From Out of the Rain
Encyclopedia
"From Out of the Rain" is the tenth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood
. It was broadcast by BBC Three
on 12 March 2008, and repeated on BBC Two
one week later.
, the old scenes of a black-and-white film of street scenes are interrupted by mysterious sequences which show a travelling company in the early 20th Century, just before the age of cinema
. The film resists all attempts to stop it running, reloading itself, and the projector continues to operate even without power. The Ghostmaker (the leader of the company) and Pearl ('The Mermaid Woman'), once captured on film, manage to escape it and out into Cardiff
. Ianto
, attending this nostalgic evening with others of the team, is convinced he has seen Jack
in the footage. He then witnesses the escape, noticing that two characters have suddenly disappeared from the film.
The escaped characters start roaming the streets of the city, taking an obscene delight in gathering an 'audience' to 'join their company – forever'. They steal the last breaths of innocent people, keeping their breath in a silver flask and leaving the victims severely dehydrated and only half alive – with a heartbeat, but no breath. Torchwood starts investigating the mounting casualties and begins research on these old travelling companies. Jack used to be a member of one of the companies, under cover performing the act of 'the man who couldn't die'. He tells of the mysterious 'Night Travellers', who perform only during 'the dead of the night', coming 'out of the rain' and disappearing, taking people with them. The mythology surrounding them suggests that 'young children were told to hold their breath while the travelling show passed by' – an old lady, hospitalised since her family all disappeared in her childhood, warns them of the danger.
The ghosts aim to bring all their other travelling carnival fellows back into reality at the old cinema but, finally after various victims have been hospitalised, the solution occurs to Jack. Being filmed again, the loosened entities may thus be recaptured onto celluloid. Effectively, he manages to achieve this with a home movie camera
, filming all the phantasmagoric creatures as they emerge from the screen and catching up with their fleeing leader. He exposes his reel to the sun, vanishing the carnival ghosts for ever. However, for its last act before disappearing, the Ghostmaker throws the open silver flask and, despite Ianto's quick catch, most of the human souls are lost in the air. The cataleptic victims in the Cardiff hospital all take one last breath and die, except for one of the children from the family in the car. At his bedside, Ianto and Jack return his breath and bring him back to life. The silver flask ends up being stored by Jack in his safe at Torchwood.
Though the threat of the Night Travellers has been stopped now, Jack speculates that there could be more films with their ghosts trapped inside, confirmed by a scene at a car-boot sale where a man and his son purchase an old film reel. The metal case of the film is briefly opened and, back at the Hub, Jack hears a sliver of the Night Traveller's carnival music...
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...
on 12 March 2008, and repeated 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...
one week later.
Synopsis
After the old 'Electro' cinema reopens as a museum of local history that was captured on celluloidCelluloid
Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1862 and as Xylonite in 1869, before being registered as Celluloid in 1870. Celluloid is...
, the old scenes of a black-and-white film of street scenes are interrupted by mysterious sequences which show a travelling company in the early 20th Century, just before the age of cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
. The film resists all attempts to stop it running, reloading itself, and the projector continues to operate even without power. The Ghostmaker (the leader of the company) and Pearl ('The Mermaid Woman'), once captured on film, manage to escape it and out into Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. 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...
, attending this nostalgic evening with others of the team, is convinced he has seen 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...
in the footage. He then witnesses the escape, noticing that two characters have suddenly disappeared from the film.
The escaped characters start roaming the streets of the city, taking an obscene delight in gathering an 'audience' to 'join their company – forever'. They steal the last breaths of innocent people, keeping their breath in a silver flask and leaving the victims severely dehydrated and only half alive – with a heartbeat, but no breath. Torchwood starts investigating the mounting casualties and begins research on these old travelling companies. Jack used to be a member of one of the companies, under cover performing the act of 'the man who couldn't die'. He tells of the mysterious 'Night Travellers', who perform only during 'the dead of the night', coming 'out of the rain' and disappearing, taking people with them. The mythology surrounding them suggests that 'young children were told to hold their breath while the travelling show passed by' – an old lady, hospitalised since her family all disappeared in her childhood, warns them of the danger.
The ghosts aim to bring all their other travelling carnival fellows back into reality at the old cinema but, finally after various victims have been hospitalised, the solution occurs to Jack. Being filmed again, the loosened entities may thus be recaptured onto celluloid. Effectively, he manages to achieve this with a home movie camera
Movie camera
The movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film which was very popular for private use in the last century until its successor, the video camera, replaced it...
, filming all the phantasmagoric creatures as they emerge from the screen and catching up with their fleeing leader. He exposes his reel to the sun, vanishing the carnival ghosts for ever. However, for its last act before disappearing, the Ghostmaker throws the open silver flask and, despite Ianto's quick catch, most of the human souls are lost in the air. The cataleptic victims in the Cardiff hospital all take one last breath and die, except for one of the children from the family in the car. At his bedside, Ianto and Jack return his breath and bring him back to life. The silver flask ends up being stored by Jack in his safe at Torchwood.
Though the threat of the Night Travellers has been stopped now, Jack speculates that there could be more films with their ghosts trapped inside, confirmed by a scene at a car-boot sale where a man and his son purchase an old film reel. The metal case of the film is briefly opened and, back at the Hub, Jack hears a sliver of the Night Traveller's carnival music...
Cast and credits notes
- The episodic title credits were missing in the BBC HDBBC HDBBC 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...
broadcast of this episode. - Julian Bleach, who plays the Ghostmaker, was later cast as DavrosDavrosDavros is a character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Davros is an archenemy of the Doctor and is the creator of the Doctor's deadliest enemies, the Daleks...
, the creator of the DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, in the 2008 Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episodes "The Stolen EarthThe Stolen Earth"The Stolen Earth" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series and the 750th overall episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was written by show runner and head writer Russell T Davies and is the first of a two-part crossover story; the concluding episode is...
" and "Journey's EndJourney's End (Doctor Who)"Journey's End" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who first broadcast on BBC One on 5 July 2008. It is the second episode of a two-part crossover story featuring the characters of spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane...
". - Gerard Carey received a closing credit as Greg, a character from the earlier episode, "MeatMeat (Torchwood)"Meat" is the fourth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast by BBC Two on 6 February 2008.-Synopsis:...
". Neither the actor nor his character appeared in this episode. - Even though Gwen had married Rhys in the previous episode (and become Gwen Williams, as stated in therein) she is still credited as "Gwen Cooper" in the closing credits.