Rendition (TV story)

Rendition was the second episode of the fourth series of Torchwood. It demonstrated that Jack had lost his immortality, and showed that there were other forces at work, trying to prevent him and Gwen from investigating the Miracle.

Synopsis
Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper travel to America by plane. Rhys Williams is left behind in England. Jack is poisoned en route, while Esther Drummond discovers more about Torchwood Three and those seeking to stop her. Vera Juarez attends a conference and learns there will be even more ways for the human race to run itself to painful extinction. Oswald Danes appears to a national audience, winning, of all things, sympathy.

Plot
Jack and Gwen are bundled onto a plane headed to America. Rhys and Anwen are taken back to Wales by the CIA. Jack's vortex manipulator is taken. Jack and Gwen are stuck handcuffed on a plane with Rex and Lyn Peterfield, CIA agent.

Oswald Danes, newly released convicted rapist and murderer, is interviewed on TV. Before the interview, Oswald takes most of the food for the people at the station, to a female production assistant's disgust. She tells him that she wants him to die. On the air, he cries and says he's sorry. Esther and other CIA agents watch on the TV. Oswald wins some agents' sympathy. Afterwards, Oswald and a police officer enter a lift. Jilly Kitzinger congratulates him on his performance, certain he was acting. Jilly offers her card, but Oswald makes a point of tearing it up outside the lift after he had received news of another interview. Jilly, still trying to win Oswald over, explains that if Satan himself walked the earth, he would need representation. However, Danes counters, by saying if Satan DID walk the earth, "He would truly be working in PR."

On the plane, Gwen and Jack catch up; she's angry that he took so long, thus putting Anwen in danger. However, Jack easily counters most of her angry comments by asking, "Did you miss me?"; she does. Gwen then goes on to say that she thought the next time they met would be like a fairy tale; she'd be an old woman and he'd still be the same. Rex interrupts them, asking what Jack's vortex manipulator is. Not answering, Jack asks if anyone is investigating morphic fields, going on to explain the basics of it. He then decides to make fun of Rex, pointing out that the beeping coming from his manipulator means he has low sodium levels and needs salt. Rex calls Dr Vera Juarez, who confirms this diagnosis.

Dr Juarez attends a conference in Washington, D.C. She learns the scope of the problems that the Miracle is causing. People still age and can be critically injured; a fellow doctor compares it to the Greek story of Tithonus. She overhears that skin cells will continue to grow as old cells die and the Miracle is species-specific to humans. Germs will become resistant to medicine as they have an eternity to feed on bodies and grow stronger. Vera also learns food and medical supplies will drop rapidly and the ever growing population could become a big problem.

Meanwhile, Esther talks to Brian Friedkin about the malware (unable to remember that Jack released it to keep Gwen safe), saying she wants to follow up on it as investigating unusual programs are kind of her passion; she mentions that she also works closely with Rex, when prompted by Friedkin. After she leaves, Friedkin examines Esther's file to see if she is valuable or expendable. Receiving an e-mail from Lyn - "investigate morphic fields?" - Friedkin pulls out a red phone and texts the message. A single word comes back - "Remove". He e-mails the message to Lyn.

On the plane, Jack asks for a Coke. Lyn slips arsenic into it while one of the flight attendants, Danny, is distracted. Jack drinks it and announces that he feels sick, quickly becoming pale. Rex takes him to the bathroom where he vomits repeatedly.

Back at the CIA, Esther discovers Rex's account has been deleted from the CIA database after she sees agents she doesn't know in Rex's office, altering his computer. At her station, Esther discovers that her own password no longer works; she receives a call from her bank, asking about investment options. To her horror, Esther discovers she's received a lot of money from a Chinese bank account, framing her as a double agent. She steals Charlotte Wills' ID and car keys, fleeing the building; she sets up false leads to buy herself time. Upon reaching the exit of the parking garage, she sweet-talks the guard into letting her pass.

On board the plane, Danny informs Gwen and Jack that there wasn't enough time at Heathrow for a handover of medicine. Gwen points out that Danny gave Jack a drink, and now he's feeling ill; however, she then realises that Lyn went to supervise him, finding the idea someone needs to be supervised pouring a drink ridiculous. When Lyn points out Gwen's blaming everyone now, Gwen retorts "It's either you or the big, gay steward; so my money's on you." Danny insists that he's not gay.

Rex asks for Lyn's purse, but she refuses; he takes it by force and finds a bag of pills. Gwen points out she was right, but Lyn says it's medicine, Gwen and Rex try having Lyn take one to prove it isn't poison; she admits it's indeed poison, but she runs a lot of agents who would sometimes need poison. When asked what she gave Jack, Lyn remains silent; Rex handcuffs her to her seat. Jack asks for the pills, identifying each one and asking for his symptoms. Realising he's been given Arsenic, Jack mentions a Slovenian boyfriend of his that took some for better skin; Rex is confused by this as this happened in 1800s.

Rex calls Vera at the conference, convincing her that Jack is the only mortal man left in the world and he's in danger of dying from arsenic and the only things they have to work with are chemicals on a plane. The group comes up with a plan to save Jack: improvised EDTA. When they attempt to inject Jack with the antidote, Lyn breaks frees of her cuffs and kicks the syringe away. Gwen confronts Lyn, who insults her by calling her English; this proves to be a mistake as Gwen reacts violently and punches Lyn out cold and injects Jack with the EDTA, causing him pain at the cost of curing him. A relieved Rex handcuffs Gwen again.

