Immortal Sins
Encyclopedia
"Immortal Sins" is the seventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television
series Torchwood
, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 19 August 2011.
. Jack falls in love with Angelo and helps him move to Little Italy, New York where they become lovers and pose as minor bootleggers
for the Catholic Church. Their activities earn the wrath of mobster Salvatore Maranzano
(Cris D'Annunzio) whom Jack is able to convince to spare them by helping him obtain a crate that Salvatore's bosses want. Jack tells Angelo to leave as he doesn't want him to come to any harm, but Angelo refuses to abandon Jack.
After discovering the crate, Jack opens it and confirms that it contains the alien parasite that he had been sent to destroy. The parasite is one which lays its spores in the brain, slowly causing insanity. Jack explains to Angelo that Salvatore's bosses had been hired by the Trickster's brigade. The brigade plan to infect future Governor
Franklin Delano Roosevelt so that he will be unable to lead America as President
during World War II
, thus enabling Nazi Germany
to win the war. Jack destroys the parasite and escapes from the warehouse with Angelo, but is shot in the head by the police while a horrified Angelo is arrested.
A year later, Angelo is released from Sing Sing
and, to his shock, is greeted by Jack who is still alive. To calm Angelo, Jack explains that he survived the shooting and wants them to be together. However, remembering Jack's "death", Angelo stabs Jack, convinced that he is the devil. Soon the neighborhood learns about Jack, who is later brought to a butcher shop where the crowd viciously and repeatedly kill him, much to Angelo's horror. Mrs. Giardano fills a bottle with Jack's blood during one of his deaths. During one of his blackouts, Jack watches three mob bosses buy him from the butcher and make a pact. Angelo later helps Jack escape from the butcher shop in the hope of starting their lives together anew in Los Angeles
. However, Jack feels betrayed by what Angelo did and abandons him, not wanting to see him grow old and die.
In the present, Gwen kidnaps Jack to meet with the Miracle Day conspirators, as her family are being held hostage in their home in Wales
. After waiting at the meeting place, they meet a woman (Nana Visitor
) who knows about Jack. The mysterious group are caught by surprise when they are sniped by Rex and Esther, who both earlier became suspicious of Gwen's behavior and learned the truth from the last messages recorded from her contact lenses. In the interim, Esther had contacted Andy in Wales, who leads an armed police unit which rescues Gwen's family much to her relief. With Torchwood holding the mysterious woman at gunpoint, Jack demands answers about the miracle, but she tells Jack that he will still come with her to the man who knows how the miracle began. To Jack's shock, she tells him that the man is Angelo, who is still alive.
The HD Room reviewer felt "Immortal Sins" was the best Miracle Day episode so far and praised the return to the "Time travel, aliens, last minute saves" plots of the earlier Torchwood series. The reviewer also praised the hacked contact lens plot device as being particularly inventive.
The Guardian
s Dan Martin said that Miracle Day seemed all over the place. He continued by saying the plot is slow moving and makes no sense at all, and that this episode does not get people back on side. Martin stated that the random abduction of Gwen's family was a blessed relief, which allowed a character piece with her and Jack. On the episode Martin stated that it was completely obvious with all the flashbacks that Angelo was behind the kidnapping. Martin also said that it was nice to see Barrowman have something concrete to do after spending weeks on the sideline and nice to see how the Doctor's lifestyle has rubbed off on Jack. In conclusion Martin said that the episode made Gwen remember that she has a family and allowed the viewers to examine the two leads relationship, and references to the backstory was also a welcome relief and beyond all Eve Myles proved herself to be rather good at acting.
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 19 August 2011.
Plot summary
In July 1927, Jack catches an Italian immigrant named Angelo Colasanto (Daniele Favilli), who stole his visa at Ellis IslandEllis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
. Jack falls in love with Angelo and helps him move to Little Italy, New York where they become lovers and pose as minor bootleggers
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
for the Catholic Church. Their activities earn the wrath of mobster Salvatore Maranzano
Salvatore Maranzano
Salvatore Maranzano was an organized crime figure from the town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, and an early Cosa Nostra boss in the United States. He instigated the Castellammarese War to seize control of the American Mafia operations, and briefly became the Mafia's "Boss of Bosses"...
(Cris D'Annunzio) whom Jack is able to convince to spare them by helping him obtain a crate that Salvatore's bosses want. Jack tells Angelo to leave as he doesn't want him to come to any harm, but Angelo refuses to abandon Jack.
After discovering the crate, Jack opens it and confirms that it contains the alien parasite that he had been sent to destroy. The parasite is one which lays its spores in the brain, slowly causing insanity. Jack explains to Angelo that Salvatore's bosses had been hired by the Trickster's brigade. The brigade plan to infect future Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Franklin Delano Roosevelt so that he will be unable to lead America as President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, thus enabling Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
to win the war. Jack destroys the parasite and escapes from the warehouse with Angelo, but is shot in the head by the police while a horrified Angelo is arrested.
