Torchwood Episode 212 Recap: “Fragments”

One of the things I enjoy most about these recaps (apart from your general wit and charm) is seeing how lost in translation British English really is when Americans hear it. Owen saying "Snap" is not remotely connected to the American usage. It's from the kids' card game where players take turns to lay down a card and if two of the same suit go down in a row you slap your hand down on the pile and say snap, winning all the cards. Contextually then, Jack says "Bomb", Owen says "Snap", ie me too. This piece of useless knowledge brought to you by someone with *nothing* to do at work.

Great recap as always. Good episodes must be tougher to do though, as there's less to tease. But you did admirably as always.

This really was a great episode, although in some ways, mainly Janto ways, it's a continuity nightmare worthy of Star Trek: Enterprise.

It really is amazing how often we see Gwen and Rhys in bed isn't it? I really think the writers have a fetish for Eve Myles going on. Maybe she's working on this baby business Rhys is so concerned about? But isn't she supposed to be like second-in-command of this operation? Seriously, missing the call to duty because she obviously spent a druken night getting her coal mine drilled by Rhys is a bit lax isn't it? No wonder Tosh resents her so badly.

They need to do something to give the Torchmobile a Knight Rider like personality. All this technology and the best they can do is flashy blue lights? And it seems like everyone from Spike to illiterate, inbred, valley cannibals can steal the thing more or less at will. Torchwood security is a joke. Jack has no business criticising London!

I have to say I did like the Victorian, butt-kicking lesbians of Torchwood past. Just as an aside, lesbianism, unlike male homosexual acts, was not actually illegal in Victorian England. I still don't like them as much as WWI Torchwood though. Harriett ruled!

The flashbacks overall weren't bad. But I have to agree that Ianto's represents a massive piece of retconning (and not the drug). The Ianto we see here is the secret agent Ianto that has existed more in online fan fiction than on-screen.  I think the slash writers seized control of the BBC offices and did most of this script.  I say most because if they'd done 100% of it we'd have seen Jack and Ianto in bed instead of Rhys and Gwen and they would not have been passed out.

Of course, given how their relationship develops it's really quite appropriate Jack and Ianto met in a park. The unmentioned part is that neither of them was in fact actually looking for Weevils when they *ahem* went cruising that evening. Ianto's tenacity at getting a job at Torchwood 3 is of course based on his urgent need to stash a large cyber-conversion unit complete with Def Leppard woman somewhere with suitable wiring and a good coffee machine.

But the problem is that this all renders Series 1 Ianto inexplicable. Through most of Series 1 he comes across as the least action-oriented of the team. But here we see that he was, in fact, far better suited to pulling aliens/dinosaurs/Jack than Tosh, Owen or Gwen. Did he feed Jack Retcon or something? What about his comments to Tosh when they were locked up by cannibals? You know, about not understanding the adrenaline rush they get out of going into danger?

Because Gods knows that catching Weevils and Pterodactyls is soooooo relaxing. To say nothing about stepping into the road in front of an oncoming, fast-moving SUV. I don't know how SUV drivers in the UK are but the ones in US don't seem to know where the brakes are on their's, or else they can't reach them if they do. Ianto needed nerves of steel to pull that off.

And then, we have Jack boasting about his 51st Century pheromones!?! Hasn't it been a key plot point through this entire series that nobody knew anything about Jack. "Well, except him being gay" as Owen once so sagely put it. Did this little nugget about being from the 51st Century somehow not stick in Ianto's otherwise photographic memory? Or do we just assume it's one of the many secrets he was keeping like the fact that his girlfriend was the victim of an 80's music video or that Jack is running a hospital that even the NHS would be embarrassed by?

The blatant chemistry between them right from the start was great, but also perplexing given it's absence for the first half of Series 1. It's quite clear that they wanted each other from day one.  If the team ever compares notes they'll now know why Jack always summons Ianto to his office for closed-door meetings by making Pterodactyl mating calls.

