This week’s ep had nary an alien in sight and no alien devices were used in the making of the episode. However, this is the first episode that involves the Rift as more than a plot device to get alien flotsam to Torchwood.
We open with Jack, Gwen, and Owen at an airport, staring at a plane coming in to land. It’s the “Sky Gypsy” and it was gobbled up by the Rift and spit out in 2007. The pilot waves as she taxies to a stop, then jumps out and introduces herself. She’s Diane Holmes, very self-assured, quite pretty, and brunette. There are two passengers. Jack interrogates them as to when they took off and looks grim when Diane tells him it was 1953 when they encountered the Rift (she marks it down as a patch of tremendous turbulence.)
Back at the Hub, we are introduced to John Ellis and Emma Louise Cowell. The team introduce themselves, and Owen pulls on his lab coat, introduces himself as “Doctor”, and apparently takes them for a cursory exam. Jack tells them that the plane slipped through a transcendental rift, which John has a hard time believing. Tosh gives them photos, plane schematics, and other proofs of the passage of time. This is about the only time she gets to speak in this episode, and I’m hoping the edits have her saying something else because this week she’s not much more than wallpaper. Diane asks what will happen to them. John asks what happened to their families.
Gwen finds out that Emma’s dad died young, though her mom lived to 81. Tosh can’t find anything about John’s family, although his son may still be alive, and Jack promises him that they’ll look again. Owen is interviewing Diane and asks if she had anyone, like a boyfriend. Answer negative, and it looks like Gwen has some competition for Owen’s bedspace. Jack takes the trio to lodgings–a hostel? I don’t know–and helps John get settled. John was going to close on a shop in Dublin when they vanished. Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata plays on his radio. Jack has found a kindred spirit. Gwen finds that Emma was going to Ireland to help her aunt and uncle. The official explanation for their loss is that they went down in the sea.
The next day, Jack has arranged new identities, complete with documentation. Emma is the only one who seems happy with her new name, pleased that it’s Deborah like the actress Deborah Kerr. John explodes, saying they can’t take away their names since it’s all they have left. Jack apologizes, and presumably rectifies this while Ianto takes them shopping. They are exposed to the wonders of the modern era, starting with the electric doors at the supermarket. Diane is instantly diverted by the bananas; the other two look around in wonder, and John says that they just got off the post-war rationing in ‘53. They begin to explore the bounty and exotica of modern consumer life. Emma stocks up on candies and makeup, happily embracing the culture of plenty, but John is appalled by the scantily clad women on magazine covers.
John gets out at the soccer stadium for a look around; apparently he’s a fan. This is of course a cover, and he hustles off to what was his house to look for his son. Back at the hostel, Diane wonders what kind of work she can get, and Emma says she’ll have to find a husband. Interesting dichotomy of pre-feminist and typical sheltered 1950’s girl. Two girls who are also living at the hostel, Alesha and Jade, come in, introduce themselves, and compliment the other two on their lush shoes.
Next we see Owen and Diane in the hanger with the Sky Gypsy, which Diane named in honor of the Gypsy engine. Owen’s read up on her; she made it from England to Australia in four days. She tells him that she ferried planes during the war and didn’t want to stop when the women were dismissed from the workplace after victory. She wants to go up, but he says she can’t that she doesn’t have a valid license, then says, “I guess I’m just another pig-headed man telling you what to do.” Diane has an allergy to those; she is a strong-willed free spirit who loves flying more than anything. She tells him that he’d better make it up to her, that she wants to learn all about this new world.
John and Jack are chatting in a pub; John is recounting a soccer match he saw with his son and notices Jack’s US accent. He asks for Jack’s story, but Jack is typically evasive, saying it’s a long story. John is not put off as pretty much everyone else is, and says that he’s a slow drinker. Jack summarizes by saying he fell through time too. They clink glasses, and John tries to light his pipe, only to be quashed by the server who points out the no smoking. John directs Jack to find out what happened to his family, and returns to his quarters.
