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'''Adam''' was the fifth episode in the second series of [[Torchwood]].  
{{title dab away}}
{{real world}}
{{ImageLinkTV}}
{{Infobox Story SMW
|image                = Adam torments Jack.jpg
|series                = ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''
|season number        = Series 2 (Torchwood)
|series episode number = 5
|scripturl      = https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/documents/torchwood-2-episode-5-adam-yellow-revisions-04052007.pdf
|main character        = [[Jack Harkness|Jack]], [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]], [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]], [[Owen Harper|Owen]], [[Toshiko Sato|Tosh]]
|enemy                = [[Adam Smith]]
|featuring            = [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]]
|setting              = [[Cardiff]], [[Aliens of London dating controversy|2000s]]
|writer                = Catherine Tregenna
|director              = [[Andy Goddard]]
|producer              = [[Richard Stokes]]
|network              = BBC Two
|broadcast date        = 13 February 2008
|prev                  = Meat (TV story)
|next                  = Reset (TV story)
|trailer              = TORCHWOOD Season 2 Adam
|clip                  = The memory stealer pt 1 - Torchwood - BBC
|clip2                = The memory stealer pt 2 - Torchwood - BBC
|format=1x50 minute episode
}}{{dab page|Adam}}
'''''Adam''''' was the fifth episode of [[Series 2 (Torchwood)|Series 2]] of ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''. It was written by [[Catherine Tregenna]] and directed by [[Andy Goddard]]. From a production point of view, it marked the last time Tregenna wrote for ''Torchwood''.


{{Template:Infobox Torchwood|
It explored [[Jack Harkness]]' origins through flashbacks and gave more context to [[Gray (Adam)|Gray]], the mysterious person first mentioned by [[John Hart]] in {{cs|Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (TV story)}}. It also further developed the relationship between Jack and [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]].
story name = Adam|
 
image =  [[Image:AdamTWstory.jpg|250px]]|
== Synopsis ==
series= [[Torchwood]] - [[List of Torchwood television stories|TV Stories]] |
[[Adam Smith|An alien with the power to change memories]] infiltrates the [[Torchwood Three|team]]. With [[Jack Harkness|Captain Jack]] caught up in memories of his lost family and [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]] struggling to remember [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]], it takes Jack's love of [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]] to reveal the truth. Yet there's always a price to pay.
series number=[[Series 2 (Torchwood)|Series 2]]|
number= 18 |
enemy= [[Adam Smith]]<br>[[Weevil]]|
writer=  [[Catherine Tregenna]] |
director =  [[Andy Goddard]] |
producer = [[Russell T Davies]] (Executive Producer)<br>[[Julie Gardner]] (Executive Producer) |
broadcast date= [[13th February]] [[2008]] |
previous story = [[Meat]] |
next story = [[Reset (Torchwood story)|Reset]] }}


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
[[Adam Smith|Adam]], a creature of [[The Void]], is drawn through the [[Cardiff rift]] by the intense field memories which are had by each member of the [[Torchwood 3|Torchwood]] team. Adam's power is to tamper with the memories of its preys, for sustaining its own survival. So, Adam would exist as long the Torchwood team could bear him in their memories. Adam is able both to implant memories and to alter the already existing ones of the people, merely by touching them with its hands. By such means, [[Jack Harkness|Jack]], [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]], [[Owen Harper|Owen]], [[Toshiko Sato|Toshiko]], and [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]] believe that Adam had been with them since Jack formed the team, three years ago. However, Adam has gotten with them just 48 hours before.  
The Torchwood team is examining a strange box when [[Gwen Cooper]] arrives, slightly late because she was spending time with Rhys. Looking around, she sees [[Adam Smith]] with the others, and asks in confusion who he is; Adam replies "That's what I said to you on your first day...remember?" When Adam puts a hand on her shoulder, Gwen suddenly has false memories of spending time with Adam, including playing [[basketball]]. Smiling, she hugs him.


