As Ianto Jones laid in the arms of Capt. Jack Harkness, gasping his final breaths of life, the audience of the "Torchwood" special season "Children of Earth" was hoping for some miracle to happen.

But it didn't. Gareth David-Lloyd's time on "Torchwood" was over, and the pain of John Barrowman's character was just beginning. And as much as many fans didn't like the events that transpired at the hands of The 456, it was something that had to happen, episode writer John Fay said.

Not just because it was ordered by showrunner Russell T. Davies, but because such a move was needed to remind Capt. Jack about the curse of living forever.

"In my mind, I was always aware that Jack had gone through this situation many times before, and that was really interesting to me," Fay recently told ScyfiLove. "How do you have a relationship and fall in love with someone when you know -- absolutely know -- you will be around to see them die? That's a real tragedy that Jack has to carry around with him, as well as a fascinating weight to hang around a character's shoulders."

Fay is one of a handful of writers -- and the only British one, besides Davies himself -- who will work on the fourth season of "Torchwood," as it moves into a co-production between BBC and the Starz premium cable network.

"Children of Earth" was critically acclaimed, and aired over a five-night period on BBC last year. While there were many dark moments in the miniseries, Ianto's death remains the one aspect that fans talk about, even beyond the deaths of two other main characters in the same episode in the Season 2 finale.

"It was absolutely the right thing to do, though, from the point of view of the story, and what it gave to the last episode," Fay said. "The strength of 'Torchwood' and Russell's vision is that you don't know the heroes are going to survive. That's been well established now. That adds a sense of jeopardy to the show which leaves everyone wondering what will happen next."

Pre-production already is underway for "Torchwood," with filming expected to being late this year, early next year, all in line for a 2011 premiere on American television.

For more of Fay's insights into what's to come on "Torchwood," see Scyfilove's full story by clicking here.