13 –"End of Days" | |||
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Torchwood episode | |||
Cast | |||
Starring | |||
Others
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Production | |||
Directed by | Ashley Way | ||
Written by | Chris Chibnall | ||
Script editor | Brian Minchin | ||
Produced by | Richard Stokes Chris Chibnall (co-producer) | ||
Executive producer(s) | Russell T Davies Julie Gardner | ||
Music by | Murray Gold Ben Foster | ||
Production code | 1.13 | ||
Series | Series 1 | ||
Running time | 50 mins | ||
First broadcast | 1 January 2007 | ||
Chronology | |||
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"End of Days" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood . It originally aired on the digital television channel BBC Three on 1 January 2007, alongside the previous episode, "Captain Jack Harkness". The episode was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Ashley Way.
Continuing from the events of "Captain Jack Harkness", the episode involves the time-travelling clock seller Bilis Manger (Murray Melvin) manipulating members of a team of alien hunters called Torchwood into opening a rift in time and space which would cause the release of the demon Abaddon.
The episode received three 2008 BAFTA Cymru award nominations, though none of them was won.
After Owen opened the Rift to rescue Toshiko and Jack, [N 1] the Rift splinters, causing temporal cracks to widen, bringing individuals from different eras to the present day. Jack orders Torchwood to bring anyone that fell through time into Torchwood's vaults.
Toshiko and Owen investigate cases of the Black Death in a local Cardiff hospital, where Toshiko sees a glimpse of her mother, while PC Andy informs Jack and Gwen that they have a Roman soldier in police custody. In that time, Gwen sees a glimpse of Bilis Manger. Ianto sees his dead girlfriend Lisa in the vaults, who tries to convince him to open the Rift. [N 2] During a heated argument, Jack fires Owen. While at a bar, Owen sees Diane, who tries to convince him to open the Rift. [N 3]
Jack and Gwen go to Bilis' clock shop, where they learn that Bilis can step between eras in time. When Jack leaves, Bilis shows Gwen a vision where her boyfriend Rhys dies. Gwen rushes to Rhys and has him imprisoned in the vaults for protection. However, Bilis causes a power cut to raise a security breach in the Hub, releases Rhys, and kills him. Gwen and Jack find Rhys' body in a pool of blood. Jack tells Gwen that they cannot bring him back, but she knows the only hope of restoring him is to open the Rift. All but Jack agree to this. Jack attempts to stop them by holding the team at gunpoint. When he insults them, Owen attacks and kills him, and scans his and the team's retinas and opens the Rift. After Jack comes back to life, they discover that Bilis has manipulated the team to open the Rift, in order to release Abaddon whose shadow kills anyone who touches it. This gives Jack an idea; he cannot die, so it can feed off his life. The shadow attacks Jack, but a blue light flows out of his chest and destroys Abaddon, killing Jack.
The Rift is now closed, but volatile. Gwen is relieved to see Rhys alive. After several days, Jack comes back to life. Jack forgives Owen and hugs him. As the rest of Torchwood go for a coffee run, Jack sees a severed hand glowing. He then hears the sound of the TARDIS materialising and departs. [N 4] Gwen is perplexed at Jack's sudden departure, believing something has taken him.
"End of Days" aired on 1 January 2007, alongside "Captain Jack Harkness". [1] It received total viewing figures of 1.232 million, placing Torchwood number one on the top ten most viewed television series on multi-channel television the week it aired in the United Kingdom. [2] The episode represented Torchwood in three BAFTA Cymru awards, including "Best Drama Series," Ben Foster for "Best Original Music Soundtrack," and Eve Myles for "Best Actress." [3]
"End of Days" received mixed reviews from critics. Brigid Cherry of Total Sci Fi rated the episode 5 out of 10, describing the episode's gaps and dangling plot threads as "downright annoying," and felt preceding episode "Captain Jack Harkness" was more intriguing. [4] Iain Clarke of Strange Horizons thought the episode "showcased every one of the show's worst excesses and precious few of its redeeming features," and that the episode was "heir to the myriad unresolved tensions and neuroses which the characters have exhibited over the course of the season." [1] Paul Clarke of Outpost Gallifrey called the episode an "utter mess," thought Abaddon was less interesting than the Beast in Doctor Who 's "The Satan Pit", but praised the episode for Murray Melvin's role as Bilis. [5]
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. The character first appears in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and subsequently features in the remaining episodes of the first series (2005) as a companion to the series' protagonist, the Doctor. Subsequent to this, Jack became the central character in the adult-themed Torchwood, which aired from 2006 to 2011. Barrowman reprised the role for appearances in Doctor Who in its third, fourth, and twelfth series, as well as specials "The End of Time", and "Revolution of the Daleks".
