In
terms of Damn Big Hero moments, Ianto was a little tough for me to pin down. Though he’s very competent at what he does
and is pretty much always an asset to the team, his role is such a clear
supporting one that his contributions tends to be more nuts-and-bolts stuff and
less flashy. As such, there aren’t as
many big wins to celebrate, but let’s see what we’ve got (spoilers.)
Giving Tosh Room to Escape (Series 1, Episode
6 – “Countrycide”)
This is
a definite hero move. Ianto and Tosh
have been kidnapped by unknown predators who turn out to be rural Welsh cannibals
(gotta hate it when that happens.) When
they’re brought out to be “tenderized,” Ianto smacks foreheads with their chief
captor, letting Tosh get free while the others are subduing him. You don’t often see one team member so
thoroughly putting another’s life ahead of their own unless there’s a romance
involved, so this is a neat scene.
Confronting Owen (Series 1, Episode 12 –
“Captain Jack Harkness”)
It doesn’t
turn out great, but it’s a big deal for Ianto to stand up to Owen in Jack’s
absence, trying to stop him from using the Rift Manipulator unsafely. Though he’s been getting more time in the
field, Ianto is still thought of as the “office boy,” and Owen isn’t about to
respect any authority he has. Ianto
holds his ground, though, and takes it to extremes when he sees no other
option.
Realizing the Truth about Adam (Series 2,
Episode 5 – “Adam”)
This
one ultimately winds up helping to save the day, although it gets hairy in the
short-term. Everyone’s been
mind-whammied by Adam, getting him inserted into their memories, and it’s Ianto
who realizes Adam isn’t supposed to be there.
I love this moment, because the way he figures it out is so Ianto – Adam
can alter memories and electronic records, but he doesn’t know that Ianto keeps
a pen-and-paper journal, and Ianto finds that there aren’t any references to
Adam in it. Smart, and fitting that
Ianto’s somewhat old-fashioned tastes are come in handy here.
Leading Gwen toward Flat Holm (Series 2,
Episode 11 – “Adrift”)
Torchwood
may be a super-secret organization, but Ianto is the only one who consistently
acts like it. Even within the team, he
knows how to be covert. When Gwen starts
digging into negative Rift spikes and Ianto knows Jack is trying to block her
from the truth, he disagrees. Instead of
outright telling her, though, he “delivers” a package to her desk, containing a
GPS who coordinates lead to Flat Holm, and even after she realizes the
information must have come from him, he coolly ignores her attempt to credit
him with it. That’s how you do it,
people!
On the Run (Series 3, Episode 2 – “Children
of Earth: Day Two”)
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