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Torchwood A Day in the Death |
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| Story No. | 21 | 
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| Production Code | Series Two Episode Eight | |
| Dates | March 5, 2008 |
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With John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori and Gareth
David-Lloyd.
Written by Joe Lidster Directed by Andy Goddard Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner. |
| Synopsis: Owen has to cope with walking around as a dead man. He's going to miss farting. |
The Death of a Doctor by Noe Geric 13/2/25
Owen's character has never been correctly used. For the first half of Series One, he was just the sassy guy having sex with everyone (and particularly Gwen). There was nothing to like about him. Come the second half in which he falls in love, get some development in Combat, and then become the dangerous element, threatening to open the rift and destroy everything in hope to get his beloved back... And that's a shame because Burn Gordman is a terrific actor. A Day in the Death is the perfect example of his acting skills. The whole episode revolves around him, so it's an opportunity for Burn to show everyone what he's made of! Joe Lidster has always been one of my favorite writers since Master. Even his most forgettable stories (The Gathering) tried, at least, to do something. This is sadly his only work for Torchwood, but it's a hit!
First: Gwen barely appears. The character had some interesting idea, but she's unbearable overall. Her cheating on Rhys in the first series is unforgivable, mainly because she deleted his memories for that. The fact that she only gets three scenes is a breath of fresh air! Then, in case everyone forgot, Martha is still around to take Owen's job as the medic of the team (the guy is supposed to be dead, how could he cure patients?). She doesn't do a great deal, but her inclusion is welcome. After three episodes, she really feels like a member of the team, and it's a shame she leaves at the end. Tosh and Ianto aren't a great deal (say hello to Series One characterization!) and our dear Captain Jack is still the cold-hearted bitch he has been since the show's first episode (Reset being the sole exception).
As for Owen... He's never been so interesting. I always thought of him being a walking corpse was terribly ingenious! He isn't a zombie, he's just a body walking around, doing nothing. Burn is excellent in this role, and the scene in which he cut his hand is a nice touch. The long discussion with the old alien Artefacts collector is one of the best moment of the show: two men, already dead, talking. Owen being dead isn't just a forgettable subplot, it's the core of the episode itself! And that pre-title sequence is among my favorites of the show.
I can't actually think of a single bad thing to say... except that Maggie's sad story is a bit too much. Her husband died in a car accident one hour after their wedding. That's perhaps the most ''Look how terrible my life is'' story I've ever seen. The character (and the episode) lose some credibility. That shot of the bride, dress stained with blood, walking away on the road, is gripping nonetheless! A terrific end for a sequence that shouldn't have been trying so hard to make you sad for the character.
That's the end of the small ''Owen is dead'' Trilogy. And, having seen the rest of the Series, I think it's completely forgotten by everyone... The next episodes see Owen throw himself into the action without caring (while it's clearly stated he's now made of glass), and his death is only mentioned in the finale! I doesn't count how many times Tosh said ''I love you'' to Owen, without it going anywhere. This is one of the most insubstantial character developments.
Joe Lidster wrote a beautiful episode about death and what comes after. It's another of Torchwood's grim episodes, that manages not to be too dark and end with hope for the characters. That last shot on the roof, with all the lights flying, is particularly sweet. I don't think an episode had such striking visuals before. The old man lying in his bed, behind a curtain and Owen slowly walking towards it, is another small detail that adds to atmosphere. I shall also point that The Pulse backstory is quite ingenious, and not just ''That thing crashed on Earth blablabla'' A striking episode, one of Torchwood's best. Lidster is a genius, or perhaps I'm just another hysterical fanboy... 10/10