But again, it's all weird because Torchwood Ianto was teaboy/secretary for Series 1, while Jack was sending at least two untrained civilians (Suzie's background is unclear and Gwen came on later) out to hunt aliens?! I've heard of bosses who like to promote career development and on the job training but this is absurd. About as absurd as Gwen being second in command come to think of it.

We have now determined why nobody put Jack in charge of Torchwood for more than a century until literally every other candidate was dead.

Looking forward to next week on a larger screen. Jack's brother's a hottie, and it's always fun to see Spike. I freely admit I've already cheated and watched the final episode on YouTube. It really is mind-blowing!

Thanks again for our weekly recap joy! 

And your comment on Earl had me laughing out loud. Awesome. Joy totally rules.

I loved this episode. Loved flirty Jack, loved how tragic every single one of their backstories were. No one--save Gwen--was at Torchwood b/c they had chosen to be. I loved that.

I read the Ianto backstory a bit differently, though. You said: "They’re also trying to skim over the little fact that at this very moment Ianto’s got his cyber-girlfriend stored away somewhere and is plotting how to get her into the Hub for safekeeping." I actually thought Ianto's entire sequence displayed exactly how desparate he was to win himself a place on Team Torchwood specifically to save Lisa. I think it is important to note that Ianto is on the verge of sobbing when he walks away from Jack after the Myfanwy "incident", clearly indicating both his relief at finally succeeding in the ruse and also his self-loathing for having to resort to such tactics as seducing Jack to save the woman that he loves. Ack--great stuff in the way of character development. From Torchwood? Color me impressed.

Awesome recap. My favorite was the 'I thought the only threat to the Empire was that pair of droids.' bit. Yeah, I'm a dork.

I don't think the writers were trying to retcon Lisa with Ianto's strong come-ons to Jack. Ianto was desperate for the job, and he probably thought flirting was the best way to land it. I mean, what kind of things must they have said about Jack over at Torchwood One?

Ianto has a look of absolute pain on his face when Jack gives him the job, so I think the whole time he's been doing this for Lisa, and is angry at himself for enjoying time with Jack.

Peace, conflict, and science fiction

Alert the ladies over at After Ellen, we have couple of Torchwood agents joining the club!

 

Torchwood turn of the century goes back to why it was created, i.e. Queen Victoria saw the Doctor as a threat to the empire. I guess that Torchwood Turn of the Century thought that if they kept Jack close at hand, they might encounter the Doctor if the two of them met up again. That and having a guy who can’t be killed is a great thing to have around.

Downloaded the Torchwood Declassified for this episode and in it Barrowman talks about how he does not like stuff glued to his face (sideburns for the Victorian times). I guess when you are the star of the show you can get your way a lot. Notice how nice and clean Jack’s head makes it through the explosion? Oh well, at least they gave him some splattered brains and a couple of bruises from Owen punching him.

Nice to have the spooky tarot card reading kid back. Hey wait a minute, this would make her over a hundred years old and has not aged a bit! Hmmmm ...there’s a story for the future.

I was just thinking the other day that Rhys might know about Torchwood but he would not know about Jack’s special power (unless Gwen had told him).

Tosh : Unit holding facility was a lot grittier than I would have expected. I guess a reflection of the times we live in and a more realistic portrayal of the Doctor Who / Torchwood universe. Certainly not like the days of the Brigadier. Surely someone would have seen the same potential as Jack does and have put her to work on other projects. Hell, you’ve got her mother and you know she responds to blackmail / kidnapping. Subtitles would have been nice for mom. How did mom feel about Tosh betraying her country for her? After all Mom is suppose to work for the RAF (“Greeks Bearing Gifts”). And just who the heck were those kidnappers anyway? You want a piece of technology that the government has shelved as not workable? Lalalala. They knew that Tosh was that good and would make it work for them? Obvious that Tosh has earned some trust over her years at Torchwood. Jack says no contact with her family, yet last season in “Captain Jack Harkness” she was going to go her grandfather’s 88th birthday party. Timeline seems to hold and things fit in with what we already knew about Tosh. Disappointed that did not go into the story of the Dr. Sato that met up with the 9th Doctor when the Slitheen invaded London. Ah well, stuff for future episodes.

