Profiles: Rhys Williams

Species: Human

Ally or Foe: Definite ally

Episodes appeared in:

S1 – Combat, End of Days

S2 – Meat, Something Borrowed, Adrift, Fragments, Exit Wounds.

Referenced in Doctor Who – Stolen Earth.

Children of Earth

Miracle Day

Novels – Another Life, Border Princes, Slow Decay, Something in the Water, The Twilight Streets, Trace Memory, Pack Animals, SkyPoint, Almost Perfect, Bay of the Dead, The House That Jack Built, Consequences, Army of One and First Born, Exodus Code.

Audios – The Dead Line, Ghost Train, The Sin Eaters, The Devil and Miss Carew.

“Aliens?  In Cardiff?”

Rhys Alun Williams, son of Brenda and Barry Williams, husband to Gwen Elizabeth Cooper and father to Anwen Williams has seen a fair bit of alien activity over the years, but it wasn’t always like that. 

In the early days, Rhys began his career as a transport co-ordinator for Luckley’s, a small printing firm.  At his interview he wore a smart pair of trousers!  He then became transport manager at Harwood’s Haulage.  He wrote a ‘catchy’ jingle for a Harwood’s radio advertisement. 

“You won’t be sorry with a Harwood’s Lorry.”

Harwood’s is a large haulage firm with businesses in Carlisle, Ipswich, Sheffield as well as Cardiff.

When Leighton, one of the drivers was killed in a road traffic accident, it led to Rhys discovering that his fiancée Gwen Cooper wasn’t telling him the entire truth about her work placement.  It was also Rhys’ first introduction to Torchwood and alien life, such as the ‘Cash cow’ in the warehouse belonging to Harries & Harries, who Leighton was paid to do deliveries to the abattoir, no questions asked.

Rhys takes on the role of infiltrator of Harries & Harries on behalf of Torchwood and takes a bullet for Gwen. 

After the misuse of Retcon by Suzie on Max, Gwen was reluctant to give Rhys another dose after having drugged him during her confession of an affair with Dr. Owen Harper. 

After the Hub was destroyed in Children of Earth, and the team went into hiding.  All contact with family and friends were cut.  For a long time, Gwen and her family remained distant from Torchwood and Cardiff and spent a lot of time on the run, even though to all intents and purposes, it had been the government at fault during the entire 456 invasion.

After the loss of Ianto and the death of Stephen, Jack has left Earth.  Gwen and Rhys remain off radar with limited contact from friends and family.  Using code words, only Sgt Andy Davidson can inform Gwen about her Dad’s heart attack. 

Once more Gwen puts herself in danger of being captured by the authorities still searching for all operatives of Torchwood.  When they do catch up with her and Jack, Rhys remains in Wales, with his daughter and mother in law Mary, in Swansea.

Rhys proves to be a useful contact and once again it’s down to Torchwood to reset the world. 

Despite feeling extremely jealous of Captain Jack Harkness, and his affection for Gwen, he has a lot of respect for the man who would do absolutely anything to protect her.