The Middle Men
Encyclopedia
"The Middle Men" is the sixth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television
series Torchwood
, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 12 August 2011.
Stuart Owens (Ernie Hudson
) attempts to investigate PhiCorp construction sites in Shanghai
but his hired investigator (Eric Steinberg
) jumps off a high-storey building to end consciousness rather than tell him the horror of what is really going on. Jack later confronts Owens and learns from him that PhiCorp is as much a pawn as any other player in the system, and that whoever orchestrated the miracle has been working towards it for a very long time. He also learns of another term relating to the miracle which Owens' team of investigators have uncovered: "the blessing", dating back to the 1990s.
In San Pedro, Rex finishes his video message contained along with the footage of Dr. Juarez's incineration, and Esther begins to suspect something has happened to Dr. Juarez. Rex attempts to pass himself off as a soldier working at the San Pedro Overflow Camp but is unsuccessful and captured. Juarez's killer, camp director Colin Maloney (Marc Vann
), briefly considers using Rex's video to expose the death of Dr. Juarez and become a hero, but then attempts to kill Rex. Esther finds them and is forced to strangle Maloney. With assistance from soldier Ralph Coltrane (Fred Koehler), who had been complicit in Juarez' murder, they are able to escape the compound with the footage. They release it, causing a public outcry, but do not affect the government's stance on Overflow Camps and the life and death category system.
In Wales
, Gwen manages to break her father out of the Overflow Camp as Rhys runs over the gates with Geraint in the back of his truck. With the Torchwood contact lenses, Gwen publicly broadcasts a message explaining the purpose of the Overflow Camps shortly before blowing up the Modules (where people are incinerated) at the Cardiff facility. However, touching down again in Los Angeles
she is unable to make contact with Rhys. A mysterious phone call at the LAX white courtesy telephone tells her to put on her lenses, where she receives a message directly to her line of sight from some mysterious conspirators: they have her mother, husband and child, and to set them free she must deliver Jack.
The Yorker was positive about the episode saying "With each new episode of Torchwood, the revelations become grimmer and more disturbing. The switch between Wales and the US works well now, and there’s a realistic contrast between the two."
The Guardian commented saying "it's actually starting to feel rather normal, this show being set in both California and Wales. It needed to eventually, It's Esther who really comes into her own this week. After inadvertently getting her sister's kids taken into care the other week, she's now gone through a Torchwood rite of passage in killing someone as Evil Colin enacts a horror movie cliche, grabbing her ankle and extending what are actually some pretty shocking and graphic scenes of violence against women. Still, her final, broken scene with Rex in the car, where unlike the rest of the team she would very clearly be doing absolutely anything else, was really very moving."
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
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...
, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 12 August 2011.
Plot summary
In the pre-credits sequence, PhiCorp COOChief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
Stuart Owens (Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
) attempts to investigate PhiCorp construction sites in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
but his hired investigator (Eric Steinberg
Eric Steinberg
Eric D. Steinberg is an American actor who most recently played the role of Emily Fields' father in the ABC Family hit seriesPretty Little Liars.Eric was born August 26, 1969 in Washington, D.C....
) jumps off a high-storey building to end consciousness rather than tell him the horror of what is really going on. Jack later confronts Owens and learns from him that PhiCorp is as much a pawn as any other player in the system, and that whoever orchestrated the miracle has been working towards it for a very long time. He also learns of another term relating to the miracle which Owens' team of investigators have uncovered: "the blessing", dating back to the 1990s.
In San Pedro, Rex finishes his video message contained along with the footage of Dr. Juarez's incineration, and Esther begins to suspect something has happened to Dr. Juarez. Rex attempts to pass himself off as a soldier working at the San Pedro Overflow Camp but is unsuccessful and captured. Juarez's killer, camp director Colin Maloney (Marc Vann
Marc Vann
Marc Vann , is an American actor. He is known for his role as Conrad Ecklie in the CBS television series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Although this role as the agitator of Gil Grissom has earned the character the dislike of CSI fans, Vann himself has a small, but growing fanbase...
), briefly considers using Rex's video to expose the death of Dr. Juarez and become a hero, but then attempts to kill Rex. Esther finds them and is forced to strangle Maloney. With assistance from soldier Ralph Coltrane (Fred Koehler), who had been complicit in Juarez' murder, they are able to escape the compound with the footage. They release it, causing a public outcry, but do not affect the government's stance on Overflow Camps and the life and death category system.
In Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Gwen manages to break her father out of the Overflow Camp as Rhys runs over the gates with Geraint in the back of his truck. With the Torchwood contact lenses, Gwen publicly broadcasts a message explaining the purpose of the Overflow Camps shortly before blowing up the Modules (where people are incinerated) at the Cardiff facility. However, touching down again in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
she is unable to make contact with Rhys. A mysterious phone call at the LAX white courtesy telephone tells her to put on her lenses, where she receives a message directly to her line of sight from some mysterious conspirators: they have her mother, husband and child, and to set them free she must deliver Jack.
Reception
Assignment X described the episode as "lackluster", stating, "This story seems to excel in examining all the permutations of its premise in society – such as the intriguing “45 Club” early in this episode – but the further it goes in following the actual plotline with the Torchwood team and their investigation, the more frustrating it gets as a viewing experience".The Yorker was positive about the episode saying "With each new episode of Torchwood, the revelations become grimmer and more disturbing. The switch between Wales and the US works well now, and there’s a realistic contrast between the two."
The Guardian commented saying "it's actually starting to feel rather normal, this show being set in both California and Wales. It needed to eventually, It's Esther who really comes into her own this week. After inadvertently getting her sister's kids taken into care the other week, she's now gone through a Torchwood rite of passage in killing someone as Evil Colin enacts a horror movie cliche, grabbing her ankle and extending what are actually some pretty shocking and graphic scenes of violence against women. Still, her final, broken scene with Rex in the car, where unlike the rest of the team she would very clearly be doing absolutely anything else, was really very moving."