Torchwood | A Brief History Of Time (Travel)

Torchwood

The Torchwood Institute was created in 1879 by order of Queen Victoria. Its mission: to safeguard the British Isles from extraterrestrial incursion, and to acquire alien technology for the benefit of the Empire. Despite its apparent destruction in modern times, something of Torchwood has survived, and continues to operate in Cardiff on the site of a rift in time and space, the existence of which dates back more than a century. Its stories are told in Torchwood, a Doctor Who spin-off which debuted in October 2006.			Season One: Little Deaths First appearances of Gwen, Owen, Suzie, Ianto, Rhys, and Andy.
			Season Two: The Scurf Of Yesterday First appearances of Captain John Hart, and Geraint and Mary Cooper. Martha briefly joins Torchwood.
			Season Three: All Fall Down A weeklong broadcast event consisting of a single five-part story.
			Season Four: Miracle Day First appearances of Rex and Esther.

Season One: Little Deaths

The Characters

A former companion of the Doctor's, Captain Jack Harkness travelled back to the nineteenth century and was compelled to become a Torchwood agent. He eventually became the leader of its Cardiff branch. Having previously played Jack in Doctor Who, John Barrowman (bio) made his first Torchwood appearance in Everything Changes (October 2006) and his last in The Blood Line (September 2011).
A former Cardiff police officer, Gwen Cooper was recruited to Torchwood after helping expose Suzie Costello as a traitor to the team. Eve Myles (bio) made her first appearance as Gwen in Everything Changes (October 2006) and her last in The Blood Line (September 2011).
Owen Harper was Torchwood's medical doctor. He was killed in action but subsequently resurrected, and continued working with Torchwood thereafter. Burn Gorman (bio) made his first appearance as Owen in Everything Changes (October 2006) and his last in Exit Wounds (April 2008).
Toshiko Sato was Torchwood's resident technical expert. Having previously played Tosh in Doctor Who, Naoko Mori (bio) made her first Torchwood appearance in Everything Changes (October 2006) and her last in Exit Wounds (April 2008).
At one point Jack's second-in-command, Suzie Costello's obsession with the power of a resurrection gauntlet turned her into the most insidious kind of monster. Indira Varma (bio) made her first appearance as Suzie in Everything Changes (October 2006) and her last in They Keep Killing Suzie (December 2006).
Ianto Jones was originally Torchwood's office assistant, but eventually became a fully-fledged member of the team. Gareth David-Lloyd (bio) made his first appearance as Ianto in Everything Changes (October 2006) and his last in Children Of Earth (July 2009).
Rhys Williams was Gwen's fiance and later husband. Originally kept in the dark about Gwen's new occupation, he eventually learned the truth and played an active role in a number of Torchwood cases. Kai Owen (bio) made his first appearance as Rhys in Everything Changes (October 2006) and his last in The Blood Line (September 2011).
When Gwen Cooper was still a police officer, Andy Davidson was her partner. After she joined Torchwood, Andy remained her friend, and he became an occasional ally to the covert organisation for which she now worked. Tom Price (bio) made his first appearance as Andy in Everything Changes (October 2006) and his last in The Blood Line (September 2011).

The Production Team

Like the contemporaneous seasons of Doctor Who, the showrunner of Torchwood was Russell T Davies (bio). In addition, Chris Chibnall (bio) served as the lead writer, to help establish the new programme's creative direction.

