6
Andy and Ianto, both nursing bottles of beer, sit on the end of the unfinished bridge.
"I don't know what to think, Andy." Ianto admits to his oldest and dearest friend "Maybe I'm going out of my mind, but I get the feeling that the world revolves around me somehow."
"It's a lot of world for one man. You sure that's not wishful thinking, you wishing you'd made something more of yourself?" Andy laughs lightly "Christ, Ianto, who hasn't sat on the John and had an imaginary interview on "Torchwood Tonight"? Who hasn't wanted to be somebody?"
"This is different. Everybody seems to be in on it."
Andy looks around as if drawing inspiration from somewhere in the night. "True, we've known each other since before we were in long pants. The only way we ever made it through high school was cheating off each other's test papers. Jesus, they were identical. I always liked that, because whatever the answer was…"
Ianto chimes in, nodding fondly at the memory. "…we were right together and we were wrong together."
"The only night either of us ever spent in jail, we spent together and I wet myself but you never told anyone. I was best man at your wedding and my brother was best man at my wedding and you didn't talk to me for a month over that and I didn't blame you because you've been more of a brother to me than he's ever been."
Ianto is slowly coming around - Andy's speech from the heart soothing away his pain.
"I know things haven't worked out for either of us like we used to sit up on Monroe Avenue all night and dream they would." Andy smiles softly "We all let opportunities pass us by. None of us asks for the dance as often as we should. I know that feeling when it's like everything's slipping away and you don't want to believe it so you look for answers someplace else. But, well, the point is, I would gladly step in front of traffic for you."
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Saxon stares intently into camera, holding his distinctive earpiece to his head. Beside him, his ever-present assistant, Gwen. He says hushed tones "And the last thing I'd ever do is lie to you."
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Andy is staring into Ianto's eyes "And the last thing I'd ever do is lie to you. (pause) Think about it, Ianto, if everybody's in on it, I'd have to be in on it too. I'm not in on it, because there is no it."
"So what are you saying, Andy, the whole thing has been in my head…?"
Meeting his gaze, Andy sighs "Not the whole thing, Ianto. You were right about one thing."
"What's that?"
"The thing that started all of this." Andy nods and Ianto looks up in the direction of Andy's gaze. A Figure stands at the end of the freeway - a homeless man. It is his father, Ifan. "Yes, he survived somehow. He's got quite a story to tell."
Andy helps Ianto to his feet - Ianto still transfixed by the figure. Andy prompts "Go to him."
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Saxon continues to direct the action from what is now revealed to be the control room of a television studio.
"Go wide, LightCam Eight..."
In a wide shot, from one of the streetlights lining the empty freeway, we see Ianto walking towards his long-lost Father.
"...CarCam Twelve...and...cue music...Beethoven, Third Symphony, Second Movement."
Music swells. Ifan and Ianto embrace in the middle of the freeway. Ianto takes his father's ring from his own finger.
"...RingCam..."
We see a close up of Ifan from the ring's POV. Ianto places the ring in the palm of his father's hand.
"...ButtonCam Three..."
We see a close up of Ianto from a camera on Ifan's coat.
"I never stopped believing." Ianto sobs.
Gazing at the ring, then up to Ianto's face Ifan weeps as he says "Thank you...my son."
"And wide..." Saxon hisses.
Simeon looks to his director. "Close up?"
Staring intently at his monitor Saxon shakes his head "No, hold back..."
The Crew watches Ifan and Ianto embrace.
"All those years, wasted." Ifan sighs.
"We have a lot of years ahead." Ianto assures him lovingly.
Saxon allows himself a smile of satisfaction.
"And fade up music...now go in close..."
As a tight two-shot of father and son fills the screen, the orchestra swells with triumphant music.
Father and son remain in the embrace. Over Ianto's shoulder, we see a flash of guilt flicker across Andy's face.
Saxon, emotionally drained by the events, slumps in his chair. Gwen rests a supportive hand on his shoulder. The head of the network, Moses, a man in his seventies, enters with his young assistant, Roman - their faces full of admiration.
"Well done. Well done, everyone."
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A BEDROOM SOMEWHERE.
A man reclines on a bed, his back against the wall. Propped up on his knees is a book. However, he's not reading but staring straight at the TV screen - a look of profound sadness on his face. It is Jack.
