Meat (TV story)

Meat was the fourth episode of the second series of Torchwood.

This episode saw Rhys Williams learn the truth about Torchwood and aliens. From a production point of view, it saw Rhys start to take a more prominent role in the series - something which would be carried on into the next two series.

Synopsis
Gwen is forced to reveal the true natural of Torchwood to Rhys after he follows her to work and accidentally uncovers the truth behind the mysterious alien meat. Is there any price to pay for Gwen, Rhys or Torchwood?

Plot
Rhys Williams is driving when he is phoned by one of his work colleagues, informing him that one of their firm's lorries has crashed. Upon arriving at the crash site, he is told that the driver died in the crash. Rhys gives a police officer the driver's details and is informed that, before he can move the lorry, Torchwood want to look at it. When they arrive, Rhys spots Gwen.

The Torchwood team search the lorry to find meat in the back of it and decide to take a sample of it back to the Hub. They confiscate the rest of the meat. Gwen recognises the lorry as one from Rhys' firm. They head back to the Hub and Rhys tries to follow them, but is turned away from the accident by the police.

Back at the Hub, Owen notices that the symbol saying the meat is fit for human consumption is actually fake, whilst Gwen tries to dismiss any thought of Rhys being involved with the meat. Toshiko rings Rhys' office for information, pretending to be the police. Rhys informs them that the meat comes from the company Harries & Harries. Moments later, Owen reveals that the meat is alien and the team realise it must have been in different food products for months. As the team discuss the location of Harris & Harris, Gwen receives a text from Rhys, asking her to come home.

When Gwen arrives at her flat, Rhys explains about the accident at work and about the meat in the back on the van in an attempt to try and see if she would break. When it fails, Gwen goes back to work.

Once Gwen leaves, Rhys decides to follow her. He sees Gwen with Jack near the invisible lift in Roald Dahl Plass. He continues to follow her to the factory where he is captured and taken inside. Jack and Gwen witness this and mistakenly think that he is somehow involved.

Rhys is taken inside and is questioned about why he is at the warehouse. Rhys explains about Leighton and lies to them about the meat being taken away, claiming it had been incinerated. He asks to pick up from where Leighton left off. Rhys is shown that the have captured a living alien, which is the source of the meat. It grows even although they cut chunks of its living flesh.

Back at their flat, Rhys and Gwen argue over her being at the crash and the factory. Gwen admits to the nature of her work for Torchwood, however Rhys remains incredulous and asks her to prove it.

In the Hub, the team await Gwen and Rhys's arrival. Gwen takes Rhys to the invisible lift and as they go down, Rhys is amazed, but still passes off Myfanwy as being extinct. Rhys is introduced to Jack, Owen, Toshiko and Ianto and is informed about what Torchwood actually does. Rhys tells the team what he saw in the warehouse. Jack and Rhys argue about Rhys messing things up and about being able to get back in, and Rhys says he can get them in because he became a delivery boy. Jack calls a team meeting.

Rhys shows them where everything is on the warehouse blueprints. Gwen is adamant that Rhys is not to get involved, but both Jack and Rhys insist the idea is their only option. They plan to go in using stun guns, since the people comcerned are not organised criminals. Jack gives Gwen the option to stand down from the mission, since Rhys's involvement might make her vulnerable. She declines. Jack then tells the team they will save the alien and send it back through the Rift.

After Owen makes a model of what he thinks the creature might look like, Toshiko brings him a sandwich and admires it beauty. Toshiko offers to keep Owen company while he works, but he gives her the work instead since he feels knackered. The pair spy on Gwen, and Toshiko musters up the courage to ask Owen out for a game of pool. Owen misreads the signs and thinks she means a Torchwood tournament.

Rhys and Jack go to get the van for they infiltration. On their way to get the rest of the team, Jack explains why Gwen was picked to be a member of the Torchwood team. Upon meeting up with the rest of the team, Jack and the others climb into the back of the van. They drive to the warehouse. Rhys tries to buy some time for the team to get out of the van, but soon realises they have already gone.

