The Torchwood panel was a great time at Friday’s Comic-Con. In attendance were John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Alexa Havins, Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman, and Jane Espenson in front of a packed and very enthusiastic Ballroom 20 crowd.

Eve Myles and John Barrowman were terrific flirts with the audience, which was no surprise with Barrowman, but Eve asked several people to “call me. Seriously. Call me.”

The new cast members were asked if they had watched Torchwood before. Alexa Havins said that her husband and Eve’s fiance were both big fans who didn’t want to be spoiled during filming, which Alexa said was challenging when she’d come home with her hair all messed up and fake blood on her hands. Mekhi and Bill hadn’t watched, but Mekhi saw Children of Earth after he read the Miracle Day script and was really excited to be involved in the project, claiming “even though I’m from Harlem I’m a big nerd too.”

Bill Pullman was asked if he was called “Mr. President” on set. He said he was,  but for not very long; that ended once they all started singing show tunes between takes. He said he wasn’t used to tv, and was really encouraged when he saw that as scripts kept going they got better and better. He said he was “worried it wouldn’t come to a close but it did” which was great to hear.

Writer Jane Espenson (Battlestar: Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) said that Children of Earth was obviously very dark, and it wouldn’t be possible to go there for this entire miniseries, but for those who have had enough “milk chocolate,” episode 5 is “dark chocolate, dark and delicious.”

She advised that, for this season, we should “look for a little more flexibility with the timeline, romance, losses, and big implications. Let your mind really go with it, what would happen on a global scale if Miracle Day actually happened. That’s what we did in the writers’ room.”

John Barrowman was asked if we would find out where Jack went between Children of Earth and Miracle Day, and he said we wouldn’t. “We may never, or we may in another series.” When asked about the death of the beloved Ianto in COE, he said that “we love that you’re passionate about the characters, but unfortunately there are some thing that have to happen” in a drama, but emphatically pointed out that “it wasn’t our decision, it wasn’t our fault!” since he and Eve often bear the brunt of the criticism about that decision.

“It was the right move to shake things up, the harsh reaction is what we wanted because it shows you’re involved in the characters and the show.”

Although we won’t get that in-between story, they said that we will learn a lot about Jack and Gwen in episode 7 which will be “quite heavy and shocking” according to Eve. This season will also have a lot of sex scenes – “there will be butt cheeks!” – which you already know if you saw this week’s episode. “We try to make it as fun as possible.”

Mekhi said that his character will grow as the season moves on. He loves the group and said he hasn’t had this kind of family feeling from a production since he was in ER.

Bill Pullman said that this is his favorite kind of sci-fi – not the creature kind but the thriller; what humans are capable of in times of crisis. He said that there are “a lot of weird parallels with Independence Day – it’s the same kind of scale.” He also said, mysteriously, that “episode 5 is the reverse side of other things I’ve done.”

John Barrowman was asked if Captain Jack would appear on Doctor Who for its 50th anniversary. He replied that “Torchwood and Captain Jack were born from the mother ship” and that it “would be disappointing if Cap’n Jack wasn’t there.” He has spoken with Stephen Moffat and and Russell Davies and they were for it “but who knows.”

There’s been no word from Starz about another Torchwood season yet, but “we would love to come back; we all would love to being doing Torchwood for another 5 or 6 seasons” according to John Barrowman. Eve Myles confirmed that, if Torchwood is picked up for another season, she would move her family to Los Angeles, that they all love it. “In and Out Burger rocks the world! Animal fries! And the dog misses the blueberry facials.”

Torchwood: Miracle Day airs Fridays at 10/9c on Starz.