Ianto : The only problem that I have with this bit was that the timeline becomes a bit shaky for me here. 21 months ago for Ianto to start at Torchwood Cardiff would mean that he would have had to have started, what, days, a few weeks before Gwen shows up. Is there anything that can be considered cannon for just how long Jack was away from Torchwood when he was with Martha and the Doctor? I thought that when Gwen and Jack first talk in the bar when he attempts to recton her that the Canary Wharf Battle was a few months into the past at least. Ianto has always seemed to have been so much of the operation (even in the background) for so long that it’s strange to remember that he has not been there much more longer than Gwen. Less than 21 months seems too short a time period for all the action we’ve seen at Torchwood. Jack sends two people to the ruins of Torchwood London and Ianto manages to sneak Cybergirlfriend Lisa into Torchwood Cardiff ? Pretty good for an unexceptional student who became a junior researcher with only 2 years experience. However, it is a very nice story of how Janto meet and even the pterodactyl gets its background story. Great job as always by Gareth showing the anguish / confliction on Ianto’s face after flirting with Jack as a betrayal of Lisa while he’s trying to get into Torchwood to save her (Just as Jack says he likes the suit and Ianto is walking away). Hmmmmm so Jack’s had dinosaur for breakfast, now that would be a story.

Owen: The only comment that I would make is that Fragment Owen is almost too nice and likeable. I just have trouble reconciling the sleazy scummy Owen we’ve known so far with this version of him. I know grief and loss can make a person bitter and jaded, but it just seems like such a long fall from the moral and centred Owen we’re shown here. Or maybe, the story is that Owen was not all that great a guy in the first place because he has fallen and look at how quickly he descended. Will have to reflect on this part some more. (Oh, sorry, should have mentioned that I only just got to watch the episode just now, today --Sunday and not Saturday).

Reading the Recap now : Good lord, I’m counting at least six bottles in that picture of Rhys and Gwen in bed. Good you caught the face too. God, who names a character Guppy in the same episode that the blowfish head creature reappears? Caught the tarot reader (ok hard to miss). Actually I think the oncoming storm is a name that the Daleks have for the Doctor. Cool call on AbFab.

Quote : Cut to present-day Tosh screaming under the rubble. Gwen is trying to move the slab off her, and Tosh screams, “You’re making it worse!” a line less about this specific circumstance, I think, and more a general commentary about Gwen’s overall impact on her life.

Steven you are a god! LOL Love you man.

Its 21 months not 24, I went back and confirmed, minor. Wait, Jack let it slip to Inato so early in the relationship that he is from the 51st century? Hey, Owen could not piss in fear if he wanted to, no body fluids, remember? Maybe we should have Gwen give you another refresher on Owen’s death. Just kidding. Good catch with how Katie looks like roof girl, bad things happening at weddings, this show really likes to do things in twos and threes. Oh, Psionycx cheated and viewed the final. *wonders if I can use that as permission to view the download I’ve got of it now or should I wait the week* See that both of us had trouble with the revisionment of Ianto’s history/behaviour.

Adjovi and Oscillation, in agreement about Ianto see above!

Great recap! I especially loved

"Tosh screams, “You’re making it worse!” a line less about this specific circumstance, I think, and more a general commentary about Gwen’s overall impact on her life."

I was laughing so much. The only thing about this episode that really disappointed me was the lack of any explanation/attempt at continuity for when Tosh met the Doctor, which I had hoped might be mentioned, or explained away-- I find these things more annoying when they try to ignore them and pretend they aren't there rather than if they just explained in a unbelievable way, since my belief is well and truly suspended at this point anyhow...

I personally preferred the Victorian lesbian Torchwood to the 1918 Torchwood. I thought it was really great to see Jack's personality change and fluctuate from quite happy go lucky Jack to ruthless and brutal Jack, and as usual Gareth acted Ianto really really well as well, showing the many layers of a desperate man.

