Analysing Torchwood - Part Seven
Well, this one took me a little while because firstly I had to work out how to approach it because Jack, Gwen, and Ianto are all over the place in this episode, and Rhys barely appears, but I managed it. I'm sure from now on after "Countrycide" things will be a little easier... until I get to "The Keep Killing Suzie".
Analysing Torchwood Part Seven
Previously: We learn the answer to the question "can Jack love" is "Small Worlds"
"Countrycide"
It's taken six episodes, but we're finally getting our first "team" story which is interesting given that you would expect Torchwood to be structured as a team show. Unfortunately in Season One particularly, this was not the case. Also interestingly it is this team episode that is considered one of the best episodes of the season. And before I get any further in, let me express my love for the song "Monster" by the Automatic and how appropriate it is for this episode.
As they are driving out to the location and Owen is moaning about the countryside, it is clear from the reactions of Jack, Gwen and Ianto that this is nothing new from Owen. Gwen has the look and tone of someone who is fed up with Owen's bitching; Jack the look of someone who is thinking "are you starting again?" but is amused by Gwen's response, while Ianto rolls his eyes but otherwise ignores Owen. It is like the average family trip out, with each team member representing a member of the family - Owen, clearly, the whining one who gets one everyone else's nerves.
As Jack debriefs the team we see Gwen and Tosh taking an interest, Ianto off getting the group some food (and looking damn fine out of his suit and in casuals for once). The three lean against the car, voices low so that they can't be overheard. Again we see Jack happily answering Gwen's questions as they are mission related, all of them ignoring Owen's snark as they go over the details of the mission.
When Owen raises his voice and mentions aliens, we see Gwen give Jack a look as Jack glares at Owen, neither of them happy with Owen speaking out loud. Ianto is the one to end Owen's rant by handing him food, then giving the rest of the team (sans Tosh) their burgers.
It's interesting to see the reaction to Tosh's comment about hepatitis - Gwen has already taken a bite out of her burger and a small look of "you can't, can you?" flickers over her face, but she makes no effort to spit it out. Both Jack and Ianto paused as they were about to take a bite, Jack quickly putting his burger down. Being immortal, it would seem Jack is weary of the diseases he contracts, especially the ones that may or not kill him as he will have them for eternity. Gwen and Ianto, however, continue to eat their burgers even as Jack goes back to debriefing them, Ianto now part of the group standing around the SUV and only Owen separate.
Tosh, Gwen, and Jack are still all leaning on the SUV, while Ianto remains standing between the women, Owen in the background fully focussed on his meal. It's also interesting that this is one of the rare times we see Ianto eating without a napkin tucked into his shirt, no doubt because he is not wearing a suit. When Jack tells them about setting up camp, we can see the smirk on his face as he had clearly been looking forward to Owen's reaction. Gwen too, we can see, is amused as she looks at Jack to see his reaction to Owen's response.
It's interesting when they do set up the camp site that there are three tents. Tosh and Gwen are working on the central tent which is most likely going to be theirs, and in the background we can see Ianto working on another. That leaves the third which appears to be Owen's, leaving the question - who is Jack sharing with? Ianto or Owen? Given Owen's bitching about camping, it will most likely be with Ianto if only to get some peace.
During this scene we also hear Jack giving his team yet another clue that he has been off world with his comment about them being the only race to go camping, a clue that the team seem to miss. Another thing to point out is the last time Ianto went camping was most likely with Lisa, so this might be stirring up some memories for him hence the slightly withdrawn look on his face.
When Owen makes his comment to Tosh about not asking for her help to "get it up", we can see Gwen listening in the background as she unpacks their supplies. Initially she is amused by the comment, but you can see a look of concern on her face as she takes in Tosh's reaction.
Seeming to want to ease the tension a bit Gwen resorts to a teenage game of "name you last kiss", not knowing that she's setting herself up to causing another more awkward moment than the one she's trying to counter. Gwen thinks she's safe as her last kiss was Rhys, something she is proud of. As the team play, you can see Jack in the background listening with a combination of amusement and caution even as Ianto moves reluctantly to join the group, a foreboding look on his face because he can see where this is going.
As the team sit around the table, Gwen is leaning forward waiting for Owen's answer, but Ianto is clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Gwen's first clue that her plan has backfired is Owen's look, a look of dread on her face as he lets them know Gwen was his last kiss, something Gwen quickly tries to brush off as nothing, now uncomfortable. Tosh's comment about "getting you feet under the table" shocks Gwen, as Tosh is implying this is nothing new for Owen and Gwen hadn't expected to hear that.
Jack also looks up surprised at the news that Gwen and Owen have kissed, no doubt small alarm bells going off in his head - after all, Owen and Suzie had a thing once, and now Owen and Gwen who, as far as Jack knew, really didn't like each other very much. Also, Jack has spent the last while urging Gwen to stay connected with Rhys and "not let it slip", yet she has kissed Owen.
Sensing things are starting to get out of hand, Jack moves to join the group. It is clear he is not happy with this turn of events as he had not detected anything between Owen and Gwen, but will now be keeping an eye on them. Owen uses Jack's arrival to change the subject, Gwen thrilled to have the topic off her. Jack immediately finds a way to dodge answering the question, shocking the team who have a good laugh (even Ianto smiles as he stares at his hands), Gwen openly admitting she can't tell when Jack's telling the truth or not.
The Ianto speaks up, the team looking at him sharply as if they had forgotten that he was there. Tosh instantly picks up on the fact the answer is going to be bad, Ianto telling them his last kiss was Lisa and instantly Gwen knows she has put her foot in it again, regret flashing across her face. Even Jack's smile dies as an awkward silence settles over the team, Jack and Owen exchanging a quick look before Owen glares at Gwen.
Gwen apologises, the only one looking at Ianto at that moment as no one is able to meet his eye. For his part Ianto is once again staring at his hands, only looking up toward Gwen when he says "sorry she's dead or sorry you mentioned it", which is again almost a reprimand for her not being more aware of what she was saying and who she is with.
Gwen back-pedals quickly and it is clear she knows she has done the wrong thing and regrets it, admitting that yes, she didn't think before speaking, to which Ianto says "you forgot", again an almost accusation of her not paying attention or deeming something 'unimportant'. Jack gives Ianto a warning look out of the corner of his eye, his own way of telling Ianto to leave it alone.
Owen is the one to break the tension, retreating from the campsite for firewood and Gwen quickly goes with him, wanting to escape from the looks and guilt. Ianto watches her go, seeming to know that she is retreating from the situation and unable to face up to her mistake even though she has already apologised, and a faint look flickers across his face as he wonders if he himself took things a little too far. At the same time you can see he is still grieving for Lisa, and none of this is helping him. He is also slightly mad at Gwen forgetting about what happened.
He glances up toward Jack tentatively to see his reaction and finds Jack watching him. In one look Jack seems to be saying a lot - there is a faint look of disapproval about Ianto's reaction, but at the same time faint concern about where his head is at as well as a look that says he wants to know if Ianto is okay. It is clear in Ianto's own look back that he isn't happy with how things are progressing and communicates that back to Jack. He is unable to hold Jack's gaze - it has been pointed out in the past that, early on, Ianto will rarely look at Jack when he knows Jack is looking at him, but will watch Jack when the other man is looking elsewhere. It is clear Ianto doesn't want to talk about what just happened as he looks away, just wanting it over and done with.
In the past some people have suggested that the exchange was Jack cranky because he was Ianto's last kiss and Ianto lied, not wanting to admit their relationship, but there is now some doubt about whether or not Ianto actually remembers the kiss as Jack pulled away just as Ianto came back around.
When Gwen is off with Owen, she is again confident and self assured, trying to put what happened behind her while telling Owen off for revealing their kiss to the rest of the team. When Owen makes a comment about her sex life Gwen goes on the defensive, attacking Owen even as he continues to insult Rhys, anger burning in Gwen's eyes. Owen has picked up on the fact Gwen and Rhys are "cosy", set into their routine and that Gwen is looking to break away from that, and he tells her so even as Gwen is looking to kiss him. Evidently he has gotten to her, and she knows that Owen offers her an alternative to Rhys and not to mention the thrill of having an affair behind Rhys' back.
After they uncover the body and are inspecting it, we again see the team scattered around. Jack is standing over Owen who is making the inspection while Tosh sits close by, and Gwen is leaning against a tree as far away as she can get without missing out on the conversation as Ianto goes about putting up crime scene tape, sealing off the scene.
Each member has their own theory about what happened and why the body was left the way that it was. It is clear that Gwen is disgusted by the killers leaving the body which is illustrated in her posture, expression and tone. For his part Ianto is seeing past the others theory of it being a failed attempt at hiding the body, and instead seeing it as a warning to the team, and as he expresses his theory he looks directly at Jack, who considers if for a moment before questioning Owen for more information about the body.
