Toshiko Sato
Encyclopedia
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
" (2005), Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "Everything Changes
". The character appears in every episode of the show's first two series as well as Expanded Universe
material such as the Torchwood novels and audiobooks, comic books and radio plays.
Within the series narrative Sato is the Cardiff branch of Torchwood's "technical expert", described as "quiet but highly intelligent", and a "computer genius". Aside from Harkness, she is the regular character with the longest history with the Torchwood Institute, having been recruited three years prior to the series. Her characterisation explores the differences between her nature and that of her colleagues and her difficulty in romantic relationships. A general backstory relating to her pre-Torchwood life and long-standing crush on colleague Owen Harper
is hinted at across the first series, and explored more thoroughly in the second series. Mori departed the cast in the series two finale Exit Wounds
(2008) having been the victim of a revenge plot orchestrated by Jack's brother, Gray.
episode "Aliens of London
", credited as 'Doctor Sato', when she is called in to examine a supposed alien corpse at Albion Hospital. Although it is not mentioned in the episode that she is working for Torchwood Three, it is later revealed in Torchwood episode "Exit Wounds
" that Sato was deceptively standing in as a medic to cover up for a hungover
and unreachable Owen Harper
(Burn Gorman
). Toshiko is reintroduced in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "Everything Changes
". In "Greeks Bearing Gifts
", Toshiko enters into a sexual relationship with a woman named Mary (Daniela Denby-Ashe
), from whom Toshiko receives a telepathy
-granting necklace. Her experiences with telepathy greatly distress Toshiko. She expresses despair and hopelessness, noting that across space, all cultures are essentially similar, leading to utter disappointment with existence. In the penultimate episode of the series, "Captain Jack Harkness", she and Captain Jack
(John Barrowman
) are sent to the year 1941 by the villainous Bilis Manger (Murray Melvin
), where being Japanese
, Tosh is the victim of bigotry. With their resident genius stranded, Ianto
(Gareth David-Lloyd
) and Owen are unable to open the Cardiff spacetime Rift
and save her until Toshiko leaves them the necessary equations, which she is forced to write in her own blood. In the first series finale
, a vision of Toshiko's mother is used to convince her to mutiny against Jack.
In the second series (2008) episode "To the Last Man
", Tosh has a relationship with a soldier from 1918 (Anthony Lewis
), who had to be frozen and re-awoken every year until the time was right for him to return to 1918 and heal the Rift. In episode "Reset
" Owen agrees to go on a date with her, but dies at the end of the episode after being shot in the heart. When Owen is briefly revived by team leader Jack Harkness using a resurrection glove, Tosh says her goodbye to him by confessing that she has always loved him. Owen flatlines, only to revive again permanently, existing in a state resembling undeath. In the episode "Fragments
", the audience comes to understand how Toshiko came to work for Torchwood; Captain Jack rescued her from a UNIT
detention centre
where she was held after she being forced to build a sonic modulator
for an unnamed terrorist organisation. In the show's second season finale, "Exit Wounds
", Toshiko is shot and killed by Gray (Lachlan Nieboer), Jack Harkness's unstable younger brother. She dies within minutes of Owen, having been unable to save him from his own death when he becomes trapped in a nuclear power
facility bunker flooding with radioactive material. In the moments before their deaths, Owen apologises to Toshiko for never having managed to bring their relationship to full fruition. By initiating the final log-off procedure for her account on the Torchwood computer system, Ianto activates a pre recorded message from Toshiko, in which she thanks Jack for saving her. She tells him that she is grateful for the opportunity to work in Torchwood and see all the wonders she'd seen, and that she loves them all. After being killed off, the character is mentioned in the two episodes of Doctor Who which follow "Exit Wounds". In these episodes, Gwen
(Eve Myles
) and Ianto vow to keep fighting in Tosh and Owen's memory, and later discover a "time lock" designed by Tosh which protects the Hub from Dalek
invasion.
. The first wave, Another Life
by Peter Anghelides
, Border Princes
by Dan Abnett
, and Slow Decay
by Andy Lane
, were published in January 2007 and form a loose story arc.
Published in March 2008, and tying in with the concurrently airing second series of Torchwood, Toshiko appears in the novels Trace Memory
by David Llewellyn
, The Twilight Streets
by Gary Russell
, and Something in the Water
by Trevor Baxendale
.
Toshiko also appears in the first two Torchwood audio books, Everyone Says Hello
by Dan Abnett
, narrated by Burn Gorman
(who plays Owen), and Hidden
by Steven Savile
, narrated by Naoko Mori.
The novel Trace Memory depicts a five year old Toshiko living in Japan with her parents and elderly grandmother. This depiction is consistent with the character's history seeded across the series, although as with all Doctor Who and Torchwood spin-off media, the canonicity
in relation to the television series is open to interpretation.