Back at the hostel, Emma, Jade, and Alesha are bonding. It’s nice that Emma has some people her own age. The two others were brought up in care, and Emma tells them that she’s an orphan, and misses her family quite a lot. Moved by the emotion, Alesha gives her a beer.They’re discussing favorite songs, Emma is singing an oldie but goodie when John comes in and royally chews her out for making a spectacle of herself. Emma calls in Gwen and has a meltdown over John’s controlling ways.
Owen takes Diane to dinner. In the restaurant, Diane waits for Owen to pull out her chair; he is disbelieving when he says she expects equality and chivalry. She replies coolly that they aren’t mutually exclusive, and Owen actually seats her, albeit with a bit of sarcasm. She lights up a cigarette and asks what strides women have made. Instead of highlighting some of the awesomeness, Owen chooses to inform her about the wonders of artificial insemination. Honestly. Then he tells her she’s really hot for someone pushing 90, and invites her to his place so she can research on the internet. Then he’s all embarrassed and babbles that it isn’t a line. She asks if he has Scotch. At his flat with the gorgeous view, he’s trying to tidy up by stuffing things under the sofa. Ray LaMontague provides our soundtrack. She notes that the apartment isn’t very homely; he replies that he’s not there much so it’s not worth the effort, and notes that she smokes too much. She asks if he has a girlfriend; he says no. She asks to whom the beauty products belong, and he says, rather abashedly, that real men moisturize too. Looking out the window, Diane sees a whole new world. Owen tells her that she’ll fit in well, but she looks troubled. He looks hot in a form-fitting gray tshirt, and she’s glad he doesn’t have a girlfriend.
In bed, he asks to do it again, saying he thought the 50’s were a time of sexual repression. Think about it, Owen–she’s really a gal of the 40’s. He says they can have an affair or be fuck buddies–then has to explain that it’s casual sex. She rebukes him by saying that what they did wasn’t casual, and that sex shouldn’t be devalued. The put-down is effective; then she reaches out under the sheet to grab him and says that both parties should give it 100% concentration, because “when you take off together, it’s the next best thing to flying.”
Gwen has brought Emma to her apartment, and after several episodes’ absence, here is Rhys. He’s woken Emma up from her sleep on the couch, and she shrieks. Gwen tells Rhys that she’s a cousin her mom directed to her, and that she’s staying for Christmas. Rhys smiles and says they’ll get a bigger turkey. Quickly Gwen tells Emma that she can’t tell Rhys about her work, then scampers off after Rhys. At the Hub, Gwen defends her action by saying that she couldn’t leave her with John, and Diane was nowhere to be found. Owen, passing by, hears this and says that she stayed at a B and B, and that he’s taking her out jobhunting later. Tosh finds John’s son Alan in a nursing home. When John goes to see him, Alan asks the nurse if his dead wife is coming by soon. He’s got Alzheimer’s and doesn’t recognize his dad, or the photos John’s showing him. John is devastated. At the Hub, Jack tells Tosh that John is witnessing the end of his world, and that they can’t do anything to help. He leans back on the couch while Tosh sits primly on a chair.
Back at the airfield, Owen and Diane have found that a half-hour’s flight lesson will cost 60 pounds. She’s appalled by the cost, but he shrugs it off. She kisses him by a Cessna and is thrilled, but then upset when the guy tells her that he can’t take her up today.
Gwen and Rhys take Emma to a party or a club. She’s taken aback by the frankness of Groove Armada’s lyrics, and by the Gwen/Rhys/unmarried/living together thing and goes off with a fellow. Gwen finds them kissing and hauls him off. Back at her flat, she explains to Emma about the changes in sexual mores, saying that between two consenting adults, nobody cares anymore. Emma asks whether sex with Rhys is better than a random guy, and Gwen evades an answer. She’s taking lessons from Jack! Good that Rhys isn’t listening in. Emma decides to wait for Mr Right for her first time.
Emma comes back from an interview and tells Gwen that she’s got a job at a store–in London–as a clerk and assistant buyer. She’s beyond thrilled, but gwen is cool–she wants Emma to stay in Cardiff where she can protect her. They go out shopping, and when they come back, Rhys is pissed. Furious, actually; Gwen’s mom called and doesn’t know a thing about “Pollyanna”. Whoopsie. He’s outraged that it’s so easy for her to lie to him. If only you knew the full extent, Rhys! Gwen tells Emma that there’s Torchwood and then there’s real life. Emma says that’s why she has to go.