Ianto and Owen enter one of the rooms, which is filled with meat. As they spilt up, Jack, Gwen and Toshiko enter the room where the alien is being held. After taking out some of the workers, they discover they are armed, however Rhys's cover is blown and Ianto is captured. They a brought into the main room, where they learn that alien is dubbed, the 'Cash Cow'. Gwen reveals herself in order to save Rhys and soon Jack and Toshiko are spotted. Jack tells Dale and the others that they actually have an alien, which stuns them. Rhys is shot and Ianto manages to untie his hand and grab Dale's gun hand, causing him to fire at the Cash Cow and the ropes tying it down.

As the ropes continue to break and the Cash Cow moves all over the place, Ianto goes after Dale and the others. Storming through the room, Ianto stuns Dale and the other worker. Owen is informed that the sedative won't work, leaving him with the only option but to euthanise it. Owen bandages Rhys's wound as the Cash Cow dies.

Back at the Hub, Owen patches up Rhys' wound and Jack says they gave the workers amnesia pills, so they would forget what they did during the past months. Jack tells Gwen Rhys must be given a pill too and she asks if she can give it to him. Upon exiting the Hub, Rhys has a changed view of the world. Gwen cannot bring herself to give Rhys the pill. Jack relents, unwilling to fire Gwen and lose her from the team.

Cast

 * Captain Jack Harkness — John Barrowman
 * Gwen Cooper — Eve Myles
 * Owen Harper — Burn Gorman
 * Toshiko Sato — Naoko Mori
 * Ianto Jones — Gareth David-Lloyd
 * Rhys Williams - Kai Owen
 * Policeman - Colin Baxter
 * Ruth - Patti Clare
 * Vic - Garry Lake
 * Greg - Gereld Carey
 * Dave - Andy Watts
 * Dale - Matt Ryan

Foods and beverages

 * The crew eat pizza.
 * Ruth makes Rhys tea and brings him a Danish.
 * The Torchwood team drink beer and wine.
 * Toshiko makes Owen cheese and pickle sandwiches
 * Rhys eats an ice-cream.

Welsh locations

 * Leighton was taking the meat to the abattoir at Caerwent.
 * The pickup point for Harries & Harries is a service station on the A470.

Science

 * The meat has high level of Chloride.
 * Ketamine is used in the injection to the alien.

Sports

 * Rhys once picked Leighton up to go to see the football.
 * Toshiko asks Owen to a game of pool.

Businesses

 * Dragon Rescue is the name of the crane company at the site of the lorry crash.

Real world

 * Gwen compares Rhys offering to drive the team to the warehouse to Scooby Doo.
 * Ianto mentions Ahab.

Story notes

 * The episode aired for the first time in Canada at the same time as a tainted meat outbreak in that country was causing mass recalls and deaths.
 * The theme of humans exploiting alien life forms would be touched on again only two episodes later in Reset, as well as in the Doctor Who episodes Planet of the Ood and The Beast Below.

Ratings

 * Unofficial overnight ratings - 2.9 million viewers

Filming locations

 * Roald Dahl Pass: Rhys watches Gwen with Jack
 * Imperial Park Bypass: Lorry crash
 * Mount Stuart Square: Torchwood hides in Rhys's van.
 * Trident Park: Meat warehouse (interior/exterior)
 * Senedd Building: Gwen and Rhys talk
 * Mermaid Quayside: Gwen and Rhys head home
 * BBC studios

Production errors

 * Although Rhys is wearing handcuffs when he shot in the shoulder, he still manages to flail his arms around.
 * When Owen and Ianto are at the slaughter house Ianto talks to Jack over the com, he presses it and it beeps but the com unit isn't there.

Continuity

 * The is the second time Rhys learns of Torchwood. However, after he learned about them for the first time, he given retcon. (TW: Combat)
 * Gwen talks about Retcon and how it makes you forget. Gwen was previously retconned when she first met Torchwood in Everything Changes.

Timeline

 * This story takes place after WC: The Return of the Vostok
 * This story takes place before TWN: The Twilight Streets

DVD releases

 * This story was released with the rest of the second series of Torchwood in a complete series box set in 2008.