Rendition (Torchwood)
Encyclopedia
"Rendition" is the second episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television
series Torchwood
, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 15 July 2011, in Canada on Space on 16 July 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One
on 21 July 2011.
After his release, Oswald is being interviewed on a local talk show but doesn't say much since there is a campaign to have him returned to prison and anything he might say might be used against him. But when the reporter shows him a picture of the girl he murdered, Oswald starts to break down and cries, apologising to the girl and revealing he was too scared to apologize to the victim's mother, which earns him sympathy from some viewers. As he's about to leave the TV station, PR agent Jilly Kitzinger congratulates him on his interview and offers to be his agent but he declines, after which a TV staffer tells Oswald that Oprah Winfrey
wants to do an interview with him.
Meanwhile, Vera attends a medical conference where doctors are trying to figure out the Miracle. When a doctor tweets
that his hospital needs more antibiotics, Vera realizes because nobody is dying, people who were supposed to die have become living incubators for bacteria which allows them to grow and become resistant to antibiotics. What's worse, the Miracle is not true immortality as people still age and grow old. With fears that supplies will dwindle as the undying grows, Vera suggests that hospitals need more painkillers to handle this situation. Later, Vera meets Jilly who actually works for a pharmaceutical company called PhiCorp and convinces Vera that they can work together as she can help her.
When Director Brian Friedkin suspects Esther and Rex may know too much about Torchwood, he has their security clearances deleted, frames them as spies working for China
and orders Lyn to kill Jack with an arsenic
pill. However, Esther manages to escape before the CIA catches her and tries to warn Rex. Back on the plane, Jack realises that he's being poisoned, at which point both Gwen and Rex apprehend Lyn. As Jack is slowly being killed by the arsenic, Rex calls Vera for help. With the help of her fellow doctors at the medical conference and the air stewards on their plane, Rex and Gwen successfully create an antidote and administer it to Jack.
When Jack, Gwen, Rex and Lyn arrive at the airport, they are met by a group of CIA agents, unaware that they are under orders by Friedkin to arrest the three and free Lyn. Esther manages to warn Rex at which point he, Jack and Gwen subdue the agents and escape. During the fight Rex twists Lyn's head and breaks her neck. When the three exit the airport, they are greeted by Vera with Rex's painkillers, and Esther who is their getaway driver. They are about to leave when Lyn, still alive but with her head twisted around 180 degrees, appears in front of them. She is unable to stop them due to her condition, and they are able to drive off.
International broadcasters in Canada and Australia received the show on Saturday 16 July, where it was broadcast on Australia's UKTV network.
Entertainment Weekly
reported that this episode on Starz was watched by "1.4 million this weekend, down about 30 percent from last week's debut."
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 15 July 2011, in Canada on Space on 16 July 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 21 July 2011.
Synopsis
As Rex brings the Torchwood team to America, problems arise on the plane. CIA operatives are plotting to remove them, and poison the only mortal man; Captain Jack Harkness. Gwen, Rex along with the help of a doctor create an antidote using only items found on a plane. Meanwhile, Oswald Danes is appearing on talk shows and is becoming a trend on many online social networks after breaking down on national television.Plot
Rex has Jack and Gwen board a plane headed to Washington, D.C., with fellow CIA agent Lyn Peterfield escorting them. However, Gwen's husband Rhys and their daughter Anwen are forced to stay in the UK. Back in Washington, D.C., because no one can die due to the Miracle, Dr. Vera Juarez has her hospital staff focus on treating the least wounded first so they can get them out quickly and have enough beds to treat newer patients.After his release, Oswald is being interviewed on a local talk show but doesn't say much since there is a campaign to have him returned to prison and anything he might say might be used against him. But when the reporter shows him a picture of the girl he murdered, Oswald starts to break down and cries, apologising to the girl and revealing he was too scared to apologize to the victim's mother, which earns him sympathy from some viewers. As he's about to leave the TV station, PR agent Jilly Kitzinger congratulates him on his interview and offers to be his agent but he declines, after which a TV staffer tells Oswald that Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
wants to do an interview with him.
Meanwhile, Vera attends a medical conference where doctors are trying to figure out the Miracle. When a doctor tweets
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that his hospital needs more antibiotics, Vera realizes because nobody is dying, people who were supposed to die have become living incubators for bacteria which allows them to grow and become resistant to antibiotics. What's worse, the Miracle is not true immortality as people still age and grow old. With fears that supplies will dwindle as the undying grows, Vera suggests that hospitals need more painkillers to handle this situation. Later, Vera meets Jilly who actually works for a pharmaceutical company called PhiCorp and convinces Vera that they can work together as she can help her.
When Director Brian Friedkin suspects Esther and Rex may know too much about Torchwood, he has their security clearances deleted, frames them as spies working for China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and orders Lyn to kill Jack with an arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
pill. However, Esther manages to escape before the CIA catches her and tries to warn Rex. Back on the plane, Jack realises that he's being poisoned, at which point both Gwen and Rex apprehend Lyn. As Jack is slowly being killed by the arsenic, Rex calls Vera for help. With the help of her fellow doctors at the medical conference and the air stewards on their plane, Rex and Gwen successfully create an antidote and administer it to Jack.
When Jack, Gwen, Rex and Lyn arrive at the airport, they are met by a group of CIA agents, unaware that they are under orders by Friedkin to arrest the three and free Lyn. Esther manages to warn Rex at which point he, Jack and Gwen subdue the agents and escape. During the fight Rex twists Lyn's head and breaks her neck. When the three exit the airport, they are greeted by Vera with Rex's painkillers, and Esther who is their getaway driver. They are about to leave when Lyn, still alive but with her head twisted around 180 degrees, appears in front of them. She is unable to stop them due to her condition, and they are able to drive off.
Broadcast
This episode was broadcast on Starz in the US on Friday 15 July. It was aired in the UK on BBC 1 on Thursday 21 July.International broadcasters in Canada and Australia received the show on Saturday 16 July, where it was broadcast on Australia's UKTV network.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reported that this episode on Starz was watched by "1.4 million this weekend, down about 30 percent from last week's debut."
Reception
Chris Swanson from WhatCulture gave the episode 4 stars, saying:I liked this episode. It wasn’t exactly action-packed or anything like that, but it did feature some nice moments, like a conversation between Gwen and Jack about how dangerous being around him is (shades of similar conversations on 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...
).
I also very much liked that they are continuing to examine the logistics of exactly what would happen in a situation like this. Interestingly, no one has yet suggested mandatory birth control, but we do see discussions about the fact that the entire medical industry would have to change from a life-saving position to one that’s more about pain management.