Ianto Jones
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| Torchwood character | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Ianto Jones | |
| Affiliated with | Torchwood Institute |
| Race | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | Early 21st century |
| First appearance | Everything Changes |
| Last appearance | Ongoing |
| Portrayed by | Gareth David-Lloyd |
Ianto Jones (IPA: [jəntəʊ dʒəʊns]) is a fictional character and a regular in the BBC television series Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who, played by Gareth David-Lloyd. He appears to be the general support man for the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute.
As Torchwood Three's "support man", his job entails manning the reception desk in the Information Centre that acts as a cover, administrating the computer systems, serving coffee and tea, receiving reports and cleaning up loose ends - such as covering up deaths and destroying information that could trigger "retconned" memories.
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[edit] Character history
Before joining Torchwood Three in Cardiff, he worked in Torchwood One, based in Canary Wharf, London. During the events of Doctor Who episode Doomsday, his girlfriend, Lisa Hallett, was partially converted into a Cyberman. He took Lisa to Torchwood Three, hiding her in the basement until a "cure" for the cyber-conversion could be found. However, Lisa's Cyberman personality asserted itself over her human emotions and she tried to take over the Hub, intending to use it as a staging area for a new Cyberman army. Viewing her incomplete conversion to cyber form as "flawed", Lisa transplanted her own brain into that of a pizza delivery girl to begin the process anew together with Ianto, but her new body was shot and killed by the rest of the team (Cyberwoman).
In Everything Changes he hacks into Gwen Cooper's computer and erases a document containing information about Torchwood. Aside from his quiet efficiency, little is initially revealed of Ianto's personality. He is the only Torchwood agent not shown as having taken something home in Everything Changes, and his personal page on the Torchwood website was originally empty except for an apology for not updating. After Cyberwoman aired, the page now contains instant messenger and online counselling session transcripts (the latter dated incorrectly as 2006), as well as pictures of him and Lisa prior to the events of Doomsday.[1]
The others appear to take the quietly efficient Ianto for granted; during the events of Cyberwoman, they pay little attention to him before the mayhem starts. When interrogated on what else he is hiding from the team, Ianto bitterly replies that he just "cleans up [their] shit... no questions asked" and that they never ask him about his life. At one point he calls Jack a monster and threatens to leave him to die if given the opportunity to save him. Although the Cyberwoman incident places strain on his relationship with the rest of the team, he returns to work the next day with Jack's tacit approval. In an attempt to show he has put the incident behind him, Jack tries to be friendly and even pats Ianto on the back in Small Worlds, although the conversation about the teams' last kisses in Countrycide reveals that there is still some lingering tension between the two over the incident.
In the episode Countrycide, Ianto starts to take a more active role. He describes to Toshiko Sato his inability to comprehend the adrenaline rush she and the other Torchwood members share in the face of danger. Like Gwen, his humanity is highlighted, but he makes attempts to actively fight alongside his colleagues.
In the episode Out of Time, he is able to calculate the amount of money for food that Emma has left, quickly in his head, even when she grabs multiple chocolate products after finding out that she has some money left over.
In the closing scenes of They Keep Killing Suzie, it is hinted that Ianto may be having a sexual relationship with Jack. This is supported by an instant messenger conversation between him and Jack on the Torchwood Institute website that suggests that like teammates Jack and Toshiko, Ianto is bisexual; Ianto also explains he would not resurrect Lisa with a second resurrection gauntlet,[2]. This is confirmed in the first part of the season finale, Captain Jack Harkness, when Owen makes remarks about the sexual nature of Ianto and Jack's relationship and the conclusion, End of Days when Jack kisses Ianto after returning to life.
In Captain Jack Harkness, Ianto and Owen spar for leadership of the team with both Jack and Toshiko trapped in the 1940s, although Owen asserts he is second-in-command, replacing Suzie Costello who previously held the title. However, Ianto displays authority in Jack's absence that Owen was not aware he had. Ianto goes as far as to shoot Owen in the shoulder to prevent him using the Rift Manipulator. In End of Days, an apparition of Lisa convinces Ianto to side with Owen against Jack. After believing Jack was dead, a distraught Ianto breathes in the scent of his coat, in a scene reminiscent of Brokeback Mountain, and seeing Jack alive at the end of the episode, the two kiss upon reunion.
A character named Yanto Jones, also played by Gareth David-Lloyd, appeared in the 2004 comedy/drama Mine All Mine, written by Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies.[3]
[edit] Episodes
- Everything Changes — October 22, 2006
- Day One — October 22, 2006
- Ghost Machine — October 29, 2006
- Cyberwoman — November 5, 2006
- Small Worlds — November 12, 2006
- Countrycide — November 19, 2006
- Greeks Bearing Gifts — November 26, 2006
- They Keep Killing Suzie — December 3, 2006
- Random Shoes — December 10, 2006
- Out of Time — December 17, 2006
- Combat — December 24, 2006
- Captain Jack Harkness — January 1, 2007
- End of Days — January 1, 2007
See List of Torchwood episodes
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ About Us: Ianto Jones. Torchwood External Hub Interface. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on November 3, 2006.
- ^ Torchwood External Hub Interface - Jack and Ianto instant messenger transcript
- ^ Mine All Mine: Episode 5. TV.com. Retrieved on October 29, 2006.
