Reset (Torchwood)

19 – "Reset"
Torchwood episode
Owen examines the Mayfly that he extracted from the Pharm's hired killer.
Cast
Starring John Barrowman – Captain Jack Harkness Eve Myles – Gwen Cooper Burn Gorman – Owen Harper Naoko Mori – Toshiko Sato Gareth David-Lloyd – Ianto Jones Freema Agyeman – Martha Jones
Others Alan Dale – Aaron Copley Jacqueline Boatswain – Plummer Jan Anderson – Marie Thomas Rhodri Miles – Billy Davis Michael Sewell – Mike John Samuel Worsey – Policeman Paul Kasey (uncredited) – Weevil
Production
Writer	J.C. Wilsher
Director	Ashley Way
Script editor	Brian Minchin
Producer	Richard Stokes Chris Chibnall (co-producer)
Executive producer(s)	Russell T Davies Julie Gardner
Production code	2.6
Series	Series 2
Length	50 mins
Originally broadcast	13 February 2008
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → "Adam" "Dead Man Walking"

"Reset" is the sixth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was first broadcast by BBC Three on 13 February 2008, immediately after the broadcast of "Adam" on BBC Two. This episode introduces Doctor Who companion Martha Jones into the cast.

Plot

Synopsis

A series of murders in Cardiff prompts Jack to recruit UNIT medical specialist Martha Jones. Upon Martha's arrival Jack drops hints about her time-travelling past. Alone, Jack mentions that Martha should have contacted him if she was looking for employment; Martha replies that UNIT had contacted her. They informed Martha that she was what they needed and was recommended by an "impeccable source" (presumably the Doctor). Jack suggests that the Doctor must have thought he owed Martha a favour.

The Torchwood team investigate more murders, discovering that one victim had been cured of diabetes and another of HIV. With this information, the killings are traced to a medical centre named The Pharm. One woman, the only survivor of the strange attacks, remains in hospital as Martha and Owen examine her. She experiences a seizure and dies, fly-like creatures erupting from her mouth. Cowering in the corner, Martha and Owen notice the creatures have also died.

After searching for ways of infiltrating the Pharm, the team discover the facility recruits human trial subjects. Jack refuses to send one of his own in, but Martha suggests she enter as she is a medic and has the appropriate knowledge. Owen begs Jack not to let Martha go, but Jack replies that he'd rely on Martha if the world was ending, and, in fact, he did. After being equipped with the appropriate gear Martha infiltrates the Pharm undercover as Samantha Jones, a hepatitis sufferer.

At the Hub, Tosh mentions Martha and Owen's quickly developing friendship, suggesting they make a perfect match, both being doctors. Owen remarks that Martha is only interested in work. This seems to cheer Tosh up, and Owen asks her about the pool tournament she was organising, to which Tosh dejectedly replies that it was a date offer. Owen looks surprised and asks Tosh if she is still interested, to which Tosh says yes. Owen casually agrees to one date. They return to monitoring Martha.

Martha discovers the facility is responsible for the drug "Reset", which works by releasing alien parasites, called Mayflies, into the human bloodstream. The Mayfly larvae then proceed to "reset" the human body, eliminating incurable diseases. The downside is that the Mayfly larvae hatch and eat the person from the inside. After Martha is caught snooping, Professor Copley states that she has mutated blood cells, which could only be caused by travelling through time and space. Martha is injected with "Reset" in order for the Professor to see how her unique immune system reacts.

Gwen and Ianto arrest a Pharm-hired assassin and take him back to the Hub. During interrogation, Jack and Owen find that he too has a mayfly in his body. Owen attempts to use an alien artifact, the singularity scalpel, to vapourise the mayfly. He fails to operate the scalpel correctly and the fly bursts out of the assassin's stomach. Using the assassin's body, Tosh develops a program which would let them into the Pharm undetected.

