Torchwood S 5 E 9 Poker Face - TV Tropes

"By Dawn Tomorrow, I'll Have The Whole Of Torchwood. The Base. The Team. I'll even let you keep the Coat."

Torchwood are in trouble. Terrorist attacks are rocking the city. Control of the police has been ceded to Cardiff's alien masters. And it looks like it's all been arranged by Captain Jack Harkness. Worse, there's a dead woman in the cells who says that Torchwood will be hers by dawn.

Yvonne is alive! Jack locks her in a cell in the Hub, because she wants to take over Torchwood. Jack forbids the team from talking to her, taking a "galactic lockpick" from her. He gets angry with Colchester for giving her tea, but Yvonne writes "check my car," on the wall, and in the trunk of the car, they find Jack's Red Doors informant. Jack demands that he not tell them about his Red Doors involvement. Yvonne, who has been able to eavesdrop using her magic sci-fi worm thing, invites Ng to the cell and makes her suspicious of Jack, and tells her the man is with Red Doors. Yvonne broadcasts a message across the Hub, saying Red Doors have placed bombs across Cardiff. The informant, Xander, continues to deny it. When Orr talks to Yvonne in her cell, they realize they think Jack has tunnel vision about Yvonne. Mr. Colchester finds footage of Jack arming the protesters from "The Empty Hand" and pulls a gun on him, realizing Xander works with him. Xander admits this. Ng shoots Jack when Colchester doesn't, and searching Jack's pockets, they discover the Galactic Lockpick, which they believe is his, the key to deactivating the bombs. Later, Yvonne meets Jack on a rooftop and announces her victory and that she is instated as the new leader of Torchwood and all it took were a few bombs and the right words. Jack asks what she's been doing for all these years and Yvonne pushes him from the rooftop, declaring it is "A new and glorious dawn for Torchwood."

This episode contains examples of:

• Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome: Inverted with Ianto - in the main timeline, he had a high-ranking role as Yvonne's personal assistant in Torchwood One, was known for his coffee, and eventually managed to become an important member of the team in Torchwood Three before his death. Pete's World Ianto is barely remembered by his universe's Yvonne, was a sad man working in admin, and was known for making bad tea.
• Anti-Villain: Yvonne does seem to care for Torchwood and comes off as a people person in comparison to Jack's rough Anti-Hero. However, She does successfully place blame on him for something he didn't do with bombs.
• Back from the Dead: Subverted with Yvonne, who has seemingly returned to life after having been turned into a Cyberman and killed during the Battle of Canary Wharf. In truth, this is a version of her from a different universe - Pete's World to be precise.
• The Bad Guy Wins: At the end of the episode, Yvonne Hartman is in command of Torchwood after framing Jack with the use of dummy bombs to make it look like Jack armed them. Whether Jack or Yvonne is the real villain here is YMMV.
• Batman Gambit: Yvonne knows what everyone's going to do - but it's her understanding of Jack's character that lets her win. Jack's repeated insistence on secrecy and not trusting people for the greater good makes the "people person" Yvonne seem more appealing, even with Jack explaining how dangerous she is.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Doubles with Good Is Not Nice as Yvonne's more appealing persona endears her to the team, where the more abrasive Jack falls behind because of this
• The Bus Came Back: Yvonne Hartman was last seen in 2006 in Doctor Who chronologically. Although it's a different scenario, and there was her appearances in the Monthly Range of Torchwood audios, this still qualifies.
• Caught on Tape: Yvonne uses a fireworm to record Jack's conversation with Xander, which she gives to Orr as evidence of him working with Red Door.
• The Chessmaster: Although Yvonne uses more personal information and leans more onto the Manipulative Bastard trope, she has heavy shades of this.
• The Coup: Yvonne's manipulations cause Ng, Colchester and Orr to turn on Jack and let her take over Torchwood.
• Foreshadowing: Yvonne doesn't know Ianto, despite the Torchwood One audios showing their close relationship. It's an early hint that this isn't the main universe version of Yvonne.
• Frame-Up: Yvonne plants several fireworks across Cardiff, makes them look like bombs, and manipulates things to make it look like Jack did the deed.
• Get Out!: When Jack's lies are revealed, Ng tells Jack to pack up his things in Torchwood and leave the Hub, essentially making him give up his leadership.
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite hailing from a universe where the Doctor didn't exist, meaning that Jack would not have joined him, become immortal, and join Torchwood to spend time waiting for the Doctor, Pete's World Jack apparently has dealings with Torchwood.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: Jack knows what's going on, and tries to do all of the correct things to keep Yvonne from taking over Torchwood, but considering he has the persuasive ability of just saying "Trust me, you guys" over and over, Yvonne takes over.
• Punk in the Trunk: The team watch Yvonne writing a message to check her car. There, they find Xander, the leader of Red Doors, in her boot.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Jack tries on multiple occasions to get Yvonne to stop manipulating the team this way, but considering Yvonne is The Chessmaster, this fails badly.
• Truth Serum: Yvonne suggests using a truth serum on Xander, revealing Jack's secret interactions with him. Jack had wanted to use it on Yvonne, but it was overruled.
• Wham Episode: The largest so far in the series, Jack is ousted from his position as Torchwood leader and replaced by an Alternate Universe copy of Yvonne, a character previously thought to be dead, who has also planted bombs around the city.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Ng, Colchester and Orr have a furious reaction towards Jack for his work with Red Doors, exactly as Yvonne predicted.

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