TV REVIEW Torchwood 2.12 "Fragments"

Written by: Chris Chibnall

Directed by: Jonathan Fox Bassett

Rating:

The One Where: Jack, Ianto, Owen and Tosh are trapped in a booby-trapped building. As Gwen and Rhys fight to free them, each thinks back to how they joined Torchwood.

Verdict: A real geekgasm of an episode. The rescue is just filler between the flashbacks, but who needs plot when two series-old questions are being answered? Each flashback provides an intriguing glimpse at what makes the characters tick. Owen’s is the standout (the reasons for his relationship issues are now pretty clear) while Jack’s is so packed with revelations about Torchwood’s history that repeated watching is highly advisable. There’s no real surprise when it turns out Captain John Hart (who has Jack’s missing bro, Gray, with him) is responsible for the bomb blasts – but that’s a story for another day…

Jack: 14 deaths in six months bring Jack to the attention of Victorian era Torchwood. After helping them hunt down a Blowfish, he hangs around in Cardiff to wait for the Doctor’s return.

Tosh: After stealing top secret plans for a sonic modulator, Tosh is locked up by UNIT, Guantanamo Bay-style. Jack offers her freedom in return for five years work at the 'Wood.

Ianto: The former Torchwood London employee seeks a transfer to the Cardiff branch, eventually winning Jack over with his coffee-making skills, pterodactyl-hunting prowess and a bit of je ne sais quoi .

OWEN: Surgeons think Owen’s bride-to-be has early onset Alzheimer’s. Actually she has a gory alien parasite in her noggin, and after her gory death, Jack recruits Dr Harper as resident medic.

Best Line:
Jack: "I don’t exist. And for a man of my charisma that’s quite an achievement."

Richard Edwards

Next Torchwood review: "Exit Wounds"
Previous Torchwood review: "Adrift"