With only hours separating us from the premiere of Torchwood: Miracle Day, I know many of you all looking to learn as many little details about the season. We had the pleasure to chat with Executive Producer/Creator/Show runner, Russell T Davies, and stars John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), and Alexa Havins (Esther Drummond) during a media call yesterday and they had some juicy nuggets to share!

Be warned, this article is laced with spoilers, so if you don’t want to have something potentially spoiled, don’t go any further!!!

Without further ado, here are some details from our conversation.

Question: Russel, what inspired you to write about this theme of never-ending death?

R.T. Davies: It was kind of like you know, an old idea that’s been in my head for years, possibly about a decade or something because it’s kind of an old classical idea.

I think it happens in medieval mythology and stuff like that, death taking time off and leaving the world and things like that. And I just thought it would fit Torchwood marvelously and that we would have ten hours to explore what would happen to the world, what would really happen to the world instead of making it like a fable or a fairy tale.

So it was just kind of irresistible because Torchwood now is about big ideas. So that was the big idea.

Question: John, after Miracle Day Jack is mortal and can die. Do you think that prompts him to see his relationship with Gwen in a new light? Is she suddenly more important to have in his life because his days are now numbered?

J. Barrowman: Jack I think has always thought of Gwen being important because initially Gwen was the heart that he brought in in order to teach him again how to be more connected to the human race.

And now we’ve moved on to a fact where Jack is at risk of dying. And I think he’s realized you know, over the time he hasn’t really come to terms with his immortality and all of a sudden he’s now mortal. And he realizes he kind of liked being immortal and loved the life that he had. So he needs the protection and Gwen is the right one to protect him.

He needs her and she also needs him because they each have it’s like a 50/50 they have in their kind of team and their partnership. And he very much needs her to step up to the plate to save him from any harm. But he finds it very difficult not to get involved because he has to stop himself and think I could hurt myself here.

So it’s a really nice new dynamic that develops and you learn an awful lot about Gwen and Jack and their relationship in this series.

Question: John and Eve, where are your characters when the season begins? With Torchwood pretty much gone where are you both mentally?

J. Barrowman: Well, mentally and I can also tell you kind of physically also what’s going on with Jack, Jack – we find him. He’s come back from his travels. We don’t know what he has done.

That is something that maybe will be explored one day but probably that’s just a piece in time that we figure he has dealt with some of his issues and he has come back to planet Earth and he’s come to keep the Torchwood name below the radar. He’s come to make sure because he knows that this thing Torchwood hurts people and destroys relationships.

And so therefore he knows that Gwen Cooper is still alive and he’s protecting her from a distance and kind of unbeknownst to her. So he’s really kind of the guardian keeping it all under wraps and not letting it come out. So there is kind of a mental state with him that he is determined not to let anybody else get hurt, not to allow bad things to happen through this organization.

Although he loves the organization he has got to let – it’s had its course and he’s trying to keep it quiet.

E. Myles: You’ll find Gwen Cooper living in complete isolation and completely self sufficient and cut off from the world. I mean she’s living with her six-month-old baby girl and her husband.

They’re living in this very, very remote beautiful cottage somewhere in Wales overlooking the sea and that is their life. So you’ve gone from this woman who has (saved the universe) to being completely cut off and it’s quite sad and it’s very unusual to see Gwen Cooper in this kind of place. And the only person that she can tell stories about her past and Torchwood to is her little baby whilst giving her dinner.

So it’s a very lonely place actually for Gwen Cooper. And then unbeknownst to her as John has said, he’s been Gwen Cooper’s somewhat guardian angel. He’s been keeping her and her family safe. She thinks by being in isolation and being hidden away from the world she’s keeping her family safe but actually there is a bigger picture to it.

The big brother, which is Captain Jack Harkness is watching over at all times, keeping her and the family safe. So we see her looking like she’s having this somewhat idyllic life but actually there isn’t a cupboard or a closet in the house that hasn’t got some sort of explosion kit or a gun or a grenade or a knife or some sort of form of weapon because she knows one day it’s going to come knocking.

She’s constantly on alert and boy does it come knocking. It comes knocking with helicopters and rocket launchers. So the girl was right.

Question: Eve, one of my favorite bits from the premiere episode is the part where you put the tiny little pink ear muffs on your daughter before blasting away at the helicopter.

I’m really loving the whole mommy kicking butt theme. Is this something that’s going to be recurring throughout the season? And how does this kind of parallel with your life with a new baby and having to work and all that?

E. Myles: Thank you. That’s an absolutely lovely question. Yes, she doesn’t stop kicking ass in the entire series. She is like a lioness with her cubs. She’s absolutely fierce and yes, she uses her fists a lot.

She uses a lot of weapons but yes, it’s all very grounded and very real and quite a lot of it is quite humorous as well. So she is really quite militant this year and full on. And trying to compare it with my life, my god, the only confrontation I have normally is with myself in the mirror in the morning. No, I love – I can’t bear being away from my little darling Matilda.

