Dead Man Walking (Torchwood)
Encyclopedia
"Dead Man Walking" is the seventh episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...

. It was broadcast by BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...

 and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...

 on 20 February 2008; it made its terrestrial debut on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

 on 27 February.

Synopsis

The Torchwood team are in a state of shock. Owen Harper
Owen Harper
Owen Harper is a fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. The character last appeared onscreen in the Series 2 finale, "Exit Wounds"....

 is about to be opened up for autopsy by Martha Jones
Martha Jones
Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, replacing Rose Tyler...

. Jack
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...

, however, orders everyone to leave Owen alone until he returns. Jack rushes to a place where he talks to a young girl, a fortune teller. The girl presents a tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...

 card with Jack's face on it and tells him where to find what he is looking for; as he leaves she is seen holding a card depicting the Grim Reaper.

Jack arrives at an abandoned church. It is also the home of many Weevils
Weevil (Torchwood)
Weevils are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the British science fiction television series Torchwood, first appearing in the episode "Everything Changes". As Jack Harkness explains in that episode, the name "Weevil" is applied to them by Torchwood, but as communication with them is...

. He locates a box which holds the item he desires, and returns to the Hub. To the team's astonishment, Jack has a left-handed resurrection glove, similar to the right-handed one that was used by Suzie and Gwen
Gwen Cooper
Gwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off to the long-running show Doctor Who, portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles. The series' lead female character, Gwen has featured in every episode of the sci-fi programme to date as well as two crossover...

. Gwen objects to what Jack is doing, reminding him of what happened with Suzie
They Keep Killing Suzie
"They Keep Killing Suzie" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the eighth episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 3 December 2006.-Synopsis:...

; Jack ignores this and hopes to resurrect Owen for two minutes so they can say goodbye. He resurrects Owen, who is confused and scared. Toshiko
Toshiko Sato
is a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London" , Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "Everything Changes"...

 confesses her love, and Jack, after asking for the codes to the morgue, prepares Owen for death. Owen stops responding, and Jack believes he is dead. The team is then shocked to hear Owen's voice, and realise the plan has backfired.

As with Suzie
They Keep Killing Suzie
"They Keep Killing Suzie" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the eighth episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 3 December 2006.-Synopsis:...

, Owen was brought back from death permanently, although this time there is no obvious source. No energy was drained from Jack, as Suzie was draining energy from Gwen, but Owen is getting energy from somewhere. Toshiko tries to tell Owen that she meant what she said before, with Owen replying she was experiencing a textbook reaction to grief.

Owen has visions of himself shrouded in darkness and hearing whispers. He also temporarily loses control of his body when his eyes turn black and he speaks in an unknown language. Although put in quarantine, Owen heads to a bar, where he discovers that he cannot digest
Digestion
Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....

, or pump blood (in order to have sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

), as his bodily processes have stopped. Jack finds him and a brawl ensues, which results in their being arrested. During their time in a cell, Owen vomits the drinks that were undigested in his stomach and starts to panic. Jack tells him that his immortality is not as good as Owen suspects. They then leave after Jack reveals his thoughts on immortality. Once outside, they encounter Weevils who chase them onto a rooftop. They are surprised to see the Weevils bow to Owen, who addresses the Weevils in the unknown language.

Upon analysis, it is found that Owen's cells are changing, and upon 100% transformation something will happen. Research shows that a similar situation occurred in legend, and that Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...

 came back with the revived person and searched for 13 victims, whose consumed souls would enable Death to remain in the world. The story details that 'Faith' prevented it. Believing this legend is repeating, Owen suggests that his neural pathways should be closed by being embalmed. During the process, the resurrection gauntlet activates.The team spreads out and tries to find the gauntlet, meanwhile Ianto runs and grabs a field hockey stick. The gauntlet attacks Martha, draining her life force and ageing her rapidly. Owen shoots the gauntlet before his cells fully change, and he loses control. Death then speaks - "I will walk the earth forever, and my hunger shall know no bounds", before killing Jack.

