Captain Jack Harkness

"He would have been so proud that you took his name. Because here you are, saving the world. To Captain Jack."

Writer: Catherine Tregenna
Format: TV
Broadcast: 1st January 2007
Series: Torchwood 1.12


Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

Investigating reports of ghostly music, Jack and Toshiko find themselves stranded in a packed dance hall - in 1941. As Gwen, Owen and Ianto work to rescue their colleagues, Jack and Toshiko meet a handsome young American squadron leader by the name of Captain Jack Harkness.

Verdict

Well, wasn't this just brilliant? Captain Jack Harkness was an emotion packed and purely magnificent penultimate episode of the season. We learned so much about Jack, his history - even the origins of his name. And we met the original... which was a shock. I loved the tie ins with Jack's debut story of The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances and how he came to being in the London Blitz at that time. The mystery surrounding Bilis was fantastic and his character was ever so eery and heartless. Owen's love for Diane, who he'd lost in Out of Time was clearly seen stronger than ever here as he went to such a risk to open up the rift in an extremely desperate attempt to somehow see her once more and also to bring Jack and Tosh back from 1941. I really liked how Ianto stepped up and would listen to precedented orders set by Jack, saying how the rift must not be opened. He went as far as holding Owen at gunpoint, before actually shooting! Tosh's sickening use of her own blood to send a message through time to the Torchwood team was incredible but the fact that Bilis meddled with it made him even more diabolical. His motives were unique. The character of the original Captain Jack Harkness was brilliant and his instant relationship with our Jack was great. They hit it off, of course, but Jack's knowledge of the man whose identity he took was intriguing no doubt. He knew of his death that was soon, and told him to admire his girlfriend who he seemed disinterested in. The Ritz dance hall, in both time zones, was a brilliant setting and Bilis was a mysterious character jumping between the time zones. The consequences suffered from the Rift being opened will be very interesting, despite Owen thinking there're no consequences, I somehow have doubts and look forward to the season finale and how that is explored!

Rating: 10/10