Jack, Gwen, Rex and Lyn arrive at Dulles, Esther has been trying to contact Rex. She tells him about his office and her account. Having been given a key by one of the corrupt agents Friedkin sent, Lyn slowly unlocks her handcuffs. Rex notices via a text message that he has also been "bribed", and received even more money than Esther. He lets Jack and Gwen go, knocks the guards out and breaks Lyn's neck. Vera and Esther arrive in cars outside the airport, and Jack, Gwen and Rex get into Esther's car. Vera drives off. Lyn, with a twisted neck, stumbles in front of their car, surviving because of the Miracle. She tries to harm them, but falls over, making Vera run over to assist her. The four drive off. Panicking, Esther wonders what's happening. Calmly, Gwen says, "Welcome to Torchwood."

Cast

 * Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
 * Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
 * Rex Matheson - Mekhi Phifer
 * Esther Drummond - Alexa Havins
 * Rhys Williams - Kai Owen
 * Oswald Danes - Bill Pullman
 * Geoff Reed - Tug Coker
 * Lianna - Halley Feiffer
 * Danny - Finn Wittrock
 * George Sayer - Richard Augustine
 * Bridget Howe - Amy Benedict
 * Man #2 - Sedly Bloomfield
 * Airport Security Cop - Antonio D. Charity
 * Greta - Erin Chenoweth
 * Yu-King So - Ewan Chung
 * Laurie - Rachel Leah Cohen
 * Man #1 - Joseph Eid
 * Assistant - Chrissie Marie Fit
 * ER Nurse - Bari Hochwald
 * Paul Goldstein - Scott Hoxby
 * Simran Baidwan - Ronobir Lahiri
 * Gate Guard - Don Luce
 * Dr. Mandrell - David O'Donnell
 * James Percey - Jefferey Self
 * Woman - Kristi Swensson
 * EMT - Luke White
 * Government Clerk - A. J. Tannen
 * Security Chief - Glenn Taranto
 * Dr. Paul Bell - Richard Wharton

Uncredited

 * Dr Vera Juarez - Arlene Tur
 * Charlotte Wills - Marina Benedict
 * Noah Vickers - Paul James
 * Brian Friedkin - Wayne Knight
 * Andy Davidson - Tom Price
 * Lyn Peterfield - Dichen Lachman
 * Jilly Kitzinger - Lauren Ambrose

Biology

 * The continued use of antibiotics (and other drugs and medicines) and the lack of people dying will further the production/evolution of drug-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA.
 * Human flesh affected by Miracle Day continues to age.

Drugs and medicines

 * Rex is given an aspirin on the plane by Danny. It was found in the co-pilot's shirt pocket.

Elements

 * Jack is poisoned with arsenic and saved by chelation with EDTA, made on the plane from (amongst other things) silver, cyanide, and degreaser.

Foods and beverages

 * Jack asks for a cola while on the plane.
 * Gwen drinks water whilst on the plane.
 * Rex requests some pretzels while on the plane — the salty kind.

Individuals

 * Jack had a boyfriend who took arsenic for his skin.
 * Rex continues to refer to Jack as "World War II" and notes his clothing makes him look like a flying ace.

Theories and concepts

 * Jack speaks at length about morphic fields and how their manipulation may have created the Miracle Day.
 * Oswald and Jilly mention the Devil in humorous context.

Vehicles

 * Esther steals a blue Mini.
 * Gwen is sorely disappointed by the getaway car Esther has for the group, thinking the Americans should have big, boastful SUVs.

Story notes

 * In the airport scene Captain Jack Harkness kicks a CIA officer in the face. Barrowman announced at Comic Con that he actually kicked the actor in the nose and "busted" it.
 * Unlike broadcasts of Doctor Who and previous series of Torchwood, this series was broadcast in the United States, Australia and Canada before the United Kingdom.
 * United States - 15 July 2011
 * Australia and Canada - 16 July 2011
 * United Kingdom - 21 July 2011

Ratings

 * UK: 5.75 million

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * When Jilly is smoking a cigarette with Vera Juarez, on the camera shot behind her the lighter isn't in her hand, but on the front shot the lighter is.

Continuity

 * Jack and Gwen discuss Jack leaving Torchwood. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Five, TV: The End of Time)
 * The moon landing is mentioned as being among the things the human race has achieved. (TV: Blink, Day of the Moon)
 * Rex recalls his arrival at the hospital and his concern about his undying state. (TV: The New World)
 * Very similar to Jack's poisoning, the Doctor survived cyanide by producing an antidote out of materials around him. Also, the people who frantically gather the materials for Jack's detox are worked into a hysteria similar to that caused when the Doctor was poisoned. (TV: The Unicorn and the Wasp)

Home video releases
This episode was released worldwide in a box set containing all ten episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day. In the United Kingdom, it was released on Region 2 DVD and Region Free Blu-ray on 14 November 2011. In Australia, it was released in Region 4 DVD and Region B Blu-Ray on 1 December 2011. In New Zealand, the same sets were released on 7 December 2011. In North America, it was released on Region 1 DVD and Region Free Blu-Ray on 3 April 2012.