Top Five Big Damn Hero Moments: Ianto Jones (Torchwood)

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”)

Another bit of Ianto succeeding because he knows how to operate on the quiet.  While Gwen and Rhys are hiding in a potato truck, Ianto is able to send a secret message to his sister arranging a rendezvous point using references only the two of them would understand, and she gives him supplies he needs to keep working while in hiding.  Not too shabby!