Kind of insane to be stuck back in the 1940s, meet the guy who's name you stole after he died, and then proceed to make out with him on his last day alive

With a narrative split between the modern day and 1941 which also ties into Jack’s personal history, it seems fitting to look at this story from the perspective of its World War Two setting.

Tosh and Jack are investigating an abandoned dance hall where music and voices have been heard. Almost instantly, they are transported back to 1941 where Jack meets a certain Captain Jack Harkness – an officer in the RAF destined to die during a training exercise who Jack assumed the identity of. Tosh, meanwhile, desperately tries to send a message into the future to allow them to open the time rift that she and Jack seem to have fallen through.

The episode does tie into the two either side (Out of Time also featured characters from the past slipping through a time rift and the aftermath of the for Owen is a driving force for his actions during the story; End of Days,which follows this, sees the return of Bilis Manger, the enigmatic ‘caretaker/manager’ of the dance hall (who is, inexplicably present in both time periods). However, it works well enough as a standalone with the three main plots – Jack meeting Jack; Tosh attempting to send a message to the future and – back at the Hub – Owen and Ianto fighting over how to retrieve them. Gwen features less and this was, apparently, due to this episode double-banking with another.

The period detail is excellent and much is made in the accompanying documentary and commentary about how much work had to go into costuming and styling the extras at the dance hall. There are lots of story details surrounding WW2 RAF pilots and there is also time to touch upon the issue of Tosh’s race and the problems it causes in this time period.

One principal aspect of the story which defies the historical setting is the romance between Captain Jack and Jack Harkness. It starts coyly with Jack warily testing the water. The presence of a girlfriend for Harkness throws a spanner in the works, but it is clear his heart isn’t really in the relationship. The connection between the two Jacks builds until the climactic dance scene and, to be honest, this is where it lost me a little. I know the story states that the real Jack Harkness will die within the next couple of days but for him to brazenly step on to the dance floor with our Jack, embrace him, dance with him and, ultimately kiss him, is very on the nose and raises the question as to why the crowded dance hall doesn’t react more ‘realistically’. Bearing in mind the askew glances and more pointed racist comments Tosh endures, it seems a little like the story wants to have its cake and eat it. The idea that WW2 Jack would openly announce his sexuality to a room full of people, including his subordinates, stretches credulity somewhat and rather, for me, ruined the ending.

The 'same-sex dance scene in a period setting' has also now been repeated in Rogue with a very similar vibe.  I don't think that scene fully works there either (it's far too long).  I know why these scenes are important in both stories but I just don't think they are as successful as the people involved might want them to be.

More successful, in Captain Jack Harkness, are Tosh’s attempts to send a message to the future which is fun and the presence of the enigmatic Bilis Manger. Murray Melvin is an odd-looking man (in the best possible way) and creates a very unsettling performance. Of course, his plans are only just beginning in this story but the fact that after End of Days he doesn’t feature again in the series does make me intrigued to seek out his Big Finish audio appearances.

The scenes back at the Hub are a little frantic and don’t really match the atmosphere or spirit of the WW2 scenes but this is Jack and Tosh’s story so it doesn’t matter too much.

Although the romance between the two Jacks is a bit on the nose for me, the period setting is well-realised and the simple plot of trying to get rescued from the past by sending messages to the future is fun. A strong early Torchwood episode (which definitely belies the received wisdom that Series 1 was a stumbling, often-failing experiment).

It's slow, but it's great to see two members of Torchwood in Jack and Tosh travel together back in time. Period stuff is great, and I'm intrigued as to who Bilis is. Time Lord? Not sure I'm a fan of the retcon that Jack stole his name though.

Likely (and easily) my favourite episode of Series One. Captain Jack Harkness is an effective use of Jack's character and age, a good story with a compelling sense of urgency and action to it, and a fun time travel story. It definitely thinks like this and a couple of the other stronger first series episodes make a better case for Torchwood than anything in the first two thirds of the season. Even Tosh gets to shine here, in my opinion for the first in the show, a feat that would sadly be replicated very few times in Torchwood TV.

I love the production design and effort put in taking us to 1941. Given the limited budget, I think they did an exceptional job at this. A really good episode that might be my favourite of Torchwood pre-Children of Earth. I also think it works as a good companion to Out of Time, taking us from Torchwood receiving time travellers to them journeying through time. The stuff between Owen and Ianto was a little overplayed but it still worked in heightening the sense of urgency to Captain Jack Harkness as an episode. All told, it remains an impressive episode that definitely stands out a bit in memory.