Torchwood Episode 206 Recap: "Reset"

They pop the lenses in her eyes and the computer screen shows what she’s seeing. Martha says, “Oh, I am a camera.” Jack responds that that’s the same thing “Chris Isherwood said to me when we were cruising the Kurfurstendamm.” And just like that this episode becomes my all-time favorite. Because any writer who can work in not only a reference to Christopher Isherwood but to the play that inspired Cabaret has got to be worthy of the Nobel Prize for gay TV writing.

Tosh says the contact lens power comes from body heat, so the lenses will only work when she’s wearing them. As opposed to what? Dangling them as earrings? Owen leeringly says, “Yeah so you’ll have to wear them everywhere.” Um, hate to break it to you, Owen, but even with someone as hot as her, not all bodily functions are pretty to watch.

Back on the Pharm, some evil assistant is taking blood from Martha, while at the Hub, the team sees whatever she sees. Even though I’m pretty sure Martha’s more than competent enough to sense the right way to answer the screening questions, the Hubbies nevertheless feel compelled to keep coaching her via contact lens IMs. It’s irritating as hell just for me to watch, so I can only imagine how she must feel seeing enormous explanation points and smiley faces and “I think ur gr8” messages scrolling across her eyeballs.

Sensing she’s about to get the guinea pig reject button, Martha improvises a story about having had hepatitis. Owen is convinced it’s all b.s. just so she can fake her way in, but I’m pretty sure she’s saying it specifically for Owen’s benefit hoping he’ll believe it’s true and quit sniffing around her looking for his own way in.

Martha says she’s fine now, but she knows hepatitis stays in the blood and is considered incurable. Copley’s eyes light up at the news. Turns out they’re just dying for a subject with hepatitis and they’d like her to start right away.

Owen: She’s in.
Jack: As Chris Isherwood also said, “It’s not the getting in. It’s the getting out.”

Funny, I don’t remember that number from Cabaret. But it does sound catchy.

Later, Tosh offers Owen a cup of coffee, as the two settle in for a cozy night of watching MTV a.k.a. Martha TV. Tosh notes that Owen and Martha are getting on well, and that she’s a beautiful doctor who would make a perfect match for him. Owen says he tried, but she’s all work. Plus, Jack would have his kneecaps.

Then Owen wonders about that little pool tournament Tosh was supposed to be organizing. But she has finally, FINALLY! had it with him and explains it was supposed to be a date. He claims absolute surprise at this and seems rather genuine about it, although I always thought he knew full well how she felt and was simply enjoying being a total dick. There’s a certain kind of guy who’s like that, and he fits the profile.

Anyway, he says if she’s still interested they could try going out, just so long as she doesn’t expect him to stop flirting with other people. Wow, what woman would turn down such a classy, sensitive offer? Certainly not Tosh, given she’s the Queen of Low Self Esteem. Which is why she says she’s fine if Owen wants to be “King of Flirts.”

Back on MarthaVision, they see Martha get up out of her Pharm bed and sneak down the hall. Tosh eyeball IMs, “Be careful.” And I wish Martha could telepathically send back what she’s no-doubt thinking: “No sh*t.” Jack and Gwen come in to watch MTV with the gang. I’m hoping someone was decent enough to bring snacks, preferably brownies baked with special ingredients from the alien grow house.

They watch as Martha approaches the Administration Office but the door is locked with a keypad. Tosh, via contact lens, is able to do some gizmo thing to retrieve the keycode but it takes a few minutes of scanning. Meanwhile, this pair of rent-a-cops patrol the hall with all the speed of a pair of tree sloths. Because they have to time it just right so they turn the corner just after Martha’s cracked the code and slipped inside, given that’s the way things have to happen on TV.

Martha sits at the desk and Tosh figures out a way for her to log in and transfer control of the computer over to her. On the Pharm computer, Martha finds an image of the alien larvae all grown up and sees that they call it the “Mayfly.” Jack tells her that they’ve downloaded all the Pharm files to the Hub now, so she can get out of there.