The New World (Torchwood)

Lore & Background

In Kentucky, convicted child molester and murderer Oswald Danes is due to be executed by lethal injection, but the execution fails. At the start of 'Miracle Day', a mysterious email is sent to intelligence agencies in the U.S., bypassing security protocols and containing only the word 'Torchwood'. CIA agent Rex Matheson is badly injured in a car crash while receiving information on Torchwood from Esther Drummond, and is taken to a hospital in Washington, D.C., where surgeon Vera Juarez treats him. Vera informs Esther that Rex has survived, and also that not one single person has died in the past 24 hours at any U.S. hospital. This information leads to discussion of the 'miracle' on international news and social networking sites.

As Esther investigates the remaining files on Torchwood in the CIA archives, Jack Harkness appears in the U.S. to deal with Esther, after erasing all online mentions of Torchwood. Jack saves her from an assassin, who later blows up a portion of the CIA archives in an attempted suicide bombing. Jack gives Esther an amnesia pill, and she subsequently forgets her encounter with Jack, though her memories of Torchwood are triggered by a file brought to her by CIA agent Noah Vickers. The assassin, who 'survived' his attempted suicide, is brought to the same hospital where Rex is recovering. Rex hacks into security cameras to observe the 'autopsy', which Jack has infiltrated using the alias of his deceased friend Owen Harper. While the assassin is little more than a charred skeleton, he remains conscious during the procedure, even after the doctor removes his head at Jack's suggestion.

Oswald meets a representative of the Governor of Kentucky who apologizes for any pain Oswald suffered during his failed execution, but Oswald demands release, threatening to sue the State for breaching his Eighth and Fifth Amendment rights. The Governor reluctantly releases Oswald due to Force majeure. In Wales, former Torchwood operative Gwen Cooper is called out of exile by her old colleague Andy Davidson, who informs her that her father Geraint has had two heart attacks but has not died. Rex links Torchwood with the worldwide miracle and, with Esther's help, tracks Gwen down. Upon arriving at Gwen's seaside house, a helicopter arrives with the intention of incapacitating Gwen. Gwen fights off the helicopter and escapes with Jack's help. The remaining members of Torchwood escape to Roald Dahl Plass, where Jack reveals that he hasn't healed from an injury sustained at the CIA archives, concluding that whatever caused the miracle has restored his humanity and mortality. Gwen discusses what actions they should take, but is interrupted by the arrival of the South Wales Police force and Rex's announcement that he is renditioning the Torchwood team to the U.S.

Reader's Guide

The New World serves as the launch of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth and final series of Torchwood. It introduced three new main characters—Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, and Oswald Danes—and established the central premise: humanity has stopped being able to die. The episode received positive reviews, with CraveOnline giving it 8 out of 10, Entertainment Weekly awarding an A−, and USA Today calling it 'suspenseful, exciting and flat-out fun'. The Hollywood Reporter was critical of inserting American actors into a British franchise but suggested the series had compelling elements. On BBC One, the episode attracted a consolidated audience of 6.59 million, slightly higher than the opening episode of the previous series, Children of Earth, and an AI rating of 85 out of 100. On Space in Canada, it drew nearly a million viewers with an average of 432,000, the highest the channel had ever had for a show. On Starz in America, a combined audience of 1.51 million viewers tuned in, on par with the network's highest recorded audience, held by Camelot. In the UK, the show had 840,000 iPlayer requests in July, making it the most requested programme behind episodes of The Apprentice and Top Gear, and the eighth most requested broadcast overall. The episode's significance lies in its transatlantic shift and its role in setting up the series' exploration of immortality and mortality.

Did You Know?

• The episode introduced Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, and Oswald Danes to the cast.
• The BBC One broadcast ended with a three-minute trailer to compensate for time differences between American and British broadcast times.
• The assassin who attempted suicide bombing survived as a charred skeleton and remained conscious during an autopsy, even after his head was removed.
• Jack Harkness used the alias of his deceased friend Owen Harper to infiltrate the hospital autopsy.