" that Sato's parents were both in the Royal Air Force
, and her grandfather worked at Bletchley Park
, the World War II
code-breaking facility. One of her grandfathers was persecuted while living in London during the war. Sato joined a government scientific think-tank after graduating from university, and is recruited by the Torchwood Institute
to work with Jack Harkness
three years before the series begins. The episode "Fragments
" depicts more fully the story of how Toshiko joined Torchwood; she is forced to steal the design plans for a "sonic modulator
" from the Ministry of Defence
, trading the finished design and prototype to an unnamed terrorist organisation
in exchange for the freedom of her kidnapped mother. Captured by UNIT
and imprisoned with an indefinite sentence and suspended human rights, she is later given a chance to escape captivity by Jack, in exchange for working for him as part of Torchwood Three for a minimum period of five years.
Toshiko has a close relationship with colleague Owen Harper
throughout the series. Mori suggested in an early interview that Sato has a crush on Harper, also indicating that Toshiko has good working relationships with the rest of the team and in particular with Jack Harkness, although she is not afraid of expressing her opinions to him.
The Sun
newspaper had claimed all the members of Torchwood were bisexual. Toshiko's own bisexuality is evidenced in episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts", when she begins a brief relationship with a female.
Torchwoods second series explores other sides to Tosh's personality, romances, her crush on Owen, and sheds some light on her original Doctor Who appearance.
On account of the decision to kill off her character, Naoko Mori has commented that it "made sense because Tosh has been through so much. She's come a full circle and had her journey." As regards her input on the death itself, she stated: "One of the things that I wanted to ensure was that it made sense, and that the connection between Owen and Tosh had the right balance. All through the series I didn't want it to come across as her being this stalker girl with a crush on Owen. I wanted it to be deeper than that, because as a colleague and as a human being she cared for him. I wanted their last conversation to be delicately and well put." Mori has not ruled out the possibility of returning to the show at a later date.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor 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...
and its spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
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...
, played by Naoko Mori
Naoko Mori
is a British-Japanese actress known for roles as Sarah, Saffron's "odd" friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty, and Toshiko Sato in Doctor Who and Torchwood.-Early life:...
. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London
Aliens of London
"Aliens of London" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television show Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 16 April 2005. The Doctor takes Rose back to 21st century London, just in time to witness a spaceship crashing into the River Thames, triggering a...
" (2005), Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "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...
". The character appears in every episode of the show's first two series as well as Expanded Universe
Expanded Universe
The term Expanded Universe is generally used to denote the 'extension' of a media franchise with other media...
material such as the Torchwood novels and audiobooks, comic books and radio plays.
Within the series narrative Sato is the Cardiff branch of Torchwood's "technical expert", described as "quiet but highly intelligent", and a "computer genius". Aside from Harkness, she is the regular character with the longest history with the Torchwood Institute, having been recruited three years prior to the series. Her characterisation explores the differences between her nature and that of her colleagues and her difficulty in romantic relationships. A general backstory relating to her pre-Torchwood life and long-standing crush on colleague 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 hinted at across the first series, and explored more thoroughly in the second series. Mori departed the cast in the series two finale Exit Wounds
Exit Wounds (Torchwood)
"Exit Wounds" is the thirteenth and final episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast on BBC Two on 4 April 2008.-Synopsis:...
(2008) having been the victim of a revenge plot orchestrated by Jack's brother, Gray.
Television
Sato first appears in the Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor 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...
episode "Aliens of London
Aliens of London
"Aliens of London" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television show Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 16 April 2005. The Doctor takes Rose back to 21st century London, just in time to witness a spaceship crashing into the River Thames, triggering a...
", credited as 'Doctor Sato', when she is called in to examine a supposed alien corpse at Albion Hospital. Although it is not mentioned in the episode that she is working for Torchwood Three, it is later revealed in Torchwood episode "Exit Wounds
Exit Wounds (Torchwood)
"Exit Wounds" is the thirteenth and final episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast on BBC Two on 4 April 2008.-Synopsis:...
" that Sato was deceptively standing in as a medic to cover up for a hungover
Hangover
A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the...
and unreachable 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"....
(Burn Gorman
Burn Gorman
Burn Hugh Gorman is an American-born English actor and musician. Burn is best known for his roles as Owen Harper in Torchwood and as William Guppy in Bleak House.-Personal life:...
). Toshiko is reintroduced in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "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...
". In "Greeks Bearing Gifts
Greeks Bearing Gifts (Torchwood)
"Greeks Bearing Gifts" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the seventh episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 26 November 2006.-Synopsis:...
", Toshiko enters into a sexual relationship with a woman named Mary (Daniela Denby-Ashe
Daniela Denby-Ashe
Daniela Denby-Ashe is an English actress, best known for playing the character Janey Harper in the sitcom My Family.-Early life:...
