Escape to LA (TV story): Difference between revisions

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{{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}{{real world}}{{Infobox Torchwood
{{title dab away}}
|story name      = Escape to LA
{{real world}}
|image           = [[File:Redecoration.jpg|250px]]
{{ImageLinkTV}}
|series           = ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]'' - [[List of Torchwood television stories|TV stories]]
{{Infobox Story SMW
|series number   = [[series 4 (Torchwood)|4]]
|image                 = Redecoration.jpg
|number           = 35
|series               = ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''
|featuring       = [[Jack Harkness]]<br />[[Gwen Cooper]]<br />[[Rhys Williams]]<br />[[Rex Matheson]]<br />[[Esther Drummond]]
|season number         = Series 4 (Torchwood)
|enemy            = [[The Gentleman]]<br />[[Oswald Danes]]<br />[[Jilly Kitzinger]]<br />[[The Cousin]] (voice only)
|series episode number = 4
|setting         = {{bp|[[Washington, D.C.]]|[[Venice Beach]], [[California]]|[[Swansea]], [[Wales]]|[[Los Angeles]], [[California]]|[[Cardiff]], [[Wales]]|[[2011]]}}
|main character       = [[Jack Harkness|Jack]], [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]], [[Rex Matheson|Rex]], [[Esther Drummond|Esther]], [[Oswald Danes|Oswald]], [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]]
|writer           = [[Jim Gray]] (story)<br />Jim Gray & [[John Shiban]](teleplay)|
|featuring            = Vera Juarez
|director         = [[Billy Gierhart]]
|featuring2            = Jilly Kitzinger
|producer         = [[Kelly A Manners]]
|enemy                = [[The Gentleman (Escape to LA)|The Gentleman]]
|broadcast date   = [[29 July]] [[2011]]
|setting               = [[Washington DC]], [[Los Angeles]] and [[Cardiff]], [[2011]]
|previous story  = [[Dead of Night]]
|writer               = Jim Gray, John Shiban
|next story      = [[The Categories of Life]]
|director             = [[Billy Gierhart]]
}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}'''''<ref>As with all episodes of ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'', the episode title was not given onscreen, but comes instead from the official [[Starz]] [http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood ''Miracle Day'' website]</ref> was the fourth episode of ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]''.
|producer             = [[Kelly A Manners]]
|broadcast date       = 29 July 2011
|network              = Starz
|prev                  = Dead of Night (TV story)
|next                 = The Categories of Life (TV story)
|clip                  =
|trailer              =
|clip2                =
|format = 1x50-minute episode<br/>Part 4 of 10}}
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the fourth episode of [[Series 4 (Torchwood)|Series 4]] of ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''. It was written by [[Jim Gray]] and [[John Shiban]], and directed by [[Billy Gierhart]]. It explored the family relationships of Esther and Rex, which had been strained by their duties for the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. Of note, was the anonymous organisation that had its hooks into [[Brian Friedkin]] which began to move out of its thus far quiet operations and take a hostile initiative against Torchwood. This unknown collective, identified by its triangular calling card symbol, contracted a professional [[assassin]] to eliminate the group, who dropped hints about what these individuals sought to gain.


== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
Torchwood follows PhiCorp to California to continue the fight and walk straight into a trap. Elsewhere, [[Oswald Danes]], and [[Jilly Kitzinger]] face off against their own adversary.
[[Torchwood (team)|Torchwood]] follow [[PhiCorp]] to [[California]] to continue the fight, but walk straight into a trap. Elsewhere, [[Oswald Danes]] and [[Jilly Kitzinger]] face off against their own adversaries.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
[[Esther Drummond|Esther]] visits her sister, [[Sarah Drummond]]. She sees the house boarded up and tells Sarah why she's going to stop the miracle. She asks to see [[Alice Drummond|Alice]] and [[Melanie Drummond]] before she goes. Sarah refuses because of her mental condition, thinking the miracle a poison, and shuts the door. In her car, Esther phones Social Services and reports the girls are in danger, but refuses to give her name. She drives off. A man in a black car with the strange GPS triangle icon reports, "Esther Drummond located". [[The Cousin|A voice]] orders him to follow Esther to lead him to Torchwood.
Despite the risks, [[Esther Drummond]] decides to pay a visit to her sister [[Sarah Drummond|Sarah]], only to find her house boarded up with messages to stay away. When Sarah answers the door, Esther discovers she's added several locks to it and is apparently having a nervous breakdown. When Sarah explains that she's been questioned about her, Esther explains she's leaving [[Washington DC]] soon and wants to say goodbye to her nieces. However, Sarah says she won't let them outside, believing everything people are saying about [[Miracle Day|the Miracle]] online. Forced to leave, Esther calls Child Services, explaining Sarah may pose a danger to her daughters. Unbeknownst to her, an agent of [[the Three Families]] has found her and is ordered to follow her to [[Jack Harkness]].