Beside surviving, Adam toys with their minds. Jack retrieves his childhood memories, about his last moments with his father and brother, at the [[Boeshane Peninsula]]. Gwen forgets about her fiance [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]]. Owen becomes an introversive geek and he has a crush on Toshiko. Toshiko unleashes her personality to start a passionate relationship with the same Adam, slighting Owen. Ianto, who discovers Adam's maneuver by not finding him in his everyday diary, is harassed by him, so Ianto believes that he has murdered three young women.
Adam is then seen changing the Torchwood database to add his file into it. [[Toshiko Sato|Tosh]] asks him what he was doing, and he says he was updating details on rift activity. Adam and Tosh then kiss, much to the annoyance of [[Owen Harper|Owen]], who is wearing [[glasses]]. Meanwhile, [[Jack Harkness|Jack]] is down in the cells when he sees a young boy, which causes him to stop in shock. Gwen calls him, but when Jack turns around again, the boy is gone.


It's Jack's trust on Ianto that leads him to investigate the security feed of Torchwood. Jack discovers then that Adam has been tampering with each one of his team, during the latest 48 hours. Adam is captured then into a cell. Jack orders that all his team would swallow a [[Retcon]] amnesia pill to forget all what Adam has done on them. Except him, they do so. At the holding cells, Jack confronts the now weakened Adam for the last time then. Desperately, Adam attempts so Jack keeps some tampered childhood memories, which are so bewildering now, through threats and mental torture. Nonetheless, Jack takes his pill in time and Adam dies then.  
Gwen is then seen in her apartment. [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]] comes up behind her and attempts to give her a hug, but Gwen, thinking he is a stalker, points a [[knife]] then a [[pistol]] at him and gets Jack to come over to her apartment. We learn that all of Gwen's memories of Rhys have been wiped, to the point that she thinks he put up photos of them together while she was gone. However, Jack and the rest of the Torchwood team simply presume it to be amnesia due to stress.


On the next day, in the Torchwood team nobody understands why two days are missing in their minds. A floral arrangement and a note of love of Owen, which were intended for Toshiko, survive but Owen dismisses them with a scorning commentary. Also, a Torchwood-labeled bag is found and it had been inked by Adam. Nonetheless nobody knows about Adam, already.
Owen is seen trying to flirt with Tosh unsuccessfully over beers. Jack is out trying to catch another [[Weevil]] down in the sewers, but encounters a strange man whom Jack addresses as "Dad", who tells him to get out. Exiting the sewers in a panic, he meets Adam, who has appeared out of nowhere; but when Jack asks him how he got there, Adam implants false memories of him having come with Jack. Adam asks him what he saw in the sewers, to which he replies simply, "My past." He then further imprints himself on Jack's mind, convincing him he joined the crew because Jack felt he could confide in him. Jack then reveals he remembered a buried memory from his childhood on the [[Boeshane Peninsula]]: the day "the most horrible creatures" attacked his home, killing his father. Fleeing with his brother [[Gray (Adam)|Gray]], Jack accidentally let go of his hand, and never saw him again. Stricken anew with guilt from having lost his brother, Jack leaves Adam in the rain.


==Cast==
At the [[Torchwood Hub]], Tosh has found that the box is made of wood. Owen asks after the origins of the box, to which [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]] responds that Jack brought it in. However, Tosh insists that Adam found it in an excavation. Ianto leaves to check his diary for the answer. Owen again tries to flirt with Tosh, culminating in a confession of love, but Tosh reacts with anger and scornfully tells Owen he is not her type. Owen is devastated.
*Captain [[Jack Harkness]] — [[John Barrowman]]  
*[[Gwen Cooper]] — [[Eve Myles]]
*[[Owen Harper]] — [[Burn Gorman]]
*[[Toshiko Sato]] — [[Naoko Mori]]
*[[Ianto Jones]] — [[Gareth David-Lloyd]]
*[[Rhys Williams]] - [[Kai Owen]]
*[[Adam Smith]] — [[Bryan Dick]]
*[[Franklin|Jack's Father]] — [[Demetri Goritsas]]
*Jack's Mother — [[Lauren Ward]]
*[[Jack Harkness|Young Jack]] — [[Jack Montgomery]]
*[[Gray]] — [[Ethan Brooke]]
*[[Adam Smith|Young Adam]] — [[Rhys Myers]]
*[[Weevil]] - [[Paul Kasey]]
*[[Murdered Woman]] - [[Jo Malaren]]


