Jack Harkness quotes from Torchwood

Esther

Do you think I'm useless?

Jack

No. I think you're new to all this.

Esther

Yeah, but I'm CIA.

Jack

So's Rex. But he's just pretending. And that's the big secret, Esther. At times like these, the game goes to the person who speaks with the loudest voice. But pretty much everyone just wishes their mother was here.

Rex

Vera, this is Jack Harkness.

Jack

We keep meeting. It's like destiny.

Rex

Yeah. He likes to call himself Captain Jack, but I'm not buying it.

Jack

I'm going with you. I don't know, I could be your... assistant.

Esther

We told you, not a chance. That assassin said that you're too connected. And besides, you're too fragile, Mortal Man. [she kisses him on the cheek]

Jack

All I get is a kiss?

Esther

You look after yourself. You're unique. You're Category Jack.

Oswald

Jack Harkness. I could accuse you of having an obsession with me.

Jack

What happens after this, Oswald? When the fever dies down and the world wakes up to the fact that a murderer's standing center stage? Somewhere out there those men are waiting for you in the dark.

Gwen

So listen, Category One is bad, yes?

Yeah. That's people with no brain function or anyone who would normally have died. They're now officially Category One.

Jack

Ordinary people are Category Three.

Right. That's people with no injuries, nothing. They're fine. Then, Category Two is everyone in-between; People who are alive and functioning with an illness or injury that's gonna persist, but not kill.

Rex

Like me.

Yes, like you.

Rex

Wait a minute, when I got hurt, I should have died. I was Category One... But now I'm healing, so I'm Category Two... So which one am I?

Well, that's the point - People don't fit categories.

Jack

Worse than that, this process has given the United Nations a definition for life, which is therefore a definition of death. The government now has the power to decide whether you're dead or alive. No one should have that much control.

Jack

He's on his way.

Right, I'm gonna follow. I phoned Washington and pulled a few strings; I've got observer status.

Jack

No, no, no! Wait a minute, that's why we sent Rex!

I am not a member of Torchwood, so you can't give me instructions. And I need to see that place for myself. I was on the panels, Jack. I helped set these things up.

Esther

Any trouble, I can help get her out.

Jack

...Okay. I'm going with you. I don't know, I could be your... assistant.

Esther

We told you, not a chance. That assassin said that you're too connected. And besides, you're too fragile, Mortal Man. [she kisses him on the cheek]

Jack

[sulky] All I get is a kiss?

Esther

You look after yourself. You're unique; You're Category Jack. So, don't you go getting into trouble.

Love the vintage coat.

Jack

Thanks. Maybe the three of us should have dinner sometime.

It's not me you're after. In fact I've been trying to find out the truth just as much as you. I'm not a bad man, Mr. Harkness.

Jack

Captain.

I'm not a bad man, Captain. I'm not a good one either. I'm a middle man in every sense of the word.

Jack

So that means everyone's to blame. Everyone and no one.

Whoever's behind this, they don't show themselves. Not to me, not to you. But to play the system like this--the markets, the politics, industry--they had to be planning this for a very long time. I wish I knew who they were.

Gwen

You watching?

Jack

I'm here. And I've opened up the radio link. Make your message.

Gwen

This is the truth for the whole world to see. We let our government build concentration camps. They built ovens for people in our names. Now I don't care if the whole of society bends over and takes this like a dog. I'm saying, No. [she blows the complex]

Jack

That's my girl.

Jack

We did it. We're whistle blowers. Every major news organization. The world knows the truth now. Let the outrage begin.

Rex

You really think it's that easy, hmm?

Jack Harkness

It's a species of brainspawn treated as vermin on more than 150 planets that I know and valued as dinner on one other. It tastes like oysters.

You didn't...?

Jack Harkness

I had to be polite.

Jack

[regains consciousness] I'm tied down. Why am I tied down?

Gwen

They're in my eyes.

Jack

What?

Gwen

They're in my eyes. The contacts, they're in my eyes. Somebody's taken Anwen, Rhys, my mother, the whole bloody family. And they've said if I bring you, they'll let them go unharmed. Don't try moving. You'll never get out of those knots.

