It’s easy to forget just how important Torchwood was in the Doctor’s absence, butDoctor Whoseason 4’s alternate timeline episode proves it. The organization went through several iterations before the 21st century, but the Cardiff-based version led by John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness is the franchise’s most prevalent. AlthoughJack reimagined Torchwood’s values, its focus was still on protecting the Earth from extraterrestrial threats. While largely confined to all four seasons ofTorchwood, the first of the modern-eraDoctor Whospinoffs, Jack and company worked tirelessly.
After being introduced as one of theDoctor’s companions not from present-day Earth, Jack went on to have a fascinating arc in theDoctor Whouniverse. As the leader of Torchwood Cardiff, he was instrumental in protecting the immediate area from alien threats and even went on to take on international missions following the loss of most of his team. Whilethe core group was still intact inTorchwoodseasons 1 and 2, they were rarely given the chance to quash global terrors, but one of theDoctor Who’sDoctor-lite episodesproved Torchwood was capable of success in that arena.
“Turn Left” Proved How Important Torchwood Actually Was To Earth
Gwen Cooper & Ianto Jones sacrificed themselves to stop the Sontarans in the Doctor’s absence
InDoctor Whoseason 4, episode 11, “Turn Left,” Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) changes reality by making a small decision that spirals into her never meeting David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor. As a result, he’s largely absent from the episode, and"Turn Left" reveals how Donna’s decision causes the Doctor’s deathand the impact that it has on the Earth. Most of the alien threats go unopposed in this other reality, but Torchwood steps up in a huge way when the Sontarans attempt to enact the same atmosphere-changing scheme fromDoctor Whoseason 4, episode 5, “The Poison Sky.”
“That was the Torchwood team. Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, they gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness has transported to the Sontaran homeworld. There’s no one left.”
- Rose Tyler in “Turn Left”
Rose Tyler’s Billie Piper explains to Donna in “Turn Left” that the Sontarans were defeated in the new timeline by Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd). First-time viewers who never sawTorchwoodmay not have recognized the second two names, but they were main characters in the spinoff show. With the Doctor unavailable to stop the Sontaran’s deadly threat to Earth, Torchwood was forced to step in.They managed to do what the Doctor had set in motion in the original timeline. Sadly, Gwen and Ianto also died in the act.
Torchwood Is As Vital To Earth In Doctor Who As The Doctor Themselves
Earth badly needs Torchwood when the Doctor isn’t there
One ofTorchwood’s biggest messages is that the Doctor won’t always be there to help. Although the iconic Time Lord is pretty much ubiquitous throughout time and space, it’s still unreasonable to expect a single person to be there at every event that could threaten the human homeworld.The Doctor never appears inTorchwood(other than Ten’s severed hand), so the spinoff does a great job of showing just how much the Earth unknowingly relies upon Jack and his team to keep the population safe.
“Torchwood” is an anagram of “Doctor Who,” and it was used as a codename during the secretive process of preparingDoctor Who’s 2005 revival.
“Turn Left” is just one example of how willing Torchwood is to lay their lives on the line if it means protecting the Earth. Although the original team didn’t often face threats that were immediately global, they did help stop several alien incursions that could have become a far bigger deal if left unchecked. In the main timeline,Torchwood’s biggest contribution was arguably bringing an end to Miracle DayinTorchwoodseason 4. However, all the smaller acts of heroism also add up to a considerable amount of effort and importance.
UNIT Has Taken Torchwood’s Place In Doctor Who’s Current Era
Jack’s departure has increased UNIT’s workload
With Jack leaving Earth at the end ofTorchwod’s final season, there’s only Gwen left with any Torchwood experience. So, the organization has been rendered defunct ever since. That being said,Doctor Who’s 2005 revival didn’t just introduce Torchwood, it also brought back the Unified Intelligence Task Force (UNIT) fromDoctor Who’s classic era. AlthoughUNIT has been featured pretty consistently since the show came back, it has become even more prevalent inDoctor Whocanon since the fall of Torchwood.
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Now, whenever the Doctor can’t be reached,UNIT has established itself more firmly as Earth’s primary line of defense. Perhaps the biggest difference is thatthe Doctor regularly collaborates with UNIT, whereas Torchwood’s partnerships with the Time Lord were either a last resort or very uneasy. Interestingly,UNIT’s new team inDoctor Whoseems to be replicating the idea of a consistent set of faces being easier to root for. Unlike Torchwood, UNIT has often had a revolving door of characters who often don’t really matter in the largerDoctor Whocanon.
Doctor Who
Cast
An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
Torchwood
This Doctor Who spinoff follows the adventures of beloved character Captain Jack Harkness as he works for the Torchwood Institute, a small team in Cardiff dedicated to investigating extraterrestrial phenomena.
