Torchwood pick up the pieces and move on. After all, there's a whole new set of alien threats to deal with. While Yvonne Hartman is asserting her authority as the new leader of Torchwood, Jack Harkness is hunting an alien god in the sewers – but what's he really hiding from?
Mr. Colchester is dead. Colin is showing a video of their wedding vows at his funeral, and he's not doing well. Yvonne, in the Hub, goes down to the Torchwood cells where she has captured Ro-Jedda, former leader of the Sorvix, who is also not doing well, but not in a mourning way and more of a "oh no my entire empire over Cardiff has collapsed and I've been left alone without anyone to help me and the end of the world is coming" sort of way. Meanwhile, there's an alien in the sewers and it's no Weevil. Jack confronts it but Orr saves him before it escapes, insisting it needs their "future pain." Jack surmises it must be God. They leave for Colchester's funeral but the being has locked onto them, and follows them. Meanwhile, Ng is also in the cells with Ro-Jedda, and they talk. Ng explains that she is the herald, the first being to appear on a planet when God comes. Ro-Jedda tells her to piss off, and condemns her for pretty much every awful thing she's done not only in this series, but in her checkered past. At the memorial for Colchester, pretty much everyone in the room (and probably the audience too) are breaking down emotionally. This is even affecting Tyler, who leaves the room coughing, holding back tears. He talks to a mourner, who says some very odd mysterious things that are no doubt important, and Tyler wishes that Colchester was alive. Gwen and Rhys have a cameo at the funeral. Orr is fascinated by the funerals, because for the first time in their life, no one is thinking about sex. Jack and Tyler go outside and are followed by Orr and Colin, who discover the monster, and Colin is angry that it might disrupt the funeral. Jack mentions his immortality in an awkward fashion to Colin, who is understandably perturbed. He returns to fight the creature. Meanwhile Yvonne investigates the Cardiff Intelligent Hotel and Spa, where 3sol has gone defunct. Meanwhile Orr, while near Colin, transforms into Jack, sensing... attraction? Tyler steals food inside the funeral parlor... hinting at his financial situation getting quite bad indeed. Finally the creature is defeated with a combination of the team's grief for Colchester and Orr's psychic ability. Jack and Orr discuss how they miss Colchester and don't trust Yvonne, Jack eventually deciding to help Torchwood out as a member once more. Colin thanks Tyler for helping cleaning up for funeral, and Yvonne arrives, apologizing for missing the funeral. She brings him to the Hub and shows him Colchester's last recorded message, made shortly after he joined Torchwood before he really knew anyone there. Colin is touched, but while he's there he looks through Yvonne's files and finds the N-Space Yvonne's similar recording. Yvonne goes to the cells and reveals to Ro-Jedda that Ng has been working for her the whole time. She shoots Ro-Jedda in the head, killing her.
Tropes:
- Wham Line: The first lines of the episode reveal that Colchester is dead.
- Bury Your Gays: Mr. Colchester. He gets better.
- The Cameo: Gwen and Rhys.
- Continuity Nod: Yvonne visits the Cardiff Intelligent Hotel and Spa.
- Boom, Headshot!: In the final moments of the episode, Yvonne shoots Ro-Jedda in the head.
- Kick the Dog: Tyler throws the dead Colchester's food lovingly gifted to him by Colin in the garbage, saying he can't stand lasagna.
- Meaningful Funeral: The episode. If you liked Colchester, this episode will HURT you.
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Like You Would Really Do It: A complicated example. The sheer bluntless of having an LGBT character like Colchester die, probably the most popular character in the series so far, and well, they actually do it. He comes back in three episodes, so this also applies anyway.