Jack

My hands are asleep. And my feet. You tied my feet?

Gwen

Of course I did, stupid. Otherwise you'd get out of the car, knock me out and turn the car around.

Jack

Are you sure they have your family?

Gwen

I phoned a hundred times. There's no reply. They've got them.

Jack

I want to talk to the lenses. Look at me so I can talk to them.

Gwen

Why do you always keep thinking you can tell me what to do?

Jack

Pull over, or look into the rear view. Just, please, let me talk to them.

Gwen

Don't cock this up, okay?

Jack

Listen, whoever you are, there's more than one way to play this. Are you listening?

Gwen

Yeah, there's a cursor. They're there.

Jack

You want me? Let her family go and I'll come to you alone.

Gwen

Tell them they can have me too.

Jack

No, just me. Let Rhys go, let Anwen go, let her mother go free. You guys, you know what? Here I am. You got me.

Gwen

Nothing.

Jack

Give them a minute.

Gwen

There's just nothing now.

Jack

Maybe they're thinking about it.

Gwen

My mother's name is Mary. Mary! You've known me all this time and you can't remember her name?

Jack

All right, I'm sorry, okay?

Gwen

Yeah, well, you should be, because this is all your fault. They want to kill you, but why do they want to do that?

Jack

I don't know.

Gwen

What have you done?

Jack

I don't know!

Gwen

Well you've done something haven't you? Way back when in that long bloody life of yours. God, you've lived so long you can't remember half of it! Now you think. Think! What the hell have you done?

Jack

It's a parasite. Like a bug.

A parasite? Tell me more about it.

Jack

Good man. It's a species of brainspawn treated as vermin on more than 150 planets that I know and valued as dinner on one other. It tastes like oysters.

You did not.

Jack

I had to be polite. Now this part drills into the brain of the host and deposits its larvae there. Little worms, sharp as needles, pushing into the brain very slowly. You go insane, but it takes years. Franklin Roosevelt, he's going to be elected Governor of New York this November. But he wouldn't start making the really crazy decisions until his second term as President. Result, America destabilises, pulls out of the war, Germany rises, the Third Reich triumphant and there's a whole new history sprawling out.

You mean someone is changing the future?

Jack

Destroying it. Turning order into chaos and feeding off the results.

Who would do such a thing? These people above Maranzano?

Jack

They're just being used by someone called the Trickster's Brigade. Believe me, you don't want to meet them.

What sort of men are they?

Jack

They're not men at all. They're not even human.

Gwen

It's me.

Jack

What do you mean?

Gwen

It's me. I caused this. I made this happen. I knew Torchwood was toxic, right from the moment I joined up, the very first day, but I stayed.

Jack

I'm glad you did.

Gwen

Stop being so nice. We left nice behind a hundred miles back. I'm trying to be honest, okay? Because do you know what the worst thing is of all? Out of all the shit we have seen, all the bloodshed, all the horror...You know what is worse than all that? I loved it. I bloody loved it. And I'd keep telling Rhys I was sorry, and I'd say to little Anwen I'm sorry, but I loved it so much. I knew things no one else knew and, oh, I felt so special. And when we lost people, it was so, so big, and I could say it was worth it. Because the bigger it was, the more important I was. And the more people we lost, the more that meant I was a survivor...and I was better than them. My God, this is all my fault and now they've got my beautiful little girl and I wished this on her.

Jack

I used to think the same about Torchwood.

Gwen

That's what I'm saying. Have you got what I'm saying to you, Jack? What I'm saying is, no more! Because I know exactly what you’re thinking, Jack; "She won’t do this, not really. Not my Gwen." "No, Gwen, she can’t hurt me. Gwen loves me. She’d never harm me." And, well, this is about my daughter. And I swear for her sake, I will see you killed like a dog right in front of me if it means her back in my arms. Understood?

Jack

Understood. And let me tell you. Now that I'm mortal, I'm gonna hang onto this with everything I've got. I love you, Gwen Cooper, but I will rip your skin from your skull before I let you take this away from me. Understood?

Gwen

Understood. I feel like I know you now better than I've ever done before.

Jack

Yeah. Right at the end.

Gwen

Mmm. Right at the end.