Analysing Torchwood - Part Two
Well, here's the second part of my little analysis of Torchwood. I just want to clear something up from the last entry - Ianto holds an Honours Degree in Literature and History according to the novel "SkyPoint". Save for the first three novels, all of the Torchwood novels have remained true to canon.
Anaylysing Torchwood - Part Two
Previously: "Fragments" flashback and Ianto and Jack's first meeting
Everything Changes
When we meet Gwen Cooper, she is the strictly professional police officer who'll grab a coffee off another PC and when he tells her its an order, she's like "tough" and gets down to business. From the beginning we can see the leadership in Gwen, but also the stubbornness and bossiness that we have come to know well.
Gwen, unlike the others, we are introduced to without them being surrounded by the other members of Torchwood, giving us an insight into her as an individual. She was our way into Torchwood in the beginning, so we needed her subjective and analytical traits, not to mention her stubbornness, to bring us into that world.
It's interesting to see that Gwen is so detached from the case at this point in time. It's just another dead body, and as they stand there watching the investigation she and Andy are having a conversation about where everyone is going out to on Friday night. Gwen isn't interested in solving the case at all, but this may be because she won't have the opportunity as she is not ranking enough to be anything other than the person who guards the body at the crime scene. However, the minute something out of order happens, Gwen's interest is captured. She's all procedure and worried about doing things right, and then Torchwood arrives.
When they first arrive, the team pay no one any attention at all, walking straight past the police and forensic team like they are insignificant. It's clear by the look on Gwen's face that her interest has been captured, wondering who these people are and exactly what gives them the authority to commandeer a crime scene and again she is all procedure - they could contaminate the scene! She no long cares about the coffee she stole, giving it to the forensic guy. She just wants to know what's going on.
Another interesting thing is that when Jack finally glances around, his seems to look at Gwen straight away, then looks around their surroundings, looking upward. We see Gwen watching him, wondering what's going on, and then Jack levels his gaze on her directly, watching her for a long moment before returning his attention to the scene. It is almost like he is testing her, giving her the hint to find a higher viewing ground, a hint that Gwen picks up on which leads her to the observation point in the car park.
It's also worth noting that Jack and Ianto's first meeting is during a Weevil hunt and their first conversation is in effect a dance of weariness and flirtation, whereas Gwen's first observations are of Jack as a leader and the first thing she hears him say is his comment about contraceptives in the rain, cluing her into the fact that he is different. Ianto sees Jack as a hunter; Gwen sees him as a leader.
We also see a quick flash to Gwen when Jack says his name (the only other time Jack says it without flirtation), her first clue as to who he is and it is that clue that leads to her investigation. It gives her a starting point, because frankly, she wants answers as to what exactly is going on. Because she is shocked - it is clear by the expression on her face - and she cannot understand what she has seen. And then Jack throws her for a loop - he'd known she was there the whole time, and Gwen flees. It's just too much for her at this point in time, and she needs time to process it.
And who do we meet when Gwen is lost and confused? Her stability - Rhys. Gwen comes home and there's her man, sitting on the couch watching one of his reality programs. Gwen is pleased to see him, but interestingly enough, when he asks her about seeing the murder on the news and if she was there, she lies to him.
Now, there is no reason at all for her to be lying at this point, however it may be because she is still trying to work out what happened and doesn't want to answer any questions she doesn't have the answer too. We see her avoid his eye when she is lying to him, then turn the questioning around back onto him. We are given our first mention of Banana Boat here as well, setting things up for later in the series.
Even this early on in the series Rhys represents normalcy. After Gwen has seen something so incredible, here's Rhys talking about having a cup of tea with Banana Boat and lamenting on how he is becoming middle aged. These are such normal things, and right at that moment normal is what Gwen needs. We also see the shot of Gwen and Rhys asleep, curled up next to each other and comfortable, lying in a way that screams ‘long-term couple’. And yet she can't sleep.
The next morning we see Gwen's obsession with Jack begin. She has spent the night thinking about him, and that name is her only lead to finding out what's going on. She can't just walk away after what she saw. It's also interesting that we see Gwen handing out the coffees - she's the coffee girl, a role that is Ianto's within Torchwood, and then we see Gwen move up as soon as she joins Torchwood.