The Stories

		Everything Changes by Russell T Davies, directed by Brian Kelly A serial killer is on the loose in Cardiff. At the scene of one of the stabbings, PC Gwen Cooper witnesses something not intended for her eyes, when a mysterious group of investigators known as Torchwood uses an alien device to bring the murder victim briefly back to life. Becoming obsessed with the organisation and its leader, Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen's enquiries lead her into a violent encounter with a monstrous creature called a Weevil. When Jack saves her life, Gwen grows more determined than ever to uncover his secrets -- provoking a series of events which will irrevocably change her life, and Torchwood itself.
		Day One by Chris Chibnall, directed by Brian Kelly When Torchwood investigates a meteor impact, Gwen accidentally looses a gaseous lifeform contained inside. It possesses the body of a young woman named Carys Fletcher, who's been abandoned at a nightclub by her boyfriend. Under the extraterrestrial's influence, Carys lures one of the patrons into the nightclub washroom for sex... and watches as he disintegrates, while the entity feeds on the energies of his climax. Horrified, Carys realises that she must now kill men through intercourse or perish herself. With Jack, Tosh and Owen fixated on the alien being inside Carys, it's left to Gwen to try to save the woman's life.
		Ghost Machine by Helen Raynor, directed by Colin Teague Gwen recovers an errant piece of alien technology which provides glimpses into the past. But the “ghost machine” doesn't just summon images of long-ago occurrences; it also invests the user with the emotions underlying those events. Experimenting with the technology, Owen witnesses an horrific rape and murder -- unsolved for more than four decades -- and is left devastated by the terror which the victim felt in her dying moments. While the rest of the Torchwood team investigates the device's origins, Owen finds himself becoming fixated on bringing the killer, the now-elderly Ed Morgan, to justice.
		Cyberwoman by Chris Chibnall, directed by James Strong When the Cybermen used Torchwood One in London as the bridgehead for an invasion, Ianto was caught up in the conflict. He escaped unscathed, but his girlfriend, Lisa, was partly converted into a Cyberman. After he joined Torchwood Three, Ianto smuggled Lisa into the bowels of the Hub. Now he has found a surgeon, Dr Tanizaki, whom he hopes can restore her humanity. But Dr Tanizaki's efforts only provide Lisa with the opportunity to try to upgrade him into a Cyberman as well. Ianto is left desperately trying to hide the truth from his Torchwood colleagues -- even as Lisa targets them for Cyber conversion.
		Small Worlds by Peter J Hammond, directed by Alice Troughton A century ago, Jack learned that Earth is inhabited by fairy-like creatures, whose timid nature belies a murderous zeal when they're crossed by a human. Now, in the ancient Roundstone Wood, the fairies have aroused the curiosity of the elderly Estelle Cole, who was once Jack's lover. They have taken a special interest in a lonely, neglected girl named Jasmine Pierce: when a paedophile attempts to abduct her, the fairies retaliate with lethal consequences. As strange phenomena proliferate near Roundstone Wood, Jack is forced into action -- but is he too late to prevent the fairies from claiming more lives?
		Countrycide by Chris Chibnall, directed by Andy Goddard A remote part of the Brecon Beacons has been the site of seventeen disappearances in just five months, leaving the police stymied. The members of Torchwood travel to the area to investigate, and they soon discover a mutilated corpse -- only to realise that it's been left as a decoy while their vehicle is being stolen. Left with no option but to walk to the nearest village, they find it deserted, raising the team's fears that the Rift has widened well beyond the boundaries of Cardiff. But has Torchwood really stumbled upon extraterrestrial activity, or is this a peculiarly human form of horror?
		Greeks Bearing Gifts by Toby Whithouse, directed by Colin Teague In 1812 Cardiff, a prostitute named Mary is fleeing a murderous soldier when she comes upon an eerie light. In the present day, the same woman watches as Torchwood arrives at a building site where an ancient cadaver and an alien device have been uncovered. Meanwhile, Tosh's unrequited attraction to Owen has left her feeling isolated from her teammates. When Mary approaches her at a bar, Tosh is relieved to have someone to talk to -- and then intrigued when Mary gives her a pendant which lets her hear people's thoughts. Now Tosh must grapple with the seductive power... and with the mystery of Mary's true motives.
		They Keep Killing Suzie by Paul Tomalin and Daniel McCulloch, directed by James Strong A serial killer is stalking Cardiff, writing the word “Torchwood” in his victims' blood. A chemical analysis of hairs found at the scene shows that the murderer had his memory wiped using the retcon drug at some point. Worried that retcon may have a delayed psychotic effect, Jack reluctantly agrees to let Gwen use the resurrection gauntlet which led to the undoing of Suzie Costello. Questioning the victims, they learn of a man called Max, who seems to have been a friend of Suzie's. With the clock ticking, Jack is faced with the grim prospect of allowing the gauntlet to be used one more time: to revive their traitorous former colleague.
		Random Shoes by Jacquetta May, directed by James Erskine When he was a boy, Eugene Jones' schoolteacher gave him a marble-like object that once fell from the sky. Even since, Eugene has been fascinated by extraterrestrial phenomena -- and by Torchwood. He finally gets a chance to watch the team at work when he awakens one day to discover that he's dead -- the apparent victim of a hit-and-run accident -- and invisible to the living. His recent past a mystery even to himself, Eugene is desperate to unravel the events which led up to his demise. But he's not the only one: Gwen has also become absorbed by Eugene's strange case, and she now stands as the dead man's only hope.
		Out Of Time by Catherine Tregenna, directed by Alice Troughton Jack, Gwen and Owen wait on a runway as a plane called the Sky Gypsy touches down. Its pilot, Diane, and passengers John and Emma emerge to learn that they have travelled through a rift in time, and more than fifty years have passed since they took off. With no way to return the trio to their proper place in history, Torchwood is left with the task of helping them acclimate to life in the present day. But challenges abound: John is desperate to find the son he left in 1953, Emma struggles to relate to people her own age, and Diane is torn between her love of the skies and her emerging relationship with Owen.
		Combat by Noel Clarke, directed by Andy Goddard Gwen's relationship with Rhys is on the brink of collapse when she's pulled into a new Torchwood mystery. Masked men are abducting Weevils and, when their activities are traced to a warehouse on the Cardiff Docks, Jack and Tosh discover the body of a man who seems to have been a Weevil victim. They soon suspect that Mark Lynch, the estate agent responsible for the warehouse, has a connection to these events so Owen -- still reeling from Diane's departure -- goes undercover to investigate. Through Lynch, he descends into a sadistic underground world... but will Owen be repulsed by this way of life, or embrace it?
		Captain Jack Harkness by Catherine Tregenna, directed by Ashley Way While investigating reports of old music emanating from a derelict dance hall, Jack and Tosh find themselves transported back into the midst of the Cardiff Blitz in 1941. In this time period, the dance hall is playing host to a group of air force pilots who are enjoying their final day of leave -- and, much to Tosh's astonishment, one of them is named Captain Jack Harkness. While Jack forges an unexpected friendship with the man whose name he stole, Tosh searches for a way to return them to the present. And in both 1941 and the present day, the sinister Bilis Manger has his eyes on Torchwood...
		End Of Days by Chris Chibnall, directed by Ashley Way Owen's manipulation of the Rift has perverted time across the globe, drawing fragments of both the past and the future into the present. Bubonic plague threatens Cardiff, mighty spaceships hang in the sky, and there is a growing belief that the end of the world is nigh. Even the Torchwood team is affected, as they are haunted by their deceased loved ones, who implore them to reopen the Rift. With tempers fraying amongst her friends, Gwen realises that the enigmatic Bilis Manger is the key to these events. But is the time-hopping Bilis a friend or an enemy? And what sort of being dwells in the darkness beyond the Rift?

