Miracle Day: The Categories of Life

"They just took control of life and death."

 

Writer: Jane Espenson

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5th August 2011

Series: Torchwood 4.05

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rex, Esther

Synopsis 

Torchwood goes undercover and discovers the terrible truth behind the Miracle. The enemy is closing in and death is about to make a shocking return.

Verdict 

Miracle Day: The Categories of Life was another outstanding episode in the fourth series of Torchwood and quickly eclipsed Escape to L.A. as the best story so far in this Miracle Day series. It truly has been brilliant and as we reach the halfway mark things are starting to become clearer. However, we're still some way off from finding out the truth about the Miracle and more prominently it's connection with Jack and Torchwood. There were no further mentions of the families referred to by the Gentleman in the last episode but I'm sure we'll be hearing about them again soon. The title of the episode perfectly tells us what happens in this story and it's not pretty at all. It's disturbing and the build up to the revelation about the overflow camps was timed and drip fed to the viewer perfectly. The new makeshift Torchwood team had a new member on board in the form of Vera who I think had been a terrific character in the four previous episodes. She was disgusted by the new legislation on life and the idea of governments and officials having control over life and death was something she had to fight again. Rex was delighted to see her on board and it was clear the pair enjoyed some kind of relationship together. Gwen had returned back to Cardiff following her father's placement in one of the overflow camps and it was superb to see Cardiff Airport as it is a place I have been a few times. Having an overflow camp in Cowbridge seemed strange but I guess because there is nothing much there it was the perfect place to have one and hide everything from the public eye. She was delighted to see her family again and the moment she was reunited with Rhys was fantastic. The categories were quite horrific and the way the health care system was processing it was nothing short of a disgrace. It seemed that people had a complete lack of respect for life. The fate of those deemed category 1 was shambolic. After Rex used his injury sustained in The New World to get into an overflow camp, the horrifying truth was soon revealed. Gwen had got into a Welsh one by impersonating a nurse and Esther and Vera had also gotten into the same camp as Rex. Vera posed as an inspector and what she found was diabolical. Colin was a pathetic man and way Vera obliterated him with words was incredible. She would pay with her life though. Colin, in a cowardly move overwrought with being belittled, shot her twice. That wasn't the worst of it though as in this new age she could survive a gunshot wound. What she couldn't survive was being burned alive. If flesh was burned to nothingness, no miracle would bring you back to life. That's what was happening to the category 1 designated people. Ovens all over the world. My coinage of a Nazi feel in my blog of the last episode is now very appropriate. Rex having to watch and film Vera die was extremely unsettling but it sets things up incredibly. The Miracle rally was also sublime with Oswald giving one hell of a speech. Jack's attempts to reveal the truth about PhiCorp were good but not good enough. I'm intrigued to see who Jilly was impressing and I'm sure we'll find out in due course. We're only at the halfway stage but boy this has been good. Another incredible episode.

Rating: 10/10