And then she catches a glimpse of a greatcoat, and suddenly Gwen once again has a lead. She forgets about her injuries and follows her impulse, not caring where she is going. She just wants to get to the bottom of the mystery, and she knows Jack is the answer. She doesn't care about danger - she isn't aware of the danger. She is naive and fresh, which leads to Jack grabbing and dragging her to safety, yet again not even giving Gwen time to process what happened. She keeps running, back out into the normalcy of the hospital going about its everyday business, a vast contrast to what she has seen. This time, however, Gwen doesn't flee - she follows.
We are given our first glimpse of the SUV (and Jack's driving), as Gwen follows them back to the Plass, unintentionally leaving Andy behind. Gwen is purely fixated on finding them, confused as she learns more about Jack that just doesn't make sense. He is a mystery to her, a mystery she wants to solve, and she wants to find out exactly what Torchwood is. And then they add more to the mystery - they vanished right in front of her. But now she has a place to stake out, trying to work out what happened, especially since no one believes her and are putting it down to her concussion. Interestingly, as Andy leads her away we are given a CCTV shot - is Torchwood watching?
Again, after all the odd things Gwen once more returns home to her normalcy - her Rhys. And once again, we see her lying and unable to look him in the eye. We also see her use the line "forgive me. Say you forgive me", a line that will become key to an episode later in the first season. Gwen seems comfortable lying to Rhys, while Rhys has complete faith and trust in her. It is evident that they love each other, but Gwen seems to be craving more excitement in her life given the fact she lies to Rhys so easily, meaning she does it often. It may be that mere action of lying to him and getting away with it is a thrill to her, and now she has something to really lie about.
Once more, we are given CCTV footage, only this time we are also given a glimpse of the Torchwood mainframe. There is no doubt that Torchwood is watching her every move, knowing what Gwen is planning as she goes to Jubilee Pizza. Again, it is the name Harkness she tries first, the name she is fixated on and who she knows now is the leader. Using the name "Torchwood" is an afterthought, but she gets results. Meanwhile, this whole time Jack has putting together an intimidating introduction for Gwen to the Hub, having Ianto, Suzie, Tosh and Owen set themselves up for maximum effect. He wants her to remember this, and the music of the scene feeds into it.
Gwen's first point of access into the Torchwood is via the Tourist Information Centre, and this is when we are given our very first look at Ianto for the series. He appears from the back room, a face without a name, drop dead gorgeous and all smiles although there is a glitter of mischief in his eye. He is all professional and mystery, establishing our image of him perfectly for the rest of the series.
He becomes Gwen's first point of contact, remaining stoic and posed as he intimidates her, unnerving Gwen with his tactics. Gwen is rattled, but Ianto remains solid, sending her down into the Hub with a smile on his face. Ianto follows Jack's plan exactly, seeming to have found his place within Torchwood during the 3-6 months that he has been there, still immaculate in the suits Jack likes so much.
Once Gwen enters the Hub, Jack joins in, walking past her without looking at her and moving to his office as if she wasn't there. It is all about intimidation, scaring Gwen, and they are doing a very good job of it.... until Owen and Tosh burst out laughing. Until that point, and while Gwen is looking around at the others, she is completely focused on Jack, unable to take her eyes off him.
Even when Gwen discovers Torchwood, she is once again about procedure and what she thinks is "real'. Jack pushes her, moving slowly toward he and repeating his question "what did you see" until she gives him the answer. He is testing her again, taking pleasure in pushing her toward the correct answer and pleased that she eventually gets there.
Gwen clearly intrigues him - she has found her way down into the Hub - and he is currently fascinated by her. Gwen, on the other hand, is completely on the defensive. She doesn’t trust him, and just wants answers. Jack detects that, sizing her up as she tells him her name, and given the look on his face no doubt Jack has already researched her like he did all the others.
And then he gives her the ultimate test - her shows her the Weevil. The entire time they are in the cells, Jack is assessing Gwen, gauging her reaction. He begins by watching the Weevil, keeping her attention on it, only glancing at her when he tells her what it eats, while Gwen stands behind him in complete disbelief. But the minute Jack tells her to look into its eyes, his eyes never leave her, and he guides her into the chair, gentle with her for the first time. Gwen is shocked by the alien, but doesn't break. She passes his test.
Jack then leads her back into the Hub, and with an air of pride introduces her to his team. Gwen just glances at each in turn, each team member nodding their greeting or making their comments. The member that receives the most attention is Ianto, who has come downstairs to join them in the introduction.