), from whom Toshiko receives a telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
-granting necklace. Her experiences with telepathy greatly distress Toshiko. She expresses despair and hopelessness, noting that across space, all cultures are essentially similar, leading to utter disappointment with existence. In the penultimate episode of the series, "Captain Jack Harkness", she and Captain 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...
(John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
) are sent to the year 1941 by the villainous Bilis Manger (Murray Melvin
Murray Melvin
Murray Melvin is an English stage and film actor.The son of Hugh Victor Melvin and Maisie Winifred Driscoll, he is best known for having created the role of Geoffrey in the Shelagh Delaney play, A Taste of Honey, a role which he recreated opposite Rita Tushingham in the 1961 film of the same name...
), where being Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, Tosh is the victim of bigotry. With their resident genius stranded, 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...
(Gareth David-Lloyd
Gareth David-Lloyd
Gareth David-Lloyd is a Welsh actor best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction television programme Torchwood.- Early life :...
) and Owen are unable to open the Cardiff spacetime Rift
Cardiff Rift
The Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, one end of which is located in Cardiff Bay, Wales. The other end is apparently floating freely through spacetime, and matter and radiation can pass through the Rift, allowing extraterrestrial...
and save her until Toshiko leaves them the necessary equations, which she is forced to write in her own blood. In the first series finale
End of Days (Torchwood)
"End of Days" is the thirteenth episode and the first series finale of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It originally aired on BBC Three on 1 January 2007, alongside the previous episode, "Captain Jack Harkness". The episode was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by...
, a vision of Toshiko's mother is used to convince her to mutiny against Jack.
In the second series (2008) episode "To the Last Man
To the Last Man (Torchwood)
"To the Last Man" is the third episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast by BBC Two on 30 January 2008.-Synopsis:...
", Tosh has a relationship with a soldier from 1918 (Anthony Lewis
Anthony Lewis (actor)
Anthony Lewis is an English actor.Lewis began acting at just nine years old with early roles in many popular television shows, including Heartbeat, A Touch Of Frost and Cracker as well as a role alongside Brenda Blethyn and Julie Walters in the feature film Girls' Night written by Kay Mellor...
), who had to be frozen and re-awoken every year until the time was right for him to return to 1918 and heal the Rift. In episode "Reset
Reset (Torchwood)
"Reset" is the sixth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was first broadcast by BBC Three on 13 February 2008, immediately after the broadcast of "Adam" on BBC Two...
" Owen agrees to go on a date with her, but dies at the end of the episode after being shot in the heart. When Owen is briefly revived by team leader Jack Harkness using a resurrection glove, Tosh says her goodbye to him by confessing that she has always loved him. Owen flatlines, only to revive again permanently, existing in a state resembling undeath. In the episode "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:...
", the audience comes to understand how Toshiko came to work for Torchwood; Captain Jack rescued her from a UNIT
UNIT
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
detention centre
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
where she was held after she being forced to build a sonic modulator
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
for an unnamed terrorist organisation. In the show's second season finale, "Exit Wounds
Exit Wounds (Torchwood)
"Exit Wounds" is the thirteenth and final episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast on BBC Two on 4 April 2008.-Synopsis:...
", Toshiko is shot and killed by Gray (Lachlan Nieboer), Jack Harkness's unstable younger brother. She dies within minutes of Owen, having been unable to save him from his own death when he becomes trapped in a nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
facility bunker flooding with radioactive material. In the moments before their deaths, Owen apologises to Toshiko for never having managed to bring their relationship to full fruition. By initiating the final log-off procedure for her account on the Torchwood computer system, Ianto activates a pre recorded message from Toshiko, in which she thanks Jack for saving her. She tells him that she is grateful for the opportunity to work in Torchwood and see all the wonders she'd seen, and that she loves them all. After being killed off, the character is mentioned in the two episodes of Doctor Who which follow "Exit Wounds". In these episodes, 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...
(Eve Myles
Eve Myles
Eve Myles is an award winning Welsh actress of stage and screen. She is best known to Welsh audiences for her portrayal of Ceri Owen in the BBC Wales drama Belonging, and to audiences worldwide for her role as Gwen Cooper in the science fiction show Torchwood, a spin-off from Doctor Who.-Personal...
) and Ianto vow to keep fighting in Tosh and Owen's memory, and later discover a "time lock" designed by Tosh which protects the Hub from Dalek
Dalek
The 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...
invasion.
Literature
Toshiko appears in the first six of the Torchwood novels, published by BBC BooksBBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
. The first wave, Another Life
Another Life (Torchwood)
Another Life is a BBC Books original novel written by Peter Anghelides and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show.-Plot summary:...
by Peter Anghelides
Peter Anghelides
Peter Anghelides is an English author and dramatist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC television series Doctor Who.-Work:...
