Exit Wounds (Torchwood)
Final episode of Torchwood's second series.
The second series of *Torchwood* concludes with its thirteenth episode, "Exit Wounds," which aired on BBC Two on 4 April 2008. This installment marks the final appearances of Burn Gorman as Owen Harper and Naoko Mori as Toshiko Sato, as both characters are killed off. It also represents the last episode of the series in its original format. In the story, Gray (Lachlan Nieboer), the brother of Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), punishes Jack for abandoning him long ago by burying him alive in the past. Meanwhile, Gray orchestrates the detonation of bombs across Cardiff, forcing the remaining Torchwood team members to focus on saving the city. The plot involves the team investigating three Rift activity sites, Captain John Hart shooting Jack and taking him to Cardiff Castle, and John detonating bombs before transporting Jack to Cardiff in 27 AD. There, John reveals he was coerced by Gray, who forces him to dig Jack’s grave. In the present, Gwen, Rhys, and Andy help police maintain order while Torchwood repairs damage. John returns to help after his wristband unbonds, and the team learns of an impending meltdown at Turnmill Nuclear Power Plant. Gray releases Weevils, which Owen—worshipped by them since his return from death—can bypass. Toshiko assists Owen via radio, but Gray shoots her and locks Gwen, Ianto, and John in holding cells. Jack, who survived by being cryogenically stored in 1901 after John’s ring was found, apologizes to Gray but sedates him. Toshiko, wounded, guides Owen to vent irradiated coolant, but a power surge traps Owen, and both die. Jack places Gray in cryogenic storage, refusing to kill him. Continuity notes include the appearance of a Hoix creature from *Doctor Who*’s “Love & Monsters,” Owen’s “King of the Weevils” status, and a reference to the “space pig” incident from *Doctor Who*’s “Aliens of London.” Paul Marc Davis, who plays the Cowled Leader, previously appeared as the Futurekind Chieftain in “Utopia” and the Trickster in *The Sarah Jane Adventures*.
Quick Facts
- Number
- 26
- Serial Name
- Exit Wounds
- 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
- Director
- Ashley Way
- Writer
- Chris Chibnall
- Script Editor
- Brian Minchin
- Producer
- Richard Stokes / Chris Chibnall (co-producer)
- Executive Producer
- Russell T Davies / Julie Gardner
- Composer
- Murray Gold / Ben Foster
- Production Code
- 2.13
- Series
- Series 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Gray, the brother of Jack Harkness, punishes Jack for abandoning him long ago by having Jack buried underground in the past. Meanwhile, Gray has also ordered the detonation of bombs throughout Cardiff, leaving the remaining members of Jack's team of Torchwood preoccupied with saving Cardiff. The plot involves Torchwood splitting up to investigate three instances of Rift activity, and Captain John Hart shooting Jack and taking him to Cardiff Castle. John then transports Jack to Cardiff in 27 AD, where John explains he was forced by Gray, who has forced him to wear a bomb and surveillance equipment on a wristband molecularly bonded to his skin. Gray arrives and forces John to dig a grave for Jack to be buried alive in, in response to leaving Gray behind. John drops a ring into the grave.
Reader's Guide
Exit Wounds serves as the conclusion of Torchwood's second series and the original format of the show. It is significant for killing off two main characters, Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato, marking the final appearances of actors Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori. The episode also features the return of Gray, Jack Harkness's brother, and resolves his storyline of revenge. The episode includes continuity references to the parent series Doctor Who, such as a Hoix creature first named onscreen, and a reference to the 'space pig' incident from the Doctor Who story 'Aliens of London'. Paul Marc Davis, who plays the Cowled Leader, previously appeared in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, making him the second actor to appear in all three series. The episode ends with Jack placing Gray's body in cryogenic storage, refusing to kill him, stating there has already been too much death.
Did You Know?
- A Hoix creature from the Doctor Who episode 'Love & Monsters' appears and is named onscreen for the first time.
- Owen refers to his status as 'King of the Weevils', first mentioned in 'Dead Man Walking' and foreshadowed in 'Combat'.
- The episode is the final Torchwood episode in its original format.
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