Jack's tone changes as he introduces Ianto, something Gwen picks up on as she gets her first proper look at the man who had scared the absolute crap out of her earlier with complete ease. Ianto offers her a tight smile, on guard and still reserved, but responding to Jack's compliments. He has indeed become everything that he had used as part of his begging speech to convince Jack to hire him, and responding to Jack's flirting with a playful warning and a sparkle in his eyes. This flirtatious banter has evidently become an old game to them.
Gwen is straight back on guard, Jack finding her paranoia amusing. While the others are looking on unconcerned as Gwen questions their motives, Ianto becomes uncomfortable and chooses that moment to retreat into Jack's office so not to have to face the conversation. It may be that he hasn’t been with Torchwood Three long enough yet to be used to their procedures like the others are.
Jack quickly shuts Gwen down, going straight back to business and moving back out of the office that Ianto has just entered, Jack deliberately finding a way around answering Gwen's questions. This is just something that is not talked about, and Gwen is still completely defensive and clearly uncomfortable and Jack recognises this. The rest of the team go straight back to work as Jack leads Gwen out.
We then are given another key line: Gwen, clearly becoming irritated, tells Jack "I'm getting tired of following you" to which Jack stops dead and turns to face her, a smile on his face as he meets her eye. "No you're not. And you never will". He leans into Gwen slightly as he says this, and the steps brings them eye-to-eye (something we rarely see, literally or otherwise), but Gwen is still closed to him. Her body language is tense and her face expressionless, while Jack is open. She still doesn't trust him, while he is comfortable in his domain. As Jack leans forward, Gwen leans back, not wanting this man in her space.
When Jack helps her on onto the lift, Gwen becomes even tenser in his touch, eyes toward the roof. She clearly hates that he is touching her, because this man she sees as dangerous - he covered up a murder and the PC in her sees that as just as wrong as committing the murder himself. Jack senses that Gwen is tense, and that's when we finally see him falter, looking at her wearily. Despite this he is still leaning into her, Gwen keeping her back slightly to him as he opens the portal to the roof.
Gwen grabs his arm for stability, stunned by what is happening, Jack amused by her reaction. Gwen drops his arm first, and is only then that Jack lowers his arm, showing off the wonders of the lift in an attempt to impress her. Gwen is impressed, but immediately goes straight back her questioning. Where Ianto questioned Jack's lies and plans, Gwen is questioning the reality of the technology and the existence of aliens. Jack found it cute to begin with, but now it is starting to frustrate him, which is why he aims low and insults her nationality. Gwen is knocked onto the back foot, glancing firstly at him, then the lift, trying to work out just what happened even as Jack leaves her behind and Gwen goes straight back to following him.
Jack takes her out for a drink, watching in amusement as Gwen drinks a good portion of her drink and knowing he's drugged her, but not cluing her in on the fact. He waits until she has drunk anything (Jack himself drinking water), before he begins to talk. Again, we see that Jack is growing increasingly irritated by Gwen's questions that cover the same territory over and over, and takes his frustration with all of humanity out on her. She becomes the target of his annoyance, and Gwen becomes uncomfortable, making excuses which annoys Jack further. The minute he insults Rhys, though, Gwen becomes purely defensive, firing a shot back and Jack's amusement returns. Gwen is not impressed, no doubt thinking Jack to be an arrogant prick, and Jack can see that in her eyes.
Gwen tries a different approach, this time finding it more effective as Jack will answer her questions, Jack finding her questions amusing and Gwen now starting to see the light side of it. Gwen brings the questions back to him, Jack leaning back and crossing his arms as he poses to tell her his name, the element of flirtation in his voice but his posture is closed. Gwen goes back to her questioning, using facts and her grip on what she deems to be normal to try and find reasonable explanations to the information that is confusing her. Jack instead gives her roundabout answers, not helping her understand at all.
Then he opens up, explaining Torchwood to her and answering her questions properly. And then, for the second time in less than a year, he is questioned about whether or not Torchwood Three can be trusted with the technology. Where Ianto questioned if the alien technology was safe with Torchwood Three, Gwen points out that Torchwood Three could use it for the wrong purposes, doing more damage than good. Jack goes straight onto the defensive, an answer already prepared, having no doubt been thinking about that since Ianto's questioning in their second meeting.
The more Gwen drinks, the more Jack tells her. They slowly become more at ease with each other, their talk more light-hearted with a small amount of banter as Gwen finally lets her guard down and stops trying to reason everything, and Jack answering more of her questions. Then Gwen asks where Jack is from, and you see Jack gauge his answer before he responds with "all sorts of places". He's not ready to tell Gwen anything - where Jack tells Ianto third meeting his century and that he time travels, on his third meeting with Gwen, he's still dodging questions about himself, not ready to go there yet.