The team arrive in [[California]] and rent a shack to plan the assault. A women gives [[Rex Matheson|Rex]] a Dead is Dead campaign flyer. Rex phones [[Vera Juarez|Dr. Vera Juarez]]. She tells him it's a campaign run by [[Ellis Hartley Monroe]]. [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]] gets a call from [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]] and asks about her father and daughter. Rhys says they are fine and jokes about why she is in LA. As Gwen talks, the man who stalks them takes photos of her.
Arriving in [[Los Angeles]], the [[Torchwood (team)|Torchwood team]] take in their new surroundings while [[Rex Matheson]] puts money in the parking metre. Jack expresses his fondness for seeing the [[Pacific Ocean]], saying it must have been in the [[1940]]s that he last saw it. Esther questions him if he's joking, but [[Gwen Cooper]] changes the subject, asking where [[PhiCorp]] headquarters is; it's in the next city. Jack informs his team that they have to find a base of operations in the meantime, with Gwen complaining about the locations he always chooses.


[[Jilly Kitzinger]] is now [[Oswald Danes]]' personal manager under orders from PhiCorp. Jilly tells Oswald his crimes disgust her and Oswald is becoming old news. Ellis Hartley Monroe is taking the spotlight.
In the meantime, Rex phones [[Vera Juarez|Dr Juarez]], having been handed a flyer advertising [[Dead is Dead]], learning [[Ellis Hartley Monroe]] is leading a campaign to treat those who should have died as they ''are'' dead and wait for their "pause" from death to come to an end. Dr Juarez, on the other hand, is being shown an abandoned [[hospital]] along with a medical panel; it's intended to be used as storage for the overflowing ICU patients. Despite protests, the plan will go through.


During a conversationwith Rex, Esther reveals that he has family in California, but Rex denies all knowledge. Later, he sneaks out to visit his father, who resents his presence and threatens him with a shotgun, claiming that Rex hasn't cared about him for fifteen years.
Elsewhere, [[Oswald Danes]] is enjoying the privileges of being in a fancy hotel, everything paid for by [[PhiCorp]] of course. [[Jilly Kitzinger]] arrives and explains to him that PhiCorp has made her his personal assistant, saying she will do anything within her job description for him; however, that doesn't mean she has to like him, as she is disgusted by what he has done. Oswald prepares to leave for another interview, but is told he has been replaced by [[Ellis Hartley Monroe|Monroe]]; her popularity is growing fast, putting Danes in danger of being thrown back to the mob.


The team plans a raid on PhiCorp to steal server hard drives. Esther reveals they have a bio-metric security system; in order to bypass it they need a voice recording, a palm print, and a retina scan from a man called Nickolas Frumpkin. Using a great deal of skill (recording him say his name, taking fingerprints from a flask Gwen makes him hold, and getting a picture of his eyes), they begin their raid.
Jack asks around for a place for the team to stay, no questions; they find a place. The owner asks if it would be pointless to ask who they are; Jack passes the group off as travelling circus folk. Rex quips that Jack's the clown. Jack pays the owner extra to tell them if anything comes asking about them. The owner goes to leave, but then stops to tell them about a fabulous snack served nearby. Rex, taken aback by the man's sudden change in behaviour asks if Jack makes everyone around him gay. With a mischievous smile, Jack jokes that "that's the plan".


Meanwhile the hitman finds [[Nickolas Frumpkin]], records his voice, cuts off the palm of his hands and removes one of his eyes. Gwen gets into the building with help from Esther hacking the phone system. Jack delivers a package to PhiCorp, but inside is an exact copy of the PhiCorp server, designed to look like it suffered fire damage.
Rex goes to meet his dad, who has regressed into a thief, stealing PhiCorp drugs. His dad holds him at gunpoint, but Rex disarms him. He says he doesn't want to live forever. When Rex shows him his wound, his dad tells him to "get the hell out". Rex agrees, exiting. Once out, he takes out a package of PhiCorp drugs, having taken them from his father's stash.


[[File:Gwencaptured-1-.jpg|thumb|left|[[The Gentleman]] captures Gwen as bait for Jack.]]
Esther shows that server 113 of the PhiCorp [[computer]] system contains information they need. The security for their server system was designed by a [[Nicolas Frumkin]]; every entry point is activated by Frumkin's voice print, palm print and iris recognition. Jack and Gwen impersonate a couple and gain the respective things with the help of a water bottle and Gwen's [[cell phone]].
Jack and Gwen activate the alarm and remove the hard drives. However, when Jack leaves to get them out of the building, Gwen is ambushed by the hitman. When Jack finds one of the delivery staff hanged, yet still alive, he rushes back to help Gwen. He too is knocked out. Rex rushes in to save them, climbing sixty-six flights of stairs and suffering heavy bleeding.