Making History

With the revival of Doctor Who having proved to be enormously successful, it was decided that the programme would serve as an ideal launching pad for a spin-off series. Russell T Davies laid the groundwork for the adult-oriented Torchwood at the end of the parent show's 2006 season, most notably in the climactic Army Of Ghosts / Doomsday. Bringing back the popular Captain Jack Harkness from the tail end of the 2005 season, Torchwood became a bona fide hit in the UK's burgeoning digital cable arena, airing on BBC Three.

Season Two: The Scurf Of Yesterday

The Characters

Another former companion of the Doctor's, Martha Jones was a UNIT doctor seconded to Torchwood to investigate the Pharm. She briefly remained with the team when Owen Harper's death deprived them of a medic.

Having previously played Martha in Doctor Who, Freema Agyeman (bio) made her first Torchwood appearance in Reset (February 2008) and her last in A Day In The Death (February 2008).

The Stories

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Chris Chibnall, directed by Ashley Way

Jack abruptly reappears after being missing for weeks, only to be greeted with suspicion by the rest of the Torchwood team. Even Gwen -- newly engaged to Rhys -- feels betrayed by Jack's unexplained absence and his staunch refusal to divulge information about his past. Matters are compounded by the arrival of the roguish Captain John Hart, Jack's former Time Agent partner. John claims to be tracking three radiation cluster bombs which have tumbled through the Rift to Cardiff, threatening a planetwide catastrophe. A reluctant Torchwood splits up to recover the bombs... but John Hart is not a man who can be trusted.