==Production crew==
Gwen is seen at a general store with Rhys. When they get to the checkout, the cashier leaves to answer a call, despite clearly being able to see Rhys there. Rhys, angry, begins to go off on a rant, to which Gwen laughs. The outburst reminds her of similar occurrences in their past, and she begins to remember Rhys.
* Script: [[Catherine Tregenna]]
* Direction: [[Andy Goddard]]
* Music: [[Ben Foster]]


== References ==
Ianto is flipping through his diary and is shocked to find that it contains no mention of Adam at all. Adam then appears behind him, and Ianto questions who he really is. Adam's hand starts to flicker, and we learn that Adam exists simply from people being able to remember him. To keep his secret safe, Adam decides to implant in Ianto memories of murdering three women, claiming that he had forgotten about the thrill he gets from doing this. Ianto sinks to the floor, crying.
*In the opening flash of sequences features Adam holding a [[Dalek enhanced Tommy Gun]].
 
*The [[Boeshane Peninsula]], and Jack's home is seen. However, the nature of the beings which attacked Jack's family isn't revealed as yet.
Adam leaves, going to Tosh's flat. To celebrate their anniversary, the pair kiss passionately. Adam briefly stops, asking Tosh how far she'd go to protect him. After she confirms she would die for him, they resume kissing.
*Gray is Jack Harkness's brother.  
 
*Adam says he is from "The Void", but it is not known if this is the same [[Void]].
Meanwhile, Jack is on a rooftop, pondering why he can suddenly remember the "worst day of his life" despite having buried the memory 150 years ago. He returns to the hub, finding Ianto in a delirious state. Ianto tells him to put him in a vault because he is a monster, confessing that he killed three women. However, Jack refuses to believe it, even after the "best lie detector on the planet" confirms Ianto is telling the truth. He pulls up CCTV footage of the Hub and finds Adam implanting the false memories. Recalling Adam touching him earlier, he deduces that touch is how he changed their memories.
*Adam adds himself into the Torchwood records placing himself as; Adam Smith, that he was born on [[16th November]] [[1982]] and that he was recruited into Torchwood on [[7th May]] [[2005]].
 
Jack, checking the records, finds that not only do they lack a blood sample of Adam, but his file was last updated only 24 hours ago. The day lights then switch on as the others arrive. Owen brings in a bouquet of flowers for Tosh, apologising for how he acted yesterday. Tosh forgives him, confirming she is happy with Adam, who sits at his desk. Gwen then arrives, revealing her memories of Rhys are still hazy. To comfort them, Adam insists on a group hug. Noticing Ianto has not joined them, Adam goes to touch him, but Ianto knocks his hand back. Jack then approaches and holds Adam at gunpoint. Gwen and Owen are confused by this, as they still believe Adam part of the team, and a distraught Tosh pulls her gun on Jack. Ianto grabs her and Jack quickly sends Adam to the cells.
 
Jack and the others go to the meeting room to discuss Adam. After urging them to remember their true memories from before Torchwood – Gwen of Rhys in high school, Owen of his tenth birthday, Tosh her fondness of maths and Ianto recalling his girlfriend [[Lisa Hallett|Lisa]] – Jack hands them all [[Retcon|amnesia pills]] to wipe out their memories of Adam. The only one left, Jack goes to the vaults to have one last talk with Adam. Begging to live, Adam promises to help Jack regain his other, happier memories of his family. Jack agrees, recalling the day he and his father played catch with Gray. However, Adam telepathically implants himself in Jack's revived memory as a stranger who spoiled Jack's day, ruining the happiness of the memory. Adam discloses the nature of the wooden box, it contains his last good memory, of Jack, Jack's father and Gray. Moreover, Adam claims destroying him will remove all Jack's memories of his father. Distraught at losing the real memory, Jack nevertheless takes an amnesia pill, erasing Adam from existence.
 
The next day, all of the Torchwood team are confused as to why they cannot recall anything from the past 48 hours. Owen is no longer wearing glasses, and claims that Tosh's flowers could not have come from him as he "doesn't do" flowers or apologies; Tosh has also reverted to her old personality. Jack is seen taking Adam's box out of a Torchwood bag, and a small component also falls out. Ianto comes in and Jack gives him his diary, implying he has looked in it by claiming, "Measuring tapes never lie." Seeing the bag is labelled "ADAM'S PROPERTY", he asks Ianto: "Who's Adam?", but Ianto replies that he doesn't know and leaves. Jack, fiddling with the box and the component, manages to open it and finds it to be filled with sand, which he stares at ominously.
 