Not sure how you'll take to the finale though, will be a very interesting recap I'm sure...

with the above comments about Ianto's motivation being Lisa, and that the history wasn't too revisionist. He was going it all for Lisa. Then as to why he ended up as the Tea Boy. Jack didn't want someone from Torchwood London on his team in the first place, so he didn't give Ianto a 'real' Torchwood position. Jack didn't want him there at all, Ianto begged him, said he's do anything, with the whole I could be a butler speech. So Jack's concession was to give him this low end job, despite the fact that given he worked for Torchwood 1 he was over qualified.

Then after he was hired, Ianto had achieved his goal of getting into Torchwood to save Lisa, so his priority shifted from doing whatever it took to get into Torchwood, to doing everything possible to not be noticed. He didn't want to draw attention to himself because that could lead to people noticing what he was doing.

Then after the loss of Lisa, he was grieving. In "Greeks Bearing Gifts" its clear he's barely holding it together. So then the fact that he's reserved is because he's working very hard to put on a brave face and not project that he's in terrible pain. Pain Jack helps him get through. Jack is the one who brings him out of his grief, and his shell. He tries to make him feel like being part of the team by taking him along in "Countrycide".

Now, as I mentioned, Ianto is qualified for field work, because Torchwood 1 was pretty awesome(except for nearly destroying the world and being kind of evil ish). So Ianto is trained, but he was never a field agent, he was a researcher. So he didn't like being in danger, had never been in a situation like that before, and naturally freaked out a bit. Then there was the fact he's a bit battle warn, scars from surviving Canary Warf, and all that. He doesn't want to see people killed, or get killed.

The fact that he handles himself so well when he first meets Jack, can be attributed to the fact, he's trying to be whatever will get him hired. Look at me, I can kick Weevil butt, make coffee, and catch dinos. He's willing to do anything, and he doesn't care if he risks his life. He will do anything for Lisa because he loves her.

And about Jack.

Loved seeing his background. Because my biggest complaint with Torchwood is Captain Jack from Doctor Who is so much more fun, and then when we see him on Torchwood he's different. Which makes since given all he's gone through, but it was just great to see him as he was in Doctor Who, because this isn't that long after what happened in The Parting of the Ways. I also loved his comments about The Doctor.

Isn't it fun how American and British English sometimes sound like totally different languages?

I live in the US and my youngest brother (15) and his friends have been using "Snap!" as a general exclamation for months. I thought they were referring to a trap 'snapping' shut because they tend to use it most often when they're playing pranks or otherwise torturing each other (as teenage boys tend to do). Or they might have picked it up from some of the UK transplants here - the oil/energy companies tend to move groups of employees around at a time and it isn't unusual for 4 or 5 families to get transferred together to our area. Who knows, maybe in a few year it'll be common usage here as well.

I know a lot of fans have been grumbling about the disparity between the Jack/Ianto relationship and the Gwen/Rhys relationship. I have a theory one reason that we see the other couples in bed but not Jack and Ianto: There's no bed for them to use. We have never seen Ianto's apartment (flat, for you Brits). He's the only Torchwood member whose home space remains a mystery. Jack lives in a hole in the ground. Even if they did write a scene w/ Jack and Ianto in bed, I bet the camermen would walk out. Can you imagine trying to get a camera rig into the little bunker area where they've put Jack's bed? I'm sure they blew their set building money on Toshiko's and Owen's places because they actually had plot to film there. Poor Ianto remains homeless. Maybe next year we'll finally get to see where he lives - I refuse to believe he lives at the Hub - only Jack is that crazy.

Also, was I the only one who suspected that the reason that Ianto knew where to find the pterodactyl was because he put it there? The chocolate bar bait seemed pretty convenient - unless he carries that with him all the time?

I've been reading these recaps the whole season and I've been loving every second of it! You're doing a really great job! As far as the whole lack of acknowledgment of anything between Jack and Ianto during the first half of the first season, I thought that kinda stemmed from the last few seconds of Ianto's the flash back where he seems to crying/extremely emotional while walking away from Jack. Ianto feels guilty about his attraction to Jack and decides that Lisa really is his first priority. Because of his love for Lisa he cools it down with Jack. Only after she dies do we really get any sort of thing between them. Ianto's walking away doesn't seem to have been addressed yet, so I thought I'd bring that up.

for a great episode. About Ianto and his motivations. I dont think this episode renders him inexplicable. What do you do if you dont want anybody to know youve got cybergirlfriend in the basement? You lay low and dont call attention to yourself.