Sleeper by James Moran, directed by Colin Teague

Torchwood is called in to investigate a burglary gone wrong. The targets were a married couple, Mike and Beth, but one of the robbers wound up dead and the other was grievously injured. The Torchwood team soon realises that Beth is more than she appears -- and more than she knows. Her physiognomy is not entirely human, and some of her memories have been locked away, hidden even from Beth herself. Jack deduces that Beth is an alien sleeper agent, acting as a forerunner for a potential invasion of Earth. And, if this is indeed the case, it means that more of her cell is still out there, waiting to be activated.

To The Last Man by Helen Raynor, directed by Andy Goddard

In 1918, two Torchwood agents came to St Teilo's Hospital in Cardiff and took away an injured First World War soldier named Tommy Brockless. Ever since, Tommy has been kept in a cryogenic casket, to be revived for just one day every year. Recently, those days have been enough for him to develop a rapport with Tosh -- one that's begun to verge on intimacy. But Tommy has been preserved because, at some point, he will be the key to preventing the past and the future from colliding through the Rift. And when ghosts start manifesting at the disused St Teilo's, it appears that Tommy's time is finally up.

Meat by Catherine Tregenna, directed by Colin Teague

Rhys learns that Leighton, one of his haulage firm's drivers, has been killed in a traffic accident. Arriving on the scene, he's shocked to find Gwen there with Torchwood, looking into the discovery of alien meat inside the lorry. Frustrated by his fiancee's secrecy, Rhys conducts his own investigation, and he discovers that Leighton was embroiled in a scheme to profit off an enormous extraterrestrial creature which continues to grow no matter how much it is butchered. But Rhys also draws Torchwood's suspicion regarding his own complicity... leading to a confrontation with Gwen that will change their relationship forever.

Adam by Catherine Tregenna, directed by Andy Goddard

Gwen returns from holiday to discover a stranger named Adam Smith in the Hub. The rest of Torchwood is baffled by her reaction: Adam has been their teammate for three years. And, when Adam touches Gwen on the shoulder, she suddenly remembers him too. Indeed, the creature calling itself Adam has established himself as Jack's confidante and Tosh's lover. But his interference causes Gwen to forget her relationship with Rhys, while Jack is haunted by his distant childhood and his lost brother Gray. When Ianto realises the truth, Adam demonstrates that memories can be used not just to manipulate -- but also to destroy.

Reset by JC Wilsher, directed by Ashley Way

People are dying in South Wales, and UNIT has discovered that each victim's eyeball has a puncture wound from a hypodemic needle. To investigate, they've sent Torchwood their newest recruit: Martha Jones, now a fully-fledged doctor. Together, they learn that several of the dead had recently recovered from normally incurable illnesses after participating in trials of a mysterious drug called Reset. Reset is a product of the Pharm, a secretive facility run by the arrogant Dr Aaron Copley. But Copley is protected by powerful friends, so Martha agrees to infiltrate the Pharm undercover -- as a Reset test subject.

Martha remains with Torchwood in the wake of Owen's shooting.

Dead Man Walking by Matt Jones, directed by Andy Goddard

Desperate to give the Torchwood team a chance to say goodbye, Jack retrieves a second resurrection gauntlet and uses it to revive Owen. But he somehow stays alive, subsisting on energy drawn from an unknown source -- an energy that's gradually transforming him into something other than human. Owen struggles to come to terms with his undead state, and matters are only made worse when he finds himself hunted by a colony of Weevils, who believe him to be their master. And all the while, Owen can feel a terrible presence calling to him, emanating from a dark place on the other side of death.

A Day In The Death by Joseph Lidster, directed by Andy Goddard

Suspended from duty until Martha can determine exactly what has happened to him, Owen's existence is becoming increasingly unbearable. He's unable to eat, drink, sleep or have sex. He can't even heal himself, which means that any injuries he suffers will be permanent. His life -- or what passes for it -- seems pointless. However, Torchwood has detected massive energy readings emanating from the home of Henry John Parker, an elderly and reclusive collector of alien artefacts. Parker's mansion is heavily guarded with sensors that detect body heat... so it may take a dead man to get to the bottom of things.