== Cast ==
* [[Jack Harkness|Captain Jack Harkness]] — [[John Barrowman]]
* [[Gwen Cooper]] — [[Eve Myles]]
* [[Owen Harper]] — [[Burn Gorman]]
* [[Toshiko Sato]] — [[Naoko Mori]]
* [[Ianto Jones]] — [[Gareth David-Lloyd]]
* [[Rhys Williams]] — [[Kai Owen]]
* [[Adam Smith|Adam]] — [[Bryan Dick]]
* [[Franklin (Adam)|Jack's Father]] — [[Demetri Goritsas]]
* [[Jack Harkness' mother|Jack's Mother]] — [[Lauren Ward]]
* [[Jack Harkness|Young Jack]] — [[Jack Montgomery]]
* [[Gray (Adam)|Gray]] — [[Ethan Brooke]]
* [[Adam Smith|Young Adam]] — [[Rhys Myers]]
* [[Weevil]] — [[Paul Kasey]]
* Murdered Woman — [[Jo McLaren]]
 
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== Worldbuilding ==
=== Animals ===
* Owen tries to give Tosh a screen cleaner in the form of a [[mouse]] holding [[cheese]].
 
=== Disease and illnesses ===
* The team think Gwen has suffered from temporary [[amnesia]].
 
=== Food and Beverages ===
* Adam implants a false memory of making [[coffee]] for Gwen.
* Rhys was going to make Gwen "[[Spaghetti bolognese|spag bol]]", but claims he couldn't do it because of the [[garlic]] involved, saying "can't kiss a girl with garlic breath".
* Owen makes Tosh [[smoked salmon sandwich]]es. Tosh goes to get a [[beer]] to drink whilst eating them.
 
=== Individuals ===
* Gwen and Rhys met at college. Their first kiss was at a supermarket.
* Owen says he doesn't "do" [[flower]]s or apologies.
 
=== Locations ===
* Gwen and Rhys have just returned from [[Paris]].
* [[Weevil]]s were sighted in the sewers of [[Rockall Street]].
* Jack is from the [[Boeshane Peninsula]].
 
=== Timeline ===
* Adam adds himself into the Torchwood records, giving his name as Adam Smith, his birth date as [[16 November]] [[1982]], and the date that he was recruited into Torchwood as [[7 May]] [[2005]].
 
=== Weapons ===
* Gwen threatens Rhys with a [[knife]] and a [[gun]].


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
* The plot element of the group's memories being altered and a "new member" suddenly appearing among them is similar to the plot of the ''[[Wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "[[Wikipedia:Conundrum (Star Trek: the Next Generation)|Conundrum]]", the ''[[Wikipedia:Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' episode "[[Wikipedia:Superstar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)|Superstar]]" and the Torchwood novel ''[[Border Princes]]''.
* A family friendly pre-watershed edit of this episode aired at 7:00pm the following day, Thursday [[14 February (releases)|14 February]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]], on [[BBC Two]].
* The regular opening flash of sequences is altered, for this episode only, to feature two shots of Adam, furthering the illusion he is part of the Torchwood team.
* The [[Boeshane Peninsula]] and Jack's home are seen. However, the nature of the beings which attacked Jack's family isn't revealed.
* The sound effects used for the shrieks of the unseen creatures which invaded Jack's home when he was young were the same ones used for the [[Krillitane]]s in [[TV]]: ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]''.
* This story finishes with none of the main characters having any memory of what happened whatsoever, making it the only television story which none of the regulars can remember.
* Whilst filming the kiss between Jack and Ianto, the crew pulled a prank on [[John Barrowman]] and [[Gareth David-Lloyd]] by not calling "Cut!" after they had stopped filming, causing the kiss to continue for more than two minutes before the two actors realised what was going on.


