Torchwood/Recap/S4/E10 The Blood Line: Difference between revisions

Now aware that Jack's blood is drawn towards The Blessing, the Torchwood team uses small amounts of the blood to determine headings towards the two sites. Jack explains to Oswald that he's from the future, and he wishes he could share the stars with Oswald -- because it would make Oswald realise what a sad little insignificant man he is. Oswald has something almost resembling a [[Heel Realization]] at that, but just not quite.

Rex and Esther contact the CIA for assistance in infiltrating the Buenos Aires site of The Blessing, at the same time keeping Jack, Gwen, and Oswald's presence in Shanghai a secret. Director Shapiro agrees to the request and puts his team on the task, including Charlotte, who surreptitiously reports the mission to The Three Families.

Jack, Gwen, and Oswald successfully infiltrate the Shanghai Blessing site and make their way to its exposed face, where they meet a member of The Families, as well as Jilly Kitzinger and several armed guards. Oswald, realising he'd never make it out of Shanghai alive, reveals that he's wearing an explosive vest (at Jack's suggestion). Jack and Gwen deduce that The Blessing generates a morphic field linking the human race. Jack wonders about its connection to [[Doctor Who/Recap/2006 CS the Runaway Bride/Recap|the Racnoss Empress]], but decides that its origin doesn't matter -- only its effects do.

The Miracle was produced by introducing Jack's immortal blood to The Blessing -- causing it to disperse immortality to the whole human race as a "defence" to a perceived "attack". It was first part in a larger plan to assert control of the world. By stopping death and destabilizing the economy, The Families can take control of the banks, thereby influencing the world governments, eventually leading to a fascist oligarchy which can "decide who lives, how long, where, and why." Jilly perks up, quite pleased at that idea, and says that she'll gladly go along with that kind of utopia. Well, Gwen decides, time to die, turn around. Jack agrees and, with a smile, happily waits for Gwen to kill him for good.

But the original effect required Jack's blood to be introduced at both Blessing sites simultaneously. Since Rex and Esther's supply of Jack's blood was destroyed, there's no way to do this. Rex manages to interrupt and claims that he still has some of Jack's blood with him -— or rather, ''in'' him. Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Esther helped Rex transfuse almost all of Jack's blood into his body. Normally, this would kill someone, but, well...

Reversing the Miracle would require pretty much all of the blood in both Rex and Jack's bodies, but Rex and Jack don't back down. Esther is shot, however, and Rex has to make a choice between reverting the Miracle or keeping her alive. She tells him to do it. Rex commits suicide while Gwen shoots Jack through the heart.

The Miracle reverts almost immediately. All of the world's Category 1 patients regain consciousness for a few seconds, then pass away in the next breath. This includes Gwen's father, who awakes in time to hear his wife wishing him goodbye over the phone.

Gwen and Jilly leave while Oswald plans to stay behind and make the whole structure explode. But as the exit elevator rises, Jack comes back to life. Gwen and Jilly get into a rather [[Narm|Narmy]] cat fight until Gwen rescues Jack. Oswald proclaims that he's happy to go to die and go to hell; it's where "all the bad little girls" go.

The Buenos Aires team moves to leave as well, but before the local Families member can make it out, Rex regains consciousness long enough to grab him and throw him over the edge of the chasm around The Blessing. Rex falls to the ground next to Esther, the two watching each other die, but are rescued by members of the Argentinian Army.

Gwen, Rhys, Jack, Charlotte, Rex and Esther's family attend a funeral for Esther. Afterward, as Charlotte is leaving, Rex receives recovered CIA data and discovers that Charlotte was the mole. When Rex tries to stop her from leaving, Charlotte shoots him and is almost immediately gunned down by other agents. Jack and Gwen rush to Rex's side only to find him dead. Two seconds later, Rex gasps and wakes up, and his wounds magically heal. He gives Jack a ''very'' dirty look.

* [[Continuity Nod]]: Jack makes minor references to ''[[Doctor Who]]'' inner-earth dwellers, [[Doctor Who/Recap/S7 E2/E02 Doctor Who and Thethe Silurians|the]] [[Doctor Who/Recap/S21 E1/E01 Warriors of the Deep|Sil]][[Doctor Who/Recap/S31 /E08 The Hungry Earth|uri]][[Doctor Who/Recap/S31 /E09 Cold Blood|ans]] and the [[Doctor Who/Recap/2006 CS the Runaway Bride/Recap|Racnoss]], while rambling about possible explanations for the Blessing.

* [[Dissonant Serenity]]: Gwen after shooting Jack. She just stands there, thinking about how many people she had just killed, oblivious to the facility crumbling around her. Osawld is also in the frame with a much more concerned posture, which gives a nice contrast.

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: See [[Dissonant Serenity]] above. Gwen is thinking, the music is turned down, time seems to have slowed... then she stops thinking and suddenly everything kicks back into a normal rhythm, including Gwen.