Ghost Machine (Torchwood)
Encyclopedia
"Ghost Machine" is an episode of the British
science fiction television
series Torchwood
. It is the third episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 29 October 2006.
s, creating ghostly recreations of the events that left them there. When Owen accidentally uses the device at the scene of an unsolved murder, he becomes obsessed with bringing the killer to justice.
, Owen
and Gwen
pursue a man through the Cardiff
streets, while Toshiko
tracks his alien energy signature through the CCTV network. Gwen separates from the group, chasing down the suspect into a train station, and is able to grab the man's jacket but he gets out of it and runs away. Gwen discovers an alien device in the jacket pocket, and when she activates it, she finds herself seeing a brief vision of the past, of a lost boy wandering the train station. Gwen remembers a name tag worn by the boy, and the team is able to track the name down to an old man in Cardiff who admits that during the World War II evacuation
, he was sent to Cardiff. The group determines from further analysis that the nanotechnology
of the "ghost device" allows people to see moments of the past spurred by strong human emotions, and try to learn how their suspect came upon such technology.
They determine the suspect is Sean "Bernie" Harris, a petty thief from Splott
, and travel there to find him. Unsuccessful, they return to the train station to try the device again when Owen activates it while under a bridge, where he witnesses the rape and murder of a young woman in the 1960s by a man named Ed Morgan. Returning to the Hub, the team investigates the crime to confirm what Owen saw, but that Ed was interrogated but never accused of the crime. Owen insists on trying to bring Ed to justice despite that the case has long since closed, and starts to track Ed on his own. Owen confronts the elderly Ed but gets no information out of him; however, upon leaving his house, he spots Bernie and gives chase, catching up with him. Owen takes Bernie to a pub to learn more about the device while the rest of Torchwood is en route. Bernie explains he found the device in a tin of random objects from an old lady, and that he too saw the murder of Lizzie, and wonders if the team wants the "other half". Torchwood follows Bernie back to Bernie's home to retrieve the other half as well as the other objects in the tin, all alien objects that fell out from the Rift
. Bernie explains that he only used the other half once, as it showed him bleeding to death outside his home at his current age. As they leave, Gwen accidentally triggers the second half, and has a vision of herself holding a bloody knife, calling out in vain to Owen. Jack tries calms Gwen down, claiming it just may be a possible future.
The team realizes that Ed is paranoid
and depressed
, and that he is being blackmailed by Bernie; Jack becomes concerned that Owen may have triggered Ed to take action. Learning that Ed has left his home and is heading towards Bernie's, Jack, Gwen, and Owen arrive just in time to disarm Ed from stabbing Bernie with a knife. Owen takes the knife. Determined not to let Morgan get away with his crime, he decides to avenge Lizzie's death. He is stopped by Gwen, who takes his knife. Ed runs and impales himself on his own knife. Gwen sees that this is the future she saw, and Jack and Owen attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation
, but fail to revive him. He dies, and Gwen expresses regret even though they all know he deserved his fate. Jack puts the device in the secure archives.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
. It is the third episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 29 October 2006.
Synopsis
Torchwood comes into possession of a device that can tap into the hidden energy left behind by strong emotionEmotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s, creating ghostly recreations of the events that left them there. When Owen accidentally uses the device at the scene of an unsolved murder, he becomes obsessed with bringing the killer to justice.
Plot
JackJack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
, Owen
Owen Harper
Owen Harper is a fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. The character last appeared onscreen in the Series 2 finale, "Exit Wounds"....
and Gwen
Gwen Cooper
Gwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off to the long-running show Doctor Who, portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles. The series' lead female character, Gwen has featured in every episode of the sci-fi programme to date as well as two crossover...
pursue a man through the Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
streets, while Toshiko
Toshiko Sato
is a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London" , Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "Everything Changes"...
tracks his alien energy signature through the CCTV network. Gwen separates from the group, chasing down the suspect into a train station, and is able to grab the man's jacket but he gets out of it and runs away. Gwen discovers an alien device in the jacket pocket, and when she activates it, she finds herself seeing a brief vision of the past, of a lost boy wandering the train station. Gwen remembers a name tag worn by the boy, and the team is able to track the name down to an old man in Cardiff who admits that during the World War II evacuation
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
, he was sent to Cardiff. The group determines from further analysis that the nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
of the "ghost device" allows people to see moments of the past spurred by strong human emotions, and try to learn how their suspect came upon such technology.
They determine the suspect is Sean "Bernie" Harris, a petty thief from Splott
Splott
Splott is a district in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly...
, and travel there to find him. Unsuccessful, they return to the train station to try the device again when Owen activates it while under a bridge, where he witnesses the rape and murder of a young woman in the 1960s by a man named Ed Morgan. Returning to the Hub, the team investigates the crime to confirm what Owen saw, but that Ed was interrogated but never accused of the crime. Owen insists on trying to bring Ed to justice despite that the case has long since closed, and starts to track Ed on his own. Owen confronts the elderly Ed but gets no information out of him; however, upon leaving his house, he spots Bernie and gives chase, catching up with him. Owen takes Bernie to a pub to learn more about the device while the rest of Torchwood is en route. Bernie explains he found the device in a tin of random objects from an old lady, and that he too saw the murder of Lizzie, and wonders if the team wants the "other half". Torchwood follows Bernie back to Bernie's home to retrieve the other half as well as the other objects in the tin, all alien objects that fell out from the Rift
Cardiff Rift
The Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, one end of which is located in Cardiff Bay, Wales. The other end is apparently floating freely through spacetime, and matter and radiation can pass through the Rift, allowing extraterrestrial...
. Bernie explains that he only used the other half once, as it showed him bleeding to death outside his home at his current age. As they leave, Gwen accidentally triggers the second half, and has a vision of herself holding a bloody knife, calling out in vain to Owen. Jack tries calms Gwen down, claiming it just may be a possible future.
