The House of the Dead ( audio story ) The House of the Dead was the third in the " " mini - series . It aired the week after Series 4 started airing on Starz . To date , it is the last radio drama of " Torchwood " to be broadcast . This audio featured the conclusion of a significant conflict : the permanent closing of the Cardiff Space - Time Rift , which had been the main concern of Torchwood Three ' s operations for Series 1 and 2 . Uniquely , such a major plot point would normally be reserved for televised closure , but considering the events of " Miracle Day " do not cite the Rift as active anymore , the matter can be considered resolved . It also marked the final chronological appearance of Ianto Jones , occurring six months after his death . Ianto was brought back to life , only to give it up again for the sake of his lover ' s survival . This gave Jack Harkness a chance to make peace with his partner , but the emotional weight of it would be the final push that led him to depart from Earth . Publisher ' s summary . The brewery have called " time " and it ' s the last night at The House of the Dead — the most haunted pub in Wales . Barry the barman has invited renowned psychic , Mrs Wintergreen , to hold a special seance to mark the occasion , and there ' s a big crowd hoping for the chance of seeing their deceased loved ones for one last time . But when Jack arrives on the scene , he ' s determined to stop them . Ianto is puzzled by Jack ' s behaviour , and Gwen is suspicious . Why is Jack acting so strangely ? Then the ghosts start arriving — and all hell breaks loose . Plot . A seance is being held at The House of the Dead pub in Wales , where people have gathered to witness their loved ones return to them . Ianto Jones is currently situated at the pub , waiting for Gwen Cooper to arrive . As Mrs Wintergreen conducts her seance , several objects of furniture are sent flying , and the words " JAC " are spelled out on a Ouija board , announcing the arrival of Captain Jack Harkness . Jack warns the patrons at the pub to leave and for Wintergreen to stop the seance . They do not comply . He embraces Ianto with unusually strong feeling and they assess the situation at hand . A fuse goes out in the pub , prompting Barry the barman to go change it . Jack follows him with a flashlight and tries to reason with Barry to call off the contact with the ghosts , but Barry is too wistful to cut short the last night his haunted pub will ever enjoy business . Barry is upset by the thought that the pub is going to be torn down soon , and this may be their last chance to speak with loved ones they have lost . He has also kept the bar open in memory of his departed wife . Jack ' s insistence against the seance prompts Barry to ask for his torch ; he then clubs Jack over the head with it . Ianto comes down to find Jack and helps him recover from the sneak attack . Jack informs Ianto that Syriath , an entity from the oldest universe of all , one before time itself , is waiting on the other side , just beneath the Cardiff Rift . The contact Wintergreen keeps making could allow her to cross over into the living world if she continues to reach out . Jack and Ianto return to the upstairs floor of the pub to find Wintergreen and the visitors joining hands in a circle to contact the dead . Wintergreen mentions that Barry ' s wife Helen has joined them , as has the brother of a woman named Ness , Tony . She also asks Ianto Jones to come forward , saying his father has returned and has accused him of a betrayal , which upsets him greatly and causes both him and Jack to interrupt the seance by shaking Mrs Wintergreen out of her trance . Jack makes Wintergreen aware of the danger she is creating by reaching out to Syriath , but Wintergreen is actually pleased to know someone is granting them audience with their lost loved ones , wishing to speak to her . Barry hopes to ease tensions by reopening the bar for the night . After noticing the coffee machine isn ' t working , he thinks that ones of his workers , Tim , has probably resigned without notice for the third time that week . He goes off to change the barrels in the wine cellar , but is disturbed by a series of crashing noises caused by shattering glass . He hears the voice of his dead wife Helen speaking to him , who admits she has accidentally knocked over the glasses due to her paranormal influence . Barry simply commits to cleaning them up later and comments she hasn ' t changed , while Helen remarks he has put on weight , which looks good on him . He embraces her to find that she is cold to the touch , a side effect of her lifeless state . They kiss and she asks him to have a drink for old times ' sake , although Barry stopped drinking following Helen ' s passing . Helen says that she is hungry after being dead for so long . At this moment , it is revealed Helen is not who she appears to be and a cacophony of shattering glasses fills the room , while Barry screams in terror . Moments after Barry leaves for the cellar , Ianto hears the voice of his father and seizes up with shock . The voice tells him to go upstairs , where he finds the man in corporeal form waiting for him . He gives his son a few compliments on his suit , but in earnest , he is rather unhappy at Ianto for not calling him during the three weeks he had eagerly awaited at least one call as he was dying in the hospital . This causes guilt to rise out of Ianto and he is put on the verge of tears . His father continues on and tries to make Ianto convince Jack to turn around and leave so he and Ianto ' s mother , along with their lost friends can return . After having a spat with his father , the man vanishes . Jack comes upstairs to find Ianto crying , who he then hugs and comforts . Meanwhile , Ness seeks out the presence of her brother Tony , and soon falls victim to the same innocent facade that got Barry devoured . Against the wishes of Jack and Ianto , Wintergreen carries out