Escape to LA (TV story)

 was the fourth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day.

Synopsis
Torchwood follow PhiCorp to California to continue the fight, but walk straight into a trap. Elsewhere, Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger face off against their own adversaries.

Plot
Despite the risks, Esther desides to pay a visit to her sister Sarah, only to find her house boarded up with messages to stay away. When Sarah answers the door, Esther discovers she's added several locks to it and is apparently having a nervous breakdown. When Sarah explains that she's been questioned about her, Esther explains she's leaving Washington, D.C. soon and wants to say good-bye to her nieces. However, Sarah says she won't let them outside, believing everything people are saying about the Miracle online. Forced to leave, Esther calls Child Services, explaining Sarah may pose a danger to her daughters. Unbeknownst to her, an agent of "the Families" has found her and is ordered to follow her to Jack.

Arriving in Los Angeles, the Torchwood team take in their new surroundings while Rex puts money in the parking metre. Jack expresses his fondness for seeing the Pacific ocean, saying it must have been in the 1940s that he last saw it. Esther questions him if he's joking, but Gwen changes the subject, asking where PhiCorp headquarters is; it's in the next city. Jack informs his team that they have to find a base of operations in the meantime, with Gwen complaining about the locations he always chooses.

In the meantime, Rex phones Dr. Juarez, having been handed a flier advertising Dead is Dead, learning Ellis Hartley Monroe is leading a campaign to treat those who should have died as they are dead and wait for their "pause" from death to come to an end. Dr Juarez, on the other hand, is being shown an abandoned hospital along with a medical panel; it's intended to be used as storage for the overflowing ICU patients. Despite protests, the plan will go through.

Elsewhere, Oswald is enjoying the privileges of being in a fancy hotel, everything paid for by PhiCorp of course. Jilly arrives and explains to him that PhiCorp has made her his personal assistant, saying she will do anything within her job description for him; however, that doesn't mean she has to like him, as she is disgusted by what he has done. Oswald prepares to leave for another interview, but is told he has been replaced by Monroe; her popularity is growing fast, putting Danes in danger of being thrown back to the mob.

Cast

 * Captain Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
 * Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
 * Rex Matheson - Mekhi Phifer
 * Esther Drummond - Alexa Havins
 * Rhys Williams - Kai Owen
 * Oswald Danes - Bill Pullman
 * Dr. Vera Juarez - Arlene Tur
 * Mr Peterssen - Brian Guest
 * Ellis Hartley Monroe - Mare Winningham
 * Bisme Katusi - Juanita Jennings
 * Sarah Drummond - Candace Brown
 * Nicolas Frumkin - Kelvin Yu
 * Male Nurse - Desean Terry
 * Thin Old Man - Roger Vernon Burton
 * Voice of The Cousin - Chris Butler
 * Woman - Katsy Chappell
 * Young Mother - April Clark
 * Lobby Guard - Anthony Dilio
 * Burly Guard - David Fofi
 * The Gentleman - C Thomas Howell
 * Spanish Newscaster - Teresa Garza
 * Jilly Kitzinger - Lauren Ambrose
 * Maurice - Roy Lee Jones
 * Veronica - JoKnell Kennedy
 * Japanese Newscaster - Masami Kosaka
 * Simran - Ronobir Lahiri
 * Sick Man - Michael D Nye
 * Scared Old Woman - Barbara Mallory
 * Landlord Brian - Keith Russell
 * Chauffeur - Christian Svensson
 * Candice - Randa Walker
 * Male Newscaster - David Grant Wright

Story notes

 * A supporting character in this episode has the last name Katusi. This was going to be Esther's last name before Alexa Havins was cast.

Ratings

 * UK: 5.19 million

Filming locations

 * It appears that the beach locations were shot in Venice Beach, CA. (e.g., when Gwen is on the phone with Rhys.)

Production errors

 * At the beginning of the mission to infiltrate Phicorp, Rex asks Esther if all the systems are online. Esther says yes, and the signal looks good; the computer screen, however, states the I-5 is offline.

Continuity

 * Jack introduces himself as John Smith, the alias often employed by the Doctor. (TV: The Wheel in Space, Spearhead from Space et al)
 * When Gwen attempts an American accent, Jack tells her she should never try it again, similar to what the Tenth Doctor tells his companions. (TV: Tooth and Claw, The Shakespeare Code, The Unicorn and the Wasp)
 * When Ellis Hartley Monroe takes centre stage at the hospital instead of Danes, Jilly describes it as a "timing malfunction". This was also the term used when took control of the Doctor's TARDIS before landing in San Francisco on 30 December 1999. (TV: Doctor Who)

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.