From his point-of-view, we see a portable television set on a table at the foot of the bed.
On the television is a live picture of Ianto - the first time we have seen him on a television screen. He is sitting at his kitchen table, unaware of the cameras recording him.
The shot is static. He just sits there in silence, a steaming cup of cocoa in front of him and a plate of untouched cookies.
At one point, a sponsor's border, appears on the screen, tastefully framing the "action", with the message, "MOCOCOA - Cocoa beans from the upper slopes of Mount Nicaragua". After a several seconds the border disappears.
Suddenly, the live picture of Ianto shrinks into a window on the screen to accommodate a title sequence that begins to play around the edge of the image. "The Ianto Show" theme music begins.
The camera cranes up and over the Hollywood sign, the flatlands of Jones stretching into the distance.
"From the network that never sleeps - broadcasting live and unedited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, around the globe..." the announcer's voice drones during this continuous aerial shot, overlapping scenes from Ianto's life appear in chronological order, from infancy to adolescence and finally adulthood. Photographs of leading cast members also appear in individual frames. "...with Caroline Chikezie as Lisa Jones, Tom Price as Andy, Elry Thomas as Mother, re-introducing John Francis Harries as her husband, Ifan..."
The music swells as the camera approaches a mammoth structure at the base of the mountains - a dome so vast it dwarfs everything around it. At the top of the dome is a huge painting of Ianto's face encircled by satellite dishes - inside each dish is a single letter spelling out, T-H-E I-A-N-T-O S-H-O-W - a banner proclaims, "30th Great Year"
"...and Ianto Jones as Himself, taped in the world's largest studio, one of
only two man-made structures visible from space, comes the longest running documentary soap opera in history, now in its 30th great year - "The Ianto Show"!
The camera rushes towards the outside wall of the gigantic dome bathed in sunlight. When we emerge on the other side, it is night. The camera cranes up from a calm, moonlit ocean to the night sky above. As we near the crescent-shaped moon, we discover that it is actually a window overlooking Torchwood.
Standing in the "crater" window is the suited Saxon.
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LUNAR STUDIO.
Pulling back from the window we reveal an interviewer, mid-forties, conservative suit and hair. A large television shows a live picture of Ianto. Immersed in his book.
"I'm your host, Mike Michaelson, coming to you live from the Lunar Room on the 121st story of the OmniCam Ecosphere, 2800 feet above Torchwood Island. Tonight, a special edition of "Tru Talk", the forum where we discuss and analyze recent events on the show. We are honored to bring you a rare and exclusive interview with the show's conceiver, creator, tele-visionary, the Man-In-The-Moon himself … Saxon." The host says referring to the image of
Ianto between them "I remind viewers that as "The Ianto Show" is a living history, it is our practice to keep the image of Ianto on screen at all times."
A TITLE APPEARS: Due to the Live and Unedited nature of the program, viewer discretion is advised.
The Interviewer turns to Saxon.
"Welcome." The host says warmly.
"Thank you."
"The catalyst for the recent dramatic events was of course Ianto's father, Ifan, and his infiltration onto the show. Before we discuss that, it's worth reminding viewers that this isn't the first time someone from the outside world has tried to reach Ianto."
"We have had our close calls in the past." Saxon smiles.
Behind the two men, the constantly playing image of Ianto engrossed in his book is relegated to a window of the screen.
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PLAYBACK - INT. IANTO'S HOME. CHRISTMAS MORNING.
Ianto, 7, is opening presents under the tree - Ifan and Mother proudly looking on.
"Who can forget the infamous "Christmas Present" incident in the seventh season?" Suddenly, a small man bursts from a large, Christmas parcel. Ifan and the man grapple on the floor in front of the stunned seven-year-old. Ifan drags him away.
PLAYBACK - EXT. CITY STREET. DAY.
As the adult Ianto makes his way to work, a Parachutist drops from the sky into the main street, only yards behind him.
"And only last summer "Billie Blackbird" made his third attempt, leaping from a lighting gantry.
The parachutist is dressed entirely in black with a message emblazoned on his chest, "IANTO, YOU'RE ON TV." Commuters grab the man and drag him away - Ianto blissfully unaware of the incident.
Saxon is dismissive "These people have their own agendas. Many just want to be on television themselves."
PLAYBACK - EXT. CITY STREET. DAY.
