A look this week at the past and internal life of Jack Harkness...

"Miracle Day: Immortal Sins"

Spoilers Within

Jack’s past is catching up with him, and considering how long his past actually is, that could a very bad thing. The good Captain is lamenting his immortality in this week’s episode, which spends quite a bit of time in Jack’s past. New York in 1927, to be exact. So what does his time in pre-Depression New York have to do with the miracle, or who’s behind it?

Ellis Island, gateway to the New World, where so many immigrants passed through in search of a better life than the ones they left behind. And in desperation, one such immigrant steals a Visa in order to gain access to America. Alas, he made the mistake of swiping the Visa of one Jack Harkness, who sweeps in to retrieve it. But he takes a shine to the thief, an Italian by the name of Angelo. Quickly friendship blossoms, but soon it becomes more. The two rent a room together, where after a night of passion, Jack explains that he once traveled with a man known as the Doctor, and that he always had a companion. Suddenly, he longs for someone to be with – not so much to settle down, but to take away the loneliness of immortality. And Angelo is very much taken with Jack, and fascinated by the things he knows. Angelo’s only problem seems to be his faith, which leaves him feeling guilty for his relationship with Jack. This will come into play later, when he witnesses Jack murdered by Police when he assists him in the destroying of an alien, only to see him a year later alive and well. Jack tries to start up where they left off, but Angelo believes him to be in league with the Devil, and stabs him. Soon, Jack finds himself being tortured at the hands of the superstitious community. Angelo comes to his senses and saves him, only for Jack to leave him once and for all.

The majority of the episode could be construed by some as nothing more than a set-up for the last five minutes, but it actually gives great insight into Jack and his own struggle with living so many lifetimes. He parallels the Doctor in the way that he doesn’t want to be lonely, but at that same time, he can’t stand the pain of having those he loves die and leave him. Jane Espenson’s script also seems to have quite a few statements about religion, both in the conversation between Jack and Angelo about his guilt, or in the last few scenes with the two men. Jack is strung up like a modern day Christ while tortured by the townspeople, and then framed as a messiah as Angelo wipes the blood off of his chest and feet. Even when Angelo first stabs him, he goes right for the side. Whatever Ms. Espenson’s actual thoughts on religion are, she seems to have a lot to say on the subject. Perhaps the “blessing” that was mentioned in previous episodes has a little something to do with our hero. Either way, it’s an interesting commentary on faith and the need some have for something bigger to believe in.

There are some really great moments between Jack and Gwen, who is taking Jack for a ride because her family is being held hostage. While Gwen has stood up to Jack in the past, she really lets him have it, and he can do nothing but take it. Try as he might to talk her into allowing him to work something else out, she refuses, telling him he can no longer tell her what to do. At one moment, she gets so worked up that she informs him that she would watch him shot like a dog if it meant that her daughter was safe. Jack in turn tells her that he is mortal for the first time in centuries, and that he would take her out before he allowed anyone to keep him from enjoying it.

The scenes between them are brief, but powerful, and we get to see not only the desperation of both characters, but the love they both have for each other. It’s rather sad that it takes the possibility of Jack’s demise to get them to admit it, but that’s who these two are. Gwen also blames Jack for everything that’s happened to them, and belittles him for living so long but never making real connections with people. He tells her that they will rescue Rhys, Anwen, and her mom, and Gwen rips into him about the fact that they’ve known each other for years, but he can’t remember that her mother’s name is Mary. These scenes honestly give a chance for Barrowman and Myles to show that wonderful chemistry they have. While I mourn the characters that have passed on during the previous series, it is the way that these two actors play off of each other that has been a large part of what has made the series so great.

The episode finishes with Jack and Gwen meeting their intended captors, but luckily Esther and Rex are there to save the day. However, even with their fortunes reversed, it seems that Jack may want to go with them, as it is revealed that the man behind this – and perhaps being closer to the truth behind the miracle – is none other than Angelo.

Barrowman and Myles shine here, as does guest actor Daniele Favilli, who plays Angelo. He is able to convey a man torn between his love for Jack and eagerness to learn more about the larger universe, and his faith in a God who shuns such love. The scenes where he and Jack are alone show Jack at his most vulnerable, and a little out of his depth. At one point, Angelo is angered at the fact that Jack seems to cheapen the act of lovemaking, leaving Jack to take a look at how he views relationships and love, and even sex. The two also have a discussion while sitting at a wedding where Angelo explains that he doesn’t believe in marriage because of the uncertainty of it all, and Jack says that that’s the reason it’s wonderful. For that moment, it’s a beautiful thing, a true connection. I love how Jack sheds some of that cynicism and really seems to embrace the idea of love and not just random relationships. The moments when Jack drops the façade and becomes more human are marvelous to behold, and Barrowman plays them beautifully. I do hope we get to see more of that side of Jack as we go on.

See also Caleb's previous review:

Torchwood S4E6 review

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