Out of Time (TV story)

Out of Time
Main enemy:	None
Key crew
Writer:	Catherine Tregenna
Director:	Alice Troughton
Producer:	Richard Stokes
Release details
Release number:	10
Premiere broadcast:	17th December 2006

Synopsis

A plane from the 1950s lands in modern Cardiff, courtesy of the Rift; the passengers are reoriented by the Torchwood team, who become drawn closely to their lives.

Plot

A plane, called the Sky Gypsy lands on an air strip in Cardiff. Its occupants are the pilot, Diane Holmes, with passengers Emma-Louise Cowell and John Ellis. The Torchwood team welcomes them. The people on the plane think that they are in the year 1953. However, Jack informs them that they fell victim to the rift and was transported over fifty years into their future. The team made it their duty to look after the occupants of the plane until they can adapt to the 21st century lifestyle. At first, they were fascinated, yet appalled by new items they never seen before such as tea bags, and certain obscene magazines.

Gwen was to look after Emma, since her parents have died. She took her to her home, where she lied to Rhys that Emma was her cousin and that she had come for a visit. The couple took her to a nightclub, where they later find Emma with a man they seperate her from him when they see the two kissing. Gwen explains that things are different than they were in the 1950s. Later Emma finds a job as a shop-girl in London. Gwen is hesitant, wanting to get her a job in Cardiff where she can look after her, but she has to change her mind when Rhys discovers that Emma is not Gwen's cousin. Gwen agreed to let her go and tells her to not talk to strangers when travelling to London before wishing each other a happy Christmas.

Meanwhile, Jack starts a friendship with John, who wants to find his son, Alan Ellis. Toshmanages to find him, John pays him a visit, but he is devastated to find out that his son is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A severly depressed John takes Ianto's car to kill himself by cabon monoxide poisoning. Jack tried to convince him to stop. However, John said that he died decades ago. A reluctant Jack joins him in the car whilst the carbon monixode slowly kills John.

Also, Owen was to look after Diane, who wanted to fly, but couldn't because her licence had expired decades ago. Owen convinces her out to lunch. After spending more time together, they began a sexual relationship. However later, Owen developed feelings and fell in love with her, with Diane admitting the same feelings. One morning, Owen discovers that Diane had gone, with a note on his pillow. He rushes to the airfield when he finds her attemting to take off with the Sky Gypsy. Owen attempts to convince Diane to stay, but she is confident that due to the exact weather conditions from where she took off, the rift will open up again to take her back to her timeline. Owen unsuccessfully tells her that the rift won't take her back. After she kisses Owen goodbye, she takes off and her plane disappears into the clouds.

In the end, Jack, Gwen and Owen think back on how the three have touched their lives.

Cast

• 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
• Diane Holmes - Louise Delamere
• John Ellis - Mark Lewis Jones
• Emma-Louise Cowell - Olivia Hallinan
• Alan Ellis - Sam Beezely
• Nurse - Marion Fenner
• Alesha - Janine Carrington
• Jade - Rhea Bailey
• Flying Instructor - Andrew McBean
• Barman - Ciaron Dowd

Crew

to be added

References

• Jack makes a clear suggestion that Diane sucessfully re-enters the Cardiff rift.

Story Notes

• It is funny to note that by the time Emma-Louise Cowell was setting off for London, the events of DW: The Runaway Bride were taking place at that very same location and day, in which the Webstar came to London.
• A plane carrying composed Glenn Miller also disappeared while flying over the United Kingdom in 1944, similar to the Sky Gypsy. He composed Moonlight Serenade and In The Mood, both of which featured heavily in The Empty Child, which introduced Jack Harkness.

Ratings

• BBC3 - 1.0 million viewers
• BBC2 - 2.2 million viewers

Myths

to be added

Filming Locations

• Plane landing at the begining ofthe episode ~ RAF St Athan ~ Vale of Glamorgan
• John visits the Millennium Stadium's gate 3 ~ Westgate Street, Cardiff
• The restaurant Owen and Diane visit is The Pearl of the Orient ~ Cardiff Bay.

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

• John is unable to smoke his pipe in the pub, but Diane can smoke in the restaurant. Different places have different rules, and some choose to enforce them more vigorously.
• Shouldn't the events of The Runaway Bride be occurring at this time? The reason it's not referred to is because, due to Cardiff being a good few hours away, by the time Torchwood would be halfway to London, the Doctor would have dealt with the Racnoss. Realistically, the producers couldn't refer to the Christmas Special without spoiling it for the viewers.
• During his 'emotional speech' with Diane, Owen mentions that although he has had 'many girls' he has never fallen in love before, thus totally forgetting his fiance (TW:Fragments) He could have asked Jack to retcon him afterwards, or was just lying or exaggerating.
• Jack is not affected by the exhaust fumes when John commits suicide. This may be because of Jack's immortality, which normally revives him after his death, but as seen in TW:Fragments can keep him alive from subtle deaths (i.e. electrocution). Compare, as well, with the events in Utopia, where toxic concentrations of Stet radiation (normally strong enough at such levels to fully evaporate biological life) had no effect on Jack.

Continuity

• A vision of Diane appears to Owen in TW: End of Days.

DVD Releases

to be added

See also

to be added

External Links

• Out of Time at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• Out of Time at Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History of Time (Travel)
• Out of Time at The Locations Guide