A year later, Angelo is released from Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
and, to his shock, is greeted by Jack who is still alive. To calm Angelo, Jack explains that he survived the shooting and wants them to be together. However, remembering Jack's "death", Angelo stabs Jack, convinced that he is the devil. Soon the neighborhood learns about Jack, who is later brought to a butcher shop where the crowd viciously and repeatedly kill him, much to Angelo's horror. Mrs. Giardano fills a bottle with Jack's blood during one of his deaths. During one of his blackouts, Jack watches three mob bosses buy him from the butcher and make a pact. Angelo later helps Jack escape from the butcher shop in the hope of starting their lives together anew 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...
. However, Jack feels betrayed by what Angelo did and abandons him, not wanting to see him grow old and die.
In the present, Gwen kidnaps Jack to meet with the Miracle Day conspirators, as her family are being held hostage in their home 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...
. After waiting at the meeting place, they meet a woman (Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor , born Nana Tucker, is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire.-Early life:...
) who knows about Jack. The mysterious group are caught by surprise when they are sniped by Rex and Esther, who both earlier became suspicious of Gwen's behavior and learned the truth from the last messages recorded from her contact lenses. In the interim, Esther had contacted Andy in Wales, who leads an armed police unit which rescues Gwen's family much to her relief. With Torchwood holding the mysterious woman at gunpoint, Jack demands answers about the miracle, but she tells Jack that he will still come with her to the man who knows how the miracle began. To Jack's shock, she tells him that the man is Angelo, who is still alive.
Continuity
- This is not the first time Jack has been to Ellis IslandEllis IslandEllis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
. He tells the Tenth DoctorTenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
and Martha JonesMartha JonesMartha 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...
in "UtopiaUtopia (Doctor Who)"Utopia" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2007 and is the eleventh episode of series three of the revived Doctor Who series...
" that he first realised his immortality after being shot during a fight there in 1892. - Jack tells Angelo about the DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
and that he travels the world with a companionCompanion (Doctor Who)In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
. This was the first direct reference to the Doctor in Miracle Day. - Jack tells Angelo that he is a fixed point in time, as the Tenth Doctor explained to him in "Utopia", and which Jack told Alice in Children of Earth.
- Andy states that he had never before shot anyone. He was unarmed as a PC partnered with Gwen.
- Jack explains that the parasite was being employed by The Trickster's Brigade. The Trickster is a recurring enemy alien on The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
, another Doctor Who spin-off. His brigade were shown in the Doctor Who episode "Turn LeftTurn Left (Doctor Who)"Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008....
" as having been behind the attempted use of Donna NobleDonna NobleDonna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A secretary from Chiswick, London, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor, appearing in one scene at the end of the final episode of the 2006 series,...
to change history. Harkness provided an in-universe summary of the Trickster's Brigade for the episode of Captain Jack's Monster Files accompanying "Turn Left". - Gwen asks Jack how many children he has had. His daughter, Alice Carter, and his grandson, Steven Carter, are depicted in Children of Earth.
Outside References
- When Angelo is frightened by the apparent magic of Jack's vortex manipulator, Jack explains that technology can be so advanced as to be indistingushable from magic, paraphrasing Clarke's Third LawClarke's three lawsClarke's Three Laws are three "laws" of prediction formulated by the British writer and scientist Arthur C. Clarke. They are:# When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right...
. - Jack alludes to the taller buildings that will be built on Manhattan in the near future; and cautions Angelo to save his money over the next two years because bad times are coming (i.e., the Wall Street Crash of 1929Wall Street Crash of 1929The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
). - Jack states that Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
will win the November 1928 election for New York Governor and go on to be elected President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
four years laterUnited States presidential election, 1932The United States presidential election of 1932 took place as the effects of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, the Revenue Act of 1932, and the Great Depression were being felt intensely across the country. President Herbert Hoover's popularity was falling as...
. He also speaks of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. - The Volstead ActVolstead ActThe National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition in the United States...
was the enabling actEnabling actAn enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it for authorization or legitimacy the power to take certain actions. For example, enabling acts often establish government agencies to carry out specific government policies in a modern nation...
for the Eighteenth AmendmentEighteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
to enforce prohibitionProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
throughout the United States.
Reception
Den of Geek gave a positive review and said the episode "was particularly welcome" and that the "gamble" of imitating "old-school" Torchwood had "paid off". By reducing the screentime of Rex and Esther and keeping Oswald and Jilly out of the episode, Den of Geek felt that the Jack-centric flashbacks "deepened" the Miracle Day narrative, and praised Espenson for her writing.The HD Room reviewer felt "Immortal Sins" was the best Miracle Day episode so far and praised the return to the "Time travel, aliens, last minute saves" plots of the earlier Torchwood series. The reviewer also praised the hacked contact lens plot device as being particularly inventive.
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Dan Martin said that Miracle Day seemed all over the place. He continued by saying the plot is slow moving and makes no sense at all, and that this episode does not get people back on side. Martin stated that the random abduction of Gwen's family was a blessed relief, which allowed a character piece with her and Jack. On the episode Martin stated that it was completely obvious with all the flashbacks that Angelo was behind the kidnapping. Martin also said that it was nice to see Barrowman have something concrete to do after spending weeks on the sideline and nice to see how the Doctor's lifestyle has rubbed off on Jack. In conclusion Martin said that the episode made Gwen remember that she has a family and allowed the viewers to examine the two leads relationship, and references to the backstory was also a welcome relief and beyond all Eve Myles proved herself to be rather good at acting.