Inside the Pharm, the team split up: Tosh, Gwen and Ianto are sent to find the 'research labs', while Owen and Jack find Martha. Discovering the labs, Gwen, Tosh and Ianto find aliens held captive and tortured. When Jack and Owen reach Martha, the mayflies are battling each other inside her. As Jack shuts down the Pharm, Owen uses the singularity scalpel to extract the mayfly from Martha's body. They exit the Pharm before it reaches complete shutdown and reunite with the others. Owen, supporting Martha as they walk, continues to flirt with her; Martha reveals she is already in a relationship.

As they prepare to leave, Professor Copley holds them at gunpoint, declaring that Torchwood will not ruin his work. Owen attempts to reason with the Professor, but Copley shoots Owen in the chest. Jack then shoots the Professor in the head. Martha attempts to revive Owen while Jack holds his hand and Toshiko kneels beside him. Despite Martha's efforts, Owen dies.

Continuity

• The same Western Mail newspaper showing Margaret Blaine as the new mayor of Cardiff, as seen in "Boom Town", is attached to the door as Martha Jones enters the Torchwood reception.
• A variation of Martha's Theme, composed by Murray Gold for Doctor Who, appears as the character's motif.
• Several references are made to Martha's previous adventures with Jack in Doctor Who, including working under the same Doctor and Jack's recent bad experience with a politician (Harold Saxon). Jack comments that he relied on Martha to save the world. Martha subtly comments to Ianto when he tells her to remain unseen that she knew how to be invisible, a reference to "The Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Time Lords", where the Doctor created three TARDIS keys equipped with perception filters, making themselves unnoticed or 'invisible'. The same perception filter is what makes Torchwood's invisible lift work.
• Martha says she knew how to stay invisible. This is also a reference to her time with The Doctor, who she was in love with but he barely noticed her as he was still upset and trying to get over the loss of Rose Tyler from the episode "Doomsday".
• Martha has earned her medical degree, and is a member of UNIT. It is hinted that Martha became a member of UNIT under the recommendation of the Doctor. After the airing of "Last of the Time Lords", the accompanying Martha Jones' MySpace blog included the line "PS: And I've just had an email offering me a job if I pass my exams! You wouldn't believe who it's from."
• Martha states her family is still recovering after the events in "Last of the Time Lords".
• While undercover at the Pharm, Martha uses the name "Samantha Jones". A different Samantha Jones was the Eighth Doctor's first companion in the Eighth Doctor Adventures.
• The boyfriend who has saved Martha's life was revealed in "The Sontaran Stratagem" to be Thomas Milligan from "Last of the Time Lords".
• Torchwood issue camera/SMS contact lenses to Martha for her undercover trip to the Pharm. The same or comparable lenses are issued to Lois Habiba in Children of Earth, and later used by Gwen in Miracle Day.
• Martha (posing as "Samantha") tells the intake nurse at the Pharm that she has travelled to North America, France and Germany. She travelled with the Doctor to North America in "Daleks in Manhattan"/"Evolution of the Daleks", and is implied to have travelled the world over in "Last of the Time Lords". She goes to North America again and to Germany in "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End".
• Owen and Toshiko discuss Toshiko's invitation to play pool in "Meat".
• Copley's interest in Martha stems from the fact that her blood chemistry and immune system have been altered by travel in time and space (that is, by using the TARDIS). The effects of TARDIS travel on human physiology are brought up again in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode "Death of the Doctor," where it is revealed that the Doctor's former companions Ian and Barbara have barely aged since their adventures with the Doctor in the 1960s; and in the Doctor Who episode "A Good Man Goes to War," where companion Amy Pond's baby is affected by being conceived within the TARDIS.

Cultural references

• Jack refers to meeting Christopher Isherwood, and attributes the quotations "I am a camera" (in its full form, "I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.", from "Berlin Diary", 1930) and "It's not the getting in, it's the getting out" to him. Isherwood would later be portrayed by actor Matt Smith (better known as the Eleventh Doctor), in the 2011 BBC TV film Christopher and His Kind.

Production

• The song "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz plays as Martha and Owen study the Mayfly. Also, the song "Freakin' Out" by Graham Coxon plays in the information centre as Ianto lets Martha into the hub.

External links

• Reset on TARDIS Index File, an external wiki
• "Reset" at Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)
• "Reset" at the Doctor Who Reference Guide