The Categories of Life (TV story): Difference between revisions

{{title dab away}}

{{Infobox Story

|image           = TW4E5.JPG

|series           = ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''

|season number   = [[series 4 (Torchwood)|4]]

|episode number   = 36

|main character   = [[Jack Harkness|Jack]], [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]], [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]], [[Rex Matheson|Rex]], [[Esther Drummond|Esther]], [[Oswald Danes|Oswald]]

|featuring       = [[Vera Juarez|Vera]], [[Jilly Kitzinger|Jilly]], [[Andy Davidson|Andy]], [[Blue-eyed man|Blue-Eyed Man]], and [[Geraint Cooper|Geraint]] and [[Mary Cooper]]

|enemy           = [[Colin Maloney]]

|setting         = [[Cowbridge Overflow Camp|Cowbridge]] and [[San Pedro Overflow Camp]]s, [[2011]]

|writer           = [[Jane Espenson]]

|director         = [[Guy Ferland]]

|producer         = [[Kelly A Manners]] (US), [[Brian Minchin]] (UK)

|broadcast date   = [[5 August (releases)|5 August]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]

|network=[[Starz]]

|prev             = Escape to LA (TV story)

|next             = The Middle Men (TV story)

|trailer         = {{uc:Torchwood}} Miracle Day Ep 5 with {{uc:John Barrowman}} on {{uc:BBC America}}

|clip             = Torchwood Miracle Day - Episode 105 "Categories of Life" Preview

}}

{{You may|Categories of life|n1=the categories themselves}}

'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the fifth episode of the [[Series 4 (Torchwood)|fourth series]] of ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''. It saw the creation of the [[Categories of Life]] to work around the loss of death. However, a dark truth awaited Torchwood when they learned the true fate prepared for those who were billed Category 1. The episode also saw the introduction of [[Colin Maloney]], who would quickly turn venomous toward [[Vera Juarez]] as she backed him into a corner, eventually growing so paranoid about incarceration that he would instigate her tragic demise.

 

Elsewhere, [[Gwen Cooper]] would attempt to liberate her father [[Geraint Cooper|Geraint]] from the overflow camp in [[Wales]] after being removed from the hospital, only to compound his condition and set off another heart attack. [[PhiCorp]] would also rise to the forefront using [[Oswald Danes]] as their mouthpiece before a massive audience, with [[Jack Harkness]] desperate to derail their plans. Lastly, [[Jilly Kitzinger]] would encounter the a member of the shadow organisation that took down [[Ellis Hartley Monroe]], which was watching with approval.  

[[Torchwood (team)|Torchwood]] goes undercover and discovers the terrible truth behind [[the Miracle]]. The enemy is closing in and death is about to make a shocking return.

[[Gwen Cooper]] returns to the [[United Kingdom]] under her alias of Yvonne Pallister. She finds her father has been taken to an overflow camp. [[Rhys Williams]] meets her, disguised as her driver. [[Mary Cooper|Her mother]] has prepared for Gwen's arrival and found [[Geraint Cooper|her father]] at the Cowbridge Camp, a formerly derelict army barracks closed down in [[1996]] — now an overflow camp for patients in [[South Wales]]. The next day Gwen travels with [[Andy Davidson]] to Cowbridge. Andy remarks that though the system is "bloody chaos, at least it works", relieving the pressure on geriatrics and other [[hospital]] departments. Gwen asks, "Who's paying for all this? [[PhiCorp]]. You got health care being run by private business and believe me, that's just the start of your problems."

Gwen heads to admin, demanding the release of her father. A military officer suggests she fill in a claims form. Andy supports her by fabricating a story about her father being removed under [[police]] authority. Told the camp is not under the Welsh police, she is handed a package titled "Overflow Camp Health Care Provider Framework". Gwen turns this over to see PhiCorp's logo. Under threat of arrest, Gwen, Andy, and Rhys leave Cowbridge. Gwen, infuriated at the red tape stopping her after everything she's done with [[Torchwood Three]], tells Rhys, "We're gonna break in here, we're gonna find my father and we're gonna get him out — tonight."

In [[Venice Beach]], [[California]], [[Esther Drummond]] confides in [[Jack Harkness]] about her insecurities at being "useless" to the team. She mentions the death of her mom in [[2003]] and asks Jack about his mom. He replies vaguely. As Esther asks Jack where he's from, they receive text messages from Rex. They meet Rex and are introduced to Vera. Vera mentions she was lucky to catch a flight because most of them were full. There's a Miracle Rally later that night.