Friday I stumbled upon a Cyberwoman rerun just as Jack was saying to Ianto at gunpoint (and Im paraphrasing here): "You have deliberately chosen not to share yourself with us".

That is exactly what he did and he did it for Lisa. With Lisa gone and after the grieving period, of a situation that he already knew it was imposible, we began to see the real Ianto.

BTW, some of you are giving way too much significance to the Ianto/Jack relationship too early. Hes not crying out of guilt for feeling something for Jack, he is just happy he got what he needed for Lisa. That is it. Whatever developed between Jack and Ianto happened after Lisa was gone.

There is the influence of the slash/fic for ya.

On the others, it was nice to see Tosh as a tough girl, but we always knew that and for Owen to seem human, too bad we had to wait till he was dead. 

Cant wait to comment on next weeks episode. 

 

I think it would have been really funny to have a similar montage of computers advancing through the years, from the Commodore 64 to the iMac, but I guess time limits prevented that.

 

Yes! I was very disappointed that it was just the one computer. *is geek*

Great recap of a fantastic episode! I'm quite confused by the assumption that Ianto displayed any great degree of competence in the field though. He hit a Weevil with a stick..Quickly lost control of the situation and needed Jack to pull it off him. He made coffee. And he found a pteradactyl in a warehouse. Where's the field expertise? He was a researcher in T1. He didn't have any experience in the field, and while he wasn't incompetent, he didn't do anything impressive. His reaction in Countrycide still makes perfect sense and I don't see how anything in this episode changes that. Owen and Tosh were at Torchwood longer than he was, therefore they did have more field experience than him. For once I think the writers did a good job of creating a plausible history for a character they didn't bother with during the first half of season 1.

From today's IMDB: Barrowman's Botox Advice:

British actor John Barrowman is a big fan of using Botox injections to preserve his good looks - but urges other thespians not to have too many of the treatments. The 41-year-old Torchwood star admits he regularly receives the wrinkle-smoothing treatment as he is determined to slow down the ageing process. The injections - which freeze facial muscles - have been blamed for giving devotees a rigid, expressionless look. But Barrowman insists actors can still opt for Botox, but only in limited doses. He says, "I have Botox. The key is not to do the forehead. Men need forehead lines and doing the forehead makes you look like Nicole Kidman. Just do it around the eyes. I can still smile and look expressive. If something makes you feel good then you should do it."

I was also kind of disappointed that they did not incorporate Naoki Mori's appearance in the "Aliens In London" episode of Doctor Who as part of Tosh's "fragment". I understand why they want to keep DW and TW as separate as possible, but I really like it when they weave bits of the two shows together. But it would be a slippery slope, indeed, because we also had Martha Jones's look-alike cousin Adeola working in Torchwood 1 when Ianto and Lisa were there. Not having Ianto react to Martha in her recent visit to Torchwood means (to me, anyway) that they aren't going to use these tie-ins with Doctor Who for anyone's stories except Jack.

Awesome recap!

Missed the scene of Rhys & Gwen - on 2nd thought. no i didn't.

Owen is out in the field! stupid decision #? anyways... onwards.

Just hearing the word "snap" when all else was quiet, I actually took it to mean the sound of fingers snapping. how literal is that, heh?
a snap < a boom < a bomb/explosion

Didn't notice Jack's new outfit until he had been standing a bit. the cape matches his overcoat's color.
Loved that snarky Jack! making the best of any bad situation. :)

lalahop 1: why are they asking Jack "where's the Doctor" when they have months of [albeit drunken] remarks by Jack that indicate he has no idea?
new word: [torch]ure. translation: unecessary to the tale. I could've done without it.

