10 Soul Crushing Torchwood Moments That Left Us Traumatised

Owen Harper has one hell of a tough ride in series 2, and it all starts in the relatively unassuming mid-series episode, Reset. Martha Jones has joined the gang as a consultant after a number of victims are assaulted with hypodermic needles. Long story short, the gang uncovers a secret drug manufacturing operation which utilised the DNA of a self-regenerating alien larvae. Despite the fact that the drug in question, Reset, is intended as a miracle cure for the likes of Cancer, the team are forced to shut down as the ends did not justify the means. In the closing moments, the enraged Doctor in charge of the facility unexpectedly shoots Owen, killing him almost immediately. This comes out of left field completely, and is particularly shocking given he is the first of the core cast to die.

Of course, as we all know, it doesn’t end there. In the next episode, Jack tracks down a second resurrection gauntlet (or ‘risen mitten’ if we’re using Ianto’s far superior name suggestion) and uses it to bring Owen back to life temporarily. This does not work out as planned, which the team honestly should have seen coming, and Owen is bought back permanently.

At first, it’s difficult to see this as anything but good news, but it’s not long before we realise his resurrection has come at a price. Firstly, there’s the teeny-tiny matter of the team accidentally summoning death itself and causing the deaths of a dozen innocent people, but that’s by-the-by and not the focus of this list.

Owen is alive again, but all of his bodily functions have been halted for good - he is halfway between life and death. He doesn’t breathe, he can’t eat or drink, his wounds don’t heal, and perhaps most devastatingly in his own eyes, he has no blood flow, meaning he can’t have sex any more. He is extremely fragile, and can’t do some of his favourite things any more, and he becomes depressed.

The team also sideline him almost immediately, fearing that he might irreparably damage himself, adding to his feeling of isolation. Seeing a character who is normally so overconfident in this changed, broken state is upsetting to watch - and the lack of support that the rest of the team give him through this time is equally distressing. Thankfully, he appears to come to terms with his fate in A Day In The Death, which is a satisfying, low key end to this mini-arc.