The Gathering (Torchwood)

40 – "The Gathering"
Torchwood episode
Cast
Starring John Barrowman – Captain Jack Harkness Eve Myles – Gwen Cooper Mekhi Phifer – Rex Matheson Alexa Havins – Esther Drummond Kai Owen – Rhys Williams Bill Pullman – Oswald Danes
Others Lauren Ambrose – Jilly Kitzinger Candace Brown – Sarah Drummond Sharon Morgan – Mary Cooper William Thomas – Geraint Cooper Marina Benedict – Charlotte Willis John de Lancie – Allen Shapiro Russell T Davies - Radio news presenter (uncredited voice) Paul James – Noah Vickers Teddy Sears – Blue-eyed Man Frances Fisher – The Mother Ian Hughes – Finch Adam Silver – The Young Man Willis Chung – Chinese Man Danny Szam – Surveillance Guy Jesse Wang – Chinese Worker Gilbert Wayne – Old Man
Production
Directed by	Guy Ferland
Written by	John Fay
Produced by	Kelly A. Manners Brian Minchin (UK unit)
Executive producer(s)	Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Jane Tranter Vlad Wolynetz (co-executive)
Production code	109
Series	Miracle Day
Originally broadcast	2 September 2011 (2011-09-02) (US) 8 September 2011 (UK)
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → "End of the Road" "The Blood Line"
List of Torchwood episodes

"The Gathering" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was first broadcast in the United States on Starz on 2 September 2011.

Two months have passed since "End of the Road". An economic disaster has affected the world and governments have become more isolationist, and closer to dictatorships, and have started enforcing rationing. Also, the Overflow Camps have remained open despite the full public knowledge of what occurs there.

Esther and Jack are on the run in Scotland. While in Scotland, Esther has been taking blood from Jack since they suspect it is significant to the Miracle, the families, and The Blessing. Jack's own blood bank is stored in a metal briefcase in case it becomes useful. Eventually when Oswald Danes travels to Gwen Cooper's home in Swansea with information about a man behind the Miracle, the team reconvene in the Cooper residence.

Torchwood discover that Jilly Kitzinger was hired by PhiCorp to mistranslate foreign news clips into English, including one of a man in Shanghai saying he was saved by The Blessing.

Esther notes blood banks were burnt down shortly before the Miracle in two of the most populous cities in the world: Shanghai and Buenos Aires. Rhys, examining a globe, realizes that they are the exact opposite points on the Earth.

Meanwhile, police authorities under reinstated Category legislation have the authority to enter homes if residents are under suspicion of harboring Category Ones. Considered legally dead, any Category Ones are taken into custody and held until such a time that they can be incinerated in the ovens. Gwen's father has been hidden behind some wood paneling in the basement. When an inspector returns a second time with a new thermal imaging application on his smartphone, he removes Gwen's father. Gwen begs them to leave him alone, but nothing can be done. She reminds Jack and the others that all she wants is to stop the Miracle and have this authoritarian disaster end.

Rhys' discovery of two geographic points running across the center of the Earth reflects the logo of PhiCorp - a circle with a line running through it. They decide to split up and investigate: Rex and Esther travel to Buenos Aires; Jack, Gwen, and Oswald (who knows too much information to be released and who is at risk of being murdered by Rhys if he stays in the Cooper residence) are smuggled by gun runners into Shanghai. As Jack puts it, Torchwood has now gone global. When Charlotte notices that Rex has touched down in Argentina, she immediately informs The Families.

...
Wikipedia