Meat ( TV story ) Meat was the fourth episode of the second series of " Torchwood " . This episode saw Rhys Williams learn the truth about Torchwood and alien s . From a production point of view , it marked a turning point where Rhys started to take a more prominent role in the series , which would be continued in the next two series . Synopsis . Gwen is forced to reveal Torchwood ' s true nature to Rhys after he follows her to work and accidentally uncovers the truth behind the mysterious alien meat . Is there a price to pay for Gwen , Rhys or Torchwood ? Plot . Rhys Williams is driving . One of his work colleagues phones him to say one of their firm ' s lorries has crashed . When he arrives at the crash site , he is told that the driver died in the crash . Rhys gives a police officer the driver ' s details and is informed that , before he can move the lorry , Torchwood want to look at it . When they arrive , Rhys spots Gwen . The Torchwood team search the lorry . They find meat in the back and confiscate all of it . They will take a sample back to the Hub . Gwen recognises the lorry as one from Rhys ' firm . They head back to the Hub and Rhys tries to follow them , but is turned away by the police . Back at the Hub , Owen notices the symbol saying the meat is fit for human consumption is fake . Gwen tries to dismiss any thought of Rhys being involved with the meat . Toshiko rings Rhys ' office for information , pretending to be the police . Rhys informs them the meat comes from Harries & Harries . Moments later , Owen says the meat is alien . The team realise it must have been in different food products for months . As they discuss the location of Harries & Harries , Gwen receives a text from Rhys , asking her to come home . When Gwen arrives at her flat , Rhys explains about the accident and the meat in the back on the van to see if she breaks . When it fails , Gwen goes back to work . Rhys follows her . He sees Gwen with Jack near the invisible lift in Roald Dahl Plass . He follows her to the factory where he is captured and taken inside . Jack and Gwen see this and think that he is involved . Rhys is taken inside and is questioned . He explains about Leighton and lies about the meat being taken away , claiming it had been incinerated . He asks to pick up from where Leighton left off . They have captured a living alien , the source of the meat . It grows even as they cut chunks of its living flesh . Back at their flat , Rhys and Gwen argue over her presence at the crash and the factory . Gwen admits to the nature of her work for Torchwood . Rhys remains incredulous and asks her to prove it . In the Hub , the team await Gwen and Rhys ' s arrival . Gwen takes Rhys to the lift . As they descend , Rhys is amazed , but still passes off Myfanwy as being extinct . He is introduced to Jack , Owen , Toshiko and Ianto and is told about what Torchwood actually does . Rhys tells the team what he saw in the warehouse . Jack and Rhys argue about Rhys messing things up and about being able to get back in . Rhys says he can get them in because he became a delivery boy . Jack calls a meeting . Rhys shows them where everything is on the warehouse blueprint s . Gwen is adamant that Rhys is not to get involved , but Jack and Rhys insist the idea is their only option . They will go in with stun gun s , since the people are not organised criminals . Jack gives Gwen the option to stand down from the mission , since Rhys ' s involvement might make her vulnerable . She declines . Jack tells the team they will save the alien and send it back through the Rift . Owen makes a model of what he thinks the creature might look like . Toshiko brings him a sandwich and admires its beauty . Toshiko offers to keep Owen company while he works , but he gives her the work since he feels knackered . The pair spy on Gwen and Toshiko musters up the courage to ask Owen out for a game of pool . Owen misreads the signs and thinks she means a Torchwood tournament . Rhys and Jack get the van for the infiltration . On their way to get the rest of the team , Jack explains why Gwen was picked for Torchwood . Jack and the others climb into the back of the van . They drive to the warehouse . Rhys tries to buy time for the team to get out of the van , then realises they have already gone . Ianto and Owen enter a room filled with meat . Jack , Gwen and Toshiko enter the room where the alien is held . After taking out some of the workers , they find they are armed . Rhys ' s cover is blown and Ianto is captured . They are brought into the main room , where they learn the alien is dubbed the " Cash Cow " . Gwen reveals herself to save Rhys . Jack and Toshiko are spotted . Jack tells Dale and the others they actually have an alien , which stuns them . Rhys is shot and Ianto unties his hand and grabs Dale ' s gun hand , making him fire at the Cash Cow and the ropes tying it down . As the ropes break and the Cash Cow moves all over the place , Ianto goes after Dale and the others . Storming through the room , Ianto stuns Dale and the other worker . Owen is informed that the sedative won ' t work , leaving him with no option but to euthanise it . Owen bandages Rhys ' s wound as the Cash Cow dies . Back at the Hub , Owen patches up Rhys ' wound and Jack says they gave the workers amnesia pills to forget what they did during the past months . Jack tells Gwen Rhys must be given a pill too . She asks if she can give it to him . On exiting the Hub , Rhys has a changed view of the world . Gwen cannot bring herself to give him the pill . Jack relents , unwilling to fire Gwen and lose her from the team .