Torchwood: Series 1, Episode 10 – “Out of Time” (2006)

The Whoniverse has introduced us to plenty of great aliens over the years—sure, Daleks can seem played out now, but think how much ingenuity it took to make those genocidal pepper pots one of the most fearsome antagonists on television. Sometimes, though, I like it when the “adversary” in a story, if you can call it that, is simply time. That’s what we get here.

The Rift has deposited all sorts of spatial-temporal flotsam and jetsam in 21^st century Cardiff: Weevils, strange artifacts, alien convicts, and more. This time around, it’s deposited, not something dangerous, but something sad. A passenger plane from 1953 flies through the Rift and lands in 2007. Unable to return to their own time, Torchwood helps Diane, John, and Emma as they try to adapt to the new century.

While the episode is short on action, which is a rarity for Torchwood, it has plenty of humor, pathos, and romance. Some of the culture shock between 1953 and 2007 is amusing, such as when Ianto takes the temporal orphans to a superstore. It’s fun to see their apprehension over automatic doors, their confusion over the concept of DVDs, and their puzzlement over the health warnings on cigarette packs. Meanwhile, Diane, the plane’s pilot, decides she’s going to need to learn computers if she wants to get her pilot’s license again in the 21^st century, and it’s slow going—she takes Owen’s direction to “move the mouse up” a bit too literally.

But while it’s exciting for these three to see the future, it’s also bewildering and isolating. John had a family back in 1953, and now his son is older than he is. Where does that leave his legacy? And even as Emma feels less restricted in 2007, with greater opportunities available for young women, she chafes against those who would hold her back, whether it’s John’s paternalistic attitude towards her or Gwen’s insistence that she’s too naïve of the modern world.

Each of them is taken under the wing of one particular Torchwood member—the whole team is there to help, but Gwen feels responsible for Emma, Own takes a special interest in Diane, and John’s situation resonates deeply with Jack. These connections allow us to explore the guest stars and their time-displaced predicament, naturally, but they give us a closer look at Gwen, Owen, and Jack as well. Gwen has knowledge and sympathy to offer, but that doesn’t mean she really understands what Emma is going through, and their interactions spur uncomfortable questions from Rhys. Owen is taken with Diane and allows himself to feel more than he has in a long time, but can he make up for everything she lost in her old time? And Jack knows the pain of watching loved ones age while he stays behind; as John feels lost and alone, so he does.

This was the first episode written by Catherine Tregenna, and it’s one of series 1’s best. (Tregenna later went on to write the Twelfth Doctor story “The Woman Who Lived,” only the second woman ever to write for new Who.) It’s a compelling human story with sympathetic and complex one-shot characters, story material for the main cast, and a deft handle on its tone and themes. Well done all around!