When the SUV starts up, Gwen is the first to question if it is their vehicle, and Jack confirms so even as he starts running. It's worth point out that as the team run for the campsite Ianto does in fact overtake the others only to stumble when he reaches for his PDA, already thinking ahead of the others that they won't catch the SUV and need to track it, although he does try to run around the campsite in an attempt to cut the SUV off while the others run directly for it. Jack and Gwen are the last two to stop chasing the vehicle, whereas Owen didn't even start. And Jack, in regards to the SUV being taken, is furious, Gwen looking to him to see what to do next.
As they team start regroup and check the damage, we see Ianto has separated himself from the others so that he can work on the problem of locating the SUV, something none of the others have thought of yet as they are busy venting their anger on Owen. Jack himself is moving around the campsite, and it is interesting to see that Jack and Ianto, while on opposite sides of the camp, are moving at the same speed in the same direction - almost mirroring each other.
Jack is studying their surroundings, looking for any sign of the threat that he now knows has been watching them, while Ianto continues to use the PDA to tune into the SUV tracker. Note that Ianto already has his bag, ready to move out to find the SUV as Tosh lets Owen have it about what happened, and Gwen looks lost.
Jack seems to have been thinking about the purpose of the body, especially Ianto's suggestion of it being a warning only Jack takes it one step further - it was a decoy, and he shares this information with Gwen. Gwen catches onto what he's thinking, also realising that they have been watched the entire time they have been there, and from the expression on her face that disturbs her.
When Jack suggest to Tosh to start tracking the SUV, Ianto finally speaks up. Jack it slightly surprised at how far ahead of them Ianto is, and Ianto is aware that it was not his job to do it by his comment "I took the liberty". Ianto glances at Jack briefly before returning his attention to the PDA, Jack, Owen and Tosh moving to join him. Jack only looks away from Ianto when Ianto tells them where the SUV is located, while Gwen has reached for the map to see what is in the area that the SUV is in, also thinking ahead.
When Ianto tells them that the SUV has been stationary for the last four minutes, it tells us that he has been tracking the vehicle for some time without saying anything to the team. There could be two reasons for this a) we know Ianto likes to avoid being the centre of attention thus didn't say anything until someone asked, or b) he was waiting to see where the SUV actually went before speaking up.
The team are surprised at the news that the SUV isn't moving, and the infliction in Ianto's own voice says that he himself can't understand it. Gwen has joined them by now, letting the team know what she has discovered on map - a small village in the area Ianto has mentioned. Jack remains silent as he listens to both of them, a small, confused frown on his face as he tries to put everything together in his head.
Tosh speaks up, stating how "this has all the hallmarks of a trap" and Jack's reaction makes it clear that he was thinking the exact same thing (and says as much), a small smile on his face at the thrill of walking into the trap. Gwen shares a look with Owen that seems to convey the message "does he really want us to do that", while the look Tosh and Ianto share is one of "well, why not - better than doing nothing".
As they move out from the campsite toward the small village, Ianto is clearly in the lead, using the PDA to track the SUV and give them a direction. Jack follows just behind him, while Gwen and Tosh bring up the rear. Jack is still the team leader, however, asking Ianto questions regarding the SUV location, something Gwen herself is interested in - none of the team question Ianto having the PDA, something that would normally be Tosh's job.
As the team move into the village, Jack again takes point, walking slightly ahead of the rest of the team who are spread out in a line beside him. Jack is the one to call for the team to halt with a slight move of his arm, and it is interesting that at this point Ianto is in a slightly elevated position, literally, which serves as a visual representation of his temporary leadership of the team for the last hour where he normally fades into the background.
Jack splits up the team, sending Ianto and Tosh, the more tech savvy members of the group, to locate the SUV while he, Owen and Gwen look into what is happening in the village. As they enter the inn we again see Jack again giving commands without saying a word, simply using hand gestures that Owen and Gwen understand and follow. Gwen is not impressed with Owen's joke, while Jack is amused but still slightly disapproving at the timing.
Gwen opening the til causes Jack to swing around back toward her, a questioning look on his face. Gwen, for her part, knows that a good shop owner would never keep money in an unattended til and upon discovering that the til does indeed contain currency, you can see a concerned look spread across her face as she realises something isn't right. Again, Jack gestures for her and Owen to follow him, knowing that their answers will be elsewhere as there is nothing but more questions here.
The three separate to go through the different rooms, Gwen now confident in her manner as she goes through the kitchen. She is fully aware of her surroundings which demonstrates that she is becoming used to Torchwood fieldwork, and her attention is drawn to the bug zapper and eventually the body. Gwen can't handle what she sees, but her reaction catches Jack's attention who instantly knows something isn't right. Evidently this is not a common reaction from Gwen, which puts Jack on guard, and even he cannot believe the state of the body.
Despite Jack's shock, he is the only one to hear movement in the inn, something that Gwen and Owen miss. He calls for Gwen to follow him so that a) Owen can stay and analyse the body for clues to what did it, and b) to get Gwen out of there since she is handling it poorly (and in a way the average person would, mind you - better than some, in fact).
We see yet another element of Gwen's naivety, however, as they are going through the inn. Jack has his gun up, seeking out what caused the noise and looking everywhere, while Gwen runs straight past him with her gun lowered, causing Jack to give her a "what do you think you're doing?" look to her back as she is putting herself at risk with her carelessness.
Jack instantly moves to cover her, and Gwen spots this and tries to bring her own guard up but is unable as she is still reacting to seeing the body. Gwen almost begs Jack for answers, unable to comprehend what is going on and clearly in shock by the sight of the body, while Jack is just as confused as her, moving on to try and find more answers.
As they're about to enter the next house, Gwen visibly composes herself as Jack does the countdown, and when Gwen moves inside she is once more fully composed and with her guard back up. Jack is once again at her back, and again finds another body but keeps herself in check, Jack doing the same when he sees it.
Again Gwen starts questioning Jack in the hope that he might have some sort of idea what has caused it, because it is outside of her experience and she thinks straight away that it isn't human, a direct contrast to her thinking in previous episodes where her first conclusion was that it was human or, at least, that there is a perfectly reasonable explanation other than it being alien. It would seem that this is all too horrifying for her as Gwen's resolve begins to crack, Jack seeing it and telling her to stay focused as Gwen seeks out her comfort zone - she wants to be home with Rhys, away from all this danger, away from Torchwood, away from Jack.
Jack simply watches her, knowing she is slipping and also knowing that he can't give her the answers. Gwen looks back at Jack and asks if he ever gets scared, at that moment looking for a sign of weakness in him, a sign of his humanity and something to make herself feel better as Gwen herself is clearly terrified. Jack doesn't reassure her or comfort her, instead giving her the look he gives her when she asks something personal he doesn't want to answer, and again he dodges the question by reminding Gwen on their job and leaving. Gwen knows he has avoided the question, and you can see that she is trying to compose herself as she works out what that means.
Meanwhile, Ianto and Tosh are still following the signal of the PDA, and Tosh finally takes control of the device which wins a small, amused smile from Ianto who no doubt had been expecting it. When they start hearing odd noises Ianto brushes them off, and does the same when Tosh becomes jumpy and points her gun at him. In fact, Ianto remains calm and composed up until the point he realises he is in danger.
This episode is interesting in regards to Ianto's character, as we are shown several comparative examples to Gwen in regards to Ianto's inexperience in the field. While Ianto has been with Torchwood for over two years now, he is lacking in field experience as his job at Torchwood One was a desk job. However, given the way he is able to confidently hold his gun, it would seem he also has been given gun training by Jack (most likely Tosh and Owen have too).
As Ianto looks for Tosh, you can hear him mutter "okay, okay" to himself. He is no doubt trying to calm himself and reminding himself of his training, running through in his mind exactly what he needs to do as he heads for where he last saw Tosh. As the threat increases, however, you can see Ianto's hand begin to tremble as he becomes rigid in his body language. He is aware of his surroundings, shifting when he hears a noise behind him and trying to keep an eye on everywhere at once, but missing the person who knocks him to the ground.
Meanwhile Jack and Gwen continue to search the buildings and seem to have fallen into a comfortable routine, watching each others backs as they move through the buildings, and communicating in short sharp sentences. When they find a locked building she pulls the door open, but in that moment lets her guard down. She should have stepped to the side and brought up her firearm, allowing Jack to enter first as he was already at the ready. Instead Gwen walks in with her eyes down, spotting the threat too late.
When Gwen is shot Jack looks first to see if he can see the attacker, and only when he is sure he is clear he checks to see that Gwen is alive, calling out to her to see that she is responsive. Seeing that she is but hurt bad Jack rushes inside the building to seek out and disarm the attacker before anyone else can be hurt, Jack pissed off that a member of his team has been injured.
It's only when Jack has removed the threat that he goes back to Gwen who is now slipping into shock, not responding to Owen who has come running at the sound of the shotgun and Jack yelling. Between them Jack and Owen manage to get Gwen off the ground, Jack carrying her inside as Owen grabs his bag and opens the door, clearing a way for Jack to bring Gwen in.