* [[Vera Juarez|Doctor Vera Juarez]] - [[Arlene Tur]]

* [[Andy Davidson]] - [[Tom Price]]

* [[Blue-eyed man|Blue-Eyed Man]] - [[Teddy Sears]]

* [[Nurse Chris]] - [[Brad Bell]]

* [[Jilly Kitzinger]] - [[Lauren Ambrose]]

* [[News Reports]] - [[Charles Carpenter]]

* [[Handsome Man]] - [[Jonathan Dane]]

* [[Spanish newscaster]] - [[Teresa Garza]]

* [[Excited teenager|Excited Teenager]] - [[Joelle Elizabeth Jacoby]]

* [[Pushy Woman]] - [[Ria Jones]]

* [[Japanese newscaster|Japanese Newscaster]] - [[Masami Kosaka]]

* [[Maria Santos]] - [[Eve Mauro]]

* [[Stressed Woman]] - [[Francine Morgan]]

* [[Pale Woman (The Categories of Life)|Pale Woman]] - [[Tracy Pfau]]

* [[Paramedic]] - [[Caroline Whitney Smith]]

* [[Angry man|Angry Man]] - [[Vito Viscuso]]

Note that Torchwood credits don't carry a "US crew" tag because — and this is

hard for some to accept — it's a US show.

== References ==

=== Miracle Day ===

* Though the Miracle makes death impossible by lethal wounds, illness, or natural cause, the complete destruction of a human body to the point where absolutely nothing remains ensures death.  

* The [[Categories of Life]] are a set of 3 judgments made about one's health. Category 3 is designated white, and denotes a person with good health and no injury. Category 2 is designated blue, and denotes a person who has sustained serious injury but continues to remain conscious without healing. Category 1 is essentially a death sentence, those who have little to no brain function, remain comatose, or have suffered excessive mutilation that would cause them to die without the Miracle sustaining them. Category 2s are placed in overflow camps to be classified and kept under watch with care, while the ill and lame-bodied Category 1s are cremated in modules to expunge disease.

* Gwen flies into [[Cardiff Airport]].

* MSRA staph infections are mentioned again, which are engulfing hospitals all over the Southwest in [[America]].

* [[Vera Juarez]] confronts [[Colin Maloney]] with the threat of prosecution for improperly caring for all the sick. Maloney panics, steals a [[gun]] from his enlisted associate [[Ralph Coltrane]], and shoots her twice. He covers his tracks by saying the gunshots were the sound of a door slamming. Maloney and Cornish carry her off to an incineration module to be burned alive. [[Rex Matheson]] finds Vera locked inside as its burners kick on. He cannot unlock the module and witnesses her death, recording it as evidence to be waged against the government.

* Colin Maloney can be seen crying when he murders Vera. He evidently chose to kill her to forbid anyone else from exposing the contemptible conditions of his overflow camp, which would warrant permanent imprisonment for his exemplary crimes.  

* Gwen once again uses the identity "Yvonne Palister" as an alias.

* [[Rhys Williams]] poses as a chauffeur for Gwen in Cardiff Airport.  

* Rhys is having trouble maintaining his job at [[Harwood's Haulage]] in the wake of the Miracle. His lorry is also drafted to help with the removal of Category 1 patients to the modules, unknowingly aiding their cremation.  

* [[Mary Cooper]], Gwen's mother, is actively assisting Torchwood to help secure the release of her husband from the overflow camps.

* [[Oswald Danes]] claims Miracle Day has made humanity transcend into [[Angel (mythology)|angels]]. He also believes that the Miracle has forever denied him entry into [[Heaven (afterlife)|Heaven]] by abolishing death and release.

* Vera's death in this episode is very similar to that of previous Torchwood medic [[Owen Harper]]'s death [[Exit Wounds|two years before]]. Both Owen and Vera were trapped in a state of "immortality", Owen being undead and Vera undying. Both had bullet wounds in their upper torsos. Both were vaporised trying to save other people: Owen was killed by coolant while trying to stop a nuclear meltdown, and Vera by an incinerator while trying to save category one patients. Each had a love interest, also suffering from mortal wounds to the chest, witness their deaths through an electronic device. [[Toshiko Sato]], Owen's unconfessed lover, was suffering from a bullet wound to the abdomen and saw the room Owen was in flooded with coolant on a computer monitor, while Rex had a hole in his chest and saw Vera burn through the the glass in the door and through his video camera. However, whereas Rex survived his deadly wounds, Toshiko would not, nor was she physically present to see Owen die.

* UK: 5.17 million

* When Rex starts recording what is happening to the category one patients, the camcorder says it has fifty-four minutes of recording left and has recorded one hour and twenty three minutes worth of film. Several minutes later, when Rex is outside the module, he starts filming again. The camcorder has the same amount of film recorded and film left to record.

* When Rex introduces Vera to Jack, Rex expresses his doubt that he is really "Captain Jack Harkness". ([[TV]]: ''[[Captain Jack Harkness (TV story)|Captain Jack Harkness]]'')

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>

*{{locguide|categoriesoflife|The Categories of Life}}

[[Category:SH ok]]