• Captain Jack
• Gwen
• Owen
• Tosh
• Ianto
Notable Characters;
• Tommy- WWI hospital patient
• Gerald- Member of 1918 Torchwood
• Harriet- Member of 1918 Torchwood
Detailed Plot;
To the Last Man was excellent and begins in a mysterious hospital with a presumed couple detecting, getting readings. A maid was briefly questioned about ghosts, and that there'd been sightings in the ward that very day! It was 1918, The Great War nearing its end, but as of here inside the hospital, lights were fading and the readings of the couple were going barmy to be frank! Instantly, things became clear and a time shift was occurring! Tosh was seen with Tommy, a patient of the hospital, but what was he doing on the opposite side of the shift? Tom quickly gave instructions to the couple, Gerald and Harriet, on what to do... with himself! Gerald and Harriet revealed something brilliant, 'We're Torchwood.'
Tosh was seen in her house getting ready, presumably before the events of the time shift in modern day Cardiff, and she had a date marked on the calendar- she'd been waiting for something a long time. It was discovered that Tommy was born in 1894, aged 22 when he was admitted to St Teilo's hospital. He was frozen within Torchwood, and annually he had to be defrosted but he served a future purpose. Jack knew that one day Tommy was needed for something vital. It was clear by now that Tosh had a crush, and she knew today was the day Tommy was being defrosted. Tommy wasn't quite dead, but certainly dormant. At first attempt of defrosting, Tommy was despondent, but then awoke in a shaken manner, angry, but after seeing Tosh he calmed and knew where he was. A cup of tea was needed! Comically Ianto was to fetch it, still being the tea boy.
In what were routine tests on the day of 'defrosting,' Tommy was asked about his parents and himself, to ensure his memory was sustaining. With Tommy from 1918, it was quite saddening that he knew the years of his upcoming parent's death. I was intrigued at the fact that Tommy was needed by Torchwood, but for what? Jack knew that the time shift was to take place in the future, but he had a problem- he didn't know when. St Teilo's hospital, at two different points in time (1918 and the future) would temporarily merge at the same location, 1918 will come to the future. Instructions on what to do when this moment would occur were in box, left by the Torchwood team of 1918, but it was temporally locked and would only open when the moment would arise.
Tosh and Tommy were enjoying the day together, but the WWI soldier questioned Tosh's life choices, that she works too much. Back at the Hub and chillingly Jack explained how all members of a Torchwood 1918 died young, the fate for the current team?
Gwen visited the present St Teilo's hospital but it was abandoned and deserted. Echoes of the past were heard, similarly to in Captain Jack Harkness. Gwen though saw a one-legged patient, on crutches, he approached her at considerable speech and as Gwen's fear increased he was gone. Vanished. A ghost, 1918 was seeping through. Bit by bit. The time shift wasn't far away. Gwen continued searching in the hospital, lights flickering as she was doing so. She ran into a building team and it was explained to her that the hospital was to be knocked down. After finding out the news, Jack joined Gwen in the hospital and made a reference to him personally being involved in World War One.
In a local pub with Tosh, Tommy saw on the news the Iraq war and was annoyed at the claim that the Great War was the 'War to end all Wars,' but it didn't turn out that way. To him, just 3 weeks after first being frozen, World War Two had broken out, of course it was 21 years but every year was a day to him. Tommy questioned whether humans were worth saving, Tosh thought so. Tommy subtly seemed to proclaim his love to Tosh, explInjng how he would do anything for her. But suddenly he had a pain in his head, nothing major, but it was known that the day of the time-shift was nearing.
Destruction on the hospital had begun and with Jack and Gwen still searching inside, they split up. They both saw ghosts and heard echoes, but shockingly a maid from 1918, a ghost, seemed to notice Gwen. 'I see you' she said, before angrily proclaiming 'You shouldn't be here!' Then she was gone.
Tosh and Tommy were harmlessly playing around before he kissed her, but Tosh despite clearly liking Tommy, didn't seem happy at all. She did though kiss him back, although it was barely a peck. Then the two finally hit it off together and properly kissed. They planned to go back to Tosh's, excited was Tosh but her excitement was soon quashed. Jack called, it was time for Tommy to be put to his use.