The hitman knows Jack is mortal, and wants to guarantee his place in a "New World Order" by bringing him to "Them". He plans to shoot Gwen, who almost tricks him into revealing whom he works for, but Rex bursts in and shoots the man several times. They search the hard drives and learn of "Overflow Camps".
The new temporary hospital that Juarez is managing is failing miserably: no ID checks, no [[electricity]] and people just being thrown in without permission. Moore has a rally just outside. Oswald, who is there at the time, decides to go into the hospital, locking everyone out. He says he is not scared of the people inside. He says he wants to help, promising food and security. This gets him more popularity among the populace of the world. Monroe, while leaving, is [[poison]]ed.


Gwen gets a call from Rhys and asks if he was able to get her dad out the hospital. Rhys claims the NHS have set up a multi-million health system, but Gwen realises that PhiCorp now has her dad. Meanwhile Oswald delivers a speech at the hospital, wanting to speak for those who are dying, ruining Ellis Hartley Monroe's campaign. As she leaves the hospital, she is knocked out by a sedative. She wakes up in a car-crushing junkyard, where she is told "[[The Three Families|The Families]] will rise". The car is crushed, and she becomes trapped.
Frumkin is held at gunpoint by an unnamed person. He tells them that Torchwood is behind what is about to happen. For the palm and eye, he mutilates Frumkin, who lives through every second due to [[Miracle Day|the Miracle]]. Meanwhile, Esther's sister Sarah has been taken to a psychiatric hospital.
 
Gwen is admitted undercover at PhiCorp under the alias of Yvonne Pallister, International Sales Representative, and Esther poses as "Lorraine" in Human Resources to get Gwen to Floor 21. She also sends Jack to Floor 21, with him posing as a delivery worker. Jack sets a small fire and then extinguishes it, to set off the [[fire alarm]]. They enter the room with a blank server.
 
Rex realises the possibility that someone might have followed Esther while she was at her sister's house. The mysterious agent who followed Esther knocks out and gags Gwen, and when Jack enters, he follows. Rex berates Esther for allowing them to be traced and then goes to rescue Gwen and Jack. The man says that the reason Jack is mortal is because of something that happened many years ago, and that Jack caused this. Rex is midway sprinting up the 30 flights of stairs, his wound taking its toll. The man says that the moment has come when they found "specific geography". He is about to reveal this information when Rex bursts in and shoots him in the throat. Exhausted, Rex collapses against the wall. Jack and Gwen chastise Rex, stating he stopped the man from telling them what he knew but Rex dismisses them, citing he saved their lives.
 
Monroe finds herself gagged, inside a vehicle that is placed into a compactor. She's still alive due to Miracle Day. A screen in the dashboard lights up with a spinning triangular symbol and a voice speaks to her. It apologises to her about what is to befall her, musing that they could have been friends under different circumstances. However, though her style was to their liking, the anonymous group has Oswald Danes, not needing another player for their cause. Monroe's strategy nearly revealed their hand too soon, which would have ruined their long-awaited plans. The voice tells her a final cryptic statement: "We are everywhere. We are always. We are no-one. And soon, the families will rise." Monroe is mulched into the wreckage of the compacted vehicle. All that can be seen inside the cube of twisted chassis is one terrified eye from a person who can no longer scream.
 