And to think of the pressure that Gwen Cooper has on the show every day is unbelievably crazy and huge so no, I can’t make a comparison at all although we do have tight tempers the both of us.

Question: Russell, what was it like for having new actors come in from the other side of the pond and really making it an international cast for you?

R.T. Davies: Well, from my point of view it was just brilliant to get Alexa in and to get Mekhi Phifer in, and Bill Pullman as well. It was just a whole new infusion of energy, new voices, a new spirit. It just opens the doors for new viewers and it’s just a delight to work with them. Absolutely brilliant. I’d hope Alexa would say the same.

What do you think?

A. Havins: It’s been a great experience definitely. I mean we especially from my standpoint it’s interesting. There is like a really slight parallel but an interesting one enough between my character Esther and Gwen in the original first season.

And that was an honor to kind of take over that passing of the torch as introducing the new audience. And as that was her job in season one to introduce the audience, I kind of feel like it was passed upon to us to say welcome to the world of Torchwood to the American viewers that weren’t privy to the world already.

So it’s been an interesting hat to wear kind of. Everything that the new audience members are asking what is Torchwood, Esther is asking the same questions. She’s digging and finding those answers for them. Who is Captain Jack? She’ll find out for you. And it’s a neat way of quickly starting the fourth season strong with bringing in the new viewers.

They don’t have to have watched the past episodes and at the same time it doesn’t alienate the current fan. You just jump on for this ride. It’s not a ton of back story exposition. It’s here is a story, here is where we are and join us, we’re going to take you on an adventure.

Question: John, when I was watching the premiere episode there is a moment where Jack realizes that he is mortal and intellectually I think you would think that Jack would be relieved that he is now mortal.

But there was a distinct look of fear going on and I wanted to know what was going on in Jack’s head in that moment? And also how easy was it to slip Jack Harkness back on as a character?

J. Barrowman: Jack Harkness is so easy to slip back on because it’s like his coat. It’s very easy to put your arms in and wear it. And it’s such a part of me that it comes very naturally.

The other part of the question in regards to him discovering his mortality, yes there was an element of fear in his face because it’s something he’s never experienced before. It’s something that he – well, until the point where he became immortal he never really had that moment of fear. And to have that and to realize that his body wasn’t healing, that he could die, it was also a moment of confusion because how does he deal with this?

How does he handle this situation? What can he do? He’s always been the one who has been the man who put himself in front of harm’s way to help people, has really gone boldly into those situations not fearing any of it and all of a sudden, my goodness, he can’t do this. So it’s also a little bit of excitement there too because he can experience a lot of things that he’s never experienced before.

And that’s what’s really wonderful about the journey with Jack when this discovery has happened because he starts not only having a little bit of fear but he also starts to live a little. And that’s what was really nice about the whole aspect of that idea.

Question: Russell or Alexa, can we looking forward to romance between Rex and Esther?

R.T. Davies: Well, I think yes. I’ll let Alexa talk about it really but I think it’s quite in the first episode she’s quite clearly got a bit of a thing about Rex. It’s very understated but she feels attached to him. She feels very friendly to him.

She’s the only person at his hospital bed, which maybe says more about Rex than it does about Esther. But there is certainly a bond and a loveliness there.

A. Havins: Well, I think it’s more than anything she, as much as she wants more I think she’s just there is something very romantic about the idea with Rex. And he’s out in the field and it’s dangerous and there is something sexy about it.

And here she is, she’s stuck behind her computer and I think there is a longing not only to be with him but then to also be out in the field and work with him hand in hand. So it’s interesting there is that. We have this little tango, the professional and the personal relationship. And you’ll see as the ten episodes go on, she tries.

She gives it her all but Rex as you see, he’s tough. He’s all business, he’s gruff, he’s stern, which is quite I think makes for an interesting pairing between the two of them because she has this innocence and she’s naïve and she’s fresh. And then here is this guy that has lived a lot. He’s lived a full life as well as the Captain Jack character and the Eve character.

They all know who they are. They’ve had time for growth and that was what was such an honor for me and so much fun as an actor, playing a character that had clear growth like somewhere to go. She’s not the one that had the weapons training and life on the run. So you kind of see her stumble a little and pick herself back up.

And she is surrounded by these strong characters that help her become who she is.

Question: Russell, can you tell us if this season going to end in a cliffhanger?

R.T.Davies: I don’t want to give away too much. It’s a riveting last episode that has shocks and explosions galore and real big, proper revelations. At least enough to say that all your questions are answered if people are worried.

I don’t like series that reach a great big cliffhanger that demands you come back the next year. I think the next year should start again from scratch. So you needn’t worry about everything in Miracle Day being answered. Literally everything you are wondering about is answered in detail not just in the last episode but especially as you hit episodes 7, 8, 9 and 10.

It all gets answered but you do have to keep watching until the very last seconds just to find out everything.

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We want to say a bit thank you to John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Alexa Havins, and Russell T Davies for taking the time out to chat with us about this exciting new season. Don’t forget to tune in to “Torchwood: Miracle Day” when it premieres this Friday, July 8th at 10pm ET/PT only on Starz.