Gwen Elizabeth Cooper is a fictional character portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles in the BBC science-fiction television programme Torchwood, a spin-off of the long-running series Doctor Who. The lead female character, Gwen featured in every episode of the show's 2006–2011 run, as well as two 2008 crossover episodes of Doctor Who. Gwen appears in Expanded Universe material such as the Torchwood novels and audiobooks, comic books and radio plays.
Dr Owen James Harper is a fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. The character last appeared onscreen in the Series 2 finale, "Exit Wounds".
Toshiko "Tosh" Sato is a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London" (2005), Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood premiere episode "Everything Changes" (2006). The character appears in every episode of the show's first two series as well as Expanded Universe material including Torchwood novels, audiobooks and comic strips.
"Everything Changes" is the first episode of the British science fiction television programme Torchwood, which was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three on 22 October 2006. The story was written by show creator and executive producer Russell T Davies as an introduction to the show's mythos. The episode re-introduces Captain Jack Harkness, who had proved popular in the first series of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, as the leader of Torchwood, a team of alien hunters.
"Ghost Machine" is the third episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on the digital television channel BBC Three on 29 October 2006.
"Out of Time" is the tenth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was originally broadcast on the digital television channel BBC Three on 17 December 2006.
"Captain Jack Harkness" is the twelfth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was originally broadcast on the digital television channel BBC Three on 1 January 2007.
"Countrycide" is the sixth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was originally broadcast on the digital television channel BBC Three on 19 November 2006.
"Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" is the first episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on BBC Two on 16 January 2008.
"Adam" is the fifth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on BBC Two on 13 February 2008.
"Dead Man Walking" is the seventh episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was broadcast by BBC Three and BBC HD on 20 February 2008; it made its terrestrial debut on BBC Two on 27 February.
"Adrift" is the eleventh episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was first broadcast on BBC Three on 19 March 2008, and repeated on BBC Two one week later. The episode was written by series one and two head writer Chris Chibnall, directed by Mark Everest and produced by Sophie Fante and Richard Stokes. The episode featured the five initial series regulars John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori and Gareth David Lloyd plus recurring actors Kai Owen and Tom Price.
"Fragments" is the twelfth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on BBC Three on 21 March 2008.
"Exit Wounds" is the thirteenth and final episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast on BBC Two on 4 April 2008. It marked the final appearance of Burn Gorman as Owen Harper and Naoko Mori as Toshiko Sato, with both characters being killed off at the end of the episode. It is also the final Torchwood episode in its original format.
Children of Earth is the banner title of the third and penultimate series of the British television science fiction programme Torchwood, which broadcast for five episodes on BBC One from 6 to 10 July 2009. The series had new producer Peter Bennett and was directed by Euros Lyn, who had considerable experience on the revived Doctor Who, Torchwood's parent show. The eponymous series is about an organization known as Torchwood which defends the Earth against alien threats. The plot of Children of Earth deals with aliens demanding 10% of the Earth's children, and a related earlier conspiracy 40 years ago; as such, Torchwood is pitted against the British government when the government attempts to conceal its past actions and accede to the present-day aliens' demands. The first, third, and fifth episodes of the serial were written by executive producer Russell T Davies, who also conceived its overall storyline. The third episode was co-written by James Moran whilst the second and fourth were penned by newcomer John Fay.
Rhys Alun Williams, portrayed by Kai Owen, is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. The character is introduced in the premiere episode as the co-habiting boyfriend of the principal character Gwen Cooper. Initially a recurring character, Rhys' role is increased after the second series; actor Kai Owen is given star billing from the show's third series — a five-part serial subtitled Torchwood: Children of Earth — onwards. The character has gone on to appear in expanded universe material such as the Torchwood novels and audiobooks, comic books and radio plays.
Captain John Hart, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character from the BBC science fiction television programme Torchwood. He is introduced in the episode "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"—the first episode of Torchwood's second series. Whilst the character has not featured subsequently to the second series finale, he went on to appear in a Torchwood Magazine comic strip and Marsters has stated his interest in reprising the role on more than one occasion.