Rex reprimands Esther for her mistake during the operation, announcing this is her last warning. Esther apologises and begins the lengthy process of compiling data to seek out the organisation that has put a hit on Torchwood and learn more about PhiCorp. They find that PhiCorp plans to build overflow camps, and worse still, it's already started. [[Rhys Williams]] phones Gwen with the news they are moving her father out of the hospital, and into an overflow camp. Rhys doesn't know the government's plans are duplicitous, thinking his father-in-law will be safe. Gwen frantically tells Rhys to stop the removal of her father from the hospital. Rhys runs outside to find [[ambulance]]s pouring out onto the street. It's too late for him to stop the patient transfer — PhiCorp has captured Gwen's dad.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
Line 46: Line 62:
* [[Rhys Williams]] - [[Kai Owen]]
* [[Rhys Williams]] - [[Kai Owen]]
* [[Oswald Danes]] - [[Bill Pullman]]
* [[Oswald Danes]] - [[Bill Pullman]]
* [[Vera Juarez|Dr. Vera Juarez]] - [[Arlene Tur]]
* [[Jilly Kitzinger]] - [[Lauren Ambrose]]
* [[Peterssen|Mr Peterssen]] - [[Brian Guest]]
* [[Vera Juarez|Dr Vera Juarez]] - [[Arlene Tur]]
* [[Vera Juarez|Dr. Vera Juarez]] - [[Arlene Tur]]
* [[The Gentleman (Escape to LA)|The Gentleman]] - [[C Thomas Howell|C. Thomas Howell]]
* [[Ellis Hartley Monroe]] - [[Mare Winningham]]
* [[Ellis Hartley Monroe]] - [[Mare Winningham]]
* [[Bisme Katusi]] - [[Juanita Jennings]]
* [[Bisme Katusi]] - [[Juanita Jennings]]
* [[Sarah Drummond]] - [[Candace Brown]]
* [[Sarah Drummond|Sarah]] - [[Candace Brown]]
* [[Nicolas Frumkin]] - [[Kelvin Yu]]
* [[Nicolas Frumkin]] - [[Kelvin Yu]]
* [[Male Nurse]] - [[Desean Terry]]
* [[Male nurse (Escape to LA)|Male Nurse]] - [[Desean Terry]]
* [[Thin Old Man]] - [[Roger Vernon Burton]]
* [[Thin old man|Thin Old Man]] - [[Roger Vernon Burton]]
* Voice of [[The Cousin]] - [[Chris Butler]]
* [[Woman (Escape to LA)|Woman]] - [[Katsy Chappell]]
* [[Woman (Escape to LA)|Woman]] - [[Katsy Chappell]]
* [[Young Mother]] - [[April Clark]]
* [[Young mother|Young Mother]] - [[April Clark]]
* [[Lobby Guard]] - [[Anthony Dilio]]
* [[Lobby guard|Lobby Guard]] - [[Anthony Dilio]]
* [[Burly Guard]] - [[David Fofi]]
* [[Burly guard|Burly Guard]] - [[David Fofi]]
* [[The Gentleman]] - [[C Thomas Howell]]
* [[Spanish newscaster (Escape to LA)|Spanish Newscaster]] - [[Teresa Garza]]
* [[Spanish Newscaster]] - [[Teresa Garza]]
* [[Maurice Matheson|Maurice]] - [[Roy Lee Jones]]
* [[Jilly Kitzinger]] - [[Lauren Ambrose]]
* [[Veronica (Escape to LA)|Veronica]] - [[JoNell Kennedy]]
* [[Maurice (Escape to LA)|Maurice]] - [[Roy Lee Jones]]
* [[Japanese newscaster (Escape to LA)|Japanese Newscaster]] - [[Masami Kosaka]]
* [[Veronica]] - [[JoKnell Kennedy]]
* [[Japanese Newscaster]] - [[Masami Kosaka]]
* [[Simran Baidwan|Simran]] - [[Ronobir Lahiri]]
* [[Simran Baidwan|Simran]] - [[Ronobir Lahiri]]
* [[Sick Man]] - [[Michael D Nye]]
* [[Sick man (Escape to LA)|Sick Man]] - [[Michael D Nye]]
* [[Scared Old Woman]] - [[Barbara Mallory]]
* [[Scared old woman|Scared Old Woman]] - [[Barbara Mallory]]
* [[Brian (Escape to LA)|Landlord Brian]] - [[Keith Russell]]
* [[Brian (Escape to LA)|Landlord]] - [[Keith Russell]]
* [[Chauffeur]] - [[Christian Svensson]]
* [[Chauffeur (Escape to LA)|Chauffeur]] - [[Christian Svensson]]
* [[Candice Perlmutter|Candice]] - [[Randa Walker]]
* [[Candice Perlmutter|Candice]] - [[Randa Walker]]
* [[Male anchor|Male Newscaster]] - [[David Grant Wright]]
* [[Male anchor (Escape to LA)|Male Newscaster]] - [[David Grant Wright]]


== Crew ==
== Crew ==
Line 144: Line 157:
some episodes also had credits for UK crews.  That section begins below.
some episodes also had credits for UK crews.  That section begins below.
Do not fill in unless there are credits which explicitly specify a "UK Crew".
Do not fill in unless there are credits which explicitly specify a "UK Crew".
Note that Torchwood credits don't carry a "US crew" tag because — and this is
Note that Torchwood credits don't carry a "US crew" tag because it's a US show.
hard for some to accept — it's a US show.