Then Gwen goes straight back to business, back to the policewoman in herself and offering Jack a business proposal. The relaxed look in his eye disappears as he goes back to being defensive, and it is Jack leaning back now when Gwen is leaning forward. She clearly wants to work with him, but he doesn't want to work with the police and shuts her proposal down. The ease of the conversation disappears as Gwen is practically telling Jack that they need to liaise on this murder investigation and he wants nothing to do with it, and Gwen is not happy.
It's when Gwen threatens to take them public that Jack pulls his trump card - he's drugged her. Jack is proud of his retcon, and flashes his egoistical side at her even as she returns to being defensive. Gwen goes back to fleeing, Jack following and threatening her, then confusing her by throwing her a flirtatious wink and disappearing into the night.
Even as Gwen runs home, we can see the look on Jack's face as he walks away, clearly pondering on what's happened but still moving on. Evidently this has all happened before Meanwhile, we see Gwen typing away on her computer. It's interesting that as she writes about Torchwood, she does not seem to include Ianto on her list. This is ironic, because it is Ianto that puts the final nail in the coffin on Gwen's memory by deleting her file. It's interesting that he does this from Jack's computer, which could mean he does not yet have a workstation of his own. Also, we see his skills as a hacker. Normally you would think this job to Tosh, but Jack has trusted it to Ianto.
With Gwen's wiped memory, we see her normality return - and thus appears Rhys. He is there, the doting boyfriend looking after his girlfriend who’s obviously had a rough night. Rhys questions what she said last night about working, but is more concerned about her wellbeing than her lying to him. He knows she was injured, and knows that drinking is bad for a concussion. We also hear about Gwen's friends, and see her return to work in her normal role, again very much the Ianto of the PD.
Where it was Jack that originally led her back to Torchwood, now she can't remember him. It is the knife, and Suzie, that occupies her time. She is ignoring everyone, from Andy to Rhys (who is so much like my bf, cooking her dinner and putting up with her shit *hugs bf*), because she can't get her mind off that knife. Again, the way Gwen and Rhys sleep shows they are have been together a while, comfortable in their relationship.
When Jack appears during the Suzie/Gwen confrontation, Gwen cannot see him, and Jack's complete attention is on Suzie. When Jack stands up after being shot, Gwen can't take her eyes off him, completely shocked. Jack's attention is still on Suzie, the very first woman he hired who has betrayed him. It is not until Gwen says "I remember" that Jack finally looks at her, surprise on his face.
It's interesting that when we return into the Hub, our first shot is of Ianto locking up the glove and knife into the Vault, yet another display of the trust Jack already has in him. Jack is watching him work, meeting Ianto’s' eye when the younger man turns back to look at him with faint concern on his face. Gwen, however, has retreated into the back corner, still coming to terms with everything she has witnessed and no doubt thinking she's about to be retconned again.
When Jack takes Gwen up onto the roof of the Millennium Centre for the final scene, we again hear Gwen mention Owen and Tosh but excluding Ianto. For some reason he doesn't seem to be of any importance to her, or, perhaps, at this point in time Ianto already knows Jack is immortal and this has been revealed to Gwen. Due to the lack of information, both scenarios are possible.
It is clear, though, that Jack is approving of Gwen not telling Tosh and Owen, and by doing this Gwen has won his trust and respect. This is why he reveals to her that he is immortal, but he doesn't go into detail as to what happened. He asks her to keep his secret, and even drops the word "Doctor". Gwen doesn't care, dead sure that he will wipe her mind again so not really taking anything in.
It is then that Jack offers her the job, Gwen clearly shocked by this turn of events. Jack has recognised Gwen's potential as an investigator, and her immunity to retcon has also put him in a tight spot given she has already threatened to make Torchwood public. By offering her the job he has, in effect, done two things - a) he knows that by bringing Gwen into the organisation, it is less likely that she will tell anyone about them, and b) he can keep an eye on her, because she really does intrigue him.
Jack knows that Gwen has something about her that could be helpful to Torchwood, just like Owen and Tosh. Like Ianto Gwen had become a stalker, even though she was not fully aware of what Torchwood was whereas Ianto had been. Gwen has a way with people, and her investigative ability was so good she uncovered them, proving herself to Jack. Gwen, for her part, is still intrigued by both Jack and Torchwood, and jumps as the chance to join. This is a world she is unfamiliar with, and she wants to know more.
