Escape to LA ( TV story ) Of note was the introduction of politician Ellis Hartley Monroe , a foil to Oswald Danes . Moreover , the anonymous organisation that had its hooks into Brian Friedkin began to move out of its thus far quiet operations and take a hostile initiative against Torchwood . This unknown collective , identified by its triangular calling card symbol , contracted a professional assassin to eliminate the group , who dropped hints about what these individuals sought to gain . Synopsis . 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 . Despite the risks , Esther Drummond decides 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 DC soon and wants to say goodbye 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 Harkness . Arriving in Los Angeles , the Torchwood team take in their new surroundings while Rex Matheson puts money in the parking metre . Jack expresses his fondness for seeing the Pacific Ocean , saying it must have been in the 1940 s that he last saw it . Esther questions him if he ' s joking , but Gwen Cooper 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 Danes is enjoying the privileges of being in a fancy hotel , everything paid for by PhiCorp of course . Jilly Kitzinger 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 . Jack has located a small house of residence , and a mysterious man , following Gwen , states that " Torchwood has been located . " Rex goes to meet his dad , who has regressed into a thief , stealing PhiCorp drugs . His dad holds him at gunpoint , but Rex disarms him . He says he doesn ' t want to live forever . When Rex shows him his wound , his dad tells him to " get the hell out . " Rex agrees , exiting . Once out , he takes out a package of PhiCorp drugs , having taken them from his father ' s stash . Esther shows that server 113 of the PhiCorp computer system contains information they need . The security for their server system was designed by a Nicholas Frumkin ; every entry point is activated by Frumkin ' s voice print , palm print and iris recognition . Jack and Gwen impersonate a couple and gain the respective things with the help of a water bottle and Gwen ' s cell phone . The new temporary hospital that Juarez is managing is failing miserably : no ID checks , no electricity and people just being thrown in without permission . Moore has a rally just outside . Oswald , who is there at the time , decides to go into the hospital , locking everyone out . He says he is not scared of the people inside . He says he wants to help , promising food and security . This gets him more popularity among the populace of the world . Monroe , while leaving , is poison ed . Frumkin is put at gunpoint by an unnamed person . He tells them that Torchwood is behind what is about to happen . For the palm and eye , he mutilates Frumkin , who lives through every second due to the Miracle . Esther ' s sister Sarah has been taken to a psychiatric hospital . Gwen is admitted undercover at PhiCorp under the alias of Yvonne Pallister , International Sales Representative , and Esther poses as " Lorraine " in Human Resources to get Gwen to Floor 21 . She also sends Jack to Floor 21 , with him posing as a delivery worker . Jack sets a small fire and then extinguishes it , to set off the fire alarm . They enter the room with a blank server . Rex realises the possibility that someone might have followed Esther while she was at her sister ' s house . The mysterious agent who followed Esther knocks out and gags Gwen , and when Jack enters , he follows . Fex berates Esther , realising she visited her sister ' s house , allowing them to be traced . Rex goes to rescue Gwen and Jack . The man says that the reason Jack is mortal is because of something that happened many years ago , and that Jack caused this . Rex is midway sprinting up the 30 flights of stairs , his wound taking its toll . He says that the moment has come when they found " specific geography . " He is about to reveal this information when Rex bursts in and shoots him in the throat . Exhausted , Rex collapses against the wall . Jack and Gwen chastise Rex , stating he stopped the man from telling them what he knew but Rex dismisses them , citing he saved their lives . Monroe finds herself gagged , inside a vehicle and into a compactor . She ' s still alive due to Miracle Day . A screen in the dashboard lights up with a spinning triangular symbol and a voice speaks to her . It apologises to her about what is to befall her , musing that they could have been friends under different circumstances . However , though her style was in their liking , the anonymous group has Oswald Danes , not needing another player for their cause . Monroe ' s strategy nearly revealed their hand too soon , which would have ruined their long - awaited plans . The voice tells her a final cryptic statement : " We are everywhere . We are always . We are no - one . And soon , the families will rise . " Ellis is mulched into the wreckage of the compacted vehicle . All that can be seen inside the cube of twisted chassis is one terrified eye from a person who can no longer scream . Rex reprimands Esther for her mistake during the operation , announcing this is her last warning . Esther apologises and begins the lengthy process of compiling data to seek out the organisation that has put a hit on Torchwood and learn more about PhiCorp . They find that PhiCorp plans to build overflow camps , and worse still , it ' s already started . Rhys Williams phones Gwen with the news they are moving her father out of the hospital , and into an overflow camp . Rhys doesn ' t know the government ' s plans are duplicitous , thinking his father - in - law will be safe . Gwen frantically tells Rhys to stop the removal of her father from the hospital . Rhys runs outside to find ambulance s pouring out onto the street . It ' s too late for him to stop the patient transfer — PhiCorp has captured Gwen ' s dad . Home video releases . 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 . In Australia , it was released in Region 4 DVD and Region B Blu - Ray on 1 December 2011 . In New Zealand , the same sets were released on 7 December 2011 . In North America , it was released on Region 1 DVD and Region Free Blu - Ray on 3 April 2012 .