While Owen inspects Gwen Jack goes to check for any more threats. As Owen is treating Gwen we see a tender moment between them, and when the moment is broken you can see a conflicted look on Gwen's face. The return of Jack prevents anything else, and now you can clearly see the concern on Jack's face - where is Tosh and Ianto? Jack believes they should be back by now, but there is no sign of them and it is Owen that reassures Jack that they are probably fine, Jack relaxing a little at hearing this and not wanting to hear otherwise.
As Jack questions Kieran about what's happening, you can see Gwen trying to push herself up to listen in an effort to remain up-to-date and at the same time ignore the pain as Owen continues to extract shotgun pellets from her abdomen. As they find out more about what they're dealing with, it is Owen that starts panicking about Tosh and Ianto and it is Jack that is now reassuring Owen that they will be fine by saying "they're not children, they know what to do” although you can see in Jack's eyes that he isn't fully convinced.
Deciding that they need to move somewhere safer Jack moves to pick up Gwen, only to stop dead when Owen tells him that he isn't needed. It is at that moment you can see in Jack's eyes that he has worked out that there is something going on between Owen and Gwen before it even begins, and he does not approve at all. He shoots the both of them a glare before moving away, Gwen looking after him with a slight frown, no doubt still in too much pain to really realise what is meant in the look Jack has just given her and Owen and more interested in trying to walk by herself rather than be carried.
Elsewhere we find Tosh and Ianto locked up, and we are given from Ianto the line "you know, I never liked camping". This is interesting given that camping was one of the memories Lisa had used to try and win Ianto over to her side, but now we learn that Ianto is in fact not fond of the practice. It could be that something always tends to go wrong when he does go camping (even the memory Lisa used had something in it).
Again we see another contrast between Ianto and Gwen here. When Tosh awakes Ianto is on guard, ready to protect her, but it is clear from his fidgeting and tone that he is terrified. Where Gwen will freeze or try to protect herself as we have seen in episodes previous, Ianto is able to maintain a clear enough head to realise that he has someone else that needs protecting, and has already done an assessment on his situation prior to Tosh waking.
You can hear that Ianto is fighting back his fear, hoping that Tosh knows more about their situation than they do and is hoping for some form of rescue. Tosh asks him if he is scared, and Ianto is man enough to admit that he is. He is already connecting the dots in his head between their situation and the body in the forest, Tosh trying to distract him away from that, seeming to sense that he needs to stay focused on something and asking him to try and fix the light.
Ianto applies himself to the task, but that doesn't stop him from thinking out loud as he observes Tosh. As Gwen has done in the episodes previous, Ianto in effect separates himself from the rest of the team. He has been watching them, as made clear in his line "you're used to this aren't you. That facial expression you all share when things get a bit out of control, like you enjoy it. Like you get a high from the danger."
In a way this is true, as you can see on the faces of the team the silent thrill (especially from Jack) when things are starting to get dangerous. Even Gwen is being placed within Ianto's mould, as he has no doubt observed that it was the danger and adventure that enticed her into Torchwood even though she still can be paralysed by fear when placed in direct danger.
Unlike and others (with the exception of Jack), Ianto is fully aware of his mortality. While the others (excluding Gwen) have witnessed death, none have done so to the level Ianto has. His experiences at Torchwood One and the battle have made it all real, which is why he is so cautious of it and in fear of it while the others still have a sense of thrill at the idea of flirting with danger.
This thought is included in the rest of Ianto's speech: "don't you ever wonder how long you can survive before you go mad, or get killed, or lose a loved one". Again, these are all things that Ianto has seen or experienced at Torchwood One, and it is bubbling to the surface as he feels himself placed in extreme danger and coming out as part of his fear.
Tosh tries to put him right, defending herself and the rest of the team with her line "it's worth the risk, to protect people" to which Ianto instantly yells "and who protects us?". In his mind no one had come to protect the Torchwood Institute in London and they had been left to defend themselves, and almost everyone had died. He is also aware of how alone Torchwood Three is, with only five of them and no back up.
These are all things that seem to have been circling in his mind for a long time, things he had been wondering and thinking about to himself that he had never expressed to anyone. While it is fear that is talking, it is also Ianto's own rational thinking and even Tosh cannot answer Ianto's last question.
Ianto knows instantly that he needs to calm down, and you can see him do so visibly. He doesn't seem to regret what he has said, allowing Tosh to change the subject as the two of them engage in a little light banter regarding the burger Tosh had decided not to have at the start of the episode. Ianto is still fighting an internal struggle with himself to keep from panicking and Tosh's announcement of discovery gives him something else to distract himself with.
At the discovery of the clothes you can see both Tosh and Ianto now focused on trying to work out what happened to the owners, Ianto waiting as Tosh investigates the fridge. Again we see him able to detect that something isn't right just by Tosh's reaction and expression, Tosh trying to protect him by attempting to stop him from seeing the contents. Ianto knows that in order to try and understand what is happening he has to see inside and pushes Tosh away, and the panic is clearly growing on his face as he stares at the fridge contents and it dawns on him exactly what is happening here even as Tosh verbally draws her own conclusion, the fear creeping into her own voice as Ianto slams the fridge shut so not to look at it any longer.
Now at the pub we see that Gwen is walking around unaided as Owen and Jack go about barricading themselves into the pub. Owen again brings up Tosh and Ianto, Jack once more brushing it off. No doubt he is worried about the two of them, but he is trying to keep himself focused on what he has there - Kieran, an injured Gwen, and Owen.
Just as Ianto is trying to keep himself focused by finding things to do, we see Gwen doing the same. To fight off her pain and own fear she is drawing upon her investigative skills to list everything they know. Jack approves of this, providing information to Gwen to help her as he continues with his task of setting up the defences, Gwen sounding stronger with the help, the group seeming to come to the conclusion that the Rift is spreading.
Gwen is the first to spot the movement outside, confirming this to Jack even as Owen spots the second movement. Gwen and Owen instantly go for their weapons, whereas Jack goes to the window to try and get a better look at their attacker. Again we see Gwen fighting off fear, drawing to the conclusion that the attackers are back for Kieran and Jack looks over at her, telling her to not jump to conclusions having no doubt recognised her fear.
Jack himself doesn't become defensive until the power goes out, moving to watch the back entrance as someone tries to open the door, not drawing his own weapon until someone tries to open the cellar door. Jack tries to force the door closed himself, and it is only when he realises he can't that he opens fire. For their part Owen and Gwen dive for cover as more shorts are fired into the pub, Jack himself trying to protect himself.
When Kieran is taken, first Owen, then Jack, have to hold Gwen back to keep her from going after him. Jack tries to reason with Gwen, telling her that they have an injured "thing" down in the cellar that they can look at to see what they are dealing with so they can handle it. Gwen tells him that she and Owen are still going to go after Kieran "and the others", no doubt meaning Tosh and Ianto. She has been listening to Jack and Owen talk about them, and by now has realised something is very wrong and that they are in trouble.
Even as Owen hangs back knowing to stay out of this fight, Jack reminds Gwen that she is injured and in no position to try and fight, Gwen saying "you think that's going to stop me". Both Jack and Gwen have that stubborn look of determination on their faces, neither one wanting to back down. Jack seems to realise that if he tries to keep Gwen back she will disobey his orders and sneak off when his and Owen's backs are turned, so with a great deal of reluctance he lets her go, sending Owen with her.
Jack is clearly hurting at the moment. Already one of his team is injured, and he knows that both Tosh and Ianto are in serious danger if they have not already been killed. By having Gwen and Owen where he could see them he would have been able to protect them and know they are safe, but now they are off alone and they currently seem to not be able to communicate with each other. Jack is, to put it bluntly, absolutely terrified for his team.
Still trapped, Tosh and Ianto are keeping themselves in some semblance of calm by working on a way to escape. Even after Tosh dismisses the door, Ianto still attempts to see if it will relent to brute force, only his action rouses their captors. Ianto instantly retreats, only to attack their captor when they enter the room. Even as Tosh comes to his aide Ianto takes a blow to the solar plexus that winds him, knocking him off the feet.
Interestingly, despite his earlier outburst to Tosh, Ianto seems to be incredibly calm at this point in time. He is clearly of the defensive and now winded which makes him vulnerable, but he no longer seems to be panicking, instead studying the situation for a point where they can escape only to be pulled up short by the gun when he does attempt it. Ianto waits to see what Tosh decides to do, waiting for her reaction before he tries anything further as she is far more experienced in the field than him and would have a clearer head.
Now the team are completely separated, each with their own purpose. Jack has managed to locate their attacker and is shocked to discover that it was a human, which angers him to no end as he threatens torture. Jack tone and actions tell us that this is no idle threat - he really would torture the man to get answers, especially when Jack's team is in danger.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Owen are still out looking for Kieran, Gwen now barely able to walk and being forced to rely heavily on Owen. Her adrenaline rush from earlier when she was arguing with Jack seems to have faded, but Gwen's need for independence is preventing her from allowing Owen to carry her. It's not until they learn from a local officer about the house that Gwen once again has the strength and purpose to walk on her own.