And thus the series really begins.
Next Up: "Day One", and Gwen's first day on the job
Anaylysing Torchwood - Part Two
Previously: "Fragments" flashback and Ianto and Jack's first meeting
Everything Changes
When we meet Gwen Cooper, she is the strictly professional police officer who'll grab a coffee off another PC and when he tells her its an order, she's like "tough" and gets down to business. From the beginning we can see the leadership in Gwen, but also the stubbornness and bossiness that we have come to know well.
Gwen, unlike the others, we are introduced to without them being surrounded by the other members of Torchwood, giving us an insight into her as an individual. She was our way into Torchwood in the beginning, so we needed her subjective and analytical traits, not to mention her stubbornness, to bring us into that world.
It's interesting to see that Gwen is so detached from the case at this point in time. It's just another dead body, and as they stand there watching the investigation she and Andy are having a conversation about where everyone is going out to on Friday night. Gwen isn't interested in solving the case at all, but this may be because she won't have the opportunity as she is not ranking enough to be anything other than the person who guards the body at the crime scene. However, the minute something out of order happens, Gwen's interest is captured. She's all procedure and worried about doing things right, and then Torchwood arrives.
When they first arrive, the team pay no one any attention at all, walking straight past the police and forensic team like they are insignificant. It's clear by the look on Gwen's face that her interest has been captured, wondering who these people are and exactly what gives them the authority to commandeer a crime scene and again she is all procedure - they could contaminate the scene! She no long cares about the coffee she stole, giving it to the forensic guy. She just wants to know what's going on.
Another interesting thing is that when Jack finally glances around, his seems to look at Gwen straight away, then looks around their surroundings, looking upward. We see Gwen watching him, wondering what's going on, and then Jack levels his gaze on her directly, watching her for a long moment before returning his attention to the scene. It is almost like he is testing her, giving her the hint to find a higher viewing ground, a hint that Gwen picks up on which leads her to the observation point in the car park.
It's also worth noting that Jack and Ianto's first meeting is during a Weevil hunt and their first conversation is in effect a dance of weariness and flirtation, whereas Gwen's first observations are of Jack as a leader and the first thing she hears him say is his comment about contraceptives in the rain, cluing her into the fact that he is different. Ianto sees Jack as a hunter; Gwen sees him as a leader.
We also see a quick flash to Gwen when Jack says his name (the only other time Jack says it without flirtation), her first clue as to who he is and it is that clue that leads to her investigation. It gives her a starting point, because frankly, she wants answers as to what exactly is going on. Because she is shocked - it is clear by the expression on her face - and she cannot understand what she has seen. And then Jack throws her for a loop - he'd known she was there the whole time, and Gwen flees. It's just too much for her at this point in time, and she needs time to process it.
And who do we meet when Gwen is lost and confused? Her stability - Rhys. Gwen comes home and there's her man, sitting on the couch watching one of his reality programs. Gwen is pleased to see him, but interestingly enough, when he asks her about seeing the murder on the news and if she was there, she lies to him.
Now, there is no reason at all for her to be lying at this point, however it may be because she is still trying to work out what happened and doesn't want to answer any questions she doesn't have the answer too. We see her avoid his eye when she is lying to him, then turn the questioning around back onto him. We are given our first mention of Banana Boat here as well, setting things up for later in the series.
Even this early on in the series Rhys represents normalcy. After Gwen has seen something so incredible, here's Rhys talking about having a cup of tea with Banana Boat and lamenting on how he is becoming middle aged. These are such normal things, and right at that moment normal is what Gwen needs. We also see the shot of Gwen and Rhys asleep, curled up next to each other and comfortable, lying in a way that screams ‘long-term couple’. And yet she can't sleep.
The next morning we see Gwen's obsession with Jack begin. She has spent the night thinking about him, and that name is her only lead to finding out what's going on. She can't just walk away after what she saw. It's also interesting that we see Gwen handing out the coffees - she's the coffee girl, a role that is Ianto's within Torchwood, and then we see Gwen move up as soon as she joins Torchwood.
And then she catches a glimpse of a greatcoat, and suddenly Gwen once again has a lead. She forgets about her injuries and follows her impulse, not caring where she is going. She just wants to get to the bottom of the mystery, and she knows Jack is the answer. She doesn't care about danger - she isn't aware of the danger. She is naive and fresh, which leads to Jack grabbing and dragging her to safety, yet again not even giving Gwen time to process what happened. She keeps running, back out into the normalcy of the hospital going about its everyday business, a vast contrast to what she has seen. This time, however, Gwen doesn't flee - she follows.