It was established that the destruction of the hospital was the cause of the time shift, now the team were put to work as they knew it could happen at any moment. Tosh and Owen were in the hospital and littered the place with rift monitors. In a sentimental moment, a different side of Owen was seen. He was looking out for Tosh, not wanting her to feel the same way he did in Out of Time. Gwen called and she sent Owen to a certain part of the hospital. A 1918 Torchwood file read about a hole in the wall, that led to the future, the time where the merge would occur. Owen saw the breach between two times, but he couldn't see the future, what he saw was the present. The shift was imminent. The temporally locked box containing the instructions on what to do once the shift occurred soon became unlocked. Jack got the instructions out and read them. They weren't instructions for him though, they were for Tommy. He was the key. But the instructions were for somebody else too. Tosh. Jack explained how for a brief moment both times of the present and 1918 would exist as one, this would be when Tommy would step between the times and close the gap, with his current self going back to living life in 1918, replacing the version of himself that would be taken for preservation to close the gap and prevent the past seeping through and taking over the future. Jack gave Tommy a Rift Manipulator, a device which was basically a key, it would keep 1918 where it belongs, with Tommy too.
Heartbreakingly for Tosh, Jack revealed that three weeks after returning to his own time, Tommy would did. He had shell shock during the war, and once he returned, so would his memory. Tommy would revert back to who he was before being frozen by Torchwood. The person that would be shot by the British army for cowardice. Tosh was deeply hurt by this knowledge, and claimed she couldn't send him to his death. But it seemed she had no choice, it had to be Tosh. A drawing of her was along with the instructions, she needed to be there at the time of the merge of two times. Jack was confident in Tosh, he knew she was strong enough. And as the viewer, we knew she'd be there as it was what we had seen at the beginning of the episode- the moment of the time shift.
Jack now had an understanding of the timing of the merge thanks to the instructions and temporal unlocking. Tosh wanted Tommy to go home with her, one last night with the man she clearly had fallen for. 6.30am was the deadline for the pair, they had to be there. There was no alternative.
The pair were seen in Tosh's house, enjoying one another's company. Back at the Hub and Ianto asked Jack that if he had the chance, would he return to his own time? But Jack cleverly reverted the question and it quickly lead to a snog between Jack and Ianto! It was overdue, sexual tension was seen between the pair ever since Greeks Bearing Gifts really, probably even before that! So it didn't come as a shock. 2am and Tommy woke up, asking Tosh in bed what happened to him when he went back. Tosh was sad and he could see she knew, and she, not confirming but subtly, told him of his death. It was dawn now, time to go.
Inside the hospital the rift monitors were altert abd the shift was imminent. More and more echoes and ghosts of the past were appearing, the moment Torchwood took Tommy for freezing was quietly heard. Tommy though, scared and frightened, ran. His shell shock was returning. But he simply had no other choice otherwise chaos would arise if two times became one! Tosh wanted to be left alone with Tommy now, and Jack showed his complete and utter trust to her, she knew what had to be done. She talked him out of fear, explaining how he'll be a hero who saves everyone. Tosh certainly wasn't wrong!
1918 was arriving, the moment was happening as the viewer had seen at the start. Torchwood 1918 were seen, and Tommy got over his shell shock and instructed the early institution on what to do. He kissed Tosh goodbye, and now was about to embark back to 1918, as if he'd never even be asleep. Rift Manipulator with him, Tommy stepped across the gap in time and returned to his own time period. Modern day Torchwood abandoned the hospital while the 1918 team took Tommy to be frozen, and replaced the bed with Tommy, who'd been frozen for 90 odd years! Tommy was taken to be there to close the gap, only he could do it. He was the key.
It seemed all danger was over, but the ending didn't seem all too necessary in my opinion. The Hub was on alert, the past was seeping through and the hospital was the focal point. The Rift Manipulator hadn't been used. Tommy was seen, but he was clueless to what the device was. Jack planned on going back in time as a psychic projection in Tommy's mind to get him to use the manipulator to protect the human race. But Tosh wanted to have that responsibility, one last moment with her crush. Jack again trusted her indefinitely and she went back as a projection using a mind probe device. Tommy's memory was restored to that of 1918, he was confused and couldn't remember Tosh. She did though brilliantly convince him to use the key and stitch the breach between time. 1918 was shut off, all was safe. Tosh packed Tommy's clothes away whilst Owen again was looking out for her, she was sad. But everything was safe, Tommy was a hero.
My analysis;
Overall, I thought this episode was fantastic! The introduction of a past Torchwood team was outstanding I thought and could even be a spinoff that I would love to see! Torchwood in the past. The plot was brilliant with the threat of the past seeping through to the future, but the way in which two eras of Torchwood worked together was outstanding. I loved the focus on Tosh and her relationship with Tommy was great to see. I liked how Owen was looking out for Tosh and now it'll be interesting to see what happens between Jack and Ianto after they shared a passionate kiss! There were a few humorous moments which were good. The preview of the climax at the beginning was great work from Helen Raynor, although I didn't think the ending of the psychic projection was needed. It just didn't seem necessary to me sadly. But overall, a thoroughly enjoyable episode with a marvellous plot!
Rating; 9/10- not quite perfect but still excellent!
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