Torchwood Episode 208 Recap: “A Day in the Death”

Anyway, he’s watching some reality show but mutes the sound in boredom bordering on disgust. I’m thinking, “Dude, there’s like 35 seasons of The Wire available on DVD, and they’re not going to watch themselves. Or even better, start Six Feet Under. You’ll totally relate.”

Instead, he turns on some tunes and proceeds to dump the now-useless contents of his medicine cabinet and fridge. Wow, is there anything more exciting than watching somebody houseclean? At least he’s listening to some decent techno club-type music. And then he sits for a while doing nothing, while the music pounds away, and it’s actually a pretty terrific sequence because we’re finally seeing what’s going on with Owen without him having to say a word.

His eyes are about to slip closed, when Tosh shows up. She makes herself at home, wolfing down a pizza and opening a beer, and then starts bitching about her day, particularly about how Gwen apologized to her for not asking her to be a bridesmaid. Heh. I love how they keep intimating at tension between Tosh and Gwen, like they’re building up to a knock-down, drag-out fight in the duck pond. At least that’s what I’m hoping for.

Up on the Roof, Roofie tells Owen that he and Tosh sound like an old married couple. This leads her to comment that today is her wedding anniversary.

We see images of her decked out in a bridal gown, and it confirms that all those Bridezilla details that brides-to-be obsess over are totally worth it, because the dress and the hair and the flowers and the makeup all help Roofie look quite pretty. Other than the big blood stain, that is. Turns out she had a car accident and her husband died only an hour after the ceremony.

Owen wonders why Roofie waited a year to attempt suicide. I’m wondering if she had to return the gifts. Because as a gay man living in a state where same-sex marriage isn’t currently legal but who has had to fork over thousands of dollars in gifts for straight people, I’m fairly obsessed with wedding gift protocol.

In response to Owen, Roofie rather poignantly says she waited, “Because I believed people. I believed them when they said it would get better.” Her performance is actually quite moving in these scenes. No matter how you might feel about this season, it really has been outstanding in terms of quality guest star casting.

We return to Owen’s place, with Tosh still babbling away. And now Owen turns on her, the latest chapter in their neverending Sid & Nancy-esque romance of fear and self-loathing. He berates her for wanting him for so long, even when he was screwing other women. And he argues that she’s got him now just where she wants him …

Owen: I’m broken, Tosh! I’ve got no heartbeat. No feelings. No tears. I have got nothing to give you, can’t you understand that? Maybe that’s what you want? You want somebody who’s as screwed up as you? Who’s twisted and screwed up like you are. You want to see broken? Do you want to see broken, Tosh?

And in the spirit of more dead-horse-beating, he proceeds to break his own finger. Then he runs …

… runs just like Jamie Sommers! Through the city streets, to the harbor, culminating in a cannonball jump. Underwater, he screams, then just floats, not being able to drown.

After realizing water’s not going to kill him, given nothing will, he climbs out. Jack is waiting for him on the dock, announcing, “36 minutes. Not bad.” Again with the stopwatches. Can’t somebody buy him a new sex toy, already? Owen comments that Jack was watching him …

Jack: Skinny guy in tight jeans runs into water? I was taking pictures.

Which can’t be easy to do, what with a stopwatch in one hand, and the other down his own pants.

Jack asks Owen how much longer this is going to go on. Uncannily mirroring my own thoughts exactly.