We are given our first glimpse of the SUV (and Jack's driving), as Gwen follows them back to the Plass, unintentionally leaving Andy behind. Gwen is purely fixated on finding them, confused as she learns more about Jack that just doesn't make sense. He is a mystery to her, a mystery she wants to solve, and she wants to find out exactly what Torchwood is. And then they add more to the mystery - they vanished right in front of her. But now she has a place to stake out, trying to work out what happened, especially since no one believes her and are putting it down to her concussion. Interestingly, as Andy leads her away we are given a CCTV shot - is Torchwood watching?
Again, after all the odd things Gwen once more returns home to her normalcy - her Rhys. And once again, we see her lying and unable to look him in the eye. We also see her use the line "forgive me. Say you forgive me", a line that will become key to an episode later in the first season. Gwen seems comfortable lying to Rhys, while Rhys has complete faith and trust in her. It is evident that they love each other, but Gwen seems to be craving more excitement in her life given the fact she lies to Rhys so easily, meaning she does it often. It may be that mere action of lying to him and getting away with it is a thrill to her, and now she has something to really lie about.
Once more, we are given CCTV footage, only this time we are also given a glimpse of the Torchwood mainframe. There is no doubt that Torchwood is watching her every move, knowing what Gwen is planning as she goes to Jubilee Pizza. Again, it is the name Harkness she tries first, the name she is fixated on and who she knows now is the leader. Using the name "Torchwood" is an afterthought, but she gets results. Meanwhile, this whole time Jack has putting together an intimidating introduction for Gwen to the Hub, having Ianto, Suzie, Tosh and Owen set themselves up for maximum effect. He wants her to remember this, and the music of the scene feeds into it.
Gwen's first point of access into the Torchwood is via the Tourist Information Centre, and this is when we are given our very first look at Ianto for the series. He appears from the back room, a face without a name, drop dead gorgeous and all smiles although there is a glitter of mischief in his eye. He is all professional and mystery, establishing our image of him perfectly for the rest of the series.
He becomes Gwen's first point of contact, remaining stoic and posed as he intimidates her, unnerving Gwen with his tactics. Gwen is rattled, but Ianto remains solid, sending her down into the Hub with a smile on his face. Ianto follows Jack's plan exactly, seeming to have found his place within Torchwood during the 3-6 months that he has been there, still immaculate in the suits Jack likes so much.
Once Gwen enters the Hub, Jack joins in, walking past her without looking at her and moving to his office as if she wasn't there. It is all about intimidation, scaring Gwen, and they are doing a very good job of it.... until Owen and Tosh burst out laughing. Until that point, and while Gwen is looking around at the others, she is completely focused on Jack, unable to take her eyes off him.
Even when Gwen discovers Torchwood, she is once again about procedure and what she thinks is "real'. Jack pushes her, moving slowly toward he and repeating his question "what did you see" until she gives him the answer. He is testing her again, taking pleasure in pushing her toward the correct answer and pleased that she eventually gets there.
Gwen clearly intrigues him - she has found her way down into the Hub - and he is currently fascinated by her. Gwen, on the other hand, is completely on the defensive. She doesn’t trust him, and just wants answers. Jack detects that, sizing her up as she tells him her name, and given the look on his face no doubt Jack has already researched her like he did all the others.
And then he gives her the ultimate test - her shows her the Weevil. The entire time they are in the cells, Jack is assessing Gwen, gauging her reaction. He begins by watching the Weevil, keeping her attention on it, only glancing at her when he tells her what it eats, while Gwen stands behind him in complete disbelief. But the minute Jack tells her to look into its eyes, his eyes never leave her, and he guides her into the chair, gentle with her for the first time. Gwen is shocked by the alien, but doesn't break. She passes his test.
Jack then leads her back into the Hub, and with an air of pride introduces her to his team. Gwen just glances at each in turn, each team member nodding their greeting or making their comments. The member that receives the most attention is Ianto, who has come downstairs to join them in the introduction.
Jack's tone changes as he introduces Ianto, something Gwen picks up on as she gets her first proper look at the man who had scared the absolute crap out of her earlier with complete ease. Ianto offers her a tight smile, on guard and still reserved, but responding to Jack's compliments. He has indeed become everything that he had used as part of his begging speech to convince Jack to hire him, and responding to Jack's flirting with a playful warning and a sparkle in his eyes. This flirtatious banter has evidently become an old game to them.