With Owen reinstated at Torchwood, Martha leaves to rejoin UNIT.

Something Borrowed by Phil Ford, directed by Ashley Way

The night before her wedding, Gwen is wounded by a man-eating, shape-shifting Nostrovite before Jack manages to kill it. The next morning, she wakes up and is shocked to find herself heavily pregnant. Jack suspects that the Nostrovite impregnated Gwen through its bite, and he encourages her to isolate in the Hub until they can remove the alien egg. Despite her unnatural state, however, Gwen and Rhys are determined to go ahead with the ceremony. But what nobody has realised is that the Nostrovite has a mate -- and it's intent on recovering its progeny from Gwen's belly.

From Out Of The Rain by Peter J Hammond, directed by Jonathan Fox Bassett

Ianto is excited about the reopening of an old movie theatre called the Electro, and he convinces Gwen and Owen to accompany him to the first show. It's meant to be a compilation of old footage depicting Cardiff as it was eighty years ago, but the film somehow takes on a life of its own, repeatedly playing clips of an eerie carnival show from that era. Before the projector can be switched off, two figures from the reel step off the screen and escape into the real world. Jack realises that they're sinister figures whom he investigated long ago: the Night Travellers, who have the power to literally drain the breath from someone's body.

Adrift by Chris Chibnall, directed by Mark Everest

Andy Davidson asks Gwen to look into the disappearance of a teenaged boy named Jonah Bevan, seven months earlier. Surveillance footage depicts him vanishing into thin air, and Jack arriving on the scene less than an hour later. However, Jack insists that it's just a coincidence, and that he doesn't know what happened to Jonah. Gwen is prepared to abandon the investigation, but Andy convinces her to meet Jonah's distraught mum, Nikki. Through Nikki, she uncovers an epidemic of missing persons in the Cardiff area -- and the Rift seems to be the cause. But, if so, why is Jack so adamant that Gwen stop looking for Jonah?

Fragments by Chris Chibnall, directed by Jonathan Fox Bassett

The Torchwood team is lured into a deserted building, where an explosive trap awaits them. As they lay upon the brink of death, their lives -- and especially the circumstances of their initiation into Torchwood -- flash before their eyes. Jack is hunted by the Victorian-era Torchwood. Tosh is blackmailed into stealing government secrets. Ianto pleads for a job in the wake of Torchwood One's obliteration. Owen finds himself involved in a tragic medical mystery. Meanwhile, it's up to Gwen and Rhys to rescue their friends, before it's too late. And just who has embarked on a vendetta against Torchwood?

Exit Wounds by Chris Chibnall, directed by Ashley Way

Captain John Hart sets off Rift events and massive explosions all across Cardiff, forcing the Torchwood team to split up to handle the crisis. While Gwen deals with a police force in chaos and Owen tries to avert meltdown at a nuclear reactor, Jack confronts John. But his former partner isn't in control of the situation: he's being manipulated by Jack's brother, Gray, who has bonded a bomb to his flesh. Having been tortured for years by a sadistic alien race, Gray blames Jack for his fate -- and now he desires nothing more than to destroy Jack, and everything he holds dear.

Tosh is fatally shot by Gray, while Owen dies after being engulfed in radioactive gas.

Making History

Torchwood's initial run had proved to be a monster hit for BBC Three, earning the programme a promotion to BBC Two for its sophomore season. To provide another incentive for viewers, recent Doctor Who companion Martha Jones was added to the cast list for three episodes. And the programme experienced its first departures from the regular cast, with Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman leaving in the finale.

Season Three: All Fall Down

The Production Team

With Chris Chibnall having left Torchwood to serve as the executive producer of Law & Order: UK, Russell T Davies spearheaded the writing process for Season Three.

