Something Borrowed (Torchwood)

22 – "Something Borrowed"
Torchwood episode
Gwen wakes up to find she is "pregnant".
Cast
Starring John Barrowman – Captain Jack Harkness Eve Myles – Gwen Cooper Burn Gorman – Owen Harper Naoko Mori – Toshiko Sato Gareth David-Lloyd – Ianto Jones
Others Kai Owen – Rhys Williams Nerys Hughes – Brenda Williams Sharon Morgan – Mary Cooper William Thomas – Geraint Cooper Robin Griffith – Barry Williams Collette Brown – Carrie Danielle Henry – Megan Ceri Ann Gregory – Trina Jonathan Lewis Owen – Banana Boat Morgan Hopkins – Mervyn Valerie Murray – Registrar Pethrow Gooden – Shop Assistant Mike Henley – Shape Shifter in toilet
Production
Writer	Phil Ford
Director	Ashley Way
Script editor	Gary Russell
Producer	Richard Stokes Chris Chibnall (co-producer)
Executive producer(s)	Russell T Davies Julie Gardner
Production code	2.9
Series	Series 2
Length	50 mins
Originally broadcast	March 5, 2008
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → "A Day in the Death" "From Out of the Rain"

"Something Borrowed" is the ninth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was broadcast by BBC Three on 5 March 2008 and repeated on BBC Two one week later.

Plot

Synopsis

While out on her hen night (Bachelorette party), Gwen is bitten on the arm by an alien that is then killed by Jack. It is discovered that the alien transferred eggs to Gwen, which mature inside her body to the point where she appears pregnant. The creature is a Nostrovite, a race of carnivourous shape shifters who hunt in pairs and mate for life. After fertilisation, the female transfers her eggs to the male, who transfers them to a host to incubate them until the eggs are ready to hatch. The female then kills the host, releasing the offspring.

During Gwen's examination, Jack tries to persuade Gwen to cancel her wedding. Owen mentions that if she were going to die, it would have happened already; so Gwen proceeds with the wedding. Rhys also tries to postpone the wedding but, at the insistence of Gwen, decides to have their wedding anyway. The alien fertilisation is explained to the guests as Gwen's pregnancy to Rhys.

Tosh arrives at the wedding venue after being sent by Jack to guard Gwen. After being propositioned by Rhys' best man Banana Boat, Tosh gives Gwen her new wedding dress before discussing the possibility of a relationship between Tosh and Owen. The Nostrovite follows and murders the DJ, eating most of him. Her presence is detected by Tosh and Banana. After trapping them on the bed in a black web-like construct, the Nostrovite joins the wedding guests.

Gwen and Rhys are at the altar when Jack demands the wedding be stopped. Owen and Ianto rescue Tosh and Banana, and the DJ's body. A bridesmaid enters the room, and upon seeing the DJ's body flees. Ianto fails to stop her and she screams murder to the entire wedding party. Tosh and Jack chase the Nostrovite, but it escapes.

Jack questions Owen about Gwen, and he says Brenda, Rhys' mother, is with them. Tosh mentions that Brenda is also with Gwen's mother in the garden. Tosh and Jack reach the couple's room, where Jack calls Brenda an 'ugly bitch,' After being punched by Rhys, Jack is told that the woman is actually Rhys' mother. They reach the garden to find the Nostrovite with Gwen's mother. The Nostrovite holds Gwen's mother hostage, demanding her child. Gwen walks towards them, but just as the Nostrovite releases Gwen's mother, Gwen reveals a hidden gun and fires several times as it flees.

Owen suggests using the singularity scalpel to destroy the egg. He sends Gwen to her room, but asks Rhys to wait while he teaches Rhys how to use the Scalpel. Jack enters Gwen's room whilst Owen and Rhys are outside, and he and Gwen share a heated conversation. They nearly kiss as Jack transforms into the Nostrovite. Owen enters, shooting the Nostrovite whilst Gwen exits with Rhys. After attempting to attack Owen, only to discover he is dead, he leaves for Gwen.

Rhys and Gwen reach the stable and Rhys explains Owen's plan to remove the egg. As the Nostrovite tries to enter, Rhys succeeds in removing the egg. Just as the egg is vaporised, the Nostrovite enters, impersonating Rhys' mother. She attacks Rhys, who protects himself with a malfunctioning chainsaw. Jack kills the creature with a powerful gun.

Rhys and Gwen’s wedding resumes, and the couple are wed. At the reception, Rhys and Gwen notice everyone falling asleep and realise Jack has RetConned the wedding party. Jack offers the couple pills, but Gwen declines, stating that there will 'be no secrets in this marriage'. Jack and the others clean up, Ianto stating the irony of fighting aliens by day and reverting to cleaner by night. Later, Jack enters the Hub alone, blowing some confetti in the air. He retrieves an old tin box, containing pictures from his past. He looks through them, reminiscing, but picks one up and stops. This picture shows Jack and his bride at their wedding.

Continuity

• An upgraded version of the singularity scalpel from "Reset" is used to remove the alien egg from Gwen.
• Owen makes reference to saving Martha Jones with the singularity scalpel from "Reset".
• On the Torchwood website Jack receives an email from Martha Jones after the events in "A Day in the Death" saying she is sorry for not going to Gwen's wedding.
• During the wedding, one of the songs played is Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", also heard in the Doctor Who episode "The End of the World", where the song is considered an "Earth classic".
• Rhys' best mate Banana Boat is seen in this episode for the first time; he was mentioned in dialogue in the pilot episode, "Everything Changes". The Characters of Banana Boat and Megan appear briefly in the novel Pack Animals; which is set shortly before Gwen and Rhys' wedding. Gwen also mentions her mother (Mary Cooper) and future mother in law (Brenda Williams) in relation to her upcoming wedding.
• Gwen opines to Toshiko that the latter will get married and suggests "there's always Owen," which Toshiko dismisses, noting that "till death do us part" would be a bad joke in his case. In doing so, she unwittingly foretells their common demise in "Exit Wounds".

Music

• Filthy/Gorgeous by the Scissor Sisters is played during the club scene.
• You Do Something To Me by Paul Weller can be heard while Jack, Gwen, and Ianto dance.
• Tainted Love by Soft Cell at the end of the wedding party

Production

Cast notes

• Nerys Hughes previously appeared in the Fifth Doctor serial Kinda and the Eighth Doctor audio drama Phobos.
• William Thomas was the first actor to appear in both the classic and new series of Doctor Who, first in the Seventh Doctor serial Remembrance of the Daleks and then the Ninth Doctor episode "Boom Town". This makes him the first actor to appear in the classic series, the new series and Torchwood.
• William Thomas is set to reprise the role of Geraint Cooper in Torchwood: Miracle Day, whilst Sharon Morgan will also appear as Mary.

External links

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