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
*BBC2 - 3.8 million viewers
* 3.79 million viewers<ref>[https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-10/ BARB Ratings - April, 2008]</ref>


=== Myths ===
=== Filming locations ===
*It suggested amongst the internet community that [[Adam Mitchell]] would return in this episode. ''(It was false.)''
* Talbot Place, Cardiff - ''exterior Gwen and Rhys' flat''
*As [[Adam Smith]] came from the Void it is widely believed that the Daleks and Cybermen could too. ''However the episode does not confirm if this is the same Void that involved the Daleks and Cybermen.''
* The Port Of Cardiff, Cardiff Docks, Wales - ''Jack comes out of sewers, meets Adam''
deth to jack ? and no or yes?
* Canal Park, Butetown, Cardiff - ''Adam following Jack around chatting''
* Coney Beach, Porthcawl - ''Boeshane Peninsula beach''
* Merthyr Mawr Warren, Merthyr Mawr - ''beach near (young) Jack's house''
* Waterguard Pub (outside), Harbour Drive, Cardiff - ''outside (young) Jack's house''
* Fox Street, Splott, Cardiff - ''Ianto 'remembers' the murder in an alley''
* BBC Studios, Upper Boat, Tonteg Road, Treforest Industrial Estate, Pontypridd, Wales
{{Torchwood discontinuity}}
=== Production errors ===


=== Filming Locations ===
''To be added''
*Talbot Place, Cardiff ''(Exterior Gwen and Rhys' flat)''
*The Port Of Cardiff, Cardiff Docks, Wales ''(Jack comes out of sewers, meets Adam)''
*Canal Park, Butetown, Cardiff ''(Adam following Jack around chatting)''
*Coney Beach, Porthcawl ''(Boeshane Peninsula beach)''
*Merthyr Mawr Warren, Merthyr Mawr ''(Beach near (young) Jack's house)''
*Waterguard Pub (outside), Harbour Drive, Cardiff ''(Outside (young) Jack's house)''
*Fox Street, Splott, Cardiff ''(Ianto 'remembers' the murder in an alley)''
*[[BBC Studios]], Upper Boat, Tonteg Road, Treforest Industrial Estate, Pontypridd,


=== Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors ===
=== Myths ===
*On the vials containing blood samples from all Torchwood members, some of the names are wrong. When Jack grabs them (after Ianto confesses to being a serial killer), four labels are visible and two have the first and last names reversed. From left to right, they read: "Cooper, Gwen"; "Toshiko, Sato"; "Harper, Owen"; and "Ianto, Jones".
* The "Adam" in this story would be [[Ninth Doctor]] companion [[Adam Mitchell]]. ''It wasn't''.
*Rhys Williams shows no sign of injury following the previous story.''Opening dialouge clearly shows that Gwen and Rhys have been to France, allowing Adam to infiltrate Torchwood, meaning several weeks would have passed.''
*Although all the members of Torchwood takes Retcon to forget Adam, Rhys Williams does not despite having briefly met Adam. ''Adam did not touch Rhys, therefore he wasn't a permenant part of Rhys' memories.''
*How can Adam be seen on the videos if he needs to make himself part of their mermories to be real? Shouldn't the videos just show no-one? ''No, as Rhys is able to see Adam without being manipulated, meaning he has corporeal form and therefore can be seen by CCTV cameras. The videos only show Adam touching his victims, not their memories.''
*The episode suggests that Jack's memories of his father and younger brother are repressed, yet in ''[[Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang]]'' he reacts when [[John Hart]] mentions his brother, Gray. ''Perhaps the actual knowledge of the individuals are still present -- i.e. Jack knows he has a father and a presumably deceased brother named Gray -- but the actual memories of the individuals have been repressed.''
*Theoretically, Adam would alter people's minds by implanting memories which would occupy the slots of the human brain which are, precisely, reserved for either old or very old memories. As the Retcon would affect the memories which are only of the last 24 hs, the pill wouldn't be able to modify 3 years of memory. Furthermore, into Jack's childhood memories, which would have been of about two hundred years leastwise, Adam had already sneaked as well. ''Most likely, something that disrupt memories causes Adam's influence to vanish.Or possibly the retcon wiping out the past 48 hours meant hours of implanted memories too, meaning that the memories Adam implanted will be gone too.''


