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

The Bored Room. Ianto says that he’s identified some of Parker’s purchases during the last year, including a Dogon eye and some translation of James Herbert’s The Fog. Heh. Although if this guy is truly such an alien artifact aficionado, I’d think he’d be more likely to have Anne Heche’s autobiography. Anyway, these collectibles are all harmless, but the energy spikes are getting bigger, so they realize they need to get inside and see exactly what he’s got.

Gwen explains that Parker’s got a professional security force and generator that can both be taken out, but the real problem is heat sensors. I’d think having heat sensors might not be the most practical alarm system when you’ve got security guards patrolling the property, but what do I know?

The point is that the Contrivance Fairy’s paid Torchwood a visit, because they urgently need somebody without body heat to get inside, and wouldn’t you know it, they just happen to have an undead officeboy at the ready. Or as Owen portentously puts it upon entering, “Sounds like you need a dead man.” Gee, Owen’s dead? I’d forgotten, given he hasn’t announced it in the last, what, minute and a half.

Owen asks what they’ve got to lose, and Jack okays it, getting Ianto to return Owen’s weapon. Just then, Tosh comes in and gives Owen back his keys, saying she turned off his telly. There’s this tense pause that everybody senses, and it’s like an awkward post-one-night-stand reunion where the sex has been horrifically bad, except in this case there hasn’t even been sex so it’s somehow worse.

Up on the Roof, Roofie is surprised that Tosh acted so politely after all the terrible things Owen said to her. Then again, she hasn’t watched the rest of this series and seen how punching-bag Tosh always springs up the harder Owen slams her down.

But when Owen starts getting into their relationship, Roofie says she’s not interested in him. She came because her husband died and she wants to jump. Owen calls her bluff and forces her over to the edge, only to have her recoil. “You’re too scared,” he tells her. “Aren’t you?” she responds, wondering what happened to bring him to this moment. Sounds like a segue to me …

Outside the Henry Parker Compound, Owen, ready for a little B&E in an Eminem style hoodie, is getting last instructions from the team. Martha reminds him that if he gets any wounds, he’ll never recover from them. Jack gives him a white piece of cloth that’s the set up for an utterly hilarious joke soon to come. Watch for it …

Owen approaches the compound fence and sees two guards. Via radio he asks the team to try to get rid of one, and hopes they can make it the bigger goon. Unfortunately, when they try the security company cell phones, they get the shrimpy goon. Gwen pretends to be calling from the hospital to tell Little Goon his wife has had an accident. He hangs up and tells Big Goon what’s up and then leaves the property, allowing Owen a chance to sneak in.

On the property, Owen finds his way to the shed housing the generator, but is stopped by Big Goon. Owen knocks him out pretty easily, and then takes out the white cloth revealing it to be … wait for it … a Tintin T-shirt! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hah! When you’re done guffawing, I’ll tell you about what happens next.

Owen wraps his hand in the T-shirt, and plunges it into the generator’s wiring, sending sparks flying. Big Goon, coming out of his stupor, is freaked to see that Owen’s unaffected by these volts of electricity, giving Owen a chance to once again proclaim his dead man status and knock Big Goon out cold.

Tosh radios in to tell him the generator’s out and he’ll have a minute and twenty seconds before the back-up kicks in. But then they all hear the remaining guards talking about how the back-up will be on in 45 seconds. Tosh apologizes to Owen, telling him that, much like Nicole Kidman, the system’s “obviously had some work done.”