Ianto and Tosh have been brought to their final location, Ianto still holding his chest from the earlier blow. Once more Ianto is barely able to keep his panic and fear in check. Ianto tries to once again make a move on their captors, trying to use a moment when their distracted against them, and is once again knocked to the ground. The fact Ianto is being so easily defeated is a clear indication of his lack of field experience, although he does seem to know the basics he isn't able to effectively apply them in practice.
One thing that is really interesting is that all through this scene Ianto seems to be on the verge of panic, but the minute the captors step out of the room it disappears temporarily as he leans toward Tosh and in an almost calm voice tells her "get ready to run". At this moment Ianto seems to have been planning something, his head just clear enough to put together a strategy where Gwen would have been frozen in panic (as we have seen with the sex alien, Lisa, and a couple of times in "Ghost Machine" - all indicators of her own lack of field experience).
When Tosh is being directly threatened, Ianto gives her a look of encouragement as if to say "it's all going to be fine - get ready". Despite being the less experienced of the two, Ianto seems to be the one giving the orders here, Tosh waiting to see what he does first before she acts.
Proving himself to be a fast learner, rather than showing his panic and appearing jumping thus putting his captor on guard, Ianto instead gives the appearance of calm. He smiles at his captor which throws them off, and using that moment of distraction Ianto successfully attacks. Ianto knows that he won't escape, preventing the captors from grabbing Tosh by sacrificing himself, ordering Tosh to go "get the others".
This is our first real indication within the show that Ianto is self-sacrificing, placing the lives of others before his own for the greater good. While Ianto is the faster runner, he has set things up to allow Tosh to escape knowing there is little chance he would be able to escape himself. For his efforts Ianto is severely beaten, unable to fight back even as he looks toward Kieran who is currently being ignored in all the confusion.
When Owen and Gwen discover Tosh being strangled to death, Gwen is holding her gun steady, but when Owen kicks the man aside you can hear Gwen gasp as she falls to Tosh's side, relieved to have freed Tosh and that it is all over and no one got shot, holding Tosh to her to calm her down. When the policeman pulls his gun on Owen, Gwen is back on her feet with wide eyes, once again panicking in fear of Owen's life. Rather than freezing, Gwen's terror is coming out in the form of anger, threats and vulgarities.
Where Tosh had looked to the less experienced Ianto to follow his lead, here we have Gwen looking to the more senior Owen who orders her without speaking that no, she should not shoot. Owen does not seem to want Gwen to have the blood on her hands, and Gwen lowers her weapon, forcing herself to calm down, shooting Owen a look of sheer helplessness. Jack was right in a way - they should have waited to see what they were dealing with, but at the same time if they had not gone they would have not been there to save Tosh.
Now captured, we again see Gwen slipping back into her denial of what she thinks is right and wrong, only rather than aliens she is this time being faced with the reality of what humans can do to each other. As they are forced into the next room, Gwen's top priority is to protect Kieran who she has found tied up on the floor.
At the indication that Ianto is about to have his throat slit, panic and disbelief flash over Gwen's face as she continues to place herself protectively over Kieran, a look of helplessness flickering through her expression. Ianto, who had initially been unconscious is now gagged as well as bound, also in disbelief and now freely panicking as the cleaver is held to his throat. When Ianto is released Gwen leaves Kieran to move to Ianto, and he is now the subject of her support and protection, Gwen needing to hold him to know that he is all right and offer him support.
It is clear by Jack's entrance, expression and mannerisms as he shoots the legs of the villagers to disable them that he is thoroughly pissed off by what they have been doing. Jack may or may not have been aware of the situation with his team, but what he has learnt from his captured villager has been enough to tell him that these people need to be stopped, and now. The fact he knows who the leader of the villagers is does give us a small indication that he may have been watching, but we can't know for sure.
As Jack stops shooting, Gwen is now by Tosh releasing her from her bonds. She sees what Jack is intending to do and yells at him to stop. At this moment it is clear that in his fury Jack is struggling with rational thought, something Gwen seems to detect.
For a brief moment Gwen steps up and become leader of the team, giving Owen orders to control the bleeding of the villagers and contact the authorities, even as she tries to calm Jack. Gwen is struggling herself here, not understanding what is happening as she can't pass the explanation of why onto an alien as these are humans, and she can't comprehend it at all. She begs Jack to allow her to question the villagers. When Jack stands up, you can see the disgust on his face - he does not view these people as human, while Gwen's police mind wants answers to these serial killings.
Jack sits back calmly and observes as Gwen questions the villager, Gwen's own expression and voice controlled and expressionless although you can see her struggling to understand in her eyes. She does eventually snap, anger now in her eyes as she says "I have seen things you would not believe and this is the only thing I cannot understand". As previously mentioned Gwen has often tried to rationalise the situation in relation to aliens and their technology by linking them to what she knows - humans - but now she is being placed in a situation where those same humans have done something unbelievable, alien, and what she had previously deemed as 'safe' is no longer.
Jack regards her, a calculating look on his face as he takes her in, seeming to know that this experience has changed her and not for the better. He has always told her "don't let go of your life", but right now everything Gwen has believed about her own kind is being threatened, forcing her into a corner. When Gwen finally snaps and yells at the cannibal, Jack instantly steps in to break it up, knowing this is what the man wants and that he is toying with Gwen.
When Jack touches the man’s shoulder to get him to stand up, Gwen grabs the man’s hand to stop him from moving, Jack instantly letting go. Gwen returns to her appearance of calm, only to jump when he leans forward abruptly having not expected the move. Again Jack moves in just in case the man attacks Gwen, always ready to protect a member of his team. After the man whispers Jack instantly drags him from the room, leaving Gwen stunned and shocked by his response, her 'safe' world completely blown apart by these people. She no longer knows what to believe, what is real and what's not anymore.
The scene outside is an interesting one. We see Kieran being treated in an ambulance and the police moving around cleaning up, a representation of everything that is normal and controlled, and Gwen’s real world. Ianto is sitting on the tailgate of the now located SUV, clearly still in shock and numb himself, wanting to go back to where is safe. We know from the Captain's Blog that Jack had brought Ianto on this mission because he'd thought it 'safe' and believed Ianto needed the time to bond with the team and relax away from the Hub and city, a decision Jack comes to regret given what occurred.
We then see Gwen making her way through everything, clearly shocked and numb herself by everything, still in great pain from her wound and by the betrayal of a fellow officer. She walks eyes down between Jack and Owen, unable to make any form of communication with them even as they watch her.
This scene strikes me as a visual representation of Gwen's two choices - we are shown both Owen and Jack on equal footing, both men that Gwen has indicated that she desires although we have seen more aggressive flirtation with Owen while her attraction to Jack has been more subtle. Both Owen and Jack are concerned about her welfare, both willing to be there if Gwen needs to turn to someone that night.
We are then given Gwen's monologue, reflecting back on her life so far and her joining of Torchwood. We see her watching tv with Rhys, her body language clearly closed off by the crossing of her arms and tense nature, Rhys leaning into her and clearly wanting to comfort her since he can detect she is upset, but knowing better to ask about it.
We hear Gwen's future plans had been to have a child with Rhys who she deems would make a good father, and how she was planning to try to move up in the PD to Desk Sergeant, Gwen thinking her job at the PD a good one. She felt that her life had been going right, "all slotting into place" and that she had been happy, content.
When Gwen says "and then I met you lot", you can here the contempt in her voice. There is anger there, as if she is blaming Torchwood for shattering her dreams and plan for life, her normalcy, something that is confirmed with "all these things... all these things are changing me. Changing how I see the world". Gwen can already sense that she is not the same person that she was, and her fear from the episode previous of becoming like them, becoming like Jack, is slowly beginning to happen.
Gwen is standing in a window wearing what is clearly a man's shirt and nothing else, and it is obvious by the bed that something has already gone on. Given the shot earlier we know that it would be either Owen or Jack as this had been her choice, and the way she is talking makes the viewer believe it is Jack.
There is clear anger in Gwen's voice as she says "and I can't share them with anyone". Gwen wants to have someone to talk to about her job, but she can't do so with Rhys because of the nature of her job. She is standing at this window looking out over Cardiff, a city filled with people that Gwen is not allowed to talk too, and it is clear that Gwen is beginning to realise how consuming this job is, how it takes from you and eats away at you, hardening you and that is something Gwen doesn't want to lose - her humanity. But at the same time, she has just witnessed what humans can do and she is conflicted, needing to talk to someone who we think is Jack.
Only then do we see Owen and we realise just what Gwen's choice was. While she could have had Jack, she has chosen the safer offer of Owen, clearly comforted by his presence having given into the sexual tension that has slowly been building up between them.
This episode is an interesting one in regards to the relationships of everyone involved. We find out just how isolated Rhys is from Gwen now, and how Ianto is still struggling to fit back into the team after Lisa, how protective Jack is of his team and how conflicted Gwen has become herself. We learn that Ianto is able to handle fieldwork slightly better than Gwen at this point in time despite being greener at it than her. We also see Gwen's protective nature of her team-mates, as well as her being presented with a choice of Owen and Jack and choosing Owen, something we hope to see explained in future episodes.
