Rendition (Torchwood)

Last updated

33 "Rendition"
Torchwood episode
Cast
Starring
Others
Production
Directed byBilly Gierhart
Written by Doris Egan
Produced byKelly A. Manners
Executive producer(s)
Music by Murray Gold
Production code102
Series Miracle Day
Running time54 mins
First broadcast15 July 2011 (2011-07-15) (US)
21 July 2011 (UK)
Chronology
 Preceded by
"The New World"
Followed by 
"Dead of Night"
List of Torchwood episodes

"Rendition" is the second episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day , the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood . It was originally broadcast in the United States on Starz on 15 July 2011, in Canada on Space on 16 July 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 21 July 2011.

Contents

Torchwood: Miracle Day follows the aftermath of a day where humanity has stopped being able to die. In the episode, Central Intelligence Agency agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) takes Torchwood team members Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who is the only mortal human, and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) on a plane to the United States. During the flight, a traitor in the CIA (Dichen Lachman) poisons Jack with arsenic and Rex, helped by Dr. Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur), find an antidote using only items found on the plane.

Plot

Rex has Jack and Gwen board a plane headed to Washington, D.C., with fellow CIA agent Lyn Peterfield escorting them. However, Gwen's husband Rhys and their daughter Anwen are forced to stay in the UK. Back in Washington, D.C., because no one can die due to the Miracle, Dr. Vera Juarez has her hospital staff focus on treating the least wounded first so they can get them out quickly and have enough beds to treat newer patients.

After his release, Oswald is being interviewed on a local talk show but doesn't say much since there is a campaign to have him returned to prison and anything he might say might be used against him. But when the reporter shows him a picture of the girl he murdered, Oswald starts to break down and cries, apologising to the girl and revealing he was too scared to apologise to the victim's mother, which earns him sympathy from some viewers. As he's about to leave the TV station, PR agent Jilly Kitzinger congratulates him on his interview and offers to be his agent but he declines, after which a TV staffer tells Oswald that Oprah Winfrey wants to do an interview with him.

Meanwhile, Vera attends a medical conference where doctors are trying to figure out the Miracle. When a doctor tweets that his hospital needs more antibiotics, Vera realises because nobody is dying, people who were supposed to die have become living incubators for bacteria which allows them to grow and become resistant to antibiotics. What's worse, the Miracle is not true immortality as people still age and grow old. With fears that supplies will dwindle as the undying grows, Vera suggests that hospitals need more painkillers to handle this situation. Later, Vera meets Jilly who actually works for a pharmaceutical company called PhiCorp and convinces Vera that they can work together as she can help her.

When Director Brian Friedkin suspects Esther and Rex may know too much about Torchwood, he has their security clearances deleted, frames them as spies working for China and orders Lyn to kill Jack with an arsenic pill. However, Esther manages to escape before the CIA catches her and tries to warn Rex. Back on the plane, Jack realises that he's being poisoned, at which point both Gwen and Rex apprehend Lyn. As Jack is slowly being killed by the arsenic, Rex calls Vera for help. With the help of her fellow doctors at the medical conference and the air stewards on their plane, Rex and Gwen successfully create an antidote and administer it to Jack.

When Jack, Gwen, Rex and Lyn arrive at the airport, they are met by a group of CIA agents, unaware that they are under orders by Friedkin to arrest the three and free Lyn. Esther manages to warn Rex at which point he, Jack and Gwen subdue the agents and escape. During the fight Rex twists Lyn's head and breaks her neck. When the three exit the airport, they are greeted by Vera with Rex's painkillers, and Esther, who is their getaway driver. They are about to leave when Lyn, still alive but with her head twisted around 180 degrees, appears in front of them. She is unable to stop them due to her condition, and they are able to drive off.

Broadcast

This episode was broadcast on Starz in the US on Friday 15 July. It was aired in the UK on BBC 1 on Thursday 21 July. International broadcasters in Canada and Australia received the show on Saturday 16 July, where it was broadcast on Australia's UKTV network.

Entertainment Weekly reported that this episode on Starz was watched by "1.4 million this weekend, down about 30 percent[ sic ] from last week's debut." [1]

Reception

Chris Swanson from WhatCulture gave the episode 4 stars, saying:

I liked this episode. It wasn’t exactly action-packed or anything like that, but it did feature some nice moments, like a conversation between Gwen and Jack about how dangerous being around him is (shades of similar conversations on Doctor Who).


I also very much liked that they are continuing to examine the logistics of exactly what would happen in a situation like this. No one has yet suggested mandatory birth control, but we do see discussions about the fact that the entire medical industry would have to change from a life-saving position to one that’s more about pain management. [2]

Related Research Articles

Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from BBC Three to BBC Two to BBC One, and acquiring American financing in its fourth series when it became a co-production of BBC One and Starz. Torchwood is aimed at adults and older teenagers, in contrast to Doctor Who's target audience of both adults and children. As well as science fiction, the show explores a number of themes, including existentialism, LGBTQ+ sexuality, and human corruptibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Cooper</span> Fictional character from the television series Torchwood

Gwen 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.

