Meat (TV story)

Meat was the fourth episode in the second series of Torchwood. It saw Rhys Williams featured in a more prominent role and establish his knowledge of aliens and Torchwood Three.

Synopsis
Gwen's fiancé, Rhys, discovers the truth about Torchwood and helps the team as they investigate a mysterious alien-meat supply. Will Rhys go too far? Can Torchwood save the alien from being used as cheap meat?

Plot
Rhys Williams is driving when he is telephoned by a work mate who tells him one of their firm's lorries has crashed. He drives to the site of the crash and sees that one of his employees and friend has died. Torchwood appears on the scene and Rhys spots Gwen amongst them.

The Torchwood team confiscates the meat that the lorry was carrying; they suspect it of being alien. Gwen recognises the lorry as one from Rhys' firm. Back at the Hub, Toshiko rings Rhys' office for information, pretending to be the police. At home, Rhys texts Gwen asking her to come home. He attempts to get her to admit to being at the crash site, but she is evasive.

He sees Gwen with Jack near the invisible lift in Roald Dahl Plass and follows her to a factory. There he is captured and taken into the factory. Jack and Gwen see this and mistake his actions for collaboration. His captors show Rhys they have captured a live "space whale" (called the "cash cow") which is the source of the meat. It continues to grow despite them cutting chunks of its living flesh. In an act of self-preservation, Rhys agrees to replace his dead employee for the men.

Back at their flat, Rhys and Gwen argue over her being at the crash and Gwen admits to the nature of her work for Torchwood. Rhys is incredulous until she shows him around the Hub. With Rhys' help the team infiltrates the factory. They hide in one of Rhys' vans and he drives them to the factory.

They locate the creature and plan to stun-gun the men,sedate it and move it back to the Hub until the Cardiff space-time Rift reopens. Meanwhile, the men have captured Rhys & Ianto. In a fight, Rhys is shot. The creature becomes distressed and Owen can see no other option but to euthanise it. They stun the men and feed them amnesia pills. Back at the Hub, Owen patches up Rhys' wound and Jack orders Gwen to give Rhys a pill too. She cannot bring herself to do so and 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

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.
 * Ianto shows a reaction to the exploiting of the defenseless alien and his endangered teammates, violently attacking the meat-traffickers, slamming one with a door, and stun-gunning another one on the head as he says "Pray they survive".
 * This is another episode where Jack and Ianto's relationship is indicated. When Tosh tells Owen to go out with someone he works with, Ianto and Jack share a look that implies that's what they are doing. Also prior to this, Jack is seen staring at Ianto intently.
 * The Harwood's jingle makes its debut. It is also heard in an impromptu performance by Kai Owen and John Barrowman in the Series 2 gag reel, and again in TWA: Ghost Train.

Ratings

 * Unofficial Overnight - 2.9 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * Although Rhys is wearing handcuffs when 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
to be added

DVD releases

 * This story along with the rest of Torchwood Series 2 was released in a complete series boxset in 2008.