her seance and contacts Syriath . The sounds of a crying baby become audible . Wintergreen ' s enthusiasm toward the return of her baby convinces her to let Syriath come forth , who then instantly turns against her and possesses the psychic . Syriath reveals to the patrons that someone in the House of the Dead means everyone great harm . She accuses Jack of wanting to kill everyone in the bar . As the patrons approach him aggressively , he orders them back and pulls a box out of his greatcoat , then demands every patron must leave . The group exits the pub , leaving only Wintergreen , Jack and Ianto . Gwen asks Ianto if Jack has gone mad , informing him he should not trust the man . Syriath retreats for the moment and lets go of Wintergreen . She tells the men Syriath is reconnecting her to a child she lost after a complicated birth and must go to him . Wintergreen begins singing a lullaby of " You are my Sunshine " to her son and loses herself to the dead world . Jack tosses the box to Ianto , who was led by Gwen to think it was a bomb . Though Ianto panics , Jack calmly tells him to open it . It is just a box of pebbles and coal . However , it does contain a small detonator . Jack intends to stir up a cloud of dust , but it will be laced with rift energy . All the stones of Wales have been embedded with the power of the Cardiff Rift , something the Cardiff council discounts as radon deposits . The explosion will set off a reaction only effective between the crossing of two worlds . When Syriath attempts to escape the rift by pulling in the pub , Jack will detonate the stones and close the Cardiff Rift - forever . Ianto ' s father returns before Jack and his son . Jack compliments his partner in loving manner , as does his father . Despite the warm comments , Ianto ' s father once again makes demands not to prevent Syriath ' s exodus , because it would mean that he , his wife , nor Owen , Tosh , or any other loved ones they ' ve lost will be allowed to return to the living world . When these ultimatums do not faze Jack , Ianto ' s dad proclaims that Syriath will win , and Jack knew he would find Ianto waiting for him at the pub . He concludes his arguing with a final , stinging point : would he allow Ianto , someone who once died , to die again ? He gives up and parts ways with them , saying goodbye to his son . After hearing this ominous revelation , Ianto defensively asks Jack what his father meant . Jack reluctantly explains to him that he is not living , as he would think he is . Ianto died six months ago in his arms . Ianto turns troubled and hurt by the things he has learned , asking if he had a funeral , if he was allowed to rest in peace , and if his death was Jack ' s fault . Jack reminds him they both died after they were exposed to an alien virus released by the 456 ambassador . Ianto starts to think Jack is making light of his death and grows impassive toward the man he once cared about . Jack defends himself by saying he only wanted to see Ianto one more time . He expected Syriath to create at least a reflection of who Ianto was , but she outright recreated him by using his own feelings for Ianto to make him real . It has become impossible to even look at him , which makes Ianto tearful , now convinced this ordeal was never about him , but only Jack . He also convicts Jack of going to see him just to get a few nice words and gratefulness . Jack regrets that he is forced to outlive anyone he meets and endears , but regardless , he works so hard to remember them and never forget who they were . He also recounts that he came back to life knowing the world is empty . Every time he dies , he wakes up alone . Ianto tells Jack he didn ' t ask to come back ; Jack answers that neither did he . However , Ianto is too disheartened to sympathise with Jack . He never thought the last thing he would say to him would be this , but it is not to see him again . Finally sick of dealing with the pain , Jack decides to attempt a final death that will seal his fate . When Syriath exits the rift , he will trip the detonator and take her with him . Ianto knows Jack cannot die , but Jack has decided on the next best thing - eternal oblivion , lost between worlds forever , and it couldn ' t be a better way to go . Jack thinks there is nothing left to see in the living world now that he ' s witnessed the return of Ianto . Ianto , surprised to see Jack reacting with such compassion toward him , tells Jack they can just go , follow his dad ' s words and leave , leaving Syriath as someone ' s else ' s problem . Perhaps Ianto will not vanish , but survive in the real world after they cross the threshold of the pub . The two decide to leave the House of the Dead and run . Jack leaves the House of the Dead and looks back to see Ianto remaining within - it was a trick to get him to leave . So Syriath may never torment the universe , Ianto has chosen to stay behind and blow up the Rift , a final death in lieu of Jack ' s endless purgatory . Although Jack pleads with him anew not to die , Ianto declares he has to go . Jack fully and properly tells Ianto something he never got to say . He sweetly tells his partner , " Ianto Jones , I love you . " Ianto reciprocates his statement , " And I love you too , Jack . " He affixes his attention to the Rift as Jack stands from afar . " Right , then . Best get a move on . Goodbye , Jack ! " Ianto sets off the detonator , taking out Syriath , the entire Cardiff Rift , and himself in the blast . With the pub now erased from the real world , the sounds of the explosion wane . A woman approaches Jack in the night , looking for the House of the Dead . Jack bitterly tells her the pub is closed . " You missed the ghosts . The House of the Dead is " gone " . " He scowls away and leaves the bewildered woman to ponder why the pub is still on her sat - nav , thinking it has to be nearby . Jack departs from Cardiff . He utters two words reverently : " Goodbye , Ianto . "