Andy Davidson (<i>Torchwood</i>) Fictional character

Andy Davidson is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, portrayed by Tom Price, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. Andy, an officer with the South Wales Police, is a supporting character who first appears in Torchwood's premiere episode "Everything Changes" and recurs regularly from thereon. Though initially only credited as 'PC Andy', the character's surname 'Davidson' was given in novels and online media and eventually confirmed by dialogue in Children of Earth, "Day Three" (2009). Like Gwen's partner, Rhys, Andy is used by the production team as an everyman character who grounds the series in a recognisable real-world setting. The character had originally been slated to be killed off in the first series, though the production team had a change of heart, believing him to work well as a supporting character. Both cast and crew, as well as professional reviewers have spoken of the character's role in providing comic relief and an outsider's perspective on the Torchwood Institute.

Rhys Williams (<i>Torchwood</i>) Fictional character of Torchwood

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.

<i>Torchwood: Miracle Day</i> 2011 Torchwood series

Torchwood: Miracle Day is the fourth and final series of the British science fiction television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running show Doctor Who. In contrast to the first three series, which were produced by the BBC, the fourth series was a British–American co-production involving the BBC's drama production house BBC Cymru Wales for BBC Worldwide and the US premium network Starz. It was broadcast in ten episodes beginning on 8 July 2011 (U.S.) and 14 July 2011 (UK).

Agent Rex Matheson, portrayed by Mekhi Phifer, is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. Phifer was one of three American actors to join Torchwood in its fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day (2011), as part of a then-new co-production between Torchwood's British network, BBC One, and its American financiers on US premium television network Starz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Juarez</span> Fictional character

Dr Vera Juarez is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who, portrayed by Cuban American actress Arlene Tur. The character was promoted as one of five new main characters to join Torchwood in its fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day (2011), as part of a new co-production between Torchwood's British network, BBC One, and its American financiers on US premium television network Starz. Tur appears in the first five of the overall ten episodes, and is credited as a 'special guest star'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esther Drummond</span> Fictional character in Torchwood

Esther Drummond, portrayed by Alexa Havins, is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. Havins is one of several American actors to join Torchwood in its fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day, which was co-produced by Torchwood's original British network BBC One and the American television network Starz. The character appears in every episode of the fourth series in addition to a prequel novel, The Men Who Sold the World.

"The New World" is the first episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth and final series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was first broadcast in the United States on Starz on 8 July 2011, in Canada on Space on 9 July 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 14 July 2011. It introduced Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond and Oswald Danes to the cast.

"Dead of Night" is the third episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was originally broadcast in the United States on Starz on 22 July 2011, in Canada on Space on 23 July 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 28 July 2011.

"The Categories of Life" is the fifth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was first broadcast in the United States on Starz on 5 August 2011 and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 11 August.

"The Middle Men" is the sixth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was originally broadcast in the United States on Starz on 12 August 2011.

"Immortal Sins" is the seventh episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was originally broadcast in the United States on Starz on 19 August 2011.

"End of the Road" is the eighth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was first broadcast in the United States on Starz on 26 August 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 1 September 2011.

"The Gathering" is the ninth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was first broadcast in the United States on Starz on 2 September 2011.

"The Blood Line" is the tenth and final episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was first broadcast in the United States on Starz on 9 September 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oswald Danes</span> Fictional character in Torchwood

Oswald Danes is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who and is portrayed by American actor Bill Pullman. The character was promoted as one of five new main characters to join Torchwood in its fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day (2011), as part of a new co-production between Torchwood's British network, BBC One, and its American financiers on US premium television network Starz. Pullman appears in eight of the ten episodes, and is credited as a series regular. Whilst reaction to the serial and Pullman's character was mixed, Pullman's portrayal was praised by critics and in 2012 he received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor on Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jilly Kitzinger</span> Fictional character

Jilly Kitzinger is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who, portrayed by American actress Lauren Ambrose. The character was promoted as one of five new main characters to join Torchwood in its fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day (2011), as part of a new co-production between Torchwood's British network, BBC One, and its American financiers on US premium television network Starz. Ambrose appears in seven of the ten episodes, and is credited as a "special guest star" throughout. Whilst reaction to the serial was mixed, Ambrose' portrayal was often singled out by critics for particular praise and in 2012 she received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress on Television.

References

  1. Hibberd, James (18 July 2011). "'Torchwood' ratings dip for second episode". Inside TV. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  2. Swanson, Chris (18 July 2011). "TV Review: Torchwood Miracle Day, 4.2 – "Rendition"". WhatCulture!.