderness he felt for this 21st century human. Although Ianto has now seen a different side of Jack over the course of a few days, the Jack of the past who did unspeakable things in order to protect those who didn’t deserve protecting (ie government officials with questionable decision making skills), he knows deep down that Jack has changed and thusly Jack tries his best to prove it to him. But would the new Jack be able to handle such a decision? And would the new Jack be able to revert to his old self in order to do “what must be done” while Ianto, who believes so purely in “what is right”, stands by? Fat chance.

As hard as it is to watch, Ianto’s death saves Earth and Jack. Jack defeats the 456 and saves the children of Earth and at what cost? Torchwood is destroyed, his grandson and lover are dead, his family is torn apart. The loss is more than Jack can bear and in the end he leaves Gwen and Earth behind. There is now nothing left for him there. With the renewal of another series, it will be interesting to see how Jack deals on his own, though, thanks to a certain Doctor at the end of his time, perhaps Jack will find his way back to Earth, with a new friend. Allonze!

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