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Escape to LA
Added by Skittles the hog
Main character(s):	Jack, Gwen, Rhys, Rex, Esther, Oswald
Featuring:	Vera, Jilly, Sarah
Main enemy:	The Gentleman
Main setting:	Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Cardiff, 2011
Key crew
Writer:	Jim Gray, John Shiban
Director:	Billy Gierhart
Producer:	Kelly A Manners
Release details
Season/series:	4
Premiere broadcast:	29 July 2011
Premiere network:	Starz
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Escape to LA ^[1] was the fourth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day.

Synopsis Edit

Torchwood follow PhiCorp to California to continue the fight, but walk straight into a trap. Elsewhere, Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger face off against their own adversaries.

Plot Edit

Despite the risks, Esther desides to pay a visit to her sister Sarah, only to find her house boarded up with messages to stay away. When Sarah answers the door, Esther discovers she's added several locks to it and is apparently having a nervous breakdown. When Sarah explains that she's been questioned about her, Esther explains she's leaving Washington, D.C. soon and wants to say good-bye to her nieces. However, Sarah says she won't let them outside, believing everything people are saying about the Miracle online. Forced to leave, Esther calls Child Services, explaining Sarah may pose a danger to her daughters. Unbeknownst to her, an agent of "the Families" has found her and is ordered to follow her to Jack.

Arriving in Los Angeles, the Torchwood team take in their new surroundings while Rex puts money in the parking metre. Jack expresses his fondness for seeing the Pacific ocean, saying it must have been in the 1940s that he last saw it. Esther questions him if he's joking, but Gwen changes the subject, asking where PhiCorp headquarters is; it's in the next city. Jack informs his team that they have to find a base of operations in the meantime, with Gwen complaining about the locations he always chooses.

In the meantime, Rex phones Dr. Juarez, having been handed a flier advertising Dead is Dead, learning Ellis Hartley Monroe is leading a campaign to treat those who should have died as they are dead and wait for their "pause" from death to come to an end. Dr Juarez, on the other hand, is being shown an abandoned hospital along with a medical panel; it's intended to be used as storage for the overflowing ICU patients. Despite protests, the plan will go through.

Elsewhere, Oswald is enjoying the privileges of being in a fancy hotel, everything paid for by PhiCorp of course. Jilly arrives and explains to him that PhiCorp has made her his personal assistant, saying she will do anything within her job description for him; however, that doesn't mean she has to like him, as she is disgusted by what he has done. Oswald prepares to leave for another interview, but is told he has been replaced by Monroe; her popularity is growing fast, putting Danes in danger of being thrown back to the mob.

Cast Edit

Crew Edit

Created by Russell T Davies

Executive Producers Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter

Co-executive producer(s) Vlad Wolynetz and John Shiban


Written by Jim Gray & John Shiban story by Jim Gray	Produced by Kelly A Manners	Directed by Billy Gierhart	Director of Photography Nathaniel Goodman	Production Designer Gregory Melton	Visual Effects Lion Visual Effects, Inc.

Key Make-up Artist Todd McIntosh	Casting by John Frank Levey, CSA and Melanie Burgess	Score Murray Gold assistant composer Stu Kennedy	Costume Designer Shawna Trpcic	Edited by Hunter M. Via, A.C.E.	Key Hair Stylist Susan Boyd
Science Advisor - John Sotos, M.D.

General production staff

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Make-up and prosthetics

Special Make-up Effects - Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Visual Effects Supervisor - Michael D. Leone

Sound


Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.
The Starz broadcast carried a final credit of "Originally Developed and Produced by BBC Cymru Wales". The BBC One broadcast says, instead, "BBC Worldwide Productions for BBC Cymru Wales and STARZ Originals".

References Edit

to be added

Story notes Edit

A supporting character in this episode has the last name Katusi. This was going to be Esther's last name before Alexa Havins was cast.

Ratings Edit

UK: 5.19 million

Filming locations Edit

It appears that the beach locations were shot in Venice Beach, CA. (e.g., when Gwen is on the phone with Rhys.)

Production errors Edit

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

At the beginning of the mission to infiltrate Phicorp, Rex asks Esther if all the systems are online. Esther says yes, and the signal looks good; the computer screen, however, states the I-5 is offline.

Continuity Edit

Jack introduces himself as John Smith, the alias often employed by the Doctor. (TV: The Wheel in Space, Spearhead from Space et al)
When Gwen attempts an American accent, Jack tells her she should never try it again, similar to what the Tenth Doctor tells his companions. (TV: Tooth and Claw, The Shakespeare Code, The Unicorn and the Wasp)
When Ellis Hartley Monroe takes centre stage at the hospital instead of Danes, Jilly describes it as a "timing malfunction". This was also the term used when the Master took control of the Doctor's TARDIS before landing in San Francisco on 30 December 1999. (TV: Doctor Who)

Home video releases Edit

This episode was released worldwide in a box set containing all ten episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day. In the United Kingdom, it was released on Region 2 DVD and Region Free Blu-ray on 14 November 2011.^[2] In Australia, it was released in Region 4 DVD and Region B Blu-Ray on 1 December 2011.^[3] In New Zealand, the same sets were released on 7 December 2011.^[4] In North America, it was released on Region 1 DVD and Region Free Blu-Ray on 3 April 2012.^[5]

Footnotes Edit

↑ As with all episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the episode title was not given onscreen, but comes instead from the official Starz Miracle Day website
↑ Amazon.co.uk listing
↑ EZYDVD.com.au listing
↑ Mightyape.co.nz listing
↑ Amazon.com listing

N

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[0] As with all episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the episode title was not given onscreen, but comes instead from the official Starz Miracle Day website

[1] Amazon.co.uk listing

[2] EZYDVD.com.au listing

[3] Mightyape.co.nz listing

[4] Amazon.com listing

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