Aug 20, 2011
reprinted from wikipedia with repect and thanks
"The Middle Men" is the sixth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 12 August 2011.
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[edit] Plot summary
In the pre-credits sequence, PhiCorp CEO Stuart Owens (Ernie Hudson) attempts to investigate PhiCorp constructions sites in Shanghai but his hired investigator(Eric Steinberg) jumps off a high-storey building to end consciousness rather than tell him the horror of what is really going on. Jack later confronts Owens and learns from him that the PhiCorp is as much a pawn as any other player in the system, and that whoever orchestrated the miracle has been working towards it for a very long time. He also learns of another term relating to the miracle which Owens' team of investigators have uncovered: "the blessing", dating back to the 1990s.
In San Pedro, Rex finishes his video message contained along with the footage of Dr. Juarez's incineration, and Esther begins to suspect something has happened to Dr. Juarez. Rex attempts to pass himself off as a soldier working at the San Pedro Overflow Camp but is unsuccessful and captured. Juarez's killer, camp director Colin Maloney (Marc Vann), briefly considers using Rex's video to expose the death of Dr. Juarez and become a hero, but then attempts to kill Rex. Esther finds them and is forced to strangle Maloney. With assistance from soldier Ralph Coltrane (Fred Koehler), who had been complicit in Juarez' murder, they are able to escape the compound with the footage. They release it, causing a public outcry, but do not affect the government's stance on Overflow Camps and the life and death category system.
In Wales, Gwen manages to break her father out of the Overflow Camp as Rhys runs over the gates with Geraint in the back of his truck. With the Torchwood contact lenses, Gwen publicly broadcasts a message explaining the purpose of the Overflow Camps shortly before blowing up the Modules (where people are incinerated) at the Cardiff facility. However, touching down again in Los Angeles she is unable to make contact with Rhys. A mysterious phonecall at the LAX white privacy phone tells her to put on her lenses, where she receives a message directly to her line of sight from the conspirators behind Miracle Day: they have her mother, husband and child, and to set them free she must deliver Jack.
[edit] Reception
Assignment X described the episode as "lackluster", stating, "This story seems to excel in examining all the permutations of its premise in society – such as the intriguing “45 Club” early in this episode – but the further it goes in following the actual plotline with the Torchwood team and their investigation, the more frustrating it gets as a viewing experience".[1]