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
*Jack first mentioned his home, the Boeshane Peninsula, in [[DW]]: ''[[Last of the Time Lords]]''. (See also [[Face of Boe]]).
* Adam implants a false memory of playing [[basketball]] with Gwen in the hub. The basketball was last seen in [[TV]]: {{cs|Cyberwoman (TV story)}}.
*The Void is mentioned, it was last featured actively in [[DW]]: ''[[Doomsday]]''.
* Adam is shown holding a [[Dalek enhanced Tommy Gun]]. These were seen in [[TV]]: {{cs|Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)}}.
*Gray was previously referenced by [[John Hart]] in [[TW]]: ''[[Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang]]''.
* Owen brings [[sandwich]]es for Tosh, as she has previously done for Owen in [[TV]]: {{cs|Meat (TV story)}}.
* Jack previously mentioned his home, the [[Boeshane Peninsula]], to the [[Tenth Doctor]] and [[Martha Jones]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Last of the Time Lords (TV story)}}.
* [[John Hart]] has told Jack that he had "found Gray" as claimed in [[TV]]: {{cs|Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (TV story)}}.
* Ianto remembers losing [[Lisa Hallett]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Cyberwoman (TV story)}}.
* Adam hails from [[the Void]], which was mentioned in [[TV]]: {{cs|Army of Ghosts (TV story)}} and {{cs|Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday}}.


== DVD releases ==
== Home video releases ==
*This story along with the rest of Torchwood [[Series 2 (Torchwood)|Series 2]] was released in a complete series boxset.
* ''{{StoryTitle}}'', along with the rest of [[series 2 (Torchwood)|series 2]], was released in a complete series box set in [[2008 (releases)|2008]].
* It was also released in the Series 1-4 boxset (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011.)


==See also==
== Footnotes ==
''to be added''
{{reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
*[http://www.drwhoguide.com/torchwood_18.htm Doctor Who: Torchwood Reference Guide: Detailed Synopsis - '''Adam''']
{{dwrefguide|torchwood_18.htm|Adam}}
*[http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/torchwood/2008e.html A Brief History of Time (Travel): '''Adam''']
* {{briefhistory|torchwood/2008e.html|Adam}}
*[http://www.doctorwholocations.net/stories/adam The Locations Guide to Doctor Who - '''Adam''']
* {{locguide|adam|Adam}}
* {{whoniverse|tw2_05|Adam}}
{{TWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}


[[Category:Torchwood television stories]]
[[Category:Series 2 (Torchwood) stories]]
[[Category:Weevil television stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in the 2000s]]
[[Category:Stories set in the 51st century]]


{{TV stub}}
[[de:T 18 - Adam]]
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[[Category:Torchwood episodes]]
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[[Category:Stories set in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2008]]
[[Category:Gray arc]]
[[Category:2008 television stories]]

Latest revision as of 19:28, 9 April 2024

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You may wish to consult Adam for other, similarly-named pages.

Adam was the fifth episode of Series 2 of Torchwood. It was written by Catherine Tregenna and directed by Andy Goddard. From a production point of view, it marked the last time Tregenna wrote for Torchwood.

It explored Jack Harkness' origins through flashbacks and gave more context to Gray, the mysterious person first mentioned by John Hart in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang [+]Loading...["Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (TV story)"]. It also further developed the relationship between Jack and Ianto.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

An alien with the power to change memories infiltrates the team. With Captain Jack caught up in memories of his lost family and Gwen struggling to remember Rhys, it takes Jack's love of Ianto to reveal the truth. Yet there's always a price to pay.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Torchwood team is examining a strange box when Gwen Cooper arrives, slightly late because she was spending time with Rhys. Looking around, she sees Adam Smith with the others, and asks in confusion who he is; Adam replies "That's what I said to you on your first day...remember?" When Adam puts a hand on her shoulder, Gwen suddenly has false memories of spending time with Adam, including playing basketball. Smiling, she hugs him.

Adam is then seen changing the Torchwood database to add his file into it. Tosh asks him what he was doing, and he says he was updating details on rift activity. Adam and Tosh then kiss, much to the annoyance of Owen, who is wearing glasses. Meanwhile, Jack is down in the cells when he sees a young boy, which causes him to stop in shock. Gwen calls him, but when Jack turns around again, the boy is gone.

