As I watched the timeline on Twitter last night while watching the season finale of ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’, I saw a lot of positive comments. The word “epic” came up more than a few times.
The inordinately slow pace of the series leading up to the finale was culminated last night in a nearly overflowing barrage of action, mystery, and excitement. Gwen tells a story of her Father from her childhood, building upon his kindness to the audience. She ends her quaint, loving tale with the words, “and now I’m going to kill him.”
Gwen, of course, is referring to the mission at hand, the end of Miracle Day. On both sides of the world, they prepare to head out, and Rex brings the CIA in the loop of their side of it. Meanwhile, the families of Shanghai and Buenos Aires coordinate their times of detonation to “protect the Miracle.”
Gwen tracks down The Blessing through the kitchens of a restaurant with the help of an adorable little old Chinese woman who warns her of Ghosts beyond the door and Gwen begins to understand what the kind old lady tried to tell her. The closer you get to The Miracle, the more the “bad feelings” begin to permeate your very soul – a sort of “perimeter protection” to keep people away.
I must say, as a discernable fan of John De Lancie, I thought his performance throughout this season was unmatched. We loved him from ‘Star Trek’, and if we we’re a bit biased concerning his performance, then so be it. John was a tremendous part of why I’ve enjoyed these last couple episodes. I, for one, will be following John De Lancie’s career with great interest.
Rhys, with Andy’s assistance goes to the camp where Gwen’s Father awaits his inevitable fate in the ovens; Rhys further endears himself to the audience by waiting with him. Andy sits beside a young girl, whom no one had come to claim, and holds her hand to comfort her.
As Rex and Esther prepare to infiltrate The Blessing’s location in Buenos Aires, a soldier detonates a bomb, incinerating the stockpile of Jack’s blood – the only real weapon against the evil they face.
Shapiro, meanwhile is working feverishly to assist Rex and Esther who, at this point, are believed to have been killed in the explosion. Charlotte, seeing that her cover is about to be exposed, places a bomb in the office and exits the room as Shapiro orders the reverse phone trace and it traces back to her. Shapiro looks up at the very moment before the purse containing the bomb detonates.
Jack and Oswald Danes join Gwen in the Chinese restaurant where the door leading to the alley awaits. Jack has a little issue maneuvering around the “free range chickens” flitting about the hallway. As the team, on opposite sides of the Earth, access the area of The Blessing – Jack straps a bomb to Oswald.
In Buenos Aires, Rex and Esther are captured and conveniently brought to the epicenter of The Blessing. Jack’s blood is, being mortal, the catalyst needed to end ‘Miracle Day’ and return the mortality of the world.
Since the blood was destroyed in Buenos Aires, they have only Jack’s to rely on. The woman known only as “Mother” informs them that in order for their plan to work, they must introduce the blood into The Blessing from both points on both sides of the Earth simultaneously. With the blood destroyed on one end of the Earth, the situation looks grim indeed. In Buenos Aires, the man explains the blessing transmits a morphic field around the planet, binding them together. It turns out they fed it immortal blood. The blessing absorbed the blood and copied it, changing its “settings.” Jack believes that the Families “hurt” the anomaly we know as The Blessing, and in turn, used the blood and turned it into a gift, bestowing immortality to the earth.
The Families are preparing for a “New World” where only the strong and wealthy survive. They shall decide who lives, where, and for how long. Jilly believes the Families want to make the world more disciplined and agrees with their mad plan.
Rex shocks everyone by introducing his own blood into gaping maw of The Blessing, as he and Esther explain – they had transfused Jack’s blood with his before the mission began. The blood that was destroyed in the explosion was indeed Rex’s, not Jack’s. The only drawback is that this act will surely kill them both.
Gwen draws her sidearm on Jack, telling him that “suicide is not the way Captain Jack Harkness” would leave the world. When it appears that the deed will be done, the man shoots Esther in the chest. He says that they have limitless resources. As Esther was shot on the right side of her chest, she could live – but only if they walked away now. However, if the Miracle ends, she would surely die.
A moment’s hesitation seems likes hours, and Gwen shouts to Rex over the speakerphone to continue with the mission, the deed is done, and the Earth trembles and shakes as everyone near the event attempt to escape the area.
Flashing back to a grieving Rhys, Gwen’s Father takes a deep breath, looks at Rhys very briefly, and is gone. The Miracle is past. Death has returned.
The moment thousand upon thousands of fans have been waiting for comes when Jilly and Gwen attempt to access the elevator, in a hard gasp… Jack resuscitates! Gwen slams the button on the construction elevator to go back down and Jilly attacks her. After going back and forth, Gwen finally gets tired of her and relieves her of her consciousness. Rex, in one last desperate act, throws the man who shot Esther over the railing. Rex exclaims that death is back before he collapsing again.
The Buenos Aires, the military extract Rex and Esther and administer first aid. But in a shocking twist, Esther fades away. Gwen and Jack escape as Oswald detains “The Mother”, much against her will, and intends on taking both their lives while destroying access to The Miracle at the same time.
At Esther’s funeral, Rhys joins Gwen, Jack, Rex, Esther’s Sister and, strangely enough, Charlotte. As the funeral concludes and Jack, Gwen and Rex are walking away, Rex receives a text message. They have retrieved the trace information from the explosion at the CIA, Charlotte is discovered and Rex shouts her name. She quickens her pace, turns, and fires at Rex – hitting him in the chest, killing him. Gwen, distraught, is angry that he survived so much to die now. With a hard gasp, Rex sits up! Gwen’s face is a picture of shock and disbelief. Rex and Jack look at them and say “What!?” Close on Gwen still with that wide eyed look of astonishment on her face.
This concludes Starz Channels critically acclaimed first season of ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’. Be sure to check back with us throughout the off season for news, reviews, interviews, and more on your favorite Starz show. If you missed last weeks Recap, look no further: ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day, The Gathering’ – Recap