-->
-->
Line 164: Line 176:
|UKGrip=
|UKGrip=
|UKGrip2=
|UKGrip2=
}}
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Diseases ===
* There's [[cholera]] in Boston and [[dysentery]] in [[Philadelphia|Philly]]. [[New York]] has [[typhus]] and [[hemorrhagic fever]].
=== Individuals ===
* Esther's sister is [[Sarah Drummond]]. Her nieces are [[Melanie Drummond|Melanie]] and [[Alice Drummond]]. They live at [[1032 King Sovereign Road]].
* The Torchwood team compare themselves to a travelling [[circus]]. Jack is the [[clown]] and Gwen is the [[bearded woman]].
* Jilly is freelance, but has been working with PhiCorp for around six months.
* Jilly states that her job is not to like Oswald, but to find him [[coffee]], accompany him to studios and recommend who is better out of [[Diane Sawyer]] and [[Piers Morgan]].
* Rex is from [[New York]], but has a father living in [[California]].
* Gwen can impersonate a [[Minnesota]] regional accent, but Jack does not like it.
* Vera asks a male nurse to fetch [[Holland (Escape to LA)|Mr. Holland]]. She then asks for the whereabouts of [[Sally Richter]].
* Gwen has trouble wearing high-heeled [[shoes]].
* Oswald is trending on [[Twitter]]. In [[France]], he is being hailed as "The Sainted Danes". He is to replace Monroe at the [[Miracle Rally]] in Los Angeles.
=== Organisations ===
* [[KCNU]] reports on the [[Miracle Day|miracle]]. As do [[WYUB]], [[WNKW]] and [[NNM]].
* It says on the news that revolutions have started on [[Twitter]].
* The scientists, [[White House]] and [[Vatican]] are all silent regarding [[Miracle Day]].
* Pharmaceutical companies, including PhiCorp are predicting record profits.
* There is a [[Big-Daddy Pizza]] by [[Venice Beach]].
* An [[abandoned hospital]] has been empty since [[1992]] or [[1993]]. It is toured by representatives from [[City General Hospital]], [[St Mary's Hospital]], [[St Helen's Hospital (Washington)|St Helen's Hospital]], [[Open Brook]], [[Grand Maple Forest]], [[Attenwood's Hospital]] and [[Woolsey Heights]].
* Saint Helen's and Open Brook send all their patients to the abandoned hospital at the same time, followed by patients from [[Conniston Drive]]. The second floor has no [[electricity]].
* [[Central News]] cancelled Oswald and booked Ellis Hartley Monroe, who has been looped on channel 55 all day.
* [[Computer server|Server]] number one thirteen is PhiCorp's secure server.
* Monroe asks that her guards get hold of [[Fox News]].
* The [[British government]] steps in to prop up the [[NHS]].


}}
=== Politics ===
* The White House is planning a [[Miracle Rally|rally]] in Los Angeles.
* Ellis Hartley Monroe sets up her [[Dead is Dead]] campaign.
* PhiCorp has sold a strategy to the [[UN]] involving [[overflow camp]]s.
 
=== Vehicles ===
* Torchwood has stolen another [[car|vehicle]] for cruising around LA unnoticed — a [[station wagon]] likely snatched from the local beachfront area.
* The abandoned hospital used as a containment facility is compared to a [[plague ship]].
* Inside a [[Ford]], Monroe is put through a [[car compactor]] at a [[junkyard|scrap yard]].
 
=== Locations ===
* Venice Beach is on the west coast of [[United States of America|America]] beside the [[Pacific]].
* [[Venice, California|Venice]] and [[Los Angeles]] are separate cities.
* The landlord says that the apartment "ain't [[Nirvana]]".
* Rhys understands that it's boiling hot in [[Los Angeles]] all year round.
* Rhys puts Gwen's dad in the [[Cowbridge Overflow Camp]].
 
=== Food and beverages ===
* One can find a [[guava jalapeño cheese tart]] at a nearby [[Los Angeles]] café.
 
=== Technology ===
* Esther bounces the [[mobile phone]] signal off a [[Chinese]] [[satellite]].
* Jack sets off a [[smoke alarm]] as a distraction.
 
=== Literature ===
* Jack refers to a chapter [[George Eliot]] wrote in [[Middlemarch]], regarding scratches in metal circling around light.


== References ==
=== Medicine ===
''to be added''
* Esther gives Rex a couple of [[aspirin]].


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
* A supporting character in this episode has the last name Katusi. This was going to be Esther's last name before Alexa Havins was cast.
* A supporting character in this episode has the last name "Katusi". This was going to be Esther's last name before Alexa Havins was cast.
* Vera calls Rex a "dead man walking", the exact title of [[Dead Man Walking (TV story)|a series 2 ''Torchwood'' episode]].