The Story

Children Of Earth by Russell T Davies, John Fay and James Moran, directed by Euros Lyn

In 1965 Scotland, a mysterious alien race known only as “the 456” abducted a group of orphans. Now the 456 are coming back, and are broadcasting portents of their return through every child on the face of the Earth -- including Jack's grandson and Ianto's niece and nephew. When Gwen learns of a psychiatric patient who has also picked up the 456 transmissions, she soon uncovers his connection to the disappearances in 1965. But forces within the British government, coordinated by Home Office civil servant John Frobisher, are conspiring against Torchwood... and what's left of the team is soon on the run.

Ianto is killed by a virus unleashed by the 456.

Making History

For its third season, Torchwood completed its rise up the ranks of BBC broadcasting by moving to BBC One... but, in the process, saw its episode count reduced to just five installments, which would comprise a single mammoth story. The shortened run scuppered plans to add Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) and Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) as regular characters -- a development which had been set up in the 2008 Doctor Who adventure The Stolen Earth / Journey's End. Torchwood was also given a broadcast schedule which was both unprecedented in the history of the Doctor Who franchise, and seemingly destined to disappoint: the five parts of Children Of Earth would be broadcast daily over the course of a single week, but in the television graveyard of midsummer. Nonetheless, the risky experiment paid off, attracting more attention and acclaim to Torchwood than ever before.

Season Four: Miracle Day

The Characters

A rising star within the Central Intelligence Agency, Rex Matheson found himself saved from death by the timely intervention of Miracle Day, and then thrust into an uneasy alliance with Torchwood to uncover the conspiracy behind the Miracle.

Mekhi Phifer (bio) made his first appearance as Rex in The New World (July 2011) and his last in The Blood Line (September 2011).

CIA analyst Esther Drummond was forced to go underground with Torchwood alongside her superior, Rex Matheson, as they investigated the cataclysmic Miracle Day.

Alexa Havins (bio) made her first appearance as Esther in The New World (July 2011) and her last in The Blood Line (September 2011).