, Border Princes
Border Princes
Border Princes is a BBC Books original novel written by Dan Abnett and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show.-Plot summary:October, 8:00 pm...
by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
, and Slow Decay
Slow Decay
Slow Decay is a BBC Books original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood...
by Andy Lane
Andy Lane
Andrew Lane , who also writes as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist. He has written a number of spin-off novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Finish based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who , as well as assorted non fiction books based...
, were published in January 2007 and form a loose story arc.
Published in March 2008, and tying in with the concurrently airing second series of Torchwood, Toshiko appears in the novels Trace Memory
Trace Memory (Torchwood)
Trace Memory is a BBC Books original novel written by David Llewellyn and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show...
by David Llewellyn
David Llewellyn (author)
David Llewellyn , is a Welsh novelist. He grew up in Pontypool and graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2000. His first novel, Eleven, was published by Seren Press in 2006. His second novel, Trace Memory, a spin-off of the BBC drama series Torchwood was published in March 2008. Everything...
, The Twilight Streets
The Twilight Streets
The Twilight Streets is a BBC Books original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show. It was published on 6 March 2008....
by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
, and Something in the Water
Something in the Water
Something in the Water is a BBC Books original novel written by Trevor Baxendale and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show. It was published on 6 March 2008...
by Trevor Baxendale
Trevor Baxendale
Trevor Baxendale is a novelist who has penned several Doctor Who tie-in novels and audio dramas.*The Janus Conjunction *Out of the Darkness *Coldheart *Eater of Wasps *Fear of the Dark...
.
Toshiko also appears in the first two Torchwood audio books, Everyone Says Hello
Everyone Says Hello
Everyone Says Hello is a BBC Audiobooks original audiobook written by Dan Abnett and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood...
by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
, narrated by Burn Gorman
Burn Gorman
Burn Hugh Gorman is an American-born English actor and musician. Burn is best known for his roles as Owen Harper in Torchwood and as William Guppy in Bleak House.-Personal life:...
(who plays Owen), and Hidden
Hidden (Torchwood)
Hidden is a BBC Audio original audiobook written by Steven Savile and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It was released on 4 February 2008. The story is set during the first series of the show...
by Steven Savile
Steven Savile
Steven Savile is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Stockholm, Sweden...
, narrated by Naoko Mori.
The novel Trace Memory depicts a five year old Toshiko living in Japan with her parents and elderly grandmother. This depiction is consistent with the character's history seeded across the series, although as with all Doctor Who and Torchwood spin-off media, the canonicity
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
in relation to the television series is open to interpretation.
Character development
It is revealed in episode "Greeks Bearing GiftsGreeks Bearing Gifts (Torchwood)
"Greeks Bearing Gifts" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the seventh episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 26 November 2006.-Synopsis:...
" that Sato's parents were both in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and her grandfather worked at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
, the 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...
code-breaking facility. One of her grandfathers was persecuted while living in London during the war. Sato joined a government scientific think-tank after graduating from university, and is recruited by the Torchwood Institute
Torchwood Institute
The Torchwood Institute is a fictional secret organization from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the events of "Tooth and Claw". Its prime directive, is to defend the earth against...
to work with Jack Harkness
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...
three years before the series begins. The episode "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:...
" depicts more fully the story of how Toshiko joined Torchwood; she is forced to steal the design plans for a "sonic modulator
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
" from the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, trading the finished design and prototype to an unnamed terrorist organisation
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in exchange for the freedom of her kidnapped mother. Captured by UNIT
UNIT
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
and imprisoned with an indefinite sentence and suspended human rights, she is later given a chance to escape captivity by Jack, in exchange for working for him as part of Torchwood Three for a minimum period of five years.
Toshiko has a close relationship with colleague 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"....
throughout the series. Mori suggested in an early interview that Sato has a crush on Harper, also indicating that Toshiko has good working relationships with the rest of the team and in particular with Jack Harkness, although she is not afraid of expressing her opinions to him.
The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper had claimed all the members of Torchwood were bisexual. Toshiko's own bisexuality is evidenced in episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts", when she begins a brief relationship with a female.
Torchwoods second series explores other sides to Tosh's personality, romances, her crush on Owen, and sheds some light on her original Doctor Who appearance.
On account of the decision to kill off her character, Naoko Mori has commented that it "made sense because Tosh has been through so much. She's come a full circle and had her journey." As regards her input on the death itself, she stated: "One of the things that I wanted to ensure was that it made sense, and that the connection between Owen and Tosh had the right balance. All through the series I didn't want it to come across as her being this stalker girl with a crush on Owen. I wanted it to be deeper than that, because as a colleague and as a human being she cared for him. I wanted their last conversation to be delicately and well put." Mori has not ruled out the possibility of returning to the show at a later date.