Reset (Torchwood)

Lore & Background

In the episode, Torchwood investigates a series of deaths of drug trial subjects from the secure medical facility called the Pharm. Martha Jones, a UNIT medical specialist, assists the team after the deaths are identified as murders. The victims had previously been cured of incurable diseases such as diabetes and HIV, but died when fly-like creatures erupted from their mouths. Jack detects a strong alien presence within the Pharm, and Martha infiltrates the facility disguised as a human test subject. Inside, she discovers that the Pharm uses a substance called Reset, which releases alien parasites called Mayflies into the host's body. The parasites cure diseases and restore the body to "factory settings," but eventually the eggs hatch and destroy the host. The director, Professor Aaron Copley, injects Martha with multiple doses of Reset to study the effect on her time-altered immune system. Martha compromises the Pharm's computer systems, and Torchwood captures the assassin Billy, who is infected with Mayflies. Owen kills Billy using the singularity scalpel. The team enters the Pharm using Billy's vehicle and his corpse to fool security. Inside, they find numerous aliens being used to produce test substances, including the mature Mayfly source of Reset. Owen neutralizes the Mayfly within Martha using the singularity scalpel. Jack orders the shutdown of the Pharm, euthanising all trapped aliens with inert gases and crashing the computer systems. Before the team departs, Copley shoots and kills Owen; Jack responds by shooting and killing Copley.

Reader's Guide

"Reset" is significant as the first episode of Torchwood series 2 to receive an advance broadcast on BBC Three ahead of its terrestrial debut, a scheduling pattern that continued for the series. The episode introduces Martha Jones, a character from the parent series Doctor Who, into the Torchwood narrative, bridging the two shows. Its plot explores ethical questions about medical experimentation on sentient beings and the cost of miraculous cures. The episode's use of songs by former Blur members—"Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz and "Freakin' Out" by Graham Coxon—adds a distinctive musical element. The aggregated viewership of 5.03 million across three showings indicates strong audience interest. The episode's depiction of the Pharm as a facility that exploits aliens for pharmaceutical gain reflects the series' recurring theme of humanity's moral failings. The death of Owen Harper at the episode's end marks a major turning point for the series, as a core team member is killed by the antagonist.

Did You Know?

• The episode features the song "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz and "Freakin' Out" by Graham Coxon, both written by former members of Blur.
• The episode was first broadcast on BBC Three on 13 February 2008 at 9.50pm, a week before its BBC Two debut.
• A pre-watershed version of the episode aired on 21 February 2008 at 7.00pm.
• The official consolidated ratings for the episode are typically cited as around 4.9 million.