Dead Man Walking (Torchwood)
Death uses Owen Harper as a bridgehead to Earth.
"Dead Man Walking" is the seventh episode of Torchwood's second series, first airing on BBC Three and BBC HD on 20 February 2008, and later on BBC Two on 27 February. In it, Death uses the recently resurrected Owen Harper as a bridge to reach Earth, needing to claim thirteen lives to stay permanently.
Jack revives Owen with a resurrection glove—similar to those used by Suzie and Gwen—found in an abandoned church guarded by Weevils, unwilling to give up on him. Unlike Suzie, Owen returns permanently with no obvious energy source; Jack isn't drained, but Owen draws power from somewhere. He experiences visions of himself in darkness, hears whispers, and temporarily loses control as his eyes turn black and he speaks an unknown language. At a bar, Owen discovers his bodily processes have stopped, though his brain still shows electrical activity. Jack finds him, a brawl leads to their arrest, and outside, Weevils chase them onto a rooftop, where they bow to Owen as he addresses them in the strange tongue.
Analysis reveals Owen's cells are changing; at 100% transformation, something will happen. Research uncovers a legend where Death returned with a revived person, seeking thirteen victims whose consumed souls would let Death stay, stopped only by "Faith." Owen suggests embalming to close his neural pathways, but during the process Death, possessing Owen, attacks Martha by touching her, rapidly aging her. Owen shoots the gauntlet, and Death, controlling him, declares, "I will walk the earth forever, and my hunger shall know no bounds."
Death arrives at a hospital with Torchwood to take twelve souls. Ianto, monitoring Martha, explains the "Faith" that defeated Death was actually a resurrected child named Faith. As Torchwood evacuates, Owen realizes he alone can defeat Death because he's already dead. He fights Death, consuming its energy and forcing it back into darkness, restoring Martha's age. Back at the Hub, Martha notes the energy keeping Owen undead is dissipating, and she's unsure how long it will last.
The episode references the resurrection gauntlet from "Everything Changes" and "They Keep Killing Suzie," with Ianto repeating his line about gloves coming in pairs.
Quick Facts
- Number
- 20
- Serial Name
- Dead Man Walking
- Show
- TW
- Cast
- John Barrowman – Captain Jack Harkness / Eve Myles – Gwen Cooper / Burn Gorman – Owen Harper / Naoko Mori – Toshiko Sato / Gareth David-Lloyd – Ianto Jones / Freema Agyeman – Martha Jones
- Director
- Andy Goddard
- Writer
- Matt Jones
- Script Editor
- Gary Russell
- Producer
- Richard Stokes / Chris Chibnall (co-producer)
- Executive Producer
- Russell T Davies / Julie Gardner
- Composer
- Ben Foster
- Production Code
- 2.7
- Series
- Series 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Jack revives Owen using a resurrection glove similar to those used by Suzie and Gwen, found in an abandoned church guarded by Weevils. Unlike previous resurrections, Owen is brought back permanently with no obvious energy source, though he experiences visions of darkness and whispers. He temporarily loses control of his body, his eyes turn black, and he speaks an unknown language. After a brawl with Jack and an encounter with Weevils that bow to him, analysis reveals Owen's cells are changing; at 100% transformation, something will happen. Research indicates a legend where Death returned with a revived person and sought 13 victims to consume their souls and remain on Earth, with "Faith" preventing it. Owen suggests embalming to close his neural pathways, but during the process Death, possessing Owen, attacks Martha by touching her, rapidly aging her.
Reader's Guide
The episode explores themes of resurrection and sacrifice, continuing the series' use of the resurrection gauntlet first seen in "Everything Changes" and "They Keep Killing Suzie." It introduces the entity Death, which seeks to use Owen as a permanent bridgehead. The resolution involves Owen fighting Death, consuming its energy and forcing it back into darkness, while restoring Martha to her original age. The episode's reception was mixed: IGN criticized it for style over substance and shoddy style, while Digital Spy praised it as full of thrills and witty writing, highlighting Burn Gorman's performance. The episode also includes continuity references, such as Ianto's line about gloves coming in pairs and the reappearance of a mysterious little girl seen in "Fragments."
Did You Know?
- The episode's title was also used for a Torchwood Declassified episode accompanying the Series 1 episode 'Random Shoes'.
- Ianto reprises his line 'That's the thing about gloves - they come in pairs...' from 'They Keep Killing Suzie'.
- Owen tells police to call his work phone and ask for 'PC Cooper', confirming Gwen's statement that her position with Torchwood is a secondment.
- The mysterious little girl seen in this episode appears more than a century earlier in 'Fragments', where she says 'I've been waiting to see the Captain again.'
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main premise of Torchwood's 'Dead Man Walking'?
The episode follows Death, a cosmic entity, as it attempts to establish a permanent foothold on Earth by using the recently resurrected Owen Harper as a conduit. To make its presence permanent, Death must claim thirteen human souls within a single day, and the Torchwood team races to stop it.
How does Jack resurrect Owen in 'Dead Man Walking'?
Jack finds a resurrection glove hidden in an abandoned church guarded by Weevils and uses it to bring Owen back to life. It is the same type of device that previously restored Suzie and Gwen, but Owen's revival behaves differently from those earlier cases.
Why is Owen's resurrection in 'Dead Man Walking' different from Suzie's or Gwen's?
After Owen is revived, Jack shows no signs of energy drain and Owen appears to sustain himself without any external power source. This anomaly is precisely what makes him a viable bridgehead for Death to anchor itself to Earth.
What role does Death play in 'Dead Man Walking'?
Death serves as the episode's antagonist, a vast entity that manipulates events and kills victims to fulfill its requirement of thirteen claims. It treats Owen less as a person and more as a doorway it can walk through to make Earth its permanent domain.
What happens to Owen at the end of 'Dead Man Walking'?
Owen is ultimately killed, and his death this time is final with no resurrection to follow. The team must grieve him permanently, marking the end of his arc as a Torchwood member.
More in Torchwood episodes 1-24
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