Rendition (Torchwood)
CIA agent Rex Matheson takes Torchwood to the US.
"Rendition" is the second installment of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth season of the British sci-fi series Torchwood. It first aired on Starz in the United States on 8 July 2011, followed by broadcasts on Canada's Space on 16 July 2011, and on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2011. The story picks up after a day when humans stopped being able to die. CIA agent Rex Matheson escorts Torchwood members Jack Harkness—the only mortal left—and Gwen Cooper onto a flight to the United States. During the journey, a CIA traitor slips arsenic into Jack's system, and with help from Dr. Vera Juarez, Rex and Gwen improvise an antidote using only supplies available on the plane.
**Plot**
Rex forces Jack and Gwen onto a plane bound for Washington, D.C., with CIA agent Lyn Peterfield as their escort. Gwen’s husband Rhys and their daughter Anwen remain behind in the UK. Back in D.C., because the Miracle means no one can die, Dr. Vera Juarez instructs her hospital staff to treat the least injured first, freeing up beds for a constant influx of new patients.
After his release, Oswald appears on a local talk show but stays tight-lipped, wary of a campaign to send him back to prison and of anything he says being used against him. When the reporter shows him a photo of the girl he murdered, Oswald breaks down, crying and apologizing to her, admitting he was too scared to apologize to her mother. This wins him some sympathy. As he leaves the studio, PR agent Jilly Kitzinger offers to represent him; he declines. A staffer then tells Oswald that Oprah Winfrey wants to interview him.
Meanwhile, Vera attends a medical conference where doctors try to understand the Miracle. When a doctor tweets that his hospital needs more antibiotics, Vera realizes that because nobody dies, people who should have died become living incubators for bacteria, allowing them to grow resistant. Worse, the Miracle isn't true immortality—people still age. Fearing dwindling supplies as the undying population grows, Vera argues hospitals need more painkillers. Later, she meets Jilly, who works for pharmaceutical company PhiCorp, and Jilly convinces Vera they could collaborate.
Director Brian Friedkin, suspecting Esther and Rex know too much about Torchwood, deletes their security clearances, frames them as Chinese spies, and orders Lyn to kill Jack with an arsenic pill.
Quick Facts
- Number
- 33
- Serial Name
- Rendition
- Show
- TW
- Cast
- John Barrowman – Captain Jack Harkness / Eve Myles – Gwen Cooper / Mekhi Phifer – Rex Matheson / Alexa Havins – Esther Drummond / Kai Owen – Rhys Williams / Bill Pullman – Oswald Danes
- Director
- Billy Gierhart
- Writer
- Doris Egan
- Producer
- Kelly A. Manners
- Executive Producer
- Russell T Davies · Julie Gardner · Jane Tranter · Doris Egan (co-executive) · Vlad Wolynetz (co-executive)
- Composer
- Murray Gold
- Production Code
- 102
- Series
- Miracle Day
- Length
- 54 mins
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) has Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) board a plane headed to Washington, D.C., with fellow CIA agent Lyn Peterfield (Dichen Lachman) escorting them. Gwen's husband Rhys and their daughter Anwen are forced to stay in the UK. Meanwhile, because no one can die due to the Miracle, Dr. Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur) has her hospital staff focus on treating the least wounded first to free beds. Oswald, after his release, is interviewed on a talk show and breaks down apologizing to a girl he murdered, earning sympathy from some viewers. PR agent Jilly Kitzinger offers to be his agent but he declines; a TV staffer then tells Oswald that Oprah Winfrey wants to interview him.
Vera attends a medical conference where doctors try to understand the Miracle. She realizes that because nobody dies, people become living incubators for bacteria, making them resistant to antibiotics, and that people still age. She suggests hospitals need more painkillers. Vera later meets Jilly, who works for PhiCorp, and they agree to work together. Director Brian Friedkin suspects Esther and Rex know too much about Torchwood, deletes their security clearances, frames them as spies, and orders Lyn to kill Jack with an arsenic pill. Esther escapes and warns Rex. On the plane, Jack realizes he is poisoned; Gwen and Rex apprehend Lyn. With help from Vera and the air stewards, they create an antidote and administer it to Jack.
At the airport, a group of CIA agents under Friedkin's orders attempt to arrest the three and free Lyn. Esther warns Rex, and he, Jack, and Gwen subdue the agents and escape. During the fight, Rex twists Lyn's head and breaks her neck. Outside, they are greeted by Vera with painkillers and Esther as their getaway driver. Lyn, still alive with her head twisted 180 degrees, appears but cannot stop them, and they drive off.
Reader's Guide
"Rendition" continues Torchwood: Miracle Day's exploration of a world where death has ceased, examining logistical and ethical consequences such as the strain on medical systems and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The episode introduces key plot elements: the poisoning of Jack Harkness, the only mortal human, and the framing of Rex and Esther by CIA Director Friedkin. It also develops the character of Jilly Kitzinger, a PR agent working for PhiCorp, who begins to manipulate Oswald and Vera. The episode's broadcast drew 1.4 million viewers on Starz, a 30% drop from the premiere. Reception from WhatCulture gave it 4 stars, praising its examination of medical logistics and character moments, though noting it was not action-packed. The episode advances the series' central mystery of the Miracle while setting up the team's fugitive status.
Did You Know?
- This episode was broadcast on Starz in the US on 15 July 2011, and on BBC One in the UK on 21 July 2011.
- Entertainment Weekly reported that the episode was watched by 1.4 million viewers on Starz, down about 30% from the previous week's debut.
- During the airport fight, Rex twists Lyn's head and breaks her neck, but she remains alive with her head twisted 180 degrees.
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