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
* UK: 5.19 million
* UK: 5.19 million (Final BARB ratings)<ref>[https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-10/ BARB Ratings - June, 2011]</ref>
 
* US: 1.09 million
=== Myths ===
''to be added''


=== Filming locations ===
=== Filming locations ===
* It appears that the beach locations were shot in Venice Beach, CA. (e.g., when Gwen is on the phone with Rhys.)
* It appears that the beach locations were shot in Venice Beach, CA. (e.g., when Gwen is on the phone with Rhys.)
=== Broadcasts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Date
!Time
!Channel
!class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
|[[Thursday]] [[4 August (releases)|4 August]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]
|21:00
|[[BBC One]]
|First broadcast.
|-
|[[Monday]] [[8 August (releases)|8 August]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]
|23:20
|[[BBC HD]] & [[BBC Two]]
|
|}


=== Production errors ===
=== Production errors ===
{{Torchwood discontinuity}}
{{Torchwood discontinuity}}
''to be added''
* When Gwen holds the phone up to Nicolas's face, the shot of Esther's computer clearly shows that the Torchwood software is run using Quick Time Player.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* Jack introduces himself as [[Aliases of the Doctor#John Smith|John Smith]], the alias often employed by [[the Doctor]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Moonbase]]'')
* When Monroe takes centre stage at the hospital instead of Oswald, Jilly describes it as a "timing malfunction". This was also the term used when {{Roberts}} took control of [[the Doctor's TARDIS]] before landing in [[San Francisco]] on [[30 December]] [[1999]] as shown in [[TV]]: {{cs|Doctor Who (TV story)}}.
* When Gwen attempts an American accent, Jack tells her she should never try it again, similar to what the Tenth Doctor tells his [[companion]]s. ([[DW]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'', ''[[The Shakespeare Code]]'', ''[[The Unicorn and the Wasp]]'')
* Rex's wound hinders him physically, having pushed himself to the point of death again as he experienced in [[TV]]: {{cs|The New World (TV story)}}, and {{cs|Dead of Night (TV story)}}. Just like then, the Miracle keeps him alive.
* When Ellis Hartley Monroe takes centre stage at the hospital instead of Danes, Jilly describes it as a "timing malfunction". This was also the term used when [[The Master]] took control of the [[TARDIS]] before landing in [[1999]] [[San Francisco]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'')
* The Gentleman tells Jack that he met those responsible for the Miracle "a long time ago", but Jack does not remember them. Those responsible would be revealed in [[TV]]: {{cs|Immortal Sins (TV story)}}.


== Home video releases ==
== Home video releases ==
This episode will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on [[14 November]] [[2011]], alongside the other nine episodes.<ref>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torchwood-Miracle-Day-Eve-Myles/dp/B005A5I9V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314885858&sr=8-1</ref>
* This episode was released worldwide in a box set containing all ten episodes of ''Torchwood: Miracle Day''. In the United Kingdom, it was released on Region 2 DVD and Region Free Blu-ray on [[14 November (releases)|14 November]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]].<ref>[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torchwood-Miracle-Day-Eve-Myles/dp/B005A5I9V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314885858&sr=8-1 Amazon.co.uk listing]</ref> In Australia, it was released in Region 4 DVD and Region B Blu-Ray on [[1 December (releases)|1 December]] 2011.<ref>[http://www.ezydvd.com.au/blu-ray/torchwood-miracle-day-blu-ray/dp/6107286 EZYDVD.com.au listing]</ref> In New Zealand, the same sets were released on [[7 December (releases)|7 December]] 2011.<ref>[http://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/Blu-ray/Torchwood-Miracle-Day-4-Disc-Set/19261826/ Mightyape.co.nz listing]</ref> In North America, it was released on Region 1 DVD and Region Free Blu-Ray on [[3 April (releases)|3 April]] [[2012 (releases)|2012]].<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Torchwood-Miracle-Day-John-Barrowman/dp/B007AFS118/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336194370&sr=8-1 Amazon.com listing]</ref>
* It was also released in the Series 1-4 boxset (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011.)


== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|3}}
{{TWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}


{{TV stub}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TWTV}}
[[fr:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Torchwood television stories]]
[[Category:Torchwood television stories]]
[[Category:Series 4 (Torchwood) stories]]
[[Category:Series 4 (Torchwood) stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in Washington DC]]
[[Category:Stories set in Washington DC]]
[[Category:Stories set in Swansea]]
[[Category:Stories set in Swansea]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2011]]
[[Category:2011 television stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Stories set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Stories set in Cardiff]]
[[de:Escape to LA]]
[[fr:Escape to LA]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 17 January 2024

RealWorld.png

Escape to LA was the fourth episode of Series 4 of Torchwood. It was written by Jim Gray and John Shiban, and directed by Billy Gierhart. It explored the family relationships of Esther and Rex, which had been strained by their duties for the CIA. Of note, was the anonymous organisation that had its hooks into Brian Friedkin which began to move out of its thus far quiet operations and take a hostile initiative against Torchwood. This unknown collective, identified by its triangular calling card symbol, contracted a professional assassin to eliminate the group, who dropped hints about what these individuals sought to gain.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

Torchwood follow PhiCorp to California to continue the fight, but walk straight into a trap. Elsewhere, Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger face off against their own adversaries.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Despite the risks, Esther Drummond decides to pay a visit to her sister Sarah, only to find her house boarded up with messages to stay away. When Sarah answers the door, Esther discovers she's added several locks to it and is apparently having a nervous breakdown. When Sarah explains that she's been questioned about her, Esther explains she's leaving Washington DC soon and wants to say goodbye to her nieces. However, Sarah says she won't let them outside, believing everything people are saying about the Miracle online. Forced to leave, Esther calls Child Services, explaining Sarah may pose a danger to her daughters. Unbeknownst to her, an agent of the Three Families has found her and is ordered to follow her to Jack Harkness.