Gwen is then seen in her apartment. Rhys comes up behind her and attempts to give her a hug, but Gwen, thinking he is a stalker, points a knife then a pistol at him and gets Jack to come over to her apartment. We learn that all of Gwen's memories of Rhys have been wiped, to the point that she thinks he put up photos of them together while she was gone. However, Jack and the rest of the Torchwood team simply presume it to be amnesia due to stress.

Owen is seen trying to flirt with Tosh unsuccessfully over beers. Jack is out trying to catch another Weevil down in the sewers, but encounters a strange man whom Jack addresses as "Dad", who tells him to get out. Exiting the sewers in a panic, he meets Adam, who has appeared out of nowhere; but when Jack asks him how he got there, Adam implants false memories of him having come with Jack. Adam asks him what he saw in the sewers, to which he replies simply, "My past." He then further imprints himself on Jack's mind, convincing him he joined the crew because Jack felt he could confide in him. Jack then reveals he remembered a buried memory from his childhood on the Boeshane Peninsula: the day "the most horrible creatures" attacked his home, killing his father. Fleeing with his brother Gray, Jack accidentally let go of his hand, and never saw him again. Stricken anew with guilt from having lost his brother, Jack leaves Adam in the rain.

At the Torchwood Hub, Tosh has found that the box is made of wood. Owen asks after the origins of the box, to which Ianto responds that Jack brought it in. However, Tosh insists that Adam found it in an excavation. Ianto leaves to check his diary for the answer. Owen again tries to flirt with Tosh, culminating in a confession of love, but Tosh reacts with anger and scornfully tells Owen he is not her type. Owen is devastated.

Gwen is seen at a general store with Rhys. When they get to the checkout, the cashier leaves to answer a call, despite clearly being able to see Rhys there. Rhys, angry, begins to go off on a rant, to which Gwen laughs. The outburst reminds her of similar occurrences in their past, and she begins to remember Rhys.

Ianto is flipping through his diary and is shocked to find that it contains no mention of Adam at all. Adam then appears behind him, and Ianto questions who he really is. Adam's hand starts to flicker, and we learn that Adam exists simply from people being able to remember him. To keep his secret safe, Adam decides to implant in Ianto memories of murdering three women, claiming that he had forgotten about the thrill he gets from doing this. Ianto sinks to the floor, crying.

Adam leaves, going to Tosh's flat. To celebrate their anniversary, the pair kiss passionately. Adam briefly stops, asking Tosh how far she'd go to protect him. After she confirms she would die for him, they resume kissing.

Meanwhile, Jack is on a rooftop, pondering why he can suddenly remember the "worst day of his life" despite having buried the memory 150 years ago. He returns to the hub, finding Ianto in a delirious state. Ianto tells him to put him in a vault because he is a monster, confessing that he killed three women. However, Jack refuses to believe it, even after the "best lie detector on the planet" confirms Ianto is telling the truth. He pulls up CCTV footage of the Hub and finds Adam implanting the false memories. Recalling Adam touching him earlier, he deduces that touch is how he changed their memories.

Jack, checking the records, finds that not only do they lack a blood sample of Adam, but his file was last updated only 24 hours ago. The day lights then switch on as the others arrive. Owen brings in a bouquet of flowers for Tosh, apologising for how he acted yesterday. Tosh forgives him, confirming she is happy with Adam, who sits at his desk. Gwen then arrives, revealing her memories of Rhys are still hazy. To comfort them, Adam insists on a group hug. Noticing Ianto has not joined them, Adam goes to touch him, but Ianto knocks his hand back. Jack then approaches and holds Adam at gunpoint. Gwen and Owen are confused by this, as they still believe Adam part of the team, and a distraught Tosh pulls her gun on Jack. Ianto grabs her and Jack quickly sends Adam to the cells.