The encounter between Ianto and the homeless Ifan is replayed up to the point where Ifan is bundled onto the bus.
The interviewer points out "Of course, there hasn't been anything to compare with this - the first time an intruder has been a former cast member …"
"A dead one at that." Saxon laughs.
"And certainly the first time that an intruder has been rewarded with a starring role." The interviewer is gushing "I really must congratulate you on writing Ifan back in. A master stroke."
Feigning modesty, Saxon waves a hand as he huffs "Since Ifan started this whole crisis in Ianto's life, I came to the conclusion that he was the only one who could end it."
"I understand he's hardly had a life of his own since he left the show. How did you convince him-was it the opportunity to be close to Ianto again?" the interviewer asks.
"That and a fat, new contract." Saxon frowns now.
"How do you intend to explain his twenty-two year absence?"
"Amnesia."
"Of course." The interviewer is impressed, nodding in agreement. The Interviewer consults his note. "Let's talk ratings. "Ianto" has always enjoyed top ten status but the huge surge over the last few days-how do you hope to sustain that audience now that Ianto appears to have reconciled himself?"
SAXON
Saxon is on a comfortable subject now as he replies "As you know ratings have never been our primary goal. I imagine we'll lose those voyeurs only interested in witnessing Ianto's latest torment. However, I'm certain that our core audience will remain loyal."
"But recent events have been so dramatic, it does raise the perennial question. What keeps us watching this one man twenty-four hours a day - eating, sleeping, working, sitting for hours in contemplation?"
"It has to be the reality." Saxon smiles as he educates "We've become tired of watching actors give us phony emotions, bored with pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Ianto himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It's not always Shakespeare but it's genuine. That's how he can support an entire channel."
"A window onto the human condition?"
"I prefer to think of it as a mirror."
At that moment, Ianto - still live on the screen … unwittingly punctuates the pretentious remark with a belch. Saxon and the Interviewer try not to notice. Saxon continues "Not only does he give us a glimpse of the truth, he gives us a glimpse of ourselves."
"But how do you account for the popularity of those eight hours a day when Ianto sleeps?"
"We find many viewers leave him on all night for comfort. Haven't you ever watched your child or your lover sleep?"
"Let's go to some of those viewers' calls." The Interviewer presses a blinking, illuminated button on his desk's high-tech phone terminal. During this segment, various windows open on the screen advertising products from the "Ianto" catalogue. "Charlotte, North Carolina, for Saxon."
"Hello?" a man's voice crackles.
"You're on, Caller. Go ahead."
"Saxon, it's a great honor to speak with you."
"Thank you."
"How much of a strain has the last few days placed on the actors?"
"Working on "Ianto" has always been a huge commitment for an actor, not just in terms of separation from friends and family, but since Ianto essentially drives the plot, it is a never-ending improvisation - witness Andy's extraordinary performance in the recent "Father And Son Reunion" episode." Saxon replies, reminding us that Ianto's best friends in the entire world is … well… not.
Cutting off the call, the interviewer asks "Are we talking Emmys?"
"Certainly a nomination."
"Of course, Ianto has always been very much in on casting." The interviewer says more as a statement than a question.
"As with our own lives, the only people he can't cast are his family. Otherwise he has final approval, able to elevate an extra into a lead role as was the case with his only real friend, Andy, or alternatively relegate a star to a bit player." Saxon agrees.
The interviewer is now presenting another line "Istanbul, Turkey, you're on with master videographer, Saxon."
"Mister Saxon, I've admired your work my whole life, although I can't say I've seen it all." A female voice purrs.
"Who can?" Saxon counters.
"Can you settle an argument for me? What's the longest time Ianto has been off-camera?" she asks.
With a trace of pride he explains "In his entire life, forty-two minutes. A technical fault in the twelfth season accounts for most of that time. The remainder generally results from blind spots, in the early days, when
Ianto would stray out of range of our cameras."
The interviewer cuts in "We should remind viewers that Ianto, especially as a child, presented a challenge for the production."
Turning to the screen Saxon says "Let me demonstrate some examples."
Footage of Ianto as a baby appears on the screen - as a newborn infant, held in a pair of anonymous latex-gloved hands, and as a toddler, dressed in various baby outfits - on one occasion looking through the bars of his crib.
