10 Soul Crushing Torchwood Moments That Left Us Traumatised
2. The 456 Kill Ianto - Children Of Earth: Day 4
Look how they massacred our boy...
Yes, it's Children of Earth again, but this is the last time, we promise. How could this not feature on the list? Anyone who has watched the show will know what these top two entries were always going to be, and, to be honest, they are interchangeable (its all down to personal preference). Alas, one entry has to come above the other, so the death of Torchwood's resident source of sassy comments and all-round wholesome lad takes the number two slot.
Children of Earth's penultimate story ends with Jack and Ianto storming Thames House to speak directly with the 456. This somewhat reckless decision backfires almost immediately - they really should have realised it wasn't going to work out given there was still an episode left to go. The 456 are more about the druggie-life and aren't ones for negotiation, instead choosing to put the building into lockdown and releasing a deadly virus (two things we are all more than familiar with these days). It isn't long before Jack and Ianto begin to succumb to the virus, and Ianto collapses into Jack's arms. Ianto, already beginning to slip away, tells Jack he loves him and Jack can't bring himself to say it back - which, no matter the reasoning, is crushing.
As the music swells, Ianto begins to worry Jack will forget him, but Jack promises him he never will. Ianto tells Jack "in a thousand years time, you won't remember me", dying in Jack's arms before he can respond. He begs Ianto not to go, trying to shake him awake, but he is already dead. Helpless, Jack kisses Ianto one more time before dying himself as the 456 taunt him.
This moment really feels like the end of the Torchwood team, leaving just two of our original five protagonists and ending one of TV's most beloved gay relationships at the time of it's airing. The audience were so affected by this moment that a shrine was erected in Cardiff Bay in Ianto’s memory, which, remarkably, still stands today as a quirky tourist landmark. With Ianto's death, Torchwood felt like it lost some of its spirit.