On his way out of the Hub, John steals Ianto’s keys.
Owen has bought Diane a gorgeous slinky red dress and they go out for the night. They’re in a rooftop car park, dancing to Tony Bennett. He puts his jacket around her, and she says let’s go home.
Ianto finds his keys gone, tells Jack, and the tracking device shows that John has gone home. Jack takes the Range Rover SUV to John’s old home and finds him gassing himself in the garage. He pulls him out, and tells him that he can have a life, and family and friends again. John says he’s already done that, back when he was meant to; he’s absolutely desolate. Jack tells him that he knows there’s no reunion, just black. John asks who he is, and Jack replies that he’s a man like John, out of his time, alone and scared. This is the first time we see Jack admitting to cracks in his cool, confident facade, and he hasn’t even hinted that he’s immortal. John asks how he copes, and he replys that its just bearable, that it has to be because he doesn’t have a choice. Boy, Rose did him absolutely no favors when she brought him back. John says that he does have a choice, and pleads with Jack to let him go with some dignity and not condemn him to live. Jack asks if he’s scared, and he says yes.
Cut to Owen and Diane in bed. He is quiet and really freaked out because this thing with Diane isn’t just sex, and that’s all he knows. It’s been a week, and all he can think about is her. He’s scared witless and just about having a panic attack when she says she loves him too and leans over to kiss him.
Jack and John are in Ianto’s car, being gassed, and Jack is holding John’s hand so he doesn’t have to die alone.
Owen is asleep; Diane says to him that the thing about love is that you’re always at its mercy; she looks troubled and sad.
John dies; Jack is pink-cheeked from the carbon monoxide and looks devastated.
Gwen takes Emma to the bus, giving her tickets to London–with a return, just in case. Emma gets on the bus to her new life, and Gwen waves goodbye.
Owen wakes up alone. There’s a note on Diane’s pillow for him. He screeches up to the plane in a great-looking Mazda MX5 sports car. Wait–if that’s what he owns, how in the world did he and Gwen have sex in that little thing? back to the point, Diane is ready to go up into the sky. Owen insists that she belongs with him, but she says, not unkindly, that she belongs in the sky. The weather conditions were identical to when she took off the last time, and that she can feel that the Rift will open again. Owen tells her that she can’t go back, and she says that then it will take her somewhere new. Owen changes tactics and says he’ll go with her, but she rebuffs him, saying she flies solo, and faster and farther than others. He finally breaks down and begs her not to go, saying she could wind up anywhere, and she tells him that that’s the beauty of it. She drapes her scarf around his neck and kisses him. She says, “What memories I’m taking with me,” and taxies off.
Gwen is smiling a bit because at least Emma is excited about her new life. Jack and Owen are simply gutted. Jack’s lost the guy who comes closest to understanding what it’s like for him, and Owen has found out that love isn’t always enough.
The last shot is Diane disappearing into the clouds.
This episode really did some work for the characters of Owen, and to a lesser extent, Jack and Gwen. Owen finds something he hadn’t considered the possibility of having, but he’s fallen in love with a woman who can’t bear to be tied down; the appearance of love followed by its brutal rejection has done more to affect him than anything we’ve seen or anything that’s been hinted of before. The worst part for Owen is that Diane isn’t trying to be cruel; staying, being tied down when there is so much out there for her to discover just isn’t something she can bear. She’s got some baggage that a week’s worth of love can’t overcome. For him, ready to discard everything for her, finding out that love doesn’t conquer all is going to have some serious repercussions as he tries to come to grips with this loss.
Jack’s more human here than we’ve seen him. His charm and authority are stripped away by the panic and desolation that he feels being out of his time, living so long. And, unlike John, unable to do anything about it.
Gwen is getting an inkling that her lies and the Torchwood secrecy is chaging her, that she’s going to have to pay for what she’s done, but I think that she’s still in denial about how bad it might be.
I checked the edits, and there’s a part cut from when Owen and Diane are in bed; she reveals that she had a married lover which was fine with her because she’s not marriage material. He just doesn’t pick up the clues she gives him.