Gwen is straight back on guard, Jack finding her paranoia amusing. While the others are looking on unconcerned as Gwen questions their motives, Ianto becomes uncomfortable and chooses that moment to retreat into Jack's office so not to have to face the conversation. It may be that he hasn’t been with Torchwood Three long enough yet to be used to their procedures like the others are.
Jack quickly shuts Gwen down, going straight back to business and moving back out of the office that Ianto has just entered, Jack deliberately finding a way around answering Gwen's questions. This is just something that is not talked about, and Gwen is still completely defensive and clearly uncomfortable and Jack recognises this. The rest of the team go straight back to work as Jack leads Gwen out.
We then are given another key line: Gwen, clearly becoming irritated, tells Jack "I'm getting tired of following you" to which Jack stops dead and turns to face her, a smile on his face as he meets her eye. "No you're not. And you never will". He leans into Gwen slightly as he says this, and the steps brings them eye-to-eye (something we rarely see, literally or otherwise), but Gwen is still closed to him. Her body language is tense and her face expressionless, while Jack is open. She still doesn't trust him, while he is comfortable in his domain. As Jack leans forward, Gwen leans back, not wanting this man in her space.
When Jack helps her on onto the lift, Gwen becomes even tenser in his touch, eyes toward the roof. She clearly hates that he is touching her, because this man she sees as dangerous - he covered up a murder and the PC in her sees that as just as wrong as committing the murder himself. Jack senses that Gwen is tense, and that's when we finally see him falter, looking at her wearily. Despite this he is still leaning into her, Gwen keeping her back slightly to him as he opens the portal to the roof.
Gwen grabs his arm for stability, stunned by what is happening, Jack amused by her reaction. Gwen drops his arm first, and is only then that Jack lowers his arm, showing off the wonders of the lift in an attempt to impress her. Gwen is impressed, but immediately goes straight back her questioning. Where Ianto questioned Jack's lies and plans, Gwen is questioning the reality of the technology and the existence of aliens. Jack found it cute to begin with, but now it is starting to frustrate him, which is why he aims low and insults her nationality. Gwen is knocked onto the back foot, glancing firstly at him, then the lift, trying to work out just what happened even as Jack leaves her behind and Gwen goes straight back to following him.
Jack takes her out for a drink, watching in amusement as Gwen drinks a good portion of her drink and knowing he's drugged her, but not cluing her in on the fact. He waits until she has drunk anything (Jack himself drinking water), before he begins to talk. Again, we see that Jack is growing increasingly irritated by Gwen's questions that cover the same territory over and over, and takes his frustration with all of humanity out on her. She becomes the target of his annoyance, and Gwen becomes uncomfortable, making excuses which annoys Jack further. The minute he insults Rhys, though, Gwen becomes purely defensive, firing a shot back and Jack's amusement returns. Gwen is not impressed, no doubt thinking Jack to be an arrogant prick, and Jack can see that in her eyes.
Gwen tries a different approach, this time finding it more effective as Jack will answer her questions, Jack finding her questions amusing and Gwen now starting to see the light side of it. Gwen brings the questions back to him, Jack leaning back and crossing his arms as he poses to tell her his name, the element of flirtation in his voice but his posture is closed. Gwen goes back to her questioning, using facts and her grip on what she deems to be normal to try and find reasonable explanations to the information that is confusing her. Jack instead gives her roundabout answers, not helping her understand at all.
Then he opens up, explaining Torchwood to her and answering her questions properly. And then, for the second time in less than a year, he is questioned about whether or not Torchwood Three can be trusted with the technology. Where Ianto questioned if the alien technology was safe with Torchwood Three, Gwen points out that Torchwood Three could use it for the wrong purposes, doing more damage than good. Jack goes straight onto the defensive, an answer already prepared, having no doubt been thinking about that since Ianto's questioning in their second meeting.
The more Gwen drinks, the more Jack tells her. They slowly become more at ease with each other, their talk more light-hearted with a small amount of banter as Gwen finally lets her guard down and stops trying to reason everything, and Jack answering more of her questions. Then Gwen asks where Jack is from, and you see Jack gauge his answer before he responds with "all sorts of places". He's not ready to tell Gwen anything - where Jack tells Ianto third meeting his century and that he time travels, on his third meeting with Gwen, he's still dodging questions about himself, not ready to go there yet.