"He was curious from birth" Saxon is smiling with seemingly real affection "premature by two weeks, as if he couldn't wait to get started."
"Of course, his eagerness to leave his mother's womb also meant he was the one selected." The interviewer pointed out.
Saxon is enthusing over a favourite part now "In competition with five other unwanted pregnancies - the casting of a show determined by an air date - he was the one who arrived on cue."
The interviewer shakes his head with wonder "Who knew that a show originally meant to last one year "Bringing Up Baby" would turn into a "cradle to grave" concept. He is in fact the first child in the world to be legally adopted by a corporation."
"That's correct."
"And the show now generates a yearly income equivalent to the gross national product of a small country." The interviewer is shrewd.
Saxon's smile slips slightly as a result "People forget it takes the population of an entire country to keep the show running."
"No, of course not." quickly changing the subject the interviewer points out "And since the show runs 24 hours a day with no commercial breaks the staggering profits are all generated from product placement."
"Yes, everything you see on the show is for sale - from the actors' wardrobe, food products, to the very homes they live in"
"All products carefully chosen and tested by you for quality and aesthetic value." The interviewer reads from his notes.
"There's nothing on the show I don't use myself."
"And it's all available in the "Ianto" Show" catalogue. Operators are standing by."
Saxon nods.
"Why do you feel that Ianto's never come close to discovering the true nature of his world?" the interviewer asks the big questions now.
"We accept the reality of the world with which we're presented. As the show expanded, naturally we were forced to manufacture ways to keep Ianto in Torchwood - demonstrating that every venture is accompanied by a risk." Saxon explains as the seven year old we have seen in other flashbacks appears on the screen. Wearing a cowboy outfit, he goes to cross the walkway of a bridge when he is suddenly confronted by a savage dog wearing a spiked collar. "Later, Ifan's drowning made much of this kind of intervention unnecessary."
We freeze on seven-year-old Ianto's terrified face.
The interviewer asks "You've never actually met Ianto, yourself. Never thought about doing a cameo-playing a veterinarian, or a priest, something like that?"
Saxon shrugs "I've been tempted. But I think it's important to retain objectivity. I wouldn't want to get emotionally caught up."
"The Hague for Saxon...The Hague?...lost them." pressing another line "Hollywood, California, you're on "Tru Talk." Go ahead."
"How can you say he lives a life like any other?" a male voice demands.
Sensing the thinly disguised resentment in the Caller's voice Saxon tries to soothe "As the Bard says, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." The only difference between Ianto and ourselves is that his life is more thoroughly documented. He is confronted with the same obstacles and influences that confront us all. He plays his allotted roles as we all do…"
"He's not a performer. He's a prisoner." The voice cuts him off.
The interviewer goes to cut off the call, but Saxon stops him. rising to the challenge he demands "And can you tell me, caller, that you're not a player on the stage of life - playing out your allotted role? He can leave at any time. If his was more than just a vague ambition, if he were absolutely determined to discover the truth, there's no way we could prevent him. I think what really distresses you, Caller, is that ultimately Ianto prefers the comfort of his "cell" as you call it."
As if trying to convince himself, giving himself away "No, you're wrong! He'll prove you wrong! He can still do it!"
The Interviewer hangs up on the caller.
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In a darkly lit room, we see Jack. It is he who is the confrontational Caller - phone still in his hand. He rises and looks behind him to someone else, "See? I have to … we have to."
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"We've learnt about life as Ianto has and, despite the complaints of a minority, it's been an overwhelmingly positive experience, for Ianto and for the viewing public." Saxon is slightly ruffles as he tries to place the voice that was hauntingly familiar. He did not like that one.
"Let's take another call." The interviewer wants to shake that one off, pressing a line "London, England, you're on "Tru Talk." Go ahead."
"Saxon? Congratulations on the way you've always handled Ianto's "sex" life – the classical music, soft lighting and so on. But has the recent violence caused a problem for the show's sponsors?"
"The sponsors know the risks going in, although we do try to maintain standards a level of decorum. For instance, I've never put a camera in the toilet."
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Still in silhouette, Jack turns down the volume on the television. Focusing on the window on the screen that displays Ianto, he comes close to the screen, catching his melancholy, saddened by his regression. Behind him is sounds of movement and the unmistakable sound of guns beige loaded.
Jack is gearing up.