Arriving in Los Angeles, the Torchwood team take in their new surroundings while Rex Matheson puts money in the parking metre. Jack expresses his fondness for seeing the Pacific Ocean, saying it must have been in the 1940s that he last saw it. Esther questions him if he's joking, but Gwen Cooper changes the subject, asking where PhiCorp headquarters is; it's in the next city. Jack informs his team that they have to find a base of operations in the meantime, with Gwen complaining about the locations he always chooses.

In the meantime, Rex phones Dr Juarez, having been handed a flyer advertising Dead is Dead, learning Ellis Hartley Monroe is leading a campaign to treat those who should have died as they are dead and wait for their "pause" from death to come to an end. Dr Juarez, on the other hand, is being shown an abandoned hospital along with a medical panel; it's intended to be used as storage for the overflowing ICU patients. Despite protests, the plan will go through.

Elsewhere, Oswald Danes is enjoying the privileges of being in a fancy hotel, everything paid for by PhiCorp of course. Jilly Kitzinger arrives and explains to him that PhiCorp has made her his personal assistant, saying she will do anything within her job description for him; however, that doesn't mean she has to like him, as she is disgusted by what he has done. Oswald prepares to leave for another interview, but is told he has been replaced by Monroe; her popularity is growing fast, putting Danes in danger of being thrown back to the mob.

Jack asks around for a place for the team to stay, no questions; they find a place. The owner asks if it would be pointless to ask who they are; Jack passes the group off as travelling circus folk. Rex quips that Jack's the clown. Jack pays the owner extra to tell them if anything comes asking about them. The owner goes to leave, but then stops to tell them about a fabulous snack served nearby. Rex, taken aback by the man's sudden change in behaviour asks if Jack makes everyone around him gay. With a mischievous smile, Jack jokes that "that's the plan".

Rex goes to meet his dad, who has regressed into a thief, stealing PhiCorp drugs. His dad holds him at gunpoint, but Rex disarms him. He says he doesn't want to live forever. When Rex shows him his wound, his dad tells him to "get the hell out". Rex agrees, exiting. Once out, he takes out a package of PhiCorp drugs, having taken them from his father's stash.

Esther shows that server 113 of the PhiCorp computer system contains information they need. The security for their server system was designed by a Nicolas Frumkin; every entry point is activated by Frumkin's voice print, palm print and iris recognition. Jack and Gwen impersonate a couple and gain the respective things with the help of a water bottle and Gwen's cell phone.

The new temporary hospital that Juarez is managing is failing miserably: no ID checks, no electricity and people just being thrown in without permission. Moore has a rally just outside. Oswald, who is there at the time, decides to go into the hospital, locking everyone out. He says he is not scared of the people inside. He says he wants to help, promising food and security. This gets him more popularity among the populace of the world. Monroe, while leaving, is poisoned.

Frumkin is held at gunpoint by an unnamed person. He tells them that Torchwood is behind what is about to happen. For the palm and eye, he mutilates Frumkin, who lives through every second due to the Miracle. Meanwhile, Esther's sister Sarah has been taken to a psychiatric hospital.

Gwen is admitted undercover at PhiCorp under the alias of Yvonne Pallister, International Sales Representative, and Esther poses as "Lorraine" in Human Resources to get Gwen to Floor 21. She also sends Jack to Floor 21, with him posing as a delivery worker. Jack sets a small fire and then extinguishes it, to set off the fire alarm. They enter the room with a blank server.

Rex realises the possibility that someone might have followed Esther while she was at her sister's house. The mysterious agent who followed Esther knocks out and gags Gwen, and when Jack enters, he follows. Rex berates Esther for allowing them to be traced and then goes to rescue Gwen and Jack. The man says that the reason Jack is mortal is because of something that happened many years ago, and that Jack caused this. Rex is midway sprinting up the 30 flights of stairs, his wound taking its toll. The man says that the moment has come when they found "specific geography". He is about to reveal this information when Rex bursts in and shoots him in the throat. Exhausted, Rex collapses against the wall. Jack and Gwen chastise Rex, stating he stopped the man from telling them what he knew but Rex dismisses them, citing he saved their lives.