The Stories

		The New World by Russell T Davies, directed by Bharat Nalluri One day, all over the world, death... stops. From CIA Agent Rex Matheson to death row inmate Oswald Danes, injuries and diseases that should be lethal suddenly aren't. Even Gwen Cooper -- in hiding on the coast of Wales with Rhys and their baby, Anwen -- learns that her father has survived a seemingly fatal heart attack. Moments after the onset of the so-called Miracle Day, an e-mail is distributed to the CIA containing just a single word: “Torchwood”. With the help of his analyst, Esther Drummond, Rex goes in search of Gwen. But somebody else is on her trail, too, forcing an explosive reunion with Jack Harkness.
		Rendition by Doris Egan, directed by Billy Gierhart Rex escorts Jack and Gwen to the United States with the help of his former lover, Lyn Peterfield. But sinister elements within the CIA are already mobilising to stop Torchwood before it can even begin to investigate the Miracle. Esther finds herself on the run from those she trusted, while Jack's newfound mortality is put to the test. Meanwhile, Jilly Kitzinger, a public relations representative for pharmaceutical company PhiCorp, has designs on both Oscar Danes and Rex's surgeon, Dr Vera Juarez. And, all over the world, the Miracle is raising questions of ethics and morality that threaten to fundamentally change the nature of human society.
		Dead Of Night by Jane Espenson, directed by Billy Gierhart Even as they struggle to work as a team, Jack, Gwen, Rex and Esther start investigating the Miracle. A trail of clues leads them to a warehouse which contains a massive stockpile of Phicorp pharmaceuticals -- a cache the company began amassing more than a year before Miracle Day. At the same time, Oswald Danes becomes the champion of a movement that demands the deregulation of prescription drugs, an event which would send Phicorp profits skyrocketing. It becomes clear that Phicorp knew of the Miracle in advance... but are they its cause, or merely its beneficiaries?
		Escape To LA by Jim Gray and John Shiban, directed by Billy Gierhart Torchwood sets its sights on top secret data hidden at a Phicorp installation in Los Angeles. Before they leave Washington, however, Esther's decision to visit her sister -- whose psychological problems have been exacerbated by the events following Miracle Day -- draws a Phicorp assassin onto their trail. Meanwhile, Oswald finds his status as a media sensation challenged by Ellis Hartley Monroe, a conservative politician who advocates a grim fate for the “living deceased”. And, in Wales, the next stage in Phicorp's exploitation of the Miracle has very personal consequences for the Torchwood team.
		The Categories Of Life by Jane Espenson, directed by Guy Ferland As the ill are moved into camps all across the world, the United Nations announces that life has been redefined into three categories: Category 1 (the unrecoverable), Category 2 (those who will heal) and Category 3 (the healthy). In California, Rex and Esther are joined by Dr Juarez as they infiltrate a camp run by the volatile Colin Maloney, in an effort to discover the fate of the Category 1 patients. In Wales, Gwen and Rhys go undercover to rescue her ailing father. And as Oswald prepares to speak at a massive “Miracle Rally”, Jack gives him one last opportunity for redemption.
		The Middle Men by John Shiban, directed by Guy Ferland At the San Pedro Overflow Camp, Rex desperately tries to escape with video footage revealing the truth about the Category 1 patients, even as Esther's search for Dr Juarez places her in danger. In Wales, Gwen and Rhys find themselves racing against time to save Geraint Cooper from incineration. And in Los Angeles, Jack confronts Stuart Owens, the Chief Operating Officer of Phicorp, only to discover that the conspiracy behind Miracle Day is vaster and deeper than he had previously believed. But even as Torchwood strikes a blow against the Miracle, the forces working against them draw ever closer.
		Immortal Sins by Jane Espenson, directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton With her family held hostage, Gwen kidnaps Jack and prepares to deliver him to their enemies. In the process, they discover that the Miracle has a connection to Jack's past: a man named Angelo Colasanto, whom he first met in 1927 New York. In Angelo, Jack saw an opportunity to share his adventures, in much the same way that Rose healed the loneliness of the Doctor's travels. But Angelo became horrified when he discovered the nature of Jack's immortality. The result was one of the most terrible days of Jack's long life, with consequences that would echo all the way to the present.
		End Of The Road by Ryan Scott and Jane Espenson, directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton In the home of Angelo Colasanto, the Torchwood team forges an uneasy alliance with Allen Shapiro, Rex and Esther's CIA superior. They learn that the true force behind the Miracle is a coalition of three families -- Ablemarch, Costerdane and Frines -- who have erased themselves from the history books after witnessing Jack's torture in 1928. But even as the Three Families close in on Torchwood, Jack realises that Angelo has found a way to counteract the Miracle, using technology recovered from the ruins of the Hub. And, as the world economy teeters on the brink of disaster, Oswald and Jilly's paths suddenly and violently diverge.
		The Gathering by John Fay, directed by Guy Ferland Two months after the Torchwood team was scattered across both sides of the Atlantic, the world is plunging into economic depression and political fascism. Then none other than Oswald Danes arrives on Gwen's doorstep, having unwittingly unearthed a vital clue in Jilly Kitzinger's files. It leads Torchwood to conclude that the mysterious Blessing can be found in two places, situated at diametrically opposite points on the globe: Shanghai, China and Buenos Aires, Argentina. But even as Torchwood embarks on a final mission to save the world, Jilly finds herself invited into the heart of the conspiracy...
		The Blood Line by Jane Espenson and Russell T Davies, directed by Billy Gierhart Jack, Gwen and Oswald confront Jilly and the Mother in Shanghai, while Rex and Esther travel to Buenos Aires. They discover that the Blessing is a seam of apparent nothingness which runs through the heart of the planet and may be just as old, connected in some way to mankind's morphogenic field. This is the mechanism by which the Three Families changed humanity, using Jack's blood to render the Earth's population immortal. But in order to reverse the Miracle, all of the Torchwood members will have to stare death in the face... and not everyone will survive the ordeal.

Making History

For Torchwood's final season, the BBC entered into a co-production arrangement with the Starz network in the United States. The result was another season-long story in the vein of Children Of Earth, but told over ten episodes rather than just five, and with action spanning no fewer than four continents. A significant American presence, both within the narrative and amongst the cast and crew, made this a very different Torchwood in some respects. But Russell T Davies did not forget what had drawn a dedicated audience to the show in the first place. Jack, Gwen and Rhys remained at the heart of Torchwood for its last on-screen adventure and, despite the story's globetrotting ambit, Wales was still prominent as the programme's spiritual home.

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