Jack and the others go to the meeting room to discuss Adam. After urging them to remember their true memories from before Torchwood – Gwen of Rhys in high school, Owen of his tenth birthday, Tosh her fondness of maths and Ianto recalling his girlfriend Lisa – Jack hands them all amnesia pills to wipe out their memories of Adam. The only one left, Jack goes to the vaults to have one last talk with Adam. Begging to live, Adam promises to help Jack regain his other, happier memories of his family. Jack agrees, recalling the day he and his father played catch with Gray. However, Adam telepathically implants himself in Jack's revived memory as a stranger who spoiled Jack's day, ruining the happiness of the memory. Adam discloses the nature of the wooden box, it contains his last good memory, of Jack, Jack's father and Gray. Moreover, Adam claims destroying him will remove all Jack's memories of his father. Distraught at losing the real memory, Jack nevertheless takes an amnesia pill, erasing Adam from existence.

The next day, all of the Torchwood team are confused as to why they cannot recall anything from the past 48 hours. Owen is no longer wearing glasses, and claims that Tosh's flowers could not have come from him as he "doesn't do" flowers or apologies; Tosh has also reverted to her old personality. Jack is seen taking Adam's box out of a Torchwood bag, and a small component also falls out. Ianto comes in and Jack gives him his diary, implying he has looked in it by claiming, "Measuring tapes never lie." Seeing the bag is labelled "ADAM'S PROPERTY", he asks Ianto: "Who's Adam?", but Ianto replies that he doesn't know and leaves. Jack, fiddling with the box and the component, manages to open it and finds it to be filled with sand, which he stares at ominously.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Animals[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Owen tries to give Tosh a screen cleaner in the form of a mouse holding cheese.

Disease and illnesses[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The team think Gwen has suffered from temporary amnesia.

Food and Beverages[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Adam implants a false memory of making coffee for Gwen.
  • Rhys was going to make Gwen "spag bol", but claims he couldn't do it because of the garlic involved, saying "can't kiss a girl with garlic breath".
  • Owen makes Tosh smoked salmon sandwiches. Tosh goes to get a beer to drink whilst eating them.

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Gwen and Rhys met at college. Their first kiss was at a supermarket.
  • Owen says he doesn't "do" flowers or apologies.

Locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Timeline[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Adam adds himself into the Torchwood records, giving his name as Adam Smith, his birth date as 16 November 1982, and the date that he was recruited into Torchwood as 7 May 2005.

Weapons[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Gwen threatens Rhys with a knife and a gun.

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • A family friendly pre-watershed edit of this episode aired at 7:00pm the following day, Thursday 14 February 2008, on BBC Two.
  • The regular opening flash of sequences is altered, for this episode only, to feature two shots of Adam, furthering the illusion he is part of the Torchwood team.
  • The Boeshane Peninsula and Jack's home are seen. However, the nature of the beings which attacked Jack's family isn't revealed.
  • The sound effects used for the shrieks of the unseen creatures which invaded Jack's home when he was young were the same ones used for the Krillitanes in TV: School Reunion.
  • This story finishes with none of the main characters having any memory of what happened whatsoever, making it the only television story which none of the regulars can remember.
  • Whilst filming the kiss between Jack and Ianto, the crew pulled a prank on John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd by not calling "Cut!" after they had stopped filming, causing the kiss to continue for more than two minutes before the two actors realised what was going on.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • 3.79 million viewers[1]

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Talbot Place, Cardiff - exterior Gwen and Rhys' flat
  • The Port Of Cardiff, Cardiff Docks, Wales - Jack comes out of sewers, meets Adam
  • Canal Park, Butetown, Cardiff - Adam following Jack around chatting
  • Coney Beach, Porthcawl - Boeshane Peninsula beach
  • Merthyr Mawr Warren, Merthyr Mawr - beach near (young) Jack's house
  • Waterguard Pub (outside), Harbour Drive, Cardiff - outside (young) Jack's house
  • Fox Street, Splott, Cardiff - Ianto 'remembers' the murder in an alley
  • BBC Studios, Upper Boat, Tonteg Road, Treforest Industrial Estate, Pontypridd, Wales
If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

To be added

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Adam, along with the rest of series 2, was released in a complete series box set in 2008.
  • It was also released in the Series 1-4 boxset (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011.)

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ BARB Ratings - April, 2008

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

v • e
Torchwood television stories
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Children of Earth: Day One • Day Two • Day Three • Day Four • Day Five
Series 4
Stories listed here are only those that have been officially licensed by the BBC.
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