Monroe finds herself gagged, inside a vehicle that is placed into a compactor. She's still alive due to Miracle Day. A screen in the dashboard lights up with a spinning triangular symbol and a voice speaks to her. It apologises to her about what is to befall her, musing that they could have been friends under different circumstances. However, though her style was to their liking, the anonymous group has Oswald Danes, not needing another player for their cause. Monroe's strategy nearly revealed their hand too soon, which would have ruined their long-awaited plans. The voice tells her a final cryptic statement: "We are everywhere. We are always. We are no-one. And soon, the families will rise." Monroe is mulched into the wreckage of the compacted vehicle. All that can be seen inside the cube of twisted chassis is one terrified eye from a person who can no longer scream.

Rex reprimands Esther for her mistake during the operation, announcing this is her last warning. Esther apologises and begins the lengthy process of compiling data to seek out the organisation that has put a hit on Torchwood and learn more about PhiCorp. They find that PhiCorp plans to build overflow camps, and worse still, it's already started. Rhys Williams phones Gwen with the news they are moving her father out of the hospital, and into an overflow camp. Rhys doesn't know the government's plans are duplicitous, thinking his father-in-law will be safe. Gwen frantically tells Rhys to stop the removal of her father from the hospital. Rhys runs outside to find ambulances pouring out onto the street. It's too late for him to stop the patient transfer — PhiCorp has captured Gwen's dad.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

General production staff


Camera and lighting department

Art department


 Make-up and prosthetics


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.
          

The Starz broadcast carried a final credit of "Originally Developed and Produced by BBC Cymru Wales". The BBC One broadcast says, instead, "BBC Worldwide Productions for BBC Cymru Wales and STARZ Originals".


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Diseases[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Organisations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Politics[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The White House is planning a rally in Los Angeles.
  • Ellis Hartley Monroe sets up her Dead is Dead campaign.
  • PhiCorp has sold a strategy to the UN involving overflow camps.

Vehicles[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Torchwood has stolen another vehicle for cruising around LA unnoticed — a station wagon likely snatched from the local beachfront area.
  • The abandoned hospital used as a containment facility is compared to a plague ship.
  • Inside a Ford, Monroe is put through a car compactor at a scrap yard.

Locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Food and beverages[[edit] | [edit source]]

Technology[[edit] | [edit source]]

Literature[[edit] | [edit source]]

Medicine[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Esther gives Rex a couple of aspirin.

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

  • A supporting character in this episode has the last name "Katusi". This was going to be Esther's last name before Alexa Havins was cast.
  • Vera calls Rex a "dead man walking", the exact title of a series 2 Torchwood episode.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • UK: 5.19 million (Final BARB ratings)[1]
  • US: 1.09 million

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

  • It appears that the beach locations were shot in Venice Beach, CA. (e.g., when Gwen is on the phone with Rhys.)

Broadcasts[[edit] | [edit source]]

Date Time Channel Notes
Thursday 4 August 2011 21:00 BBC One First broadcast.
Monday 8 August 2011 23:20 BBC HD & BBC Two

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

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.
  • When Gwen holds the phone up to Nicolas's face, the shot of Esther's computer clearly shows that the Torchwood software is run using Quick Time Player.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • When Monroe takes centre stage at the hospital instead of Oswald, Jilly describes it as a "timing malfunction". This was also the term used when the Bruce Master took control of the Doctor's TARDIS before landing in San Francisco on 30 December 1999 as shown in TV: Doctor Who [+]Loading...["Doctor Who (TV story)"].
  • Rex's wound hinders him physically, having pushed himself to the point of death again as he experienced in TV: The New World [+]Loading...["The New World (TV story)"], and Dead of Night [+]Loading...["Dead of Night (TV story)"]. Just like then, the Miracle keeps him alive.
  • The Gentleman tells Jack that he met those responsible for the Miracle "a long time ago", but Jack does not remember them. Those responsible would be revealed in TV: Immortal Sins [+]Loading...["Immortal Sins (TV story)"].

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

  • This episode was released worldwide in a box set containing all ten episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day. In the United Kingdom, it was released on Region 2 DVD and Region Free Blu-ray on 14 November 2011.[2] In Australia, it was released in Region 4 DVD and Region B Blu-Ray on 1 December 2011.[3] In New Zealand, the same sets were released on 7 December 2011.[4] In North America, it was released on Region 1 DVD and Region Free Blu-Ray on 3 April 2012.[5]
  • It was also released in the Series 1-4 boxset (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011.)

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ BARB Ratings - June, 2011
  2. ↑ Amazon.co.uk listing
  3. ↑ EZYDVD.com.au listing
  4. ↑ Mightyape.co.nz listing
  5. ↑ Amazon.com listing
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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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