Then Gwen goes straight back to business, back to the policewoman in herself and offering Jack a business proposal. The relaxed look in his eye disappears as he goes back to being defensive, and it is Jack leaning back now when Gwen is leaning forward. She clearly wants to work with him, but he doesn't want to work with the police and shuts her proposal down. The ease of the conversation disappears as Gwen is practically telling Jack that they need to liaise on this murder investigation and he wants nothing to do with it, and Gwen is not happy.
It's when Gwen threatens to take them public that Jack pulls his trump card - he's drugged her. Jack is proud of his retcon, and flashes his egoistical side at her even as she returns to being defensive. Gwen goes back to fleeing, Jack following and threatening her, then confusing her by throwing her a flirtatious wink and disappearing into the night.
Even as Gwen runs home, we can see the look on Jack's face as he walks away, clearly pondering on what's happened but still moving on. Evidently this has all happened before Meanwhile, we see Gwen typing away on her computer. It's interesting that as she writes about Torchwood, she does not seem to include Ianto on her list. This is ironic, because it is Ianto that puts the final nail in the coffin on Gwen's memory by deleting her file. It's interesting that he does this from Jack's computer, which could mean he does not yet have a workstation of his own. Also, we see his skills as a hacker. Normally you would think this job to Tosh, but Jack has trusted it to Ianto.
With Gwen's wiped memory, we see her normality return - and thus appears Rhys. He is there, the doting boyfriend looking after his girlfriend who’s obviously had a rough night. Rhys questions what she said last night about working, but is more concerned about her wellbeing than her lying to him. He knows she was injured, and knows that drinking is bad for a concussion. We also hear about Gwen's friends, and see her return to work in her normal role, again very much the Ianto of the PD.
Where it was Jack that originally led her back to Torchwood, now she can't remember him. It is the knife, and Suzie, that occupies her time. She is ignoring everyone, from Andy to Rhys (who is so much like my bf, cooking her dinner and putting up with her shit *hugs bf*), because she can't get her mind off that knife. Again, the way Gwen and Rhys sleep shows they are have been together a while, comfortable in their relationship.
When Jack appears during the Suzie/Gwen confrontation, Gwen cannot see him, and Jack's complete attention is on Suzie. When Jack stands up after being shot, Gwen can't take her eyes off him, completely shocked. Jack's attention is still on Suzie, the very first woman he hired who has betrayed him. It is not until Gwen says "I remember" that Jack finally looks at her, surprise on his face.
It's interesting that when we return into the Hub, our first shot is of Ianto locking up the glove and knife into the Vault, yet another display of the trust Jack already has in him. Jack is watching him work, meeting Ianto’s' eye when the younger man turns back to look at him with faint concern on his face. Gwen, however, has retreated into the back corner, still coming to terms with everything she has witnessed and no doubt thinking she's about to be retconned again.
When Jack takes Gwen up onto the roof of the Millennium Centre for the final scene, we again hear Gwen mention Owen and Tosh but excluding Ianto. For some reason he doesn't seem to be of any importance to her, or, perhaps, at this point in time Ianto already knows Jack is immortal and this has been revealed to Gwen. Due to the lack of information, both scenarios are possible.
It is clear, though, that Jack is approving of Gwen not telling Tosh and Owen, and by doing this Gwen has won his trust and respect. This is why he reveals to her that he is immortal, but he doesn't go into detail as to what happened. He asks her to keep his secret, and even drops the word "Doctor". Gwen doesn't care, dead sure that he will wipe her mind again so not really taking anything in.
It is then that Jack offers her the job, Gwen clearly shocked by this turn of events. Jack has recognised Gwen's potential as an investigator, and her immunity to retcon has also put him in a tight spot given she has already threatened to make Torchwood public. By offering her the job he has, in effect, done two things - a) he knows that by bringing Gwen into the organisation, it is less likely that she will tell anyone about them, and b) he can keep an eye on her, because she really does intrigue him.
Jack knows that Gwen has something about her that could be helpful to Torchwood, just like Owen and Tosh. Like Ianto Gwen had become a stalker, even though she was not fully aware of what Torchwood was whereas Ianto had been. Gwen has a way with people, and her investigative ability was so good she uncovered them, proving herself to Jack. Gwen, for her part, is still intrigued by both Jack and Torchwood, and jumps as the chance to join. This is a world she is unfamiliar with, and she wants to know more.
And thus the series really begins.
Next Up: "Day One", and Gwen's first day on the job