Something Borrowed (Torchwood)

Doctorwhobox
number = 22
serial_name = Something Borrowed
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 =
* Kai Owen – Rhys Williams
* Nerys Hughes – Brenda Williams
* Sharon Morgan – Mary Cooper
* William Thomas – Geraint Cooper
* Robin Griffith – Barry Williams
* Collette Brown – Carrie
* Danielle Henry – Megan
* Ceri Ann Gregory – Trina
* Jonathan Lewis Owen – Banana Boat
* Morgan Hopkins – Mervyn
* Valerie Murray – Registrar
* Pethrow Gooden – Shop Assistant
* Mike Henley – Shape Shifter in toilet
writer = Phil Ford
director = Ashley Way
production_code = 2.9
producer = Richard Stokes Chris Chibnall (co-producer)
executive_producer = Russell T Davies Julie Gardner
script_editor = Gary Russell
series = Series 2
length = 50 mins
date = March 5 2008
preceding = "A Day in the Death"
following = "From Out of the Rain"
imdb_id = 1186347"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.

Plot

ynopsis

Gwen is late for her hen's night as a result of following an alien, who after savagely biting her arm; is killed by Jack. It's discovered that the alien transferred eggs to Gwen, maturing inside her body to the point where she appears pregnant. During Gwen's examination, Jack tries to persuade Gwen to cancel the wedding. Owen mentions that if she were going to die, it would have happened already; so Gwen proceeds with the wedding. Rhys also tries to postpone the wedding but, at the insistence of Gwen, decides to have their wedding anyway; the alien fertilisation being explained as Gwen's pregnancy to Rhys.

The creature is a Nostrovite, a race of carnivourous shape shifters who hunt in pairs and mate for life. After fertilisation, the female transfers eggs to the male, who transfers "them" to a host incubate them until the correct time. The female then kills the host, releasing the offspring.

Tosh arrives at the wedding venue after being sent by Jack to guard Gwen. After being propositioned by Rhys' best man Banana Boat; Tosh soon reaches Gwen and delivers her new wedding dress before discussing the possibility of a relationship between Tosh and Owen. The Nostrovite follows and murders the DJ, eating most of him. Her presence is detected by Tosh and Banana, as he followed Tosh. After trapping them on the bed in a black web-like construct, the Nostrovite joins the wedding guests.

Gwen and Rhys are at the altar when Jack demands the wedding be stopped. Owen and Ianto rescue Tosh and Banana; and also Mervin's mangled corpse. A bridesmaid enters the room, and upon seeing Mervin's body flees. Ianto fails to stop her and she screams murder to the entire wedding party. After firing and chasing the Nostrovite; Tosh and Jack lose the alien.

Jack questions Owen about Gwen; and he says Barbara, Rhys' mother, is with them. Tosh mentions that Barbara is with Gwen's mother in the garden. Tosh and Jack reach the couple's room, where Jack calls Barbara an 'ugly bitch', and after being punched by Rhys; Jack is told that the woman is actually Rhys' mother. They reach the garden to find the Nostrovite still with Gwen's mother. They confront her, and the Nostrovite holds Gwen's mother hostage, demanding her child. Gwen walks towards them, but just as the Nostrovite releases Gwen's mother, Gwen reveals a hidden gun and fires several times as it flees.

Owen suggests using the singularity scalpel to destroy the egg. He sends Gwen to her room, but asks Rhys to wait while he tells Rhys about the Scalpel; and teaches Rhys how to use it. Jack enters Gwen's room whilst Owen and Rhys are outside; and he and Gwen share a heated conversation. They nearly kiss as Jack transforms into the Nostrovite. Owen enters, shooting the Nostrovite whilst Gwen exits with Rhys. After realising Owen is dead, she leaves for Gwen.

Rhys and Gwen reach the stable and Rhys explains Owen's plan to remove the egg. As the Nostrovite tries to enter, Rhys succeeds in removing the egg. Just as the egg is vaporised, the Nostrovite enters, impersonating Rhys' mother. She attacks Rhys, who protects himself with a malfunctioning chainsaw. After killing the creature with a powerful gun, Jack picks Gwen up; before proclaiming 'The hero always gets the girl'.

Rhys and Gwen’s wedding resumes, and the couple are wed. At the reception, Rhys and Gwen notice everyone falling asleep realising has Jack RetConned the wedding party. Jack offers the couple pills, but Gwen declines; stating that there’d 'be no secrets in this marriage'. They exit, thanking the team for everything. Jack and the others clean up, Ianto stating the irony of fighting aliens by day and reverting to cleaner by night. Later, Jack enters the Hub alone, blowing some confetti in the air. He retrieves an old tin box, containing pictures from his past. He looks through them, reminiscing, but picks one up and stops. This picture in particular shows Jack and his bride at their wedding.

Continuity

* An upgraded version of the singularity scalpel from "Reset" is used to remove the alien egg from Gwen.

* On the Torchwood website Jack receives an email from Martha Jones after the events in "A Day in the Death" saying she is sorry for not going to Gwen's wedding.

Production

Cast notes

* Nerys Hughes previously appeared in the Fifth Doctor serial "Kinda" and the Eighth Doctor audio drama "Phobos".
* William Thomas was the first actor to appear in both the classic and new series of "Doctor Who", first in the Seventh Doctor serial "Remembrance of the Daleks" and then the Ninth Doctor episode "Boom Town". This makes him the first actor to appear in the classic series, the new series and "Torchwood".

References

External links

*Brief|torch=y|id=2008i|title=Something Borrowed
*Doctor Who RG|id=torchwood_22|title=Something Borrowed|quotes=y