After reviving, Jack finds they have come to the hospital to get Martha treatment. A doctor says Martha's chances of survival are slim. The team evacuates the hospital while Death, after taking twelve souls, chases after a young leukaemia patient (Jamie Burton) who was left behind. Owen saves the child and helps him and Tosh to escape. Ianto
Ianto Jones
Ianto Jones is a fictional character in the BBC television series Torchwood, played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd. A series regular, Ianto appears in every episode of the programme's first three series, as well as two crossover episodes of Torchwoods parent show, Doctor Who...

, monitoring Martha, explains that the "Faith" which defeated Death was actually a resurrected child named Faith. Owen realises that he is the only one who can defeat Death as he is dead. After kissing Tosh, Owen fights Death, consuming its energy and forcing it back into the darkness, also restoring Martha to her original age.

In the Hub, Martha explains that the energy keeping Owen undead is dissipating, and she is unsure how long it will last. Jack explains to Toshiko that you can never defeat death, only evade it. Owen begs Jack for his job back as he feels he owes something to the people who died, and that he is still able to do his job despite being dead. Jack considers the issue.

Continuity

  • The use of a second resurrection gauntlet leads to many references to that used by Suzie Costello in "Everything Changes
    Everything Changes (Torchwood)
    "Everything Changes" is the first episode of the British science fiction television programme Torchwood, which was first broadcast on 22 October 2006.-Synopsis:Police constable Gwen Cooper comes across the mysterious organisation known as Torchwood...

    " and "They Keep Killing Suzie
    They Keep Killing Suzie
    "They Keep Killing Suzie" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the eighth episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 3 December 2006.-Synopsis:...

    ". Ianto reprises his line "That's the thing about gloves - they come in pairs..." from the latter episode.
  • Jack states in "They Keep Killing Suzie
    They Keep Killing Suzie
    "They Keep Killing Suzie" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the eighth episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 3 December 2006.-Synopsis:...

    " that the first resurrection gauntlet fell through the rift approximately forty years earlier and lay at the bottom of Cardiff Bay until the team dredged it, without stating when the dredging occurred. Ianto tells Martha in this episode that it was dredged "last year".
  • "Dead Man Walking" was the title of the Torchwood Declassified
    Torchwood Declassified
    Torchwood Declassified is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation to complement the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Each episode is broadcast on the same evening as the broadcast of the weekly television episode...

    episode which accompanied the Series 1 episode, "Random Shoes
    Random Shoes
    "Random Shoes" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on 10 December 2006. It is the ninth episode of the first series.-Synopsis:...

    ".
  • The team are aware of a herd of Weevils living above ground Cardiff, and at least Jack knows the location of their nest, yet there is no dialogue to suggest that the team plan to capture or kill the Weevils. This is contrary to all other episodes which address Weevils - particularly "Combat
    Combat (Torchwood)
    "Combat" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on 24 December 2006. It is the eleventh episode of the first series. Weevils are being abducted by humans. As Owen goes undercover to find out who is committing these crimes, he meets Mark Lynch...

    " in which Tosh is incredulous that Jack intends to release Janet into the streets as bait.
  • The mysterious little girl is seen again, more than a century earlier, in "Fragments
    Fragments (Torchwood)
    "Fragments" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast by BBC Three on 21 March 2008.-Synopsis:...

    ." In this episode she specifically says "I've been waiting to see the Captain again," possibly referring to that earlier encounter.
  • Owen tells the police to call his work phone and ask for "PC Cooper", confirming Gwen's statement to Rhys in "Day One
    Day One (Torchwood)
    "Day One" is the second episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Brian Kelly, the episode was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three on 22 October 2006 with the series pilot, "Everything Changes", and...

    " that her position with Torchwood is a secondment and that she retains her warrant and rank.

Outside references

The unknown language that Owen speaks during his possession uses words taken from The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson: Melenkurion abatha, duroc minas mill khabaal. Owen recites the latter four over and over again, and Toshiko's translation device associates the word duroc with hunger. In the Covenant novels however, these words are a blessing calling upon the beneficent magical force of Earthpower.

Owen also references Monty Python when he tells Martha what death is like. He tells her "the man at the pearly gates" said to him, "You're a very naughty boy," which is a line from Monty Python's Life of Brian
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Monty Python's Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team...

.

External links

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