Next Up: Tosh learns a few things about her colleagues in "Greeks Bearing Gifts"
Analysing Torchwood Part Seven
Previously: We learn the answer to the question "can Jack love" is "Small Worlds"
"Countrycide"
It's taken six episodes, but we're finally getting our first "team" story which is interesting given that you would expect Torchwood to be structured as a team show. Unfortunately in Season One particularly, this was not the case. Also interestingly it is this team episode that is considered one of the best episodes of the season. And before I get any further in, let me express my love for the song "Monster" by the Automatic and how appropriate it is for this episode.
As they are driving out to the location and Owen is moaning about the countryside, it is clear from the reactions of Jack, Gwen and Ianto that this is nothing new from Owen. Gwen has the look and tone of someone who is fed up with Owen's bitching; Jack the look of someone who is thinking "are you starting again?" but is amused by Gwen's response, while Ianto rolls his eyes but otherwise ignores Owen. It is like the average family trip out, with each team member representing a member of the family - Owen, clearly, the whining one who gets one everyone else's nerves.
As Jack debriefs the team we see Gwen and Tosh taking an interest, Ianto off getting the group some food (and looking damn fine out of his suit and in casuals for once). The three lean against the car, voices low so that they can't be overheard. Again we see Jack happily answering Gwen's questions as they are mission related, all of them ignoring Owen's snark as they go over the details of the mission.
When Owen raises his voice and mentions aliens, we see Gwen give Jack a look as Jack glares at Owen, neither of them happy with Owen speaking out loud. Ianto is the one to end Owen's rant by handing him food, then giving the rest of the team (sans Tosh) their burgers.
It's interesting to see the reaction to Tosh's comment about hepatitis - Gwen has already taken a bite out of her burger and a small look of "you can't, can you?" flickers over her face, but she makes no effort to spit it out. Both Jack and Ianto paused as they were about to take a bite, Jack quickly putting his burger down. Being immortal, it would seem Jack is weary of the diseases he contracts, especially the ones that may or not kill him as he will have them for eternity. Gwen and Ianto, however, continue to eat their burgers even as Jack goes back to debriefing them, Ianto now part of the group standing around the SUV and only Owen separate.
Tosh, Gwen, and Jack are still all leaning on the SUV, while Ianto remains standing between the women, Owen in the background fully focussed on his meal. It's also interesting that this is one of the rare times we see Ianto eating without a napkin tucked into his shirt, no doubt because he is not wearing a suit. When Jack tells them about setting up camp, we can see the smirk on his face as he had clearly been looking forward to Owen's reaction. Gwen too, we can see, is amused as she looks at Jack to see his reaction to Owen's response.
It's interesting when they do set up the camp site that there are three tents. Tosh and Gwen are working on the central tent which is most likely going to be theirs, and in the background we can see Ianto working on another. That leaves the third which appears to be Owen's, leaving the question - who is Jack sharing with? Ianto or Owen? Given Owen's bitching about camping, it will most likely be with Ianto if only to get some peace.
During this scene we also hear Jack giving his team yet another clue that he has been off world with his comment about them being the only race to go camping, a clue that the team seem to miss. Another thing to point out is the last time Ianto went camping was most likely with Lisa, so this might be stirring up some memories for him hence the slightly withdrawn look on his face.
When Owen makes his comment to Tosh about not asking for her help to "get it up", we can see Gwen listening in the background as she unpacks their supplies. Initially she is amused by the comment, but you can see a look of concern on her face as she takes in Tosh's reaction.
Seeming to want to ease the tension a bit Gwen resorts to a teenage game of "name you last kiss", not knowing that she's setting herself up to causing another more awkward moment than the one she's trying to counter. Gwen thinks she's safe as her last kiss was Rhys, something she is proud of. As the team play, you can see Jack in the background listening with a combination of amusement and caution even as Ianto moves reluctantly to join the group, a foreboding look on his face because he can see where this is going.
As the team sit around the table, Gwen is leaning forward waiting for Owen's answer, but Ianto is clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Gwen's first clue that her plan has backfired is Owen's look, a look of dread on her face as he lets them know Gwen was his last kiss, something Gwen quickly tries to brush off as nothing, now uncomfortable. Tosh's comment about "getting you feet under the table" shocks Gwen, as Tosh is implying this is nothing new for Owen and Gwen hadn't expected to hear that.
Jack also looks up surprised at the news that Gwen and Owen have kissed, no doubt small alarm bells going off in his head - after all, Owen and Suzie had a thing once, and now Owen and Gwen who, as far as Jack knew, really didn't like each other very much. Also, Jack has spent the last while urging Gwen to stay connected with Rhys and "not let it slip", yet she has kissed Owen.
Sensing things are starting to get out of hand, Jack moves to join the group. It is clear he is not happy with this turn of events as he had not detected anything between Owen and Gwen, but will now be keeping an eye on them. Owen uses Jack's arrival to change the subject, Gwen thrilled to have the topic off her. Jack immediately finds a way to dodge answering the question, shocking the team who have a good laugh (even Ianto smiles as he stares at his hands), Gwen openly admitting she can't tell when Jack's telling the truth or not.
The Ianto speaks up, the team looking at him sharply as if they had forgotten that he was there. Tosh instantly picks up on the fact the answer is going to be bad, Ianto telling them his last kiss was Lisa and instantly Gwen knows she has put her foot in it again, regret flashing across her face. Even Jack's smile dies as an awkward silence settles over the team, Jack and Owen exchanging a quick look before Owen glares at Gwen.
Gwen apologises, the only one looking at Ianto at that moment as no one is able to meet his eye. For his part Ianto is once again staring at his hands, only looking up toward Gwen when he says "sorry she's dead or sorry you mentioned it", which is again almost a reprimand for her not being more aware of what she was saying and who she is with.
Gwen back-pedals quickly and it is clear she knows she has done the wrong thing and regrets it, admitting that yes, she didn't think before speaking, to which Ianto says "you forgot", again an almost accusation of her not paying attention or deeming something 'unimportant'. Jack gives Ianto a warning look out of the corner of his eye, his own way of telling Ianto to leave it alone.
Owen is the one to break the tension, retreating from the campsite for firewood and Gwen quickly goes with him, wanting to escape from the looks and guilt. Ianto watches her go, seeming to know that she is retreating from the situation and unable to face up to her mistake even though she has already apologised, and a faint look flickers across his face as he wonders if he himself took things a little too far. At the same time you can see he is still grieving for Lisa, and none of this is helping him. He is also slightly mad at Gwen forgetting about what happened.
He glances up toward Jack tentatively to see his reaction and finds Jack watching him. In one look Jack seems to be saying a lot - there is a faint look of disapproval about Ianto's reaction, but at the same time faint concern about where his head is at as well as a look that says he wants to know if Ianto is okay. It is clear in Ianto's own look back that he isn't happy with how things are progressing and communicates that back to Jack. He is unable to hold Jack's gaze - it has been pointed out in the past that, early on, Ianto will rarely look at Jack when he knows Jack is looking at him, but will watch Jack when the other man is looking elsewhere. It is clear Ianto doesn't want to talk about what just happened as he looks away, just wanting it over and done with.
In the past some people have suggested that the exchange was Jack cranky because he was Ianto's last kiss and Ianto lied, not wanting to admit their relationship, but there is now some doubt about whether or not Ianto actually remembers the kiss as Jack pulled away just as Ianto came back around.
When Gwen is off with Owen, she is again confident and self assured, trying to put what happened behind her while telling Owen off for revealing their kiss to the rest of the team. When Owen makes a comment about her sex life Gwen goes on the defensive, attacking Owen even as he continues to insult Rhys, anger burning in Gwen's eyes. Owen has picked up on the fact Gwen and Rhys are "cosy", set into their routine and that Gwen is looking to break away from that, and he tells her so even as Gwen is looking to kiss him. Evidently he has gotten to her, and she knows that Owen offers her an alternative to Rhys and not to mention the thrill of having an affair behind Rhys' back.
After they uncover the body and are inspecting it, we again see the team scattered around. Jack is standing over Owen who is making the inspection while Tosh sits close by, and Gwen is leaning against a tree as far away as she can get without missing out on the conversation as Ianto goes about putting up crime scene tape, sealing off the scene.
Each member has their own theory about what happened and why the body was left the way that it was. It is clear that Gwen is disgusted by the killers leaving the body which is illustrated in her posture, expression and tone. For his part Ianto is seeing past the others theory of it being a failed attempt at hiding the body, and instead seeing it as a warning to the team, and as he expresses his theory he looks directly at Jack, who considers if for a moment before questioning Owen for more information about the body.
When the SUV starts up, Gwen is the first to question if it is their vehicle, and Jack confirms so even as he starts running. It's worth point out that as the team run for the campsite Ianto does in fact overtake the others only to stumble when he reaches for his PDA, already thinking ahead of the others that they won't catch the SUV and need to track it, although he does try to run around the campsite in an attempt to cut the SUV off while the others run directly for it. Jack and Gwen are the last two to stop chasing the vehicle, whereas Owen didn't even start. And Jack, in regards to the SUV being taken, is furious, Gwen looking to him to see what to do next.