lalahop 2: Jack needs to earn money?!? Hello, writers, he's a former con-man. He's only a few years [months?] out of that life. Why would earning $ be difficult? Not used to low tech, maybe?
Torchwood's looking for the Doctor. It would be a nice trade-off if they do Jack's work (Dr search) while he does theirs.
and 'course since the shows mainly about Aliens Among Us [I think]- the return of the Blowfish. making this 3 aliens for the entire season. a record. yeah. let's rename the fish (any fish/whale): Token a la South Park.

semi-lahop: same hand writing/typing the reports. supposedly suggest Jack hard at work through the ages
never liked that as a time-passing filler.
the last report: Jack went AWOL to look for the Doctor.
and here I thought they wanted to find the Doctor. So looks like they're (rightly) nervous Jack would completely disappear on them; and tell the Doctor about them, too.

Quick look at pendant Alex was holding: I though fob-watch (the Doctor's) but 2nd look - it was too small (Tarot Girl's?)

re Jack, follower or leader: Don't see Jack as a Follower seeing as he earned the rank of Captain (at some point) and we saw him on the Troop train in "Small Wonder"(?) ep and he talked about his men. However there must be a difference between leading military men and civilians, since military people don't talk back to the boss or disobey orders as often as the Torchwood Team does, when they feel justified in doing so.

Toshika (like it!): If she's that clever, then it's a good thing we didn't know that 1st ep. I'd have been suspicious of Susie using the Glove, making it work, {at least, i hope I would've been :}
Even with a wiped clean record, would she have gone to London for UNIT's alien autopsy?
UNIT: my, how the times have changed them and not for the better.
I'm guessing the Medical/Scientific set doesn't interact much with the Military the way it did in the early Doctor days.

Ianto: he did a lot for the love of Lisa; even set a "trap" (of sorts) for Jack.
Jack overlooked Ianto's "he knows me". I like to read this as: Jack had decided to hire him after hearing the word "pterydactyl" (spelling?).
Looked like Gareth got to raid his own closet for this flashback. I swear I saw him wearing that chain (calling it a necklace seems a bit too girly) in an interview or two somewhere. (loooking goood :)

Owen - in a suit. in a suit and engaged. in a suit, engaged, and unretconned. ...
and he came out of the explosion as he came in - intact. miracle. he was awfully close to that bomb.
Why didn't we get to see people running away from the bomb? Torchwood reflexes/intelligence -soo not impressed.

Loved how they got Rhys to be included in this.
Hated that Jack just accepted that the guy John showed him was Grey. Why not asked for a DNA test? or some form of confirmation? let's just except psychopath's word for it.

next week: shades of grey and spike. yeah! actually looking forward to a future episode, hasn't happened for awhile.

forgot:
the Tarot cards used - found them suspiciously modern. Didn't think they had such sophisticated, glossy and color printing in Victorian times. so where's she get 'em?

And how did Jack's Torchwood 3, based in Cardiff, get someone in to see the Space Pig in London? was it beneath Torchwood 1, London, dignity or something? They couldn't be bothered? Didn't know?

Well, we don't actually know that Jack really earned the rank of "Captain" in any military service. Remember that the title and name "Captain Jack Harkness" really belonged to that USAF guy seconded to the RAF during WWII. Prior to that point in his personal timeline Jack was a con artist and former Time Agent. Based on Jack's remarks he was an operative, not a leader in the Time Agency. We do know he had previously fought in a war against aliens in the 51st Century but we don't know what rank he reached, or if they used the same ranks by then.

In his subsequent (post-Doctor) life he used the "Captain" as a matter of habit and being a con artist may have been able to just keep using it whenever he inserted himself into a new identity. I sincerely doubt he enlisted as a grunt.  He may have been able to wiggle into a leadership position by virtue of role-playing.  Much the way he inserted himself into the RAF as an officer using the real Captain Jack Harkness's identity.

His leadership skills are pretty good but his managerial skills are atrocious.  He's moody, makes decisions based on emotions, hires people that require significant handling and then fails to handle them, applys policies unevenly and is easily diverted.

This would explain why he never led Torchwood Three for more than 100 years, until Alex killed himself and his team.

As for all the other plot holes, well, Torchwood is full of them.