The team realizes that Ed is paranoid
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and depressed
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, and that he is being blackmailed by Bernie; Jack becomes concerned that Owen may have triggered Ed to take action. Learning that Ed has left his home and is heading towards Bernie's, Jack, Gwen, and Owen arrive just in time to disarm Ed from stabbing Bernie with a knife. Owen takes the knife. Determined not to let Morgan get away with his crime, he decides to avenge Lizzie's death. He is stopped by Gwen, who takes his knife. Ed runs and impales himself on his own knife. Gwen sees that this is the future she saw, and Jack and Owen attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
, but fail to revive him. He dies, and Gwen expresses regret even though they all know he deserved his fate. Jack puts the device in the secure archives.
Continuity
- The circled "P" emblem of the Preachers from the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "Rise of the CybermenRise of the Cybermen"Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"...
" can be seen as faded graffiti on rusty bins outside Bernie's flat. - As Owen flips through his various fake ID cards, one can be seen for UNITUnited Nations Intelligence TaskforceUNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
. - An 1886 letter on the Torchwood Institute website suggests that Owen is not the first member of the Institute to feel personally involved with a case.
- The explanation Jack gives for the ghosts matches the one Sarah Jane SmithSarah Jane SmithSarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
would later give in "Eye of the GorgonEye of the GorgonEye of the Gorgon is the third story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the third and fourth episodes of the show's first series...
", an episode of The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
. - Gwen uses the ghost machine to trigger memories of previous happy times with Rhys. One memory depicts them preparing to leave for Gwen's mother's sixtieth birthday party. Gwen's mother, Mary Cooper, is later introduced in the series two episode "Something BorrowedSomething Borrowed (Torchwood)"Something Borrowed" is the ninth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was broadcast by BBC Three on 5 March 2008 and repeated on BBC Two one week later.-Synopsis:...
".
Cast notes
- Gareth ThomasGareth Thomas (actor)Gareth Thomas is a Welsh actor.Thomas is best known for the part of Roj Blake in the dystopian science fiction television series Blake's 7, but has taken roles in many other films and television programmes, including Adam Brake in Children of the Stones.Thomas trained at RADA and is now an...
is best known for his role as Roj BlakeRoj BlakeRoj Blake is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Gareth Thomas ....
in the science fiction series Blake's 7Blake's 7Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
and also appeared in the Doctor Who audio play Storm Warning. John NormingtonJohn NormingtonJohn Normington was an English actor who appeared widely on British television from the 1960s until the year of his death. Normington was also a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company performing in more than 20 RSC productions...
previously appeared in the Doctor Who serials The Caves of AndrozaniThe Caves of AndrozaniThe Caves of Androzani is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 8–16 March 1984. It was Peter Davison's last regular appearance as the Doctor, and marks the first appearance of Colin Baker in the role...
and The Happiness PatrolThe Happiness PatrolThe Happiness Patrol is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 2 November to 16 November 1988.-Plot:...
.
Music
- The song "Sing" by TravisTravis (band)Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
features briefly when the team questions Bernie at the pub. - The song "Can't Stand Me NowCan't Stand Me Now"Can't Stand Me Now" is the first single from The Libertines' eponymous second album. The song was their biggest hit and peaked at #2 on the UK singles chart....
" by The LibertinesThe LibertinesThe Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
features briefly in the scene when Owen and Toshiko are in the bar talking about Ed Morgan. - The song "Feeling a MomentFeeling A Moment"Feeling a Moment" is a song by Welsh rock band Feeder, from their 2005 album Pushing the Senses. It was released as the second single from the album, and reached #13 in the UK Singles Chart and #32 in Australia. At the end of 2005, it was voted 98th best song of the year by the readers of Q...
" by FeederFeeder-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
features briefly after "Can't Stand Me NowCan't Stand Me Now"Can't Stand Me Now" is the first single from The Libertines' eponymous second album. The song was their biggest hit and peaked at #2 on the UK singles chart....
" in the scene with Owen and Toshiko in the bar.
Outside references
- Owen Harper discusses Strictly Come DancingStrictly Come DancingStrictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, the fourth seriesStrictly Come Dancing (Series 4)The fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing started on 7 October 2006 and ended on 23 December 2006. It was presented by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly, and the winner was Mark Ramprakash along with his dancing partner Karen Hardy.-The show:...
of which ran concurrently with the first series of Torchwood, with Tom Flanagan's daughter. - The concept of "residual hauntingResidual hauntingIn the terminology of ghost hunting, residual hauntings, also known as restligeists , are repeated playbacks of auditory, visual, olfactory, and other sensory phenomena that are attributed to a traumatic event, life-altering event, or a routine event of a person or place, like an echo or a replay...
", where ghosts are merely recordings in the surrounding environment that are somehow played back, is also known as the "Stone Tape theory", named after the 1972 BBC television play The Stone TapeThe Stone TapeThe Stone Tape is a television play directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Michael Bates and Iain Cuthbertson. It was broadcast on BBC Two as a Christmas ghost story in 1972...
by Nigel KnealeNigel KnealeNigel Kneale was a British screenwriter from the Isle of Man. Active in television, film, radio drama and prose fiction, he wrote professionally for over fifty years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and was twice nominated for the British Film Award for Best Screenplay...
, which popularised the idea. - Bernie mentions Antiques RoadshowAntiques RoadshowAntiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
and Cash in the AtticCash in the AtticCash in the Attic, also Cash in the Celebrity Attic, is a UK television show on the BBC. The show, made by , premièred in 2002 and has run for sixteen series; as of February 2010, the seventeenth series is currently in production, along with the fifth celebrity series...
at the pub.