As they team start regroup and check the damage, we see Ianto has separated himself from the others so that he can work on the problem of locating the SUV, something none of the others have thought of yet as they are busy venting their anger on Owen. Jack himself is moving around the campsite, and it is interesting to see that Jack and Ianto, while on opposite sides of the camp, are moving at the same speed in the same direction - almost mirroring each other.
Jack is studying their surroundings, looking for any sign of the threat that he now knows has been watching them, while Ianto continues to use the PDA to tune into the SUV tracker. Note that Ianto already has his bag, ready to move out to find the SUV as Tosh lets Owen have it about what happened, and Gwen looks lost.
Jack seems to have been thinking about the purpose of the body, especially Ianto's suggestion of it being a warning only Jack takes it one step further - it was a decoy, and he shares this information with Gwen. Gwen catches onto what he's thinking, also realising that they have been watched the entire time they have been there, and from the expression on her face that disturbs her.
When Jack suggest to Tosh to start tracking the SUV, Ianto finally speaks up. Jack it slightly surprised at how far ahead of them Ianto is, and Ianto is aware that it was not his job to do it by his comment "I took the liberty". Ianto glances at Jack briefly before returning his attention to the PDA, Jack, Owen and Tosh moving to join him. Jack only looks away from Ianto when Ianto tells them where the SUV is located, while Gwen has reached for the map to see what is in the area that the SUV is in, also thinking ahead.
When Ianto tells them that the SUV has been stationary for the last four minutes, it tells us that he has been tracking the vehicle for some time without saying anything to the team. There could be two reasons for this a) we know Ianto likes to avoid being the centre of attention thus didn't say anything until someone asked, or b) he was waiting to see where the SUV actually went before speaking up.
The team are surprised at the news that the SUV isn't moving, and the infliction in Ianto's own voice says that he himself can't understand it. Gwen has joined them by now, letting the team know what she has discovered on map - a small village in the area Ianto has mentioned. Jack remains silent as he listens to both of them, a small, confused frown on his face as he tries to put everything together in his head.
Tosh speaks up, stating how "this has all the hallmarks of a trap" and Jack's reaction makes it clear that he was thinking the exact same thing (and says as much), a small smile on his face at the thrill of walking into the trap. Gwen shares a look with Owen that seems to convey the message "does he really want us to do that", while the look Tosh and Ianto share is one of "well, why not - better than doing nothing".
As they move out from the campsite toward the small village, Ianto is clearly in the lead, using the PDA to track the SUV and give them a direction. Jack follows just behind him, while Gwen and Tosh bring up the rear. Jack is still the team leader, however, asking Ianto questions regarding the SUV location, something Gwen herself is interested in - none of the team question Ianto having the PDA, something that would normally be Tosh's job.
As the team move into the village, Jack again takes point, walking slightly ahead of the rest of the team who are spread out in a line beside him. Jack is the one to call for the team to halt with a slight move of his arm, and it is interesting that at this point Ianto is in a slightly elevated position, literally, which serves as a visual representation of his temporary leadership of the team for the last hour where he normally fades into the background.
Jack splits up the team, sending Ianto and Tosh, the more tech savvy members of the group, to locate the SUV while he, Owen and Gwen look into what is happening in the village. As they enter the inn we again see Jack again giving commands without saying a word, simply using hand gestures that Owen and Gwen understand and follow. Gwen is not impressed with Owen's joke, while Jack is amused but still slightly disapproving at the timing.
Gwen opening the til causes Jack to swing around back toward her, a questioning look on his face. Gwen, for her part, knows that a good shop owner would never keep money in an unattended til and upon discovering that the til does indeed contain currency, you can see a concerned look spread across her face as she realises something isn't right. Again, Jack gestures for her and Owen to follow him, knowing that their answers will be elsewhere as there is nothing but more questions here.
The three separate to go through the different rooms, Gwen now confident in her manner as she goes through the kitchen. She is fully aware of her surroundings which demonstrates that she is becoming used to Torchwood fieldwork, and her attention is drawn to the bug zapper and eventually the body. Gwen can't handle what she sees, but her reaction catches Jack's attention who instantly knows something isn't right. Evidently this is not a common reaction from Gwen, which puts Jack on guard, and even he cannot believe the state of the body.
Despite Jack's shock, he is the only one to hear movement in the inn, something that Gwen and Owen miss. He calls for Gwen to follow him so that a) Owen can stay and analyse the body for clues to what did it, and b) to get Gwen out of there since she is handling it poorly (and in a way the average person would, mind you - better than some, in fact).
We see yet another element of Gwen's naivety, however, as they are going through the inn. Jack has his gun up, seeking out what caused the noise and looking everywhere, while Gwen runs straight past him with her gun lowered, causing Jack to give her a "what do you think you're doing?" look to her back as she is putting herself at risk with her carelessness.
Jack instantly moves to cover her, and Gwen spots this and tries to bring her own guard up but is unable as she is still reacting to seeing the body. Gwen almost begs Jack for answers, unable to comprehend what is going on and clearly in shock by the sight of the body, while Jack is just as confused as her, moving on to try and find more answers.
As they're about to enter the next house, Gwen visibly composes herself as Jack does the countdown, and when Gwen moves inside she is once more fully composed and with her guard back up. Jack is once again at her back, and again finds another body but keeps herself in check, Jack doing the same when he sees it.
Again Gwen starts questioning Jack in the hope that he might have some sort of idea what has caused it, because it is outside of her experience and she thinks straight away that it isn't human, a direct contrast to her thinking in previous episodes where her first conclusion was that it was human or, at least, that there is a perfectly reasonable explanation other than it being alien. It would seem that this is all too horrifying for her as Gwen's resolve begins to crack, Jack seeing it and telling her to stay focused as Gwen seeks out her comfort zone - she wants to be home with Rhys, away from all this danger, away from Torchwood, away from Jack.
Jack simply watches her, knowing she is slipping and also knowing that he can't give her the answers. Gwen looks back at Jack and asks if he ever gets scared, at that moment looking for a sign of weakness in him, a sign of his humanity and something to make herself feel better as Gwen herself is clearly terrified. Jack doesn't reassure her or comfort her, instead giving her the look he gives her when she asks something personal he doesn't want to answer, and again he dodges the question by reminding Gwen on their job and leaving. Gwen knows he has avoided the question, and you can see that she is trying to compose herself as she works out what that means.
Meanwhile, Ianto and Tosh are still following the signal of the PDA, and Tosh finally takes control of the device which wins a small, amused smile from Ianto who no doubt had been expecting it. When they start hearing odd noises Ianto brushes them off, and does the same when Tosh becomes jumpy and points her gun at him. In fact, Ianto remains calm and composed up until the point he realises he is in danger.
This episode is interesting in regards to Ianto's character, as we are shown several comparative examples to Gwen in regards to Ianto's inexperience in the field. While Ianto has been with Torchwood for over two years now, he is lacking in field experience as his job at Torchwood One was a desk job. However, given the way he is able to confidently hold his gun, it would seem he also has been given gun training by Jack (most likely Tosh and Owen have too).
As Ianto looks for Tosh, you can hear him mutter "okay, okay" to himself. He is no doubt trying to calm himself and reminding himself of his training, running through in his mind exactly what he needs to do as he heads for where he last saw Tosh. As the threat increases, however, you can see Ianto's hand begin to tremble as he becomes rigid in his body language. He is aware of his surroundings, shifting when he hears a noise behind him and trying to keep an eye on everywhere at once, but missing the person who knocks him to the ground.
Meanwhile Jack and Gwen continue to search the buildings and seem to have fallen into a comfortable routine, watching each others backs as they move through the buildings, and communicating in short sharp sentences. When they find a locked building she pulls the door open, but in that moment lets her guard down. She should have stepped to the side and brought up her firearm, allowing Jack to enter first as he was already at the ready. Instead Gwen walks in with her eyes down, spotting the threat too late.
When Gwen is shot Jack looks first to see if he can see the attacker, and only when he is sure he is clear he checks to see that Gwen is alive, calling out to her to see that she is responsive. Seeing that she is but hurt bad Jack rushes inside the building to seek out and disarm the attacker before anyone else can be hurt, Jack pissed off that a member of his team has been injured.
It's only when Jack has removed the threat that he goes back to Gwen who is now slipping into shock, not responding to Owen who has come running at the sound of the shotgun and Jack yelling. Between them Jack and Owen manage to get Gwen off the ground, Jack carrying her inside as Owen grabs his bag and opens the door, clearing a way for Jack to bring Gwen in.
While Owen inspects Gwen Jack goes to check for any more threats. As Owen is treating Gwen we see a tender moment between them, and when the moment is broken you can see a conflicted look on Gwen's face. The return of Jack prevents anything else, and now you can clearly see the concern on Jack's face - where is Tosh and Ianto? Jack believes they should be back by now, but there is no sign of them and it is Owen that reassures Jack that they are probably fine, Jack relaxing a little at hearing this and not wanting to hear otherwise.
