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Well, looks like last episode's rift opening did actually have some lingering effects. People and things from different time periods are popping up all over the world, causing the usual complications: Roman soldiers in the lockup, bubonic plague spreading and virulent.
The gang, minus Jack, all start hallucinating. Tosh's dead mother warns her that something's coming out of the darkness. Gwen sees a vision of Bilis from last episode apologizing. Ianto's dead girlfriend tells him to open the rift. Owen sees Diane, and gets right pissed at Jack and storms out.
Jack and Gwen find Bilis and he explains he can walk through time as easily as one walks across a room. He escapes before Jack can bring him in, but catches Gwen alone so he can show her a vision of Rhys dead. Gwen brings Rhys to the Hub to keep him safe, but apparently this is just what Bilis needed to get in and stab Rhys dead.
Owen returns and announces he's going to open the rift, and everyone but Jack is going right along with the plan. Owen kills Jack, not knowing that it's only temporary. Everyone but Gwen is appropriately shocked by this. Gwen gets everyone's retinal scans to open the rift, Jack wakes up (scaring the hell out of his employees) and they head outside to inspect their handiwork. They find Bilis rejoicing over the release of Abaddon, the Great Devourer. As it stalks Cardiff, people die beneath its shadow. The only solution? Send the one man who can't die. Jack's overwhelming life energy destroys Abaddon, and leaves Jack dead... for a few days. He comes back to life just as Gwen's kissing him goodbye. He gets a big hug from Tosh, kisses Ianto, and lets Owen sob in his arms for a bit.
Everyone's back to relative normal (Rhys is alive again) and at least on speaking terms. As Gwen muses upon Jack's resistance to opening the rift, she asks what could tempt Jack into opening the rift. Jack's only response is "the right kind of doctor". Suddenly, Jack's odd hand-in-a-jar starts beeping and a familiar whooshing sound is heard. Next thing anyone knows, Jack has vanished, to parts unknown.
Tropes[]
- As the Good Book Says...: Ianto opens the episode by quoting from the Book of Daniel.
- Break the Cutie: Gwen's biggest break yet after Rhys' death.
- Call Back: While Owen goes through the secure safe in the Hub, he pulls out the knife paired with the Resurrection Gauntlet, as well as the quantum transducer.
- Conspicuous CG: Abaddon looks like he belongs in a video game instead of in here.
- Foreshadowing: In the beginning of the episode; after Ianto finishes reading from the Book of Daniel, starts another book with the words; "Abaddon; the great devourer, who will leave the world in shadows."
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Torchwood crew, sans Jack, open the rift, releasing Abaddon.
- Our Time Travel Is Different: Bilis doesn't need fancy watches or police boxes.
- Relationship Upgrade: Jack and Ianto share their first onscreen kiss (that isn't meant as CPR).
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Abaddon.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Everyone besides Jack thinks this is the best idea after they all either lose loved ones or have visions of them.
- Shout-Out: While in the police station, PC Andy calls Jack and Gwen Mulder and Scully.
- When a policeman at the hospital realizes that the medication Owen has told them to use on the Black Death infected patients is for the condition, Owen says "Well done, House."
- Time Crash: Of the "people from all over time are popping up" variety.