Reset

"I'd rely on Martha if the world was ending. In fact, I did."

Writer: J.C. Wilsher
Format: TV
Broadcast: 13th February 2008
Series: Torchwood 2.06

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


Synopsis

Martha Jones arrives at Torchwood after reports of numerous deaths. A medical researcher has been injecting workers with Mayflies. The Mayflies cure all illnesses before killing the patient, and Martha has got one...

Verdict

Reset is a staggeringly good episode of Torchwood! As if the Torchwood team wasn't already good enough with the five brilliant members it has, you have former Tenth Doctor companion Martha Jones thrown into the mix! And boy is she brilliant! The plot was outstanding and the research institute provided a great start for Martha to help her old friend Jack. The references to Last of the Time Lords were fantastic and also the heartfelt reference to missing the Doctor was a nice touch. I thought the idea of the Mayfly was outstanding, being able to reset your body to its 'factory' settings so to speak. Just the thought is quite terrifying! All the scars vanished, any disease wiped out. A massively dangerous process should it ever occur. Would the human race become perfect if it could attain this ability? Well, I'm not sure. But Aaron Copley had other ideas. He was a terrific villainous character and what he was trying to achieve with his institute was unique! Martha going in under cover was tremendous but once she was found to have travelled through time and space, things weren't looking good. The banter between her and Owen about their profession suitability was great. But I really liked how it was Owen who ultimately saved the life of Martha with the singularity scalpel, something he'd failed to do, resulting in death, twice previously in this very episode! It was a tense climax as you could clearly see that Jack wasn't convinced Owen could get it right this time! But he did. However, the major talking point of the episode didn't occur until the end, where Aaron shot Owen dead! It was totally unexpected and just gobsmacking! Owen was killed. Is Martha now his replacement? I guess time will tell.

Rating: 10/10