As Jack questions Kieran about what's happening, you can see Gwen trying to push herself up to listen in an effort to remain up-to-date and at the same time ignore the pain as Owen continues to extract shotgun pellets from her abdomen. As they find out more about what they're dealing with, it is Owen that starts panicking about Tosh and Ianto and it is Jack that is now reassuring Owen that they will be fine by saying "they're not children, they know what to do” although you can see in Jack's eyes that he isn't fully convinced.
Deciding that they need to move somewhere safer Jack moves to pick up Gwen, only to stop dead when Owen tells him that he isn't needed. It is at that moment you can see in Jack's eyes that he has worked out that there is something going on between Owen and Gwen before it even begins, and he does not approve at all. He shoots the both of them a glare before moving away, Gwen looking after him with a slight frown, no doubt still in too much pain to really realise what is meant in the look Jack has just given her and Owen and more interested in trying to walk by herself rather than be carried.
Elsewhere we find Tosh and Ianto locked up, and we are given from Ianto the line "you know, I never liked camping". This is interesting given that camping was one of the memories Lisa had used to try and win Ianto over to her side, but now we learn that Ianto is in fact not fond of the practice. It could be that something always tends to go wrong when he does go camping (even the memory Lisa used had something in it).
Again we see another contrast between Ianto and Gwen here. When Tosh awakes Ianto is on guard, ready to protect her, but it is clear from his fidgeting and tone that he is terrified. Where Gwen will freeze or try to protect herself as we have seen in episodes previous, Ianto is able to maintain a clear enough head to realise that he has someone else that needs protecting, and has already done an assessment on his situation prior to Tosh waking.
You can hear that Ianto is fighting back his fear, hoping that Tosh knows more about their situation than they do and is hoping for some form of rescue. Tosh asks him if he is scared, and Ianto is man enough to admit that he is. He is already connecting the dots in his head between their situation and the body in the forest, Tosh trying to distract him away from that, seeming to sense that he needs to stay focused on something and asking him to try and fix the light.
Ianto applies himself to the task, but that doesn't stop him from thinking out loud as he observes Tosh. As Gwen has done in the episodes previous, Ianto in effect separates himself from the rest of the team. He has been watching them, as made clear in his line "you're used to this aren't you. That facial expression you all share when things get a bit out of control, like you enjoy it. Like you get a high from the danger."
In a way this is true, as you can see on the faces of the team the silent thrill (especially from Jack) when things are starting to get dangerous. Even Gwen is being placed within Ianto's mould, as he has no doubt observed that it was the danger and adventure that enticed her into Torchwood even though she still can be paralysed by fear when placed in direct danger.
Unlike and others (with the exception of Jack), Ianto is fully aware of his mortality. While the others (excluding Gwen) have witnessed death, none have done so to the level Ianto has. His experiences at Torchwood One and the battle have made it all real, which is why he is so cautious of it and in fear of it while the others still have a sense of thrill at the idea of flirting with danger.
This thought is included in the rest of Ianto's speech: "don't you ever wonder how long you can survive before you go mad, or get killed, or lose a loved one". Again, these are all things that Ianto has seen or experienced at Torchwood One, and it is bubbling to the surface as he feels himself placed in extreme danger and coming out as part of his fear.
Tosh tries to put him right, defending herself and the rest of the team with her line "it's worth the risk, to protect people" to which Ianto instantly yells "and who protects us?". In his mind no one had come to protect the Torchwood Institute in London and they had been left to defend themselves, and almost everyone had died. He is also aware of how alone Torchwood Three is, with only five of them and no back up.
These are all things that seem to have been circling in his mind for a long time, things he had been wondering and thinking about to himself that he had never expressed to anyone. While it is fear that is talking, it is also Ianto's own rational thinking and even Tosh cannot answer Ianto's last question.
Ianto knows instantly that he needs to calm down, and you can see him do so visibly. He doesn't seem to regret what he has said, allowing Tosh to change the subject as the two of them engage in a little light banter regarding the burger Tosh had decided not to have at the start of the episode. Ianto is still fighting an internal struggle with himself to keep from panicking and Tosh's announcement of discovery gives him something else to distract himself with.
At the discovery of the clothes you can see both Tosh and Ianto now focused on trying to work out what happened to the owners, Ianto waiting as Tosh investigates the fridge. Again we see him able to detect that something isn't right just by Tosh's reaction and expression, Tosh trying to protect him by attempting to stop him from seeing the contents. Ianto knows that in order to try and understand what is happening he has to see inside and pushes Tosh away, and the panic is clearly growing on his face as he stares at the fridge contents and it dawns on him exactly what is happening here even as Tosh verbally draws her own conclusion, the fear creeping into her own voice as Ianto slams the fridge shut so not to look at it any longer.
Now at the pub we see that Gwen is walking around unaided as Owen and Jack go about barricading themselves into the pub. Owen again brings up Tosh and Ianto, Jack once more brushing it off. No doubt he is worried about the two of them, but he is trying to keep himself focused on what he has there - Kieran, an injured Gwen, and Owen.
Just as Ianto is trying to keep himself focused by finding things to do, we see Gwen doing the same. To fight off her pain and own fear she is drawing upon her investigative skills to list everything they know. Jack approves of this, providing information to Gwen to help her as he continues with his task of setting up the defences, Gwen sounding stronger with the help, the group seeming to come to the conclusion that the Rift is spreading.
Gwen is the first to spot the movement outside, confirming this to Jack even as Owen spots the second movement. Gwen and Owen instantly go for their weapons, whereas Jack goes to the window to try and get a better look at their attacker. Again we see Gwen fighting off fear, drawing to the conclusion that the attackers are back for Kieran and Jack looks over at her, telling her to not jump to conclusions having no doubt recognised her fear.
Jack himself doesn't become defensive until the power goes out, moving to watch the back entrance as someone tries to open the door, not drawing his own weapon until someone tries to open the cellar door. Jack tries to force the door closed himself, and it is only when he realises he can't that he opens fire. For their part Owen and Gwen dive for cover as more shorts are fired into the pub, Jack himself trying to protect himself.
When Kieran is taken, first Owen, then Jack, have to hold Gwen back to keep her from going after him. Jack tries to reason with Gwen, telling her that they have an injured "thing" down in the cellar that they can look at to see what they are dealing with so they can handle it. Gwen tells him that she and Owen are still going to go after Kieran "and the others", no doubt meaning Tosh and Ianto. She has been listening to Jack and Owen talk about them, and by now has realised something is very wrong and that they are in trouble.
Even as Owen hangs back knowing to stay out of this fight, Jack reminds Gwen that she is injured and in no position to try and fight, Gwen saying "you think that's going to stop me". Both Jack and Gwen have that stubborn look of determination on their faces, neither one wanting to back down. Jack seems to realise that if he tries to keep Gwen back she will disobey his orders and sneak off when his and Owen's backs are turned, so with a great deal of reluctance he lets her go, sending Owen with her.
Jack is clearly hurting at the moment. Already one of his team is injured, and he knows that both Tosh and Ianto are in serious danger if they have not already been killed. By having Gwen and Owen where he could see them he would have been able to protect them and know they are safe, but now they are off alone and they currently seem to not be able to communicate with each other. Jack is, to put it bluntly, absolutely terrified for his team.
Still trapped, Tosh and Ianto are keeping themselves in some semblance of calm by working on a way to escape. Even after Tosh dismisses the door, Ianto still attempts to see if it will relent to brute force, only his action rouses their captors. Ianto instantly retreats, only to attack their captor when they enter the room. Even as Tosh comes to his aide Ianto takes a blow to the solar plexus that winds him, knocking him off the feet.
Interestingly, despite his earlier outburst to Tosh, Ianto seems to be incredibly calm at this point in time. He is clearly of the defensive and now winded which makes him vulnerable, but he no longer seems to be panicking, instead studying the situation for a point where they can escape only to be pulled up short by the gun when he does attempt it. Ianto waits to see what Tosh decides to do, waiting for her reaction before he tries anything further as she is far more experienced in the field than him and would have a clearer head.
Now the team are completely separated, each with their own purpose. Jack has managed to locate their attacker and is shocked to discover that it was a human, which angers him to no end as he threatens torture. Jack tone and actions tell us that this is no idle threat - he really would torture the man to get answers, especially when Jack's team is in danger.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Owen are still out looking for Kieran, Gwen now barely able to walk and being forced to rely heavily on Owen. Her adrenaline rush from earlier when she was arguing with Jack seems to have faded, but Gwen's need for independence is preventing her from allowing Owen to carry her. It's not until they learn from a local officer about the house that Gwen once again has the strength and purpose to walk on her own.
Ianto and Tosh have been brought to their final location, Ianto still holding his chest from the earlier blow. Once more Ianto is barely able to keep his panic and fear in check. Ianto tries to once again make a move on their captors, trying to use a moment when their distracted against them, and is once again knocked to the ground. The fact Ianto is being so easily defeated is a clear indication of his lack of field experience, although he does seem to know the basics he isn't able to effectively apply them in practice.
