The Categories of Life (TV story)

 was the fifth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day.

Synopsis
Torchwood goes undercover and discovers the terrible truth behind the Miracle. The enemy is closing in, and death is about to make a shocking return.

Plot
In City Hall, Washington D.C., Vera is told that the medical panels are over and a report was submitted by the Health and Human Services Secretary directly to Congress.The categories of life have been unanimously approved for legislation. She learns there are three new categories for the living since no one dies. Horrified at what the legislation may mandate, Vera calls Rex to l join the covert investigation he and Torchwood are making.

Gwen returns to the UK under her alias of Yvonne Pallister to find her father has been taken to one of the overflow camps. Rhys greets her disguised as her driver. Her mother has prepared for Gwen's arrival and has located Gwen's father at the Cowbridge Camp, formerly derelict army barracks closed down in 1996 - now an overflow camp for patients in South Wales. The next day Gwen travels with Andy to Cowbridge. Andy remarks that though the system is "bloody chaos, at least it works", relieving the pressure on geriatrics and other hospital departments. Gwen asks "Who's paying for all this? PhiCorp. You got healthcare being run by private business and believe me, that's just the start of your problems."

Gwen heads to admin, demanding the release of her father. A military officer suggests she fills in a claims form. Andy supports her by fabricating a story about her father being removed under police authority. Told that the camp is not under the Welsh police, she is handed a package titled "Overflow Camp Health Care Provider Framework". Gwen turns this over to see PhiCorp's logo. Under the threat of arrest, Gwen, Andy, and Rhys leave Cowbridge. Gwen, infuriated as the red tape stopping her after everything she's experienced with Torchwood Three, tells Rhys "we're gonna break in here, we're gonna find my father, and we're gonna get him out - tonight."

In Venice Beach, in California, Esther confides in Jack about her insecurities about being "useless" to the team. Esther mentions the death of her mom in 2003 and asks Jack about his mom. He answers vaguely. As Esther asks Jack where he's from, they receive text messages from Rex. They meet Rex and are introduced to Vera. Vera mentions she was lucky to catch a flight because most of them were full due to the Miracle Rally later that night.

Back at the makeshift Torchwood "hub", Vera tells off Rex and explains she flew across the country to support her patients who are now being held against their will in the overflow camps. They smile and kiss.

Reconvening with Jack and Esther, Vera asks "Am I Torchwood now?". Jack replies "Welcome aboard". The group, including Gwen via video conference, clarify how the categories of life work. Category one is anyone without brain function or anyone who would have ordinarily died; category three is people with no injuries; category two is everyone in between - people alive and functioning with an illness/injury that will persist, but won't kill. Rex notices the categories are arbitrary - he himself was a category "one", but has become a "two".

They discuss who is behind PhiCorp. Rex thinks there is more going on behind the pharmaceutical company and Esther points out the consistent presence of modules at every overflow camp based on building specs she collected from Jilly Kitzinger's desktop. These modules are buildings seen in all the camp plans, but they are sealed off and hidden from view - only revealed in undoctored satellite photographs. Esther lets Gwen know that these modules also exist overseas in the overflow camp in Wales.

Gwen and Vera wonder if these modules are for vivisections. Esther thinks this would explain the rush to strip category ones of their rights. Jack and the team agree that they need to infiltrate the camps and find out. Gwen will go on a night shift at Cowbridge as "Nurse Pallister". Esther will join the clerical staff and do paperwork on the module at San Pedro. Vera will join Esther at San Pedro as a medical inspector. Rex argues he will get to the heart of the module due to his sustained injury from a pole running through his chest, which allows him to be taken to San Pedro posing as a patient. Jack (a fragile mortal man according to Esther) is left behind. Jack decides to go to the Miracle Rally in Los Angeles.

Nurse Pallister and Rhys enter Cowbridge. Gwen finds her father, Geraint. She begins explaining that it is not safe for him to stay and that he needs to get out of the camp as quickly as possible. Just as they reach Rhys' truck, he collapses from what appears to be another heart attack. Gwen calls for help. She is horrified to find out that he is now being labeled a category one because he went unconscious.

In San Pedro, Esther recategorizes Rex as a category one in the computer system. Shes gives Rex a video camera to record footage of what he sees while he is moved to the module where category one patients are kept. Vera is taken to camp supervisor Colin Maloney. Vera insists she be taken to the module. Maloney decides to bring her to see patients first. At first, Vera is impressed by category twos being seen every hour.

Rex is taken to the module. Inside, he gets up in the dark, Patients sit on racks like objects. Rex feels the walls and thinks they may be ceramic. He finds it strange, cold, and similar to a refrigeration unit. He steps outside.

Vera gets off Maloney's golf cart tour to check out a building. Maloney tries to stop her. She sees patients without insurance left unattended, in filth, some labeled category one when they are still perfectly conscious. Vera, in a rage, says the system will never work because of men like Maloney who see healthcare as a business and she will prosecute him. The situation escalates and in a panic Maloney disarms a military officer and shoots Vera twice. Maloney drives Vera to the module and puts her in one of the cold units where Rex was previously dropped off. At the same time Rex notices that the module is small - only three units. There is no way all category one patients could be accommodated. As Vera begins crying over her injuries, left in the dark, Maloney is shown switching "on" the module she is in - releasing gas and flames inside.

In Cowbridge, Rhys finishes his undercover "job" driving "burn victims" to the module. It registers with Gwen that the module houses ovens to burn category ones. She sees smoke piping up from one of the units. In San Pedro, Rex catches sight of Vera inside one of the modules as the interior is engulfed by flames and he desperately shouts her name, trying to open the door. The episode ends with Rex crying, filming the fire.

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
 * Jilly Kitzinger - Lauren Ambrose
 * Andy Davidson - Tom Price
 * Geraint Cooper - William Thomas
 * Mary Cooper - Sharon Morgan
 * Ralph - Fred Koehler
 * Blue Eyed Man - Teddy Sears
 * Colin Maloney - Marc Vann
 * Guard - Daniel Adegboyega
 * Nurse Chris - Brad Bell
 * News Reports - Charles Carpenter
 * Man - Jim Conway
 * Handsome Man - Jonathan Dane
 * Spanish Newscaster - Teresa Garza
 * Pidgeon - Brendan Hughes
 * Excited Teenager - Joelle Elizabeth Jacoby
 * Rachel - Liz Jenkins
 * Pushy Woman - Ria Jones
 * Japanese Newscaster - Masami Kosaka
 * Maria Santos - Eve Mauro
 * Stressed Woman - Francine Morgan
 * Thomason - Stuart Nurse
 * Pale Woman - Tracy Pfau
 * Paramedic - Caroline Whitney Smith
 * Angry Man - Vito Viscuso
 * Candice - Randa Walker

Story notes
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Ratings
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Myths
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Filming locations
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Production errors
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Continuity

 * Owen's Theme is heard at the very beginning of the episode.
 * Vera's death in this episode is very similar to that of previous Torchwood medic Owen Harper's death two years before. Both Owen and Vera were trapped in a state of "immortality", Owen being undead and Vera being undying. Both had bullet wounds in their upper torsos. Both were vaporized trying to save other people: Owen killed by coolant while trying to stop a nuclear meltdown, and Vera killed by an incinerator while trying to save category one patients. Both also had a love interest, who were also suffering from mortal wounds to the chest, witness their deaths through an electronic device: Tosh was suffering from a bullet wound to the abdomen and saw the room Owen was in get flooded with coolant on a computer monitor, while Rex was suffering from a hole in his chest and saw Vera burn through the the glass in the door and through his video camera.

DVD releases
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Blu-ray releases
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