Anyone who knows about Torchwood knows that with the exception of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), no one survives beyond the age of 30. And after the events in “Children of Earth†the man who is a fixed point in time is determined to keep the last living member alive. This is when “The New Day†takes place where we have Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) living behind God’s back with her husband and infant daughter. When people come to their door, they’re armed and ready to protect their child from the reputation of Torchwood. Unfortunately destiny catches up to them when CIA agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) commandeers the last remnants of this team to help him with a new threat.
It seems that Death has had enough and takes a permanent vacation, since no has died for several days. This doesn’t mean that people don’t still get blown to bits, shot and stabbed through their arterial valves with large metal spikes. There’s also death row inmate Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) who after a lethal injection is set free due to the technicality of the world being unable to die. Since the man who defended himself by saying his 12 year old victim “should have run faster†what can we make of the fourth season of Torchwood?
Russell T. Davies has set up a compelling story. Usually when humanity has shown the worst of themselves (sacrificing children to aliens) Torchwood is there to pick up the pieces – with an insurmountable amount of collateral damage, both literally and emotionally. Captain Jack sacrifices his grandson and loses his lover in season three, now what will Gwen and this new team face?
It isn’t all about loss, there are quite a few action packed moments and witty banter as Matheson compares Wales to New Jersey. Still danger looms. As the episodes progress a child-killer will rise to fame, the questions of what culminates life will persist and alien threats will continue to loom large. Worse yet, will Captain Jack regain his mortality at too high a price?
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