One thing that is really interesting is that all through this scene Ianto seems to be on the verge of panic, but the minute the captors step out of the room it disappears temporarily as he leans toward Tosh and in an almost calm voice tells her "get ready to run". At this moment Ianto seems to have been planning something, his head just clear enough to put together a strategy where Gwen would have been frozen in panic (as we have seen with the sex alien, Lisa, and a couple of times in "Ghost Machine" - all indicators of her own lack of field experience).
When Tosh is being directly threatened, Ianto gives her a look of encouragement as if to say "it's all going to be fine - get ready". Despite being the less experienced of the two, Ianto seems to be the one giving the orders here, Tosh waiting to see what he does first before she acts.
Proving himself to be a fast learner, rather than showing his panic and appearing jumping thus putting his captor on guard, Ianto instead gives the appearance of calm. He smiles at his captor which throws them off, and using that moment of distraction Ianto successfully attacks. Ianto knows that he won't escape, preventing the captors from grabbing Tosh by sacrificing himself, ordering Tosh to go "get the others".
This is our first real indication within the show that Ianto is self-sacrificing, placing the lives of others before his own for the greater good. While Ianto is the faster runner, he has set things up to allow Tosh to escape knowing there is little chance he would be able to escape himself. For his efforts Ianto is severely beaten, unable to fight back even as he looks toward Kieran who is currently being ignored in all the confusion.
When Owen and Gwen discover Tosh being strangled to death, Gwen is holding her gun steady, but when Owen kicks the man aside you can hear Gwen gasp as she falls to Tosh's side, relieved to have freed Tosh and that it is all over and no one got shot, holding Tosh to her to calm her down. When the policeman pulls his gun on Owen, Gwen is back on her feet with wide eyes, once again panicking in fear of Owen's life. Rather than freezing, Gwen's terror is coming out in the form of anger, threats and vulgarities.
Where Tosh had looked to the less experienced Ianto to follow his lead, here we have Gwen looking to the more senior Owen who orders her without speaking that no, she should not shoot. Owen does not seem to want Gwen to have the blood on her hands, and Gwen lowers her weapon, forcing herself to calm down, shooting Owen a look of sheer helplessness. Jack was right in a way - they should have waited to see what they were dealing with, but at the same time if they had not gone they would have not been there to save Tosh.
Now captured, we again see Gwen slipping back into her denial of what she thinks is right and wrong, only rather than aliens she is this time being faced with the reality of what humans can do to each other. As they are forced into the next room, Gwen's top priority is to protect Kieran who she has found tied up on the floor.
At the indication that Ianto is about to have his throat slit, panic and disbelief flash over Gwen's face as she continues to place herself protectively over Kieran, a look of helplessness flickering through her expression. Ianto, who had initially been unconscious is now gagged as well as bound, also in disbelief and now freely panicking as the cleaver is held to his throat. When Ianto is released Gwen leaves Kieran to move to Ianto, and he is now the subject of her support and protection, Gwen needing to hold him to know that he is all right and offer him support.
It is clear by Jack's entrance, expression and mannerisms as he shoots the legs of the villagers to disable them that he is thoroughly pissed off by what they have been doing. Jack may or may not have been aware of the situation with his team, but what he has learnt from his captured villager has been enough to tell him that these people need to be stopped, and now. The fact he knows who the leader of the villagers is does give us a small indication that he may have been watching, but we can't know for sure.
As Jack stops shooting, Gwen is now by Tosh releasing her from her bonds. She sees what Jack is intending to do and yells at him to stop. At this moment it is clear that in his fury Jack is struggling with rational thought, something Gwen seems to detect.
For a brief moment Gwen steps up and become leader of the team, giving Owen orders to control the bleeding of the villagers and contact the authorities, even as she tries to calm Jack. Gwen is struggling herself here, not understanding what is happening as she can't pass the explanation of why onto an alien as these are humans, and she can't comprehend it at all. She begs Jack to allow her to question the villagers. When Jack stands up, you can see the disgust on his face - he does not view these people as human, while Gwen's police mind wants answers to these serial killings.
Jack sits back calmly and observes as Gwen questions the villager, Gwen's own expression and voice controlled and expressionless although you can see her struggling to understand in her eyes. She does eventually snap, anger now in her eyes as she says "I have seen things you would not believe and this is the only thing I cannot understand". As previously mentioned Gwen has often tried to rationalise the situation in relation to aliens and their technology by linking them to what she knows - humans - but now she is being placed in a situation where those same humans have done something unbelievable, alien, and what she had previously deemed as 'safe' is no longer.
Jack regards her, a calculating look on his face as he takes her in, seeming to know that this experience has changed her and not for the better. He has always told her "don't let go of your life", but right now everything Gwen has believed about her own kind is being threatened, forcing her into a corner. When Gwen finally snaps and yells at the cannibal, Jack instantly steps in to break it up, knowing this is what the man wants and that he is toying with Gwen.
When Jack touches the man’s shoulder to get him to stand up, Gwen grabs the man’s hand to stop him from moving, Jack instantly letting go. Gwen returns to her appearance of calm, only to jump when he leans forward abruptly having not expected the move. Again Jack moves in just in case the man attacks Gwen, always ready to protect a member of his team. After the man whispers Jack instantly drags him from the room, leaving Gwen stunned and shocked by his response, her 'safe' world completely blown apart by these people. She no longer knows what to believe, what is real and what's not anymore.
The scene outside is an interesting one. We see Kieran being treated in an ambulance and the police moving around cleaning up, a representation of everything that is normal and controlled, and Gwen’s real world. Ianto is sitting on the tailgate of the now located SUV, clearly still in shock and numb himself, wanting to go back to where is safe. We know from the Captain's Blog that Jack had brought Ianto on this mission because he'd thought it 'safe' and believed Ianto needed the time to bond with the team and relax away from the Hub and city, a decision Jack comes to regret given what occurred.
We then see Gwen making her way through everything, clearly shocked and numb herself by everything, still in great pain from her wound and by the betrayal of a fellow officer. She walks eyes down between Jack and Owen, unable to make any form of communication with them even as they watch her.
This scene strikes me as a visual representation of Gwen's two choices - we are shown both Owen and Jack on equal footing, both men that Gwen has indicated that she desires although we have seen more aggressive flirtation with Owen while her attraction to Jack has been more subtle. Both Owen and Jack are concerned about her welfare, both willing to be there if Gwen needs to turn to someone that night.
We are then given Gwen's monologue, reflecting back on her life so far and her joining of Torchwood. We see her watching tv with Rhys, her body language clearly closed off by the crossing of her arms and tense nature, Rhys leaning into her and clearly wanting to comfort her since he can detect she is upset, but knowing better to ask about it.
We hear Gwen's future plans had been to have a child with Rhys who she deems would make a good father, and how she was planning to try to move up in the PD to Desk Sergeant, Gwen thinking her job at the PD a good one. She felt that her life had been going right, "all slotting into place" and that she had been happy, content.
When Gwen says "and then I met you lot", you can here the contempt in her voice. There is anger there, as if she is blaming Torchwood for shattering her dreams and plan for life, her normalcy, something that is confirmed with "all these things... all these things are changing me. Changing how I see the world". Gwen can already sense that she is not the same person that she was, and her fear from the episode previous of becoming like them, becoming like Jack, is slowly beginning to happen.
Gwen is standing in a window wearing what is clearly a man's shirt and nothing else, and it is obvious by the bed that something has already gone on. Given the shot earlier we know that it would be either Owen or Jack as this had been her choice, and the way she is talking makes the viewer believe it is Jack.
There is clear anger in Gwen's voice as she says "and I can't share them with anyone". Gwen wants to have someone to talk to about her job, but she can't do so with Rhys because of the nature of her job. She is standing at this window looking out over Cardiff, a city filled with people that Gwen is not allowed to talk too, and it is clear that Gwen is beginning to realise how consuming this job is, how it takes from you and eats away at you, hardening you and that is something Gwen doesn't want to lose - her humanity. But at the same time, she has just witnessed what humans can do and she is conflicted, needing to talk to someone who we think is Jack.
Only then do we see Owen and we realise just what Gwen's choice was. While she could have had Jack, she has chosen the safer offer of Owen, clearly comforted by his presence having given into the sexual tension that has slowly been building up between them.
This episode is an interesting one in regards to the relationships of everyone involved. We find out just how isolated Rhys is from Gwen now, and how Ianto is still struggling to fit back into the team after Lisa, how protective Jack is of his team and how conflicted Gwen has become herself. We learn that Ianto is able to handle fieldwork slightly better than Gwen at this point in time despite being greener at it than her. We also see Gwen's protective nature of her team-mates, as well as her being presented with a choice of Owen and Jack and choosing Owen, something we hope to see explained in future episodes.
Next Up: Tosh learns a few things about her colleagues in "Greeks Bearing Gifts"