Captain Jack Harkness

Doctorwhobox
number = 12
serial_name = Captain Jack Harkness
caption =


show = TW
type = episode
cast =
* John Barrowman – Captain Jack Harkness
* Eve Myles – Gwen Cooper
* Burn Gorman – Owen Harper
* Naoko Mori – Toshiko Sato
* Gareth David-Lloyd – Ianto Jones
guests =
* Murray Melvin – Bilis Manger
* Matt Rippy – The Captain
writer = Catherine Tregenna
director = Ashley Way
production_code = 1.12
producer = Richard Stokes Chris Chibnall (co-producer)
executive_producer = Russell T Davies Julie Gardner
script_editor = Brian Minchin
series = Series 1
length = 50 mins
date = 1 January, 2007
preceding = "Combat"
following = "End of Days"
imdb_id = 0898830

"Captain Jack Harkness" is an episode in the British science fiction television series "Torchwood", which was broadcast on 1 January, 2007. In 2008 it was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.cite web
title = 2008 Hugo Nomination List
work = Denvention 3: The 66th World Science Fiction Convention
publisher = World Science Fiction Society
date = 2008
url = http://www.denvention.org/hugos/08hugonomlist.php
accessdate = 2008-03-21]

Synopsis

Jack and Toshiko are transported back to the Blitz, while Owen tries to open the Rift, as Jack faces an unexpected secret from his past as they meet a handsome young American squadron leader named… Captain Jack Harkness.

Plot

Jack and Tosh go to investigate a possible breach in time: 1940s music has been heard from an abandoned dance hall. They find themselves back in time, in 1941, at a dance for service personnel. They meet Captain Jack Harkness, the man whose identity Torchwood's Captain Jack stole after his death, which will occur the following day during a training exercise.

Back at Torchwood, Owen thinks the best way to rescue Jack and Tosh is to open the rift, but Ianto thinks it is too dangerous. Gwen investigates the dance hall; from time to time, Jack and Tosh can hear her shouts.

Bilis Manger, the caretaker of the dancehall in present-day Cardiff, appears to be the same man as the dancehall manager in 1941, and uses the same office, where Owen finds the missing key to the Rift Manipulator, hidden on the pendulum of a clock.

While the air raid siren wails, Tosh leaves messages for the Torchwood team in the future, the necessary mathematical equations to open the rift safely. First, she takes a photograph of her writing, but then realises that she accidentally cut parts off, and it is too risky to return to take another. She tries to leave the remaining equations by cutting her hand and writing in blood, which she believes will stay throughout the years. However, Bilis Manger scratches out some of the numbers.

Without the whole equation, it is dangerous to attempt to open the rift. Owen, however, claims it will be safe to open, and also the better option. Ianto disagrees, holding Owen at gunpoint and warning him not to continue. Owen claims that as second in command, he is in charge. As Owen moves to put the key in the machine, Ianto shoots him in the shoulder; however, Owen manages to finish the task, and the rift opens.

Back in 1941, the real Captain Jack reveals he is attracted to Torchwood's Jack, and the two share a brief awkward moment holding hands. Torchwood's Jack asks to go somewhere else but Captain Jack says "No, you've told me all I need to know".

Later Captain Jack invites Torchwood's Jack to dance. The rift opens as the pair are about to kiss and Torchwood's Jack pulls away, saying it is his duty to go. However, on his way over to Tosh, he stops and turns back to the real Captain Jack. They share a passionate kiss, to the further astonishment of the other dance hall guests, before Captain Jack and Tosh return to the present day. There is a tear on Torchwood Jack's cheek. In the present day Gwen is there to greet them and while Gwen and Toshiko are hugging and laughing, Jack stares at the old dance hall looking devastated. Back at the hub Toshiko and Jack drink and toast "To Captain Jack".

Continuity

*The World War II scenes of the episode take place on 20 January 1941, before Jack's first appearance in the "Doctor Who" episode "The Empty Child" set later that year (see the Chronology for details).
*Jack refers to "flotsam and jetsam", a running theme throughout the series.
*A fly-poster with the words "Vote Saxon" is seen on the exterior entrance to the dance hall. Mr Saxon is the arc word for series three of "Doctor Who", and comes into play in the trilogy of episodes that begins with "Utopia". This episode aired prior to the broadcast of series three, making this the first appearance on screen of this poster, which appeared numerous times during series three of "Doctor Who". The character of Mr. Saxon however, predates this episode, having been previously referenced in the "Doctor Who" Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride", which aired a week before this episode, and before that in the Series 2 episode "Love and Monsters".
*One of the small bollards in the hall has graffiti of a circled P emblem. This was the emblem of the Preachers in the "Doctor Who" episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel", and also appeared in "Ghost Machine" as graffiti on a bin.
*There are also the words "Bad Wolf" graffitied in the hallway, a reference to the first series story arc of "Doctor Who".
*When Owen is looking for the blueprints of the rift manipulator, the Ghost Machine and the Life Knife are shown.
*The model of the plane on Jack's desk is a P-51 Mustang. It refers to the numerous mentions of Jack the pilot in photographs on the show as well as on the website, although the Mustang did not enter service until May 1942, after the events of this episode.
*The password to Torchwood Jack's safe is Rhea Silvia who in Roman mythology was raped by the God of War Mars and was the mother of Romulus and Remus who founded the city of Rome.
*Torchwood's Jack tells Captain Jack that he and his best friend were captured behind enemy lines, his weaker friend was tortured and that he was forced to watch him die. When asked who, he replies that they were the 'worst possible creatures imaginable', referencing to "Adam" and "Exit Wounds" where it is revealed the Boeshane Peninsula was under invasion.

Music

The songs "My Melancholy Baby" (when George dances with Toshiko), "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" (during the air raid) and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (when Jack dances with his namesake) are performed in this episode sung by Melissa Moore. The latter also featured in "The Empty Child", the "Doctor Who" episode which introduced Captain Jack Harkness. An instrumental version of "Take the A Train" is also played.

Broadcast

This episode was first shown as a double-bill with "End of Days". The two episodes' end credits were merged and shown at the end of the second episode. They were first shown on the same day as the first broadcast of "Invasion of the Bane", the first episode of the "Doctor Who" spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures". However, during repeats (and broadcast on BBC HD), they showed the 'next time' trailers. This did not happen on the first day of transmission.

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood/sites/episodes/series1/ep12_captainjackharkness.shtml "Captain Jack Harkness" episode guide entry on the BBC website]
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