Whilst
investigating a group of unexplainable deaths in a village,
the Torchwood team are separated. Discovering further, Jack,
Gwen and Owen find a scared man, hiding from the thing responsible
for the murders. But Tosh and Ianto go that one step extra,
and locate the killer, who wants them as the next victims.
After
the slightly disappointing and forgettable ‘Small
World’, Torchwood returns to its remit
of pushing the Who universe in a more adult oriented
direction by upping the gore and terror tenfold.
‘Countrycide’
sees the Torchwood team head out of Cardiff to investigate
the strange disappearances and deaths that have plagued
a region outside of the city every ten years. Thinking that
the rift has expanded, the team believe a monster or alien
presence is responsible for the killings, but what they
discover is even more shocking.
This
is the episode that really sets Torchwood apart
from Doctor Who. While most of the previous episodes
did slightly take the series into an adult oriented bracket,
they were in essence just slightly darker than the original
series with the odd gory moment or little bit of bad language.
‘Countrycide’ finally takes the show in the
direction that Russell T. Davies had promised.
This
show is gory, filled with action and loads of reactionary
bad language, as the team reacts as anyone would to the
events going on around them. Getting them out of Cardiff
and away from their technology gives the characters the
chance to show their skills or reveal their weaknesses.
Eve
Myles as Gwen Cooper and Burn Gorman as Owen Harper get
the chance to shine in this episode as they are forced to
put their differences aside to survive. With all the danger
and peril around them, Gwen finally realises what she has
got herself involved in and that her life will be changed
forever. Owen takes on a new element of responsibility,
leaving the mickey-taking and tomfoolery behind. This episode
allows these characters to grow and the shocking events
of the finale will push them in a new direction.
This
is the show we have been waiting